Building a shed

[os1kne]

I am going to build a shed to store my lawn equipment, garden tractor, etc. - so that I can utilize more of the garage. I'm just in the planning stages now. I figure that it will be around 150 sq. ft. (probably 12x12, but maybe 10x14-16).

Anyway, I have heard some people say that the best way is to get a shed-kit from a big box store and go from there. Is this really the best way to go? I suppose not needing to work up a plan and do as much cutting would be a benefit, but if the materials in the kit are junk and I could build a bigger/nicer shed for the same money then I'd rather do it myself.

Has anyone built a shed from scratch recently? If so, about how big and about how much did it cost to build?

Has anyone built a shed from a kit recently? If so, how was the quality of the materials and plan?

Thanks.

[final_t]

Going to be doing this myself. Based on my paper napkin roughout, doing it myself vs buying kit is about 40% the cost ($1000 materials vs $2390 kit).

You should check with your local zoning & HOA to see if you need to get permission/wavers/legal junk to put a small shed on your property. Might not be an issue for "small" vs "little house".

A good book to check out from your library is "Building a shed : expert advice from start to finish" by Joseph Truini, which should give you more than enough ideas, tips, and etc.

Also search Popular Woodworking online, they have a bunch of their shed information there with a few pdf's and jpgs that can be printed out.

Good luck!

[BobSch]

Watch the kits carefully. A lot of the ones I looked at had 2x3 framing, not 2x4. Also a lot of the "kits" are realy just a pile of loose material, often of questionable quality. You can do better by either buying a set of plans or searching the web for free ones.

Here's some I dug up when I was thinkling about building one:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_improvement/home_improvement/1276231.html?page=1&c=y

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_improvement/home_improvement/1276536.html?page=1&c=y

http://www.buildeazy.com/shed_1.html

http://www.buildeazy.com/newplans/shed_narrow_page1_3_06.html

http://www.buildeazy.com/newplans/board-and-batten_shed_page1_4_06.html

Even if the freebies aren't exactly the right size it souldn't take too much to adapt them.

P.S. around here, anything over 100 sq. ft. requires a permit.

[Hellrazor]

I wouldn't opt for a kit. Get a plan and work off it. It gives you total control over everything.

[cabinetman]

I had to build a shed after Wilma. It is a 10' x 12' all from scratch. One pic is in the framing stage and the other is complete. Used 2x4's, 3/4" plywood floor on PT framed floor joists. Exterior is T-111 and the roof is some really cool stuff:

http://www.ondura.com

Cost for all was about $800.00



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[SwingKing]

I bought and built one of these kits a few years ago. I got mine from a local home improvement store (Sutherlands in Fort Worth). The materials were all good quality and the kit went together well.

I had thought about building it from scratch, but I was short on time and experience so I went with the kit. It was a fairly simple process, since they delivered everything on a pallet and the plans were decent. My kit came with pre-built trusses, which certainly saved me some time and trouble.

This shed is fine for me, but if I have to do it again I'd probably consider building from a plan instead of a kit. If you're comfortable with framing and/or have a good plan, you're more likely to get a shed that better fits your needs.

-- Ken

[ivwshane]

Are there online resources that go into what's required for building a more permanent shed, permit wise?

If not what's the process one goes through to build a permanent structure?

[newbie2wood]

In my township, a permit is required for any shed less than 10'x10' in dimension, unless a variance is also required (due to setback lines and other restrictions). To get the permit, you have to simply fill out a one-page form from the Code Enforcement Department and pay $20.

As for building the shed from scratch vs. a shed kit, I would recommend the former. Shed kits normally use 2x3 construction and often requires two pieces to be nailed together to span a long wall or frame. Quality of shed kits are okay but you can do alot better designing your own shed.

A kit will cost more than buying the material to build it from scratch. If you looking for convenience or time savings, I would recommend that you consider buying a pre-built shed that can be delivered to your site. Interestingly, pre-built sheds do not cost much more than kits. There are hidden cost in buying a kit, like paying for OSB floor boards and roofing materials.

BTW, BORG sell kits manufactured by Handy Home. If you go to the manufacturer's website, you can find plans with assembly instruction and dimensions of the cut pieces.
________
PinkSweets

[os1kne]

Thank you for all of the responses. They confirm what I suspected - that I'd be better off building from scratch. Due to the location of where I intend to build the shed, it would be nearly impossible for a pre-built shed to be dropped in place. I ordered the Truini book last week, so I guess that I need to read it, make a plan and get to work.

SwingKing, I used to live in Watauga near the Sutherlands store (until about 18 months ago). It was sad to see that store going downhill after the HD and Lowe's stores popped up.

Cabinetman, where would I get some of that Ondura? How is it attached to the roof? Is it layed over a plywood roof, or is it a sheet that gets placed over the roof framing?

Thanks again.

[cabinetman]

Here's a general site that may give you some ideas before you start:

http://www.designer-shed-plans.com/0805%20Guide.pdf

I got the Ondura roofing from Lowes. It comes in 49" x 79" and is light weight. It can be mounted to rafters, decking or purlins, with (their special ringed shank) nails. It's a composit of asphalt and fiberglass that is warrantied for something like 50 years. Real easy to install - check out their site:

http://www.ondura.com

I considered all types of roofing pro/con, and decided on this. You might check out their site for the suitability of this material for your area.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[Thalermade]

Since no one else touched on these issues, I will put some extra thoughts in your head.

Foundation - your area may have codes, but think twice before just building the shed on treated lumber on the ground. My Mom's 16 year old shed is having some rot problems. Though part of the problems come from the next item.
Drainage- flat ground is good to build on. but recognize how the water flows in that part of the yard.

Water off the roof, not many sheds have gutters. drip lines can erode the ground around the foundation.

Ventilation - just like your house, make sure the top of the shed or the roof has some vents, most likely with screen on the inside to keep bugs from moving in.

have fun and plan, plan plan.
Russ

[Deadhead]

Since no one else touched on these issues, I will put some extra thoughts in your head.

Foundation - your area may have codes, but think twice before just building the shed on treated lumber on the ground. My Mom's 16 year old shed is having some rot problems. Though part of the problems come from the next item.
Drainage- flat ground is good to build on. but recognize how the water flows in that part of the yard.

Water off the roof, not many sheds have gutters. drip lines can erode the ground around the foundation.

Ventilation - just like your house, make sure the top of the shed or the roof has some vents, most likely with screen on the inside to keep bugs from moving in.

have fun and plan, plan plan.
Russ

All of the above are reasons why my shed needs to be replaced. Previous homeowner put in a kit. The floor is sagging and rotting out. The back of the shed was buried about 6" deep because of how the lot drains. The bottom of the trim is rotting because of water from the roof splashing back up. One reason the floor is sagging is because any moisture that gets in is trapped due to lack of ventilation.

[HarmsWay]

Hey, I lost the last two summers because of a "great" shed idea!

We decided we needed a shed (okay I wanted a shed and eventually wore my wife down) and wanted it to look like a mini version of our house. My idea of a shed was something like 15x20 with a double door. For my wife it was 8x8. We settled on 12x14 and a good friend drew some plans. It was to be a cute little building finished in brick and stucco.

All local municipalities have the 100 ft^2 rule (actually the metric version). Anything bigger needs a permit. BTW, the interesting thing is regardless of the size you still have to follow the building code. Most people don't realize that. We live in a fairly anal neighborhood and have really good neighbors that we want to keep happy, so I wanted to follow the rules anyway.

Having some woodworking experience but no construction experience, I thought "Hey I'll pay someone to build it". So we got some quotes. Unfortunately, there's been a building boom here for about 5 years and no one was really interested in a little project like that. We got two quotes - one from a guy who clearly had no idea what was involved and the other from a company that wanted more than it probably cost to build the house originally. Alright, plan B - I'll act as the GC and hire people to do the parts I can't. Well that didn't really work either. It was still a small job, so I ended up doing most of it myself with help from anyone who happened to drop in for visit. I paid a talented friend to frame the walls (I helped) and smooth the slab (I stayed out of the way). Money well spent. I now have the experience to do the framing myself but I'd still hire someone to do the slab. We got a very hot load and he had to work like a mad fiend to get it flat while it was workable.

Low Points:
1. It took about two months with a pick axe and sledge to prep the site for foundation walls. It's built on a slope and three sides were bedrock and the other was loose fill down about 5 feet. The lesson: investigate the site better before committing to a design.
2. Concrete - by far the most expensive part of this project partly because of the design and partly because of the location (150' away from the concrete truck and down a steep hill so no wheel barrows but rather an expensive line pumper). Not having enough ties at the bottom of the form combined with pouring the concrete too quickly resulted in some form blowout - mostly an aesthetic issue after some repairs but annoying all the same. Lessons: Get a professional to inspect your foundation wall forms the first time and hire a better line pump operator.
3. Losing confidence after the foundation pour and looking at the tarp covered concrete for about 6 months thinking it will never go any further.

High Points:
1. Blue Seal foundation waterproofing - great stuff.
2. Glad I put all the rebar I did in the walls.
3. About 3 yards of interesting rock to play with quarried from my own urban property.
4. Watching the structure finally take form as the walls went up.
5. Engineered trusses (too much wood math in a hip roof for me).
6. Perfect timing for the roof. We had professionals to the house about a month prior to me doing the shed, so I could use the same materials and learn from them.
7. Perfect weather for the 3 months or so the wood parts took to build (perfect as in no measureable rainfall).
8. Locking the door after passing the final inspection.

I haven't added up what it cost but it looks good and my wife & I are happy. As I mentioned before, the concrete was where most of the money was spent. Fortunately, it's also something you can fairly easily estimate ahead of time. As Russ mentioned, don't forget about drainage. The municipality was quite vocal about what I needed to do there. I have proper perimeter drain tiles feeding a dry well. Then gutter downspouts on two corners feeding their own dry wells.

Here's picture prior to the final inspection:

http://www3.telus.net/BadBob/shed/S034_east_side.jpg

Bob

[mac_daddy]

Sweet shed, Bob. I was also looking into this as well. I just need to motivate myself and start talking to the HOA. My area in Sugar Land is pretty stringent on property codes, so I am not in the mood to have to change everything.

[JR]

Nice shed, Bob. But it wouldn't be allowed in my town. We have to set back the structure 5 feet from the top of the slope, or more if the slope is taller than 15'.

Every town has its nuances.

JR