So you want to know how to build a shed? Well you’ve got some options on how to do this, but first you’ve got to make a few decisions. Shed building does require a little thought and some things to consider along the way. Like “what’s this shed for?” And “how big is this shed going to be?” One of my favorites is “how much is this going to cost?” But here’s some things I bet you haven’t considered yet. Like “what requirements do I need to fulfill for the city? How do we build this so it will last and won’t fall over? And how do I get this to look like it belongs here?”
Shed building doesn’t have to be a daunting task. A little planning goes a long way. If your shed is just for gardening purposes, you might get away with a smaller 6’x8’ shed. But if you want to store the lawn mower, your power tools and a few other gadgets, a larger shed with more shelving might fit the bill a little better.
If you’re in a village, township or city, your local government probably has some hoops (codes) to jump through for your project. It might be as easy as a few setbacks from your property lines and an estimate of cost to obtain a permit. But it also might require a set of plans and a fee for this permit. It’s all a hoop.
And you might want to make sure your newly dreamt of shed doesn’t fall down. If you live in a place where it freezes, you’ll definitely want to put your foundation below your frost line, whether it’s a concrete pier or strip footing that the floor rests on, there are other options don’t panic yet. From there you can do a concrete floor or a treated wood floor, totally your preference. The concrete floor is a little more work, but a better overall choice in my opinion for stability and durability.
Your shed can look like an extension of your house, a doll house or anything else that you want it to be it’s an extension of your personality. Cruise your neighborhood for ideas and see what works for them because it could easily work for you… or it could teach you what to avoid like the plague. Caution though, as they might not like you wandering through their yards. Vinyl siding doesn’t go with everything, so it’s not always the best choice. Sacrifice and modifications happen, so don’t get discouraged.
Where you draw the line on cost is again up to you. We discovered that a pre-built shed from the big box stores like Menard’s and Home Depot were quite pricy. After doing the breakdown for cost of lumber, concrete, rock & a new tool for every project, we ended up being money ahead for this build… something that made everyone involved happy. Not to mention a more customized shed that we had a hand in creating. As weekend warriors ourselves, we did the old fashioned nose to the grindstone design, redesigned, planned and built something that we couldn’t find anywhere else, within budget. Our shed building experience was a blast, we hope yours will be too.
