1. How to Build a Shed
By Justin Beaumont
Not Liable for Information Use
2. Planning Stages (Planning 2 - 3 hours; Buying materials 2 - 3 hours)
● How big do you want the shed?
● What purpose(s) does it need to serve?
● What materials do you want to build it
out of: metal, aluminum, wood, etc?
● Make a material list and price the items
to prepare a cost sheet.
● Inspect property and decide where to
build the shed.
3. Prepare Site (Plan 6 - 12 hours depending on sqft and amount of manpower)
● Prepare site by clearing debris and
leveling ground.
● Use a mixture of pea gravel and sand and
compact under footings.
● For larger structures, you will need to
pour cement footings or purchase
premade cement footings.
● Note: make certain that footings are
strong and level before building.
4. Build Foundation
● Begin foundation with
ground level beams and
joists, 16 inches on center(size according
to weight).
● Critical that foundation is level, square,
and structurally sound.
○ Install subfloor on top of foundation
beams (use at least a 3/4in plywood).
5. Start Structure
● Frame walls, use 2in x 4in wood or metal
studs.
● Note: Plumb (Vertically level, or straight
up and down), square, and 16 inches on
center. Which means that you need to
have a stud centered on the 16th inch,
every 16 inches for the length of the
wall. Critically important for finishing
exterior sheeting.
6. Structure
● Built walls need to be raised up, aligned,
and attached to subfloor.
● This is a two person job.
7. Roof (Take your time and do it right the first time!)
● Build roof joists all even with the same
pitch while on the ground.
○ Raise the joists one by one, attaching
then to the outer walls, and then to
eachother at the apex of the joists.
● Critical that the roof joists are plumb to
eachother and 16 inches on center.
8. Begin Exterior Finishes (Measure twice, cut once!)
● Start by sheeting exterior
walls with 1/2 inch ply
wood.
● Sheet the roof after the
exterior walls with 5/8
inch ply wood.
9. Exterior Finishes Continued...
● Lay down a moisture barrier on top of
the roof sheeting and then apply roof
shingles or metal sheeting.
● If applying shingles, begin at the bottom
of roof line, making certain that seams
overlap to shed water.
