How To Build A Basic Shed,
In A Week Or Less!

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Here, we will be talking about creating your very first professional looking, solid and highly economical gable shed. The guide is simple to follow and even you have no experience in building sheds, you will be able follow this guide easily and build your gable shed.

how-to-build-a-shed

noteNote: This how-to tutorial guides you on building a basic gable type shed. If you want to get creative and add an awe-inspiring shed to your garden then check out our shop for premium plans especially designed for the ardent shed builders or keepers!

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Gable Sheds

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Lean-To Sheds

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Step 1:

Figuring out the Requirements

Before you start building your shed, there are a few things you might want to clear out first. For instance, does your town require you to obtain a building permit? Where do you want to build the shed? Is building a shed allowed on your property? Listing down the equipment, furniture, fixtures and goods to be stored in the shed, as this will determine what type of shed you need. What should be the size of the shed? There are practically lots of areas that you need work on before starting with the building phase. The following breakdown will help you get through this phase:

Legal Permits

Get in touch with your local planning, building or construction department to find out if you need permits for DIY building. Clear out this step before jumping to the next one.

Shed Stores

Visit a local shed store to get acquainted with the different types of sheds, their usages and their looks. You would want to know in advance how the shed would look and feel once it is completed.

Jot Down Your Requirements

Why do you want the shed? What do you want to store in it? What size should it be? And so on.

Step 2:

Let’s Go Shopping!

With this list, we throw the guess work out of the equation. We provide you with each and every material you need in the exact quantity so you don’t waste your hard earned cash overbuying materials you don’t need.

Simple Gable Shed Material list

Foundation

Pressure-Treated 2×6 (Band)
Pressure-Treated 2×6 (Floor Joist)
Pressure-Treated 4×4 (Skid)
3/4″ Tongue and Groove Plywood (Floor Decking)

side-walls-window

Side Walls/Window

2×4 (Wall Stud, Window Frame, Window Header)
2×4 (Plate) 5/8” T1-11 Exterior Siding Prefabricated Window
2×4 (Rafters)
2×4 (Rafter Crosspiece)
5/8” T1-11 Exterior Siding (for truss ends)
41/2″ Plywood (Roof Decking)

front-back-wall

Front/Back Wall

2×4 (Plate)
2×4 (Wall Stud)
2×4 (Cripple Stud)
2×4 (Header)
1/2″ Plywood (Door Header, Window Header, Gusset)
5/8” T1-11 Exterior Siding

Hardware

Roofing Felt
Staples for roof felt
3-Tab Shingles
2” Galvanized Finishing Nails
1 1/4″ Galvanized Finishing Nails
3 1/2″ Galvanized Nails
Silicone

Trim

1×6 (Trim)
1×4 (Trim)
1×4 (Trim)
1/4″ Plywood (Soffit)

Doors

1×4 (Jamb, Lintel, Stile, Upright)

Step 3:

Laying the Foundation and Floor Frame of the Shed

laying-the-foundation-and-floor-frame

Now that you have the materials and plan on hand, let’s start with laying a solid foundation and floor frame for the shed. Remember, your foundation needs to be strong and resilient if you want the shed to survive and not fall apart. This is the base of your shed. The entire structure will be dependent upon the frame and foundation.

1. Use pressure-treated timber to ensure the shed is resistant to rot, damp and infestation.

2. Choose the spot where you want the shed to be placed. Try to build the shed on the highest possible point of your garden to ensure water clogging is not an issue.

3. Clear rocks, bushes or vegetation that’s on the spot. You would need the area to be clean for the foundation to rest properly.

4. Start building the floor frame.
Note: This will be the outline of your shed so make it accurate to the plan.

5. Cut the 8 2x6s to make bands and joints. Once cut, fit them together and nail them in the frame to provide ample support and keep everything in place.

6. Put the skids in place below the frame. Remember, we always recommend using 3 skids for additional support, unlike most plans that use only 2 skids.

With this step, your foundation is in place and it’s time to move to building the floor.

7. As mentioned in our guide, use Tongue and Groove Plywood for the foundation, since they are highly durable and resilient. Cut the plywood in shapes mentioned in the plan and make sure they fit perfectly in the foundation.

Step 4:

Setting Up the Front and Back Wall and Door

Now that the foundation and floor is prepared, let’s move to setting up the front and back wall and door. This is actually an exciting step. Once set up, you will have a feeling of accomplishment, as you will be able to see half of your shed up and standing.

1. Start by building the front wall and door by putting together frame for the front wall with a selection of 2x4s and other materials as mentioned in the material list.

2. You can either build the door yourself, use an old door or purchase a new one.

3. Make space for the door to be integrated in the wall. Make sure you are cutting it appropriately. A good trick is to measure the door size properly before cutting the wall.

4. All accurate measurements are present in the plan to follow. There’s no need for any guess work. We’ve covered it for you.

5. Once you have set up the front wall and door, follow the same protocol for the back wall and door too.

6. Use T1-11 once the walls are set up. Make sure the T1-11 does not overlap from the edges.

Step 5:

Setting up the Side Walls and Window

Considering the front and back walls are up and ready, let’s
add side walls and windows to the structure.

1. Decide whether you want to place the window in the right side wall or the left side wall. Whichever one you go for will be the first one we will be building since it will be trickier than the plain wall.

2. Similar to cutting an opening for the door, start making an opening for the window. Follow the measurements in the plan accurately.

3. If you are experienced with fitting windows, you can build your own or use an old one. However, if this is your first experience with building a shed, it is recommended to buy a new window, as it will come with an installation guide to make your job easier.

4. Now, both the walls are ready and it’s time to lift them and fix them in place.

5. Nail top plate corners into the front and back wall.

6. Use galvanized nails to attach the structures together. Install T1-11 once the walls are built.

7. It is recommended to have assistance when raising the walls, since they will be quite heavy to be lifted by a single person.

Step 6:

Adding the Roof

Now that the walls, doors and windows are in place, time to add the cherry to the cake. Yep…your shed is almost ready. The only thing left is the roof, which we will be adding now.

1. First off, build 6 roof rafters with each having over a 3 inches overhang. It is important to make sure all truss is equal in size to have an even roof.

2. Once the rafters are completed, start installing the gussets on both the sides of each rafter. Note that each side truss will have gussets only on one side.

With the gussets fixed on the side truss, all you need to do is to nail the rafters on the top plate of the walls to get the skeleton of your roof ready. Make sure each rafter is 2 inches apart.

3. Start installing the decking and rafter overhang. Add trim to the roof that matches the trim you used for the doorframe and window. Install T1-11 on the two outer most rafters with galvanized nails.

Step 7:

Embellishing the Roof with Shingles

Now that the skeleton of your roof is ready, it’s to go pro. You will be adding roof felt and shingles to make your roof robust, resilient and obviously good looking. Metal roof sheets, fiberglass and felt are some of the basic options you have. Feel free to use any material you like for the roofing. However, we recommend using felt since it is easier to work with and install, and is highly weather and water resistant.

Start adding the shingles to the roof

1. Roofing is a tough job so follow the instructions in the plan precisely

2. Use a roofing stapler to secure the roofing felt in place

3. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to put the pattern of shingles in place

4. Use roofing tar to prevent tracks from rusting

That's it!

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This is how simple we have made building a Gable Shed all by your own!
If you still have questions, get one of our FREE or PREMIUM shed plans to have precise measurements and pro techniques for each step.

shed building tipsGeneral Noteworthy Shed Building Tips


 

Pick A Good Spot

There are two different types of shed builders; those who pick shed spots based on aesthetics and those who choose the first available spot. Unfortunately neither of these is effective ways to choose where to build your shed.

When choosing where to build your shed, choose a flat dry spot on your property. This will make it easier to excavate and level it out, and ensure that you build on a dry surface. Avoid building your shed in a low lying area that is prone to water collection or you’ll find your shed flooded after a big rain. Too much water means rotting wood, blistering paint and rusty hinges and none of that will highlight how hard you worked to build this shed.

Let Your Shed Breathe

This is another shed building tip about the location of your shed. While it would be great to let your shed blend into the shrubbery on your property, but it isn’t really realistic. You want to allow your shed to breathe which means giving it space from trees, fences and shrubs. A few feet all around will let the materials breathe effectively and direct sunlight will ensure mold and mildew stay far away.

Don’t Scrimp On Windows

If you are a first time do it yourself-er you might consider skipping a few things you consider non-essentials to make your job easier. When it comes to fancy light fixtures or little potted plants on the window sill you may be able to do without. But one area where you should not skip is windows.

If you don’t plan to have electricity running through your shed, this is the shed building tip you will want to listen to most. Windows easily brighten up a shed so you don’t have to hunt around for a flashlight or a lantern if you’re old school, every time you need to grab something from your shed. But…don’t go nuts and install a ton of windows or you will be giving up valuable space to hang tools or shelves.

Ask Other Builders

Don’t assume that you’re missing something if you have a question that cannot be answered within the guidelines of the shed plans. Builders at all levels will always have questions and it is better to ask the question than miss something important in the process. Go online and find a forum or a video if you have a question. Better yet, read all the little print that you skipped over in your shed plan and see if the answer is there, it might be.

If all else fails, ask your neighbour who is always tinkering around in his garage what you may or may not be missing. Don’t be afraid to ask…the answers are out there.

Go Slowly

Probably the best shed building tip for every builder is to go slowly. There will always be things that you want to add to your shed, but start slow with the essentials. You need floors, walls, a roof, windows and doors…beyond that it is all extras.

You can worry about decorating or shelves or adding shutters at a later date. Get through the hard part—erecting the shed—and add accessories and garnishes once the big stuff is complete.

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