The rising cost and inconvenience of monthly storage rentals are prompting many San Antonio homeowners to reclaim their garages and backyards. A new episode of The Building Texas Show, titled No Storage Unit. Still 24/7 Access: Tuff Shed, explores this trend through a conversation with Richard Castellanos of Tuff Shed, recorded live at the San Antonio Home and Garden Show. The episode, hosted by Justin McKenzie and published August 30, 2026, details how an employee-owned American manufacturer is helping residents add customized backyard structures that often go up in a single day.
Castellanos, a sales design consultant based at Tuff Shed's display yard near Loop 410 and Bandera Road, addresses practical considerations buyers frequently overlook. He notes that San Antonio requires no building permit for structures under 300 square feet, but municipalities like Castle Hills and Alamo Heights have their own regulations. The discussion also covers stick-built framing using 2x4s at 16 inches on center, with options for 2x6 or 2x8 upgrades on larger designs like two-story barns. Residential uses include studios, workspaces, and garage overflow, while commercial clients range from school districts to government entities and San Antonio Air Force bases. The Woodmaster's division offers portable structures, including chicken coops and greenhouses.
Castellanos emphasizes that Tuff Shed's employee-ownership model is central to the customer experience. "It's not just me as a sales design consultant trying to sell you a product. It's actually me trying to get you an experience that one, you're going to recommend to your friends and two, is going to keepsake your valuables, your memorables that you're storing in your shed," he tells McKenzie. On the driving force behind current demand, he is blunt: "A majority of our business is residential, obviously, but they want to get out of their storage unit that they're paying for, get something on their property that they can access 24/7."
The conversation traces Tuff Shed's growth from its founding by CEO Tom Saurey 45 years ago to its current network of 74 factories across the United States. Locally, Castellanos points to two South Side locations outside Loop 410 and a new facility off I-35 in New Braunfels. Turnaround from design to build slot currently runs a week to 10 days, with on-site assembly typically completed in one day. Customers can also self-design at tuffshed.com before consulting with a representative.
The episode is the first installment of the San Antonio Home and Garden Series on The Building Texas Show, which profiles operators, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs shaping construction across Texas. The podcast delivers practical conversations for homeowners, builders, and small-business leaders, and this episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
