Well let me say this,,, On my own garage that i just obtained once I put new interior Liner Panel , And for Insulation I had a bunch of clothes that I needed to get rid of,, And Yep Insulated my ol garage with my ol clothes... And I'll tell you what, Its pretty easy to keep the garage warm. {Or cool}
. Asking about a permit is a good question to ask. Although a hard one to answer. It varies from town to town. County to county. State to state. The best way I could answer it would be to tell you to call you local city hall and ask them.
How much does an 8x12 Metal storage shed weigh? it will be lighter than an 8x12 wood shed. Your basic 8x12 metal shed will weigh 500-700 lbs. METAL SHED WEIGHT=500-700 LBS.
An 8 x 12 basic wood shed is going to weigh a good 1500 pounds. Now a metal shed will be lighter by at least half the weight, I would sctually say 1/4 of the weight due to the fact that you don't need near as much material.
A good way to add a little security is a couple of... Solar powered, motion detection lihts. Solar powered so you don't forget to change the battery or expensive wiring. And the motion detection is a great way to scare off thieves. Another thing you can do to help secure your shed....... Lock the door!!! Yes that simple, put a padlock on the door.