A wooden gazebo built by a construction crew costs 150,000-250,000 rubles for labor plus materials. Building it yourself costs 40,000-60,000 rubles just for lumber, fasteners, and roofing. Savings of 90,000-190,000 rubles over 2-3 weeks of weekend work. We explore what you can build yourself, where it's better to hire a professional, and why regional carpenters offer lower prices and higher quality than mass-produced options.
Demand for wooden summer cottages increased by 38% in 2024. The reason: imported metal structures have doubled to tripled in price, Chinese-made gazebos last only 3-5 years and rust, while properly treated wood lasts 15-20 years and looks natural. Summer residents are returning to traditional materials.
Popular buildings on a summer cottage plot
The most popular wooden structures for summer cottages in 2025 are gazebos (ordered by 47% of summer residents), tool sheds (34%), woodsheds (28%), summer kitchens (19%), and utility buildings (16%). Wood is chosen for its environmental friendliness, affordability, and the ability to build it yourself.
Gazebos
The gazebo is the main place to relax at a dacha. Statistics show that families spend 60-70% of their time in the gazebo—dinners, tea parties, and evening get-togethers. The investment pays off in comfort.
Sizes and prices:
- A 3x3 meter gazebo for 6-8 people - materials 45-65 thousand rubles, crew work 80-120 thousand
- Gazebo 4x4 meters for 10-12 people - materials 70-95 thousand, labor 120-180 thousand
- Gazebo 5x6 meters with a summer kitchen - materials 110-150 thousand, labor 200-280 thousand
Materials: 100x100 or 150x150 mm timber for the frame, 25-30 mm edged boards for the flooring and sheathing, clapboard for finishing, and metal or ondulin roofing. The service life of the timber when treated with an antiseptic is 15-20 years.
Advantages of wood: Warm, doesn't heat up in the sun like metal, is easy to work with, and is repairable. Cons: requires annual preservative treatment, and is susceptible to moisture without protection.
Equipment sheds
A 3x4 meter shed can accommodate garden tools, a lawn mower, a walk-behind tractor, tools, and fertilizer. A timber frame structure with OSB or board sheathing is the simplest option for DIY construction.
Cost of materials: 25,000-40,000 rubles (timber, boards, roofing, fasteners). Construction time: 3-4 weekends. Crew labor: 40,000-70,000 rubles, 5-7 days.
Foundation: Columnar (8-12 blocks at 200 rubles) or screw piles (4 at 2,500 rubles). The shed's service life is 12-18 years.
Firewood sheds
A 2x3 meter woodshed holds 4-5 cubic meters of firewood—enough for a stove or fireplace for the winter. It's an open structure with a canopy, three walls, and one side open for ventilation.
Price: 15-25 thousand rubles for materials, build in two weekends. The simplest option is four posts, a corrugated roof, and board back and side walls with gaps for ventilation.
Summer kitchens
A summer kitchen is a gazebo with a stove, grill or barbecue, work table, and sink. Dimensions are 4x5 or 5x6 meters. The structure is a combination of a wooden frame and roof, and a brick or stone stove area.
Price: 120-180 thousand for materials (wood + brick + stove), labor 180-250 thousand. This is a complex project and requires stove-laying experience. It's easier to hire a professional.
Utility buildings
A utility block is a shed, woodshed, and toilet under one roof. Dimensions: 3x6 or 4x6 meters, divided into three sections. Saves space and materials compared to three separate buildings.
Price: Materials cost 55-80 thousand rubles, construction takes 2-3 weeks on weekends. Crew labor costs 80-130 thousand rubles.
Comparison of materials
Tree: Affordable, easy to work with, warm, and environmentally friendly. Lasts 15-20 years with treatment. Average price. Maintenance required: treatment with an antiseptic every 2-3 years.
Metal: Durable (30-40 years), rot-resistant, fireproof. 40-60% more expensive than wood. Requires welding or riveting, making it more difficult for DIY construction. Heats up in the sun and cools down in winter.
Brick: The most durable (50+ years), requires no maintenance, and is fireproof. It's 2-3 times more expensive than wood. It requires a foundation (strip or slab). The installation technology is complex.
For most summer cottages, timber or a board frame are ideal—they're affordable, can be built independently, and last a long time.
Why is it more profitable to buy from regional producers?
Regional carpenters and joiners produce wooden structures 30-40% cheaper than Moscow-based teams, while still achieving higher quality than mass-produced products. This is due to their low overhead costs, direct access to lumber, and a personalized approach to each order.
Price comparison for a 4x4 meter timber gazebo:
Moscow Brigade: Labor costs 180,000-220,000 rubles + materials 85,000 rubles = 265,000-305,000 rubles. Lead time 10-14 days. Standard design from the catalog; modifications are expensive.
Regional master (Kaluga, Tula, Ryazan): Labor costs 100,000-140,000 rubles + materials 75,000 rubles = 175,000-215,000 rubles. Lead time: 12-18 days. Custom project modifications are available free of charge or for a nominal fee.
Mass production (ready-made designs): Price: 120,000-160,000 rubles + delivery 15,000-25,000 rubles + assembly 20,000-30,000 rubles = 155,000-215,000 rubles. Average quality: thin 100x100 cm beams instead of 150x150 cm, simplified fastening points, inexpensive roofing. Lasts 8-12 years instead of 15-20.
Ordering from a regional specialist saves 50,000-90,000 rubles compared to Moscow. The quality is superior to mass production: thicker timber, stronger joints, better roofing, and custom geometry tailored to your site.
Dmitry from the Moscow region ordered a 5x5 meter gazebo from a carpenter in Kaluga. "Moscow crews quoted 320-380 thousand rubles for the work. I found a craftsman from Kaluga through friends—the labor was 180 thousand rubles, and I brought the materials myself from a local sawmill for 95 thousand. Total: 275 thousand rubles instead of 450-500. The craftsman came with an assistant, lived on the site for 16 days, and built it perfectly. The timber is 150x150 cm, all joints are doweled, and the roof is metal. It's been standing for three years now, no creaks or cracks."
Why regional craftsmen are cheaper:
Rent and overhead: A Moscow team pays 80,000-120,000 rubles per month for rent for a tool warehouse, office, and transport. A regional foreman works from home or a garage, with overhead costs ranging from 5,000-15,000 rubles.
Salaries: A carpenter in Moscow wants 4,000-5,000 rubles a day. In Kaluga or Tula, it's 2,500-3,000. Over two weeks of work, the difference is 20,000-30,000 rubles per person.
Materials: Muscovites buy at Leroy Merlin with a 40-60% markup. Regional craftsmen buy directly from a local sawmill, saving 25-35%.
Competition: There are dozens of teams in Moscow, but they all keep their prices high. Competition is lower in the regions, and craftsmen rely on word of mouth and value their reputation.
Regional craftsmen often offer higher quality: they do their work conscientiously because they work in small towns where everyone knows each other. Poor work = loss of reputation = no orders. Moscow crews can cut corners—the city is big, with lots of clients.
The story of a carpenter who rose to become a federal supplier
Sergey from Kaluga started making furniture and wooden structures in a garage on Tulskaya Street in 2018. He worked for friends and their friends—gazebos, sheds, saunas, and solid wood furniture. The quality was excellent, the prices reasonable, but he was desperately short of clients. For three years, he worked exclusively for Kaluga and Obninsk, with two to three orders per month and an income of 120,000-180,000 rubles. He was barely making ends meet.
2021 was a turning point. My daughter, a college student studying web design, created a website for her father for her thesis, cataloging furniture and buildings. She posted photos of her work, described her services, added pricing, a cost calculator, and an application form. She launched contextual advertising in Yandex for queries like "custom solid wood furniture," "log gazebo price," and "wooden buildings for summer cottages."
In the first month after the website's launch, 12 requests came from other regions. Eight from Moscow, two from St. Petersburg, and one each from Tula and Ryazan. Sergey was shocked—he thought he'd get a couple of calls at most. But here people were willing to travel to Kaluga to see samples of work or order from photos.
A key order—a Moscow hotel chain was looking for a supplier of natural wood furniture for 200 rooms. They found Sergey's website in a search, called him, and visited the factory to inspect the quality. They compared it with Moscow's competitors—their prices were 2.5 times higher for similar quality. They signed a contract for 4.5 million rubles. It was a breakthrough—in one order, Sergey earned as much as he had previously earned in two years.
Now, four years later, Massiv has moved from a garage to a 1,200-square-meter workshop. Its staff has grown from three (Sergey and two assistants) to 28 employees. Its distribution network spans 34 regions of Russia, with an annual turnover of 87 million rubles. Sixty percent of orders come through the internet—its website, social media, and marketplaces.
For summer residents, this means they can order a high-quality gazebo or sauna from a local craftsman online, saving 30-40% compared to local crews, and getting a custom design. Geography is no longer a barrier—logistics are available, with craftsmen coming to assemble the structure or sending it unassembled with instructions.
Step-by-step instructions: building a 3x4 meter gazebo
Building a simple 3x4 meter gazebo yourself can be done in 3-4 weekends (6-8 workdays) with minimal woodworking experience. Materials cost 50,000-70,000 rubles. Tools required: saw, screwdriver, level, tape measure, chisel.
Stage 1: Foundation (1 day, 8-12 thousand rubles)
A columnar foundation is the simplest and most affordable option for a lightweight gazebo. Nine columns (at the corners, in the middle of each side, and in the center) are made of 20x20x40 cm foundation blocks.
Step by step:
- Mark out a 3x4 meter area with pegs and string.
- Dig holes 40×40×30 cm for each post (9 pieces)
- Fill with 10 cm of sand and compact it.
- Install foundation blocks (2 blocks high = 80 cm above the ground)
- Check the horizontality of all posts with a level
- Waterproofing: Put roofing felt on each post
Materials: 20x20x40 cm blocks — 18 pieces at 65 rubles each = 1,170 rubles. Sand (0.5 cubic meter) — 400 rubles. One roll of roofing felt — 450 rubles. Total: 2,020 rubles + labor.
Alternative: 6 screw piles at 2,500 rubles each = 15,000 + screwing 6,000 = 21,000. More reliable, but more expensive.
Stage 2: Bottom trim and floor (1-2 days, 15-22 thousand)
The bottom frame is made of 100x100 or 150x150 mm timber. The floor is made of 40 mm edged boards.
Step by step:
- Lay 100x100 mm timber around the perimeter of the foundation, joining them in half-lap joints at the corners.
- Lay the joists from the 100×100 mm timber across with a step of 60 cm (5 joists)
- Secure the frame and joists to the foundation with anchors
- Lay the floor from edged boards 40×150 mm with a gap of 3-5 mm
- Treat everything with antiseptic in 2 layers
Materials:
- Timber 100×100 mm — 25 linear meters at 280 rubles/m = 7,000 rubles
- Board 40×150 mm — 0.8 cubic meters at 12,000 rubles/cubic meter = 9,600 rubles
- Fasteners (screws, corners, anchors) - 2500 rubles
- Antiseptic 10 liters - 1800 rubles Total: 20,900 rubles
Stage 3: Frame and roof (2-3 days, 18-25 thousand)
Vertical posts made of 100×100 mm timber, upper trim, rafter system.
Step by step:
- Install 6 vertical posts at the corners and in the middle of the long sides
- Height of pillars: front 2.5 m, rear 2.2 m (roof slope)
- Secure the posts with temporary braces and check for verticality.
- Lay the top frame from 100×100 mm timber
- Install rafters from 50x150 mm boards with a pitch of 60 cm
- Lathing made of 25×100 mm boards with a pitch of 30 cm
- Lay down the waterproofing membrane
- Fix metal tiles or ondulin
Materials:
- 100×100 timber for posts and strapping – 18 m at 280 = 5040 rubles
- 50×150 rafter board – 0.35 cubic meters at 11,000 rubles = 3,850 rubles
- 25×100 board for lathing - 0.2 cubic meters at 10,000 rubles = 2,000 rubles
- Metal roofing tiles 14 m² at 450 = 6,300 rubles
- Waterproofing 15 m² at 80 = 1200 rubles
- Fasteners, roofing screws — 2800 rubles. Total: 21,190 rubles.
Stage 4: Finishing (1-2 days, 8-12 thousand)
Covering the walls with clapboard to a height of 1-1.2 meters, painting or staining.
Materials:
- Lining 12 m² 450 = 5400 rubles
- Stain or paint 5 liters - 2500 rubles
- Floor varnish 3 liters - 1800 rubles
- Decor (carved elements) - 2000-4000 rubles as desired. Total: 9700 rubles.
Final estimate
Materials:
- Foundation - 2000 rubles
- Bottom trim and floor — 21,000 rubles
- Frame and roof - 21,000 rubles
- Finishing - 10,000 rubles Total: 54,000 rubles
Time: 6-8 working days (3-4 days off). Team work: 80-120 thousand. Savings: 80-120 thousand rubles.
Where to buy quality wood
It's more cost-effective to buy lumber for summer cottages from local sawmills—prices are 30-50% lower than at home improvement stores, you can choose the quality in person, and delivery is cheaper. Home improvement stores offer a convenient selection and availability, but the added cost is significant.
Local sawmills
Pros:
- The price is 30-50% lower than in construction stores
- You can select each board personally, rejecting those that are crooked or have defects.
- Freshly cut wood is dry wood that has not become damp in the warehouse.
- Custom sizes available upon request
- Delivery is cheaper - usually your own transport
Cons:
- You need to go out of town and waste time.
- The range is limited - edged boards, timber, may not include lining or imitation timber
- The quality of processing is average - unevenness and burrs are possible
- No receipt or guarantee
Prices (average for Central Russia, summer 2025):
- 100×100 mm timber — 6,500–8,000 rubles/cubic meter (at Leroy 11,000–13,000)
- Timber 150×150 mm — 8,500–10,500 rubles/cubic meter (in Leroy 14,000–17,000)
- Edged board 40×150 mm — 9,500-12,000 rubles/cubic meter (in Leroy 15,000-18,000)
- Edged board 25×150 mm — 8,000–10,000 rubles/cubic meter (in Leroy 13,000–16,000)
- Lining — 18,000-22,000 rubles/cubic meter or 350-450 rubles/m² (in Leroy 550-750 rubles/m²)
Savings on materials for a 3x4 m gazebo are 15-25 thousand rubles.
How to search: Yandex.Maps "sawmill," Avito "lumber," and local VKontakte groups. Trusted sawmills have been in business for 10-20 years, have regular customers, and a reputation.
Construction markets (Leroy Merlin, OBI, Petrovich)
Pros:
- A wide range of products – timber, boards, lining, imitation timber, planks
- Convenience - everything in one place, there are fasteners, tools, roofing
- The quality is stable - the wood is processed and packaged
- Delivery is organized, there is a lift to the floor
- Receipt, guarantee, return
Cons:
- Prices are 40-70% higher than sawmills
- You can't choose a specific board - they are sold in packs
- The wood may be damp or over-dried.
- Queues, especially during the season
Prices:
- Timber 100×100 mm — 11,000–13,500 rubles/cubic meter
- Timber 150×150 mm — 14,500–17,500 rubles/cubic meter
- Edged board 40×150 mm — 15,000–18,500 rubles/cubic meter
- Lining - 550-850 rubles/m² depending on the grade
When is it advantageous to buy from a hardware store: you need a small amount of material (1-2 boards), you need specific items (imitation timber, decor), you need delivery to the city without your own transport.
Wholesale warehouses of building materials
A middle ground between sawmills and hardware stores. Prices are 15-25% lower than Leroy, 10-20% higher than sawmills. Wide selection, average quality. Suitable for large purchases—from 3-5 cubic meters.
Prices:
- Timber 100×100 mm — 8,500–10,500 rubles/cubic meter
- Edged board 40×150 mm — 11,500–14,000 rubles/cubic meter
Recommendations
For a gazebo, shed, or utility building, buy the main material (timber, boards) from a sawmill—you'll save 15,000-30,000 rubles. Finishing materials (lining, imitation timber), fasteners, and roofing are more convenient to buy at a hardware store—the selection is wider and the quality is more consistent.
Delivery: The sawmill usually uses its own transport—2,000-4,000 rubles within the region. Stroymarket costs 3,000-6,000 rubles, depending on the distance. If you have your own trailer or can borrow one from a friend, it's cheaper to transport it yourself.
You can build wooden structures for your dacha—gazebos, sheds, and utility buildings—yourself and save 80,000-190,000 rubles on hiring a team. The key is to choose the right materials (buying from local sawmills is 30-50% cheaper than buying from hardware stores), follow the proper procedures, and take your time. If you lack the experience or time, hiring a regional craftsman is 30-40% cheaper than hiring a Moscow team, and the quality is better. A carpenter from Kaluga has shown that even in the regions, there are skilled craftsmen at the national level, who can be found online.
