For many, obtaining a garden shed plan that comes close to their needs is the way to go.  Plans reflect a number of garden shed designs that can be used on your property for the function you desire.  The plans that are available, however, vary widely in terms of the detail provided and the amount of “how to” information included.

If you are a skilled builder, then about all you need is the “blueprint” part of a plan.  The blueprint contains the size of the structure, the details of hidden components such as floor joists, wall studs, or ceiling rafters.  From the blueprint, pretty much all of the necessary information is conveyed.

For more casual builders, more is usually needed.  A bill of material should be included with the blueprint drawing.  The bill of material will detail the length and number of wood pieces, the exact types of nails, screws, and other hardware, as well as door and window sizes.

It also helps to have other drawings included.  A rendering of the final shed is helpful in visualizing the end product.  It can provide the shed in its best light and provide ideas for finishing touches.  Certainly photographs of either the finished product or of particularly tricky details are good ideas as well.  Many plans will substitute detailed drawings for photographs.

A list of the tools needed to build the storage shed is great as well.  It gives you an idea if you already have the necessary tools.  If not, you can consider the cost of purchasing them, renting them, or perhaps borrowing them.

A detailed step-by-step instruction “manual” is nice to have as well.  It can be helpful in those instances where the drawings are not clear.  Even for a small shed, instructions can be several pages long.  Nice features typically included in instructions are references to drawings, details on tricky or intricate building steps, and an idea of what steps need the assistance of a helper.

Finally, really good building plans for sheds contain details on foundation options.  Usually they will detail what is needed for various types of foundation construction methods, whether they be skid foundation, gravel foundation, cement block or cement pier foundation, pole barn foundation, or cement slab foundation.  The plan should provide a recommendation for that particular shed as well as considerations for using other alternatives.

If you’re looking for building plans for sheds on the Internet, make sure you’re obtaining a money-back guarantee.  You probably won’t have much of a chance to gauge the quality of the plans being offered prior to purchasing.  You need to buy from a source that guarantees that you can get a refund if you don’t feel the plans are quite what you wanted.

Siding Material

The choice of siding material involves a number of factors:  cost, aesthetics, functionality, and durability.  You shed plan will probably specify the type of siding material that complements the styling of your storage shed.  However, you can certainly choose whatever material you feel is right for your situation.

Natural woods such as redwood, cedar, and cypress are good choices for their beauty and are naturally resistant to weathering and shrinkage.  However, they are costly.

Fir and pine are used extensively in shed building materials as they are readily available and less expensive than the natural woods mentioned above.  Generally, though, these materials will need to be sealed to prevent damage due to insects and moisture.

Treated lumber is also used extensively in sheds, however, they are usually relegated to unseen support structures exposed to the elements or close contact with the ground.

Recycled lumber can be especially attractive due to its aged and weathered look.  Be careful to inspect the wood to insure that there is no significant damage due to fasteners, insects, or rot.  Avoid using painted wood as the paint may contain lead, a serious health hazard.

Roofing Material

As in siding material, you have a number of choices in material that can be used to roof your garden shed.  Considerations such as appearance, durability, and cost certainly will affect your decision as to type.

Since sheds typically are smaller structures situated in the back yard, virtually all of the shed, including the roof, is visible.  The choice of the roofing material can be made to both blend in with its surroundings or to enhance them through the use of natural materials.

Cedar shingles and shakes are popular choices for natural roofing materials.  (Shakes are split by hand and will have varying thicknesses.  Shingles are more uniform in this regard.)  Cedar resists moisture and will age to a uniform grayness.  While expensive, cedar is relatively easy to work with and can enhance the beauty of your shed.

Manufactured materials such as asphalt shingles and metal roofs can be cost effective alternatives.  Look for new asphalt shingles that provide the random look of cedar shingles, but with more color options.  Metal roofs are gaining popularity, as their assortment of colors, cost, and ease of installation make them attractive to use for sheds.

Windows and Doors

The choice of windows and doors to complete your shed is one to certainly give you pleasure.  There are so many options available for you to consider.  Probably your first consideration is  how much natural light you will need for the function of your shed.  A potting shed or greenhouse will need to have enormous amounts of light, so you will want to consider how you can install windows everywhere.   You may even want to consider installing skylights.

The main entry door can be a great complement to the entire look of your shed.  Choose it wisely for not only is utility but for its look as well.

Accents

Sheds are great for using accents and trim items.  For the roof, consider a weather vane.  You may even want to consider a cupola or even a decorative lightning rod.  Salvage yards are great places to find these types of architectural accents.

You will also want to consider whether decorative hinges, benches, dinner bells, classic highway signs, license plates, recycled barn latches, etc. fit in with your overall look.  A shed is a great item to bring out that inner creative genius.

If your foundation is concrete or if the shed floor is in close proximity to the ground, you will probably want to at least make sure the bottom plates of the shed walls use pressure treated lumber.  This would be true of any openings that may be exposed to the weather as well.  If your plan does not call out for the shed roof framing to extend beyond the walls of the shed, you will want to consider whether they will be exposed to moisture.  Unless you can adequately seal the outside of your shed from the elements, it is best to use pressure treated wood for the framing.

Before you actually erect any walls, it would be a good idea to use the shed floor as your wall building platform.  Assemble each wall and insure it is square.  When you know that the wall is done correctly, with help you can move it to the side and build the next wall.

When all four walls are done, then you can erect the first wall, make sure it’s plumb, then temporarily nail it into place.  Then move to the next wall.  And so on.  Make sure that you check the diagonal measurements to be sure they are equal.  It is critical that everything is square.  Once you are certain every wall is square, then you can permanently nail or screw the walls into the floor.

Next up on your list is the shed roof framing.  Your plan will dictate what type of roof framing structure to build.  It is best to assemble the trusses on the ground and check their measurements before erecting on top of the wall structure.  You will need help on this step, as it is dangerous to hold the roof trusses in place at the same time you’re measuring and fastening them in place.

Once you have erected your primary trusses, your plan will more than likely call out for additional support and blocking pieces to be added.  Just be careful to measure properly, insure a proper fit, then fasten them in place.

Once your roof framing is in place, it is now time to place the roof sheathing on top of the roof trusses.  Again, with help, measure, cut, and put the sheathing in place.  Insure a proper fit, then fasten them in place.

Your shed plan most likely will contain other framing details for you to complete before moving on.  These could include roof soffits or vents which allow air to flow through the top of your shed.  You may need to install roof vents as well.  It is important, just as it is in a house, that the roof area is well ventilated.

The final part of the framing will be to complete the door and window frames.  Here you will frame the door and window openings with appropriately sized trim so that the doors and windows you have chosen will fit perfectly.

Now that the framing is complete, you can move on to finishing the shed with siding and installing the roof, doors, and windows.

Let’s assume you have decided upon the functionality of your shed and also the type of structure you want it to be.  Now, let’s take a look at the foundation.

You have a number of options.  Probably the least costly shed foundation you can build is one made of treated lumber lying directly on the ground.  This type of option is known as a shed skid foundation.  This method involves using treated lumber of the appropriate size laid out in a rectangle with cross girders as appropriate for the size of the structure.  Of course the land underneath the structure will need to be dug appropriately so that the skid foundation is level.  But for the most part, this foundation just rests on top of the ground.  The benefit of this type of shed foundation is that with the proper equipment, the shed could be dragged to another location in your yard.  The downside is that you can only build a structure the size of the timbers you have.  Also, the land underneath a skid foundation needs to be pretty level already.

A second, cost-effective option is the use of concrete blocks.  These can be either pre-cast piers meant especially for shed or deck foundations, or just normal concrete blocks used in landscaping or building projects.  If the building site is uneven, this is a good option to minimize the amount of digging of ground in order to level the site.

With concrete blocks, you can just stack blocks to get to the level you need for your site.  If you have a severely sloping corner, the precast pier blocks may be a better choice as they allow you to insert a 4×4 post into the center of the block, thus allowing you to raise that corner higher than you would be able to do with just the block.  This certainly makes leveling the foundation easier as no digging is required.

With either method, you can choose to have the ground be your floor.  If, for example, you are building a potting shed, it could be a good idea to fill the area within the foundation with gravel.  In that way, you can let water drain directly through the gravel whenever you water your plants.  Gravel floors are also good choices when the building site has less than perfect drainage.  Extend the gravel outside the perimeter of the shed a foot or so and you can also catch the runoff from the roof.

Certainly the most durable and long-lasting choice for a shed foundation is concrete.  You have a couple of choices as to how to use a concrete foundation.  You can either first dig a footer below the frost line and fill with concrete.  When that has become solid, you can then set concrete blocks in mortar and form a permanent foundation.  Using this method, you could choose to fill the internal space with gravel to form your floor or you could pour the interior with concrete.

You could also just pour a concrete pad that would serve as your floor as well.  When doing this, you would need to embed anchor bolts in the wet concrete at the appropriate locations along the perimeter in order to secure your walls.

Using poured concrete is the most expensive option, but if you’re planning to use your shed for storing heavy equipment or want your shed to be impervious to the weather, then concrete is the way to go.

Take your time considering your needs for a storage shed foundation.  It will pay off handsomely over time if you do.

What Type of Shed Do You Need?

When planning your shed, probably the first consideration is the purpose of the shed.  Most people build sheds to store the things they own that don’t need to be in their home or are too large to fit.  Examples would be seasonal items like Christmas decorations, window screens, outdoor chairs, etc.  Mowers, snow blowers, wheel barrows, and other large lawn equipment are usually stored in sheds as well.

But you could already have a place for these items and simply need a place to work.  Garden sheds make a great place to do potting and growing seedlings.  A hobby shed allows you to pursue your favorite hobby without having to clean up each time you stop.

Backyard sheds can also serve to provide a shaded and screened outdoor living area.   A screened shed or gazebo makes an excellent addition to anyone’s yard.

Where to Build Your Shed?

Once you have made a decision as to the use of your shed, you next decision will be where to build it.  Following is a list of items to consider when locating your shed on your property:

• Covenants and/or setback requirements
• Easements
• Permits and zoning requirements
• Utilities (including whether you shed will need any or whether you will build your shed near utilities lines)
• Topography of your property, including location of structures and trees/shrubs
• Aesthetic aspects of your property (views you don’t want to obstruct, sunlight, etc.)
• Landscaping considerations (tying the shed into your landscape)
• Drainage around the shed

What Type of Building Materials to Use?

There are two main considerations when considering the type of building materials to use.  The first is aesthetic and the second is cost.  The primary consideration for a do it yourself shed is how will it look with the existing landscape and structures.  If your home and the homes in your neighborhood are all brick, would a shed built of recycled lumber fit in?  Equally, if the roofs of the homes in your neighborhood are all cedar shingles, would a tin roof look good?

After aesthetics, cost is a primary consideration.  Sheds tend to be structures that are not meant to be as permanent as homes.  Consequently, it is acceptable to use not as rigid construction standards when building them.  For example, you could use a concrete foundation with a concrete floor for your shed.  But it would be perfectly acceptable to just lay down a treated wood floor on top of treated wood timbers laying on top of the ground.  The concrete option would certainly cost more than the treated lumber one.   But either one could be used.

You will also want to consider what type of doors and windows to use.  You could use insulated steel doors if you plan to insulate the interior space.  Or you could just use a door made with wooden slats nailed together.  Don’t forget to consider whether you want electricity in your shed, as you will have to allow for connecting to an electrical source and what the power requirements will be.

So have you thought about what kind of backyard shed you want to build?  What about the uses for which the shed is needed?  Here are a few ideas to stir up your imagination:

• Storage for tools, mowers, bicycles, seasonal items
• Firewood storage
• Gardening shed for potting and maintaining tools
• Shaded comfort (could be screened in as well)
• Greenhouse shed
• Hobby house
• Man cave
• Pool shed or cabana
• Barn

Once you have an idea for the purpose of your shed, it becomes easier to make decisions about other factors regarding building a shed.

Location

Given the purpose of your shed, where do you want to put it.  Most sheds are placed in the backyard, but you don’t have to be restricted by that kind of thinking.  A level area would make the building of a shed easier, but again, don’t restrict yourself to choosing only flat ground.  Building on a slope could enhance the usefulness of your property while at the same time improving the beauty of your backyard.

Keep in mind any covenants or easements that may affect your choice of locations.  Underground or overhead utilities may interfere with your choice as well.

Building Materials

How do you want your shed to look?  Do you want a natural look using stone or cedar?  Or do you prefer a utilitarian structure using sheet metal?  Will the structure be used year-round?  Will insulation be necessary?  What about the foundation?  Do you want a permanent foundation or will sitting the structure on pressure-treated skids work?

One consideration in the choice of building materials is in the proximity of other structures (say your home, for example).  If the backyard shed is close to other buildings, it may make sense to use similar materials and colors as those other structures.

Don’t forget about the details.  What type of door do you want?  The purpose of the shed will dictate the size and type of door in most cases.  Do you want windows?  Windows will help with visibility inside the shed during daylight hours.  Perhaps a skylight could accomplish the same purpose.   You’ll also want to consider ventilation.  Sheds, like homes, need to have proper ventilation in order to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.  Will you accomplish that with windows, vents, or fans?

Choosing a Plan

Once you have finalized the issues mentioned above, choosing a shed plan should be relatively easy.  There are many suppliers of shed plans available through the Internet or in bookstores.  The key is to choose a plan that is as detailed as possible.  A good plan should list a complete list of wood sizes, hardware, and related items that are needed to build that plan.  In that way, you can run a quick estimate between different plans on the cost of the shed.  Unless you’ve built a number of projects before, you’ll probably want to make sure you have detailed instructions on how to build the shed of your choice.  A good plan will have that.

Now you have everything in place to get started.  Take your time, measure twice and cut once, and build that backyard shed!