Build A Shed In 10 Steps

build a shed in 10 steps

This shed was built with my $9.97 Tall Barn shed plans.

This website is designed to support my four shed plans – and hopefully give you enough information to decide if you can build a shed before you spend any money on plans or materials.

Building a shed is fun. Plus it will save you a ton of money over buying one from a shed store.

Overall Videos

If you’ve never built a shed before these 3 videos are a great place to start. They will give you a preview of all 10 steps so you will know what to expect.

How To Build An 8×12 Shed In 10 Easy Steps. This is my most popular video. It shows each of the 10 steps including some narration. It is the best video for a general over view.
Build A 12×20 Shed In 10 Minutes, shows the start to finish of a 12×20 regular gable roof shed with 2 inches of overhang, 8 ft tall sidewalls and a single end door.
Build A 10×12 Tall Barn Style Shed With Loft, shows the complete construction of a 10×12 tall barn style shed with 12 inches of overhang on all 4 sides, a crows beak, 6 ft double doors, and a loft.

Before you start

Planning your shed
Estimating the cost You can quickly and easily estimate the final cost of your new shed with my downloadable materials cost estimate worksheet.
Building permits & paperwork Depending on where you live, getting a building permit for your shed might be a necessary evil.
5 Reasons you should not build a shed (video)
Tool list A list of tools you will need to build a shed.
Which shed plans should you buy? (video) This video explains the difference between my four shed plans to help you decide which shed style to build.

Step 1: Foundation

Build a foundation A foundation transfers the weight of the shed to the ground. It also keeps your shed in place against the wind and rain, and to protects it against termites and rotting. In most instances a simple skid foundation will be sufficient.
Simple skid foundation (video)
Build a shed foundation and floor (video)
Why You Might Need Shed Tie Downs Tie downs will keep your shed in place against the water and wind.
Cheap Home Made Shed Shed Tie Downs Tie downs don’t have to be expensive if you make your own.

Step 2: Floor

Build a wood floor A wood floor is the fastest, cheapest, and easiest floor to build. With a proper foundation it will hold all the weight you can put on it.
Build a concrete floor A concrete floor is a great option if you don’t need the shed to be portable and you have a little more money to spend.
How to build a shed floor (video)
Build A Shed Without A Floor, A Floor Less Shed You don’t actually need a floor in your shed.

Step 3: Trusses

Build (regular) gable roof trusses 3:12 pitch Regular gable roof shed plans trusses are the easiest to build.
Build (deluxe) gable roof trusses 6:12 & 12:12 pitch Deluxe gable roof shed plan trusses are more complicated but they give you more options.
Build barn style gamble roof trusses Barn style trusses are actually very easy to build with a simple jig.
How to build gable roof trusses (video)
How to build perfect barn style trusses (video)
Understanding Your Sheds Roof Pitch Measurement (video)
Build your shed with a ridge board This is a common request so I made this post.

Step 4: Walls

Step 5: Door

Make the door
Where to buy a heavy duty piano hinge This page gives you a link to buy a hinge like you see in my plans and videos. It is far superior to three individual hinges.
How to make a shed door (video) Make a shed door any with on any wall.
How to build double doors for your shed (video Build a double door any width on any wall.

Step 6: Raise walls

Step 7: Finish door

Finish the door
Open and finish the door (video) this video is common to all 4 shed plans

Step 8: Frame Roof

Step 9: Install Trim

Step 10: Shingle Roof

Shingle the roof
How to shingle a shed roof (video)
How To Install A Whirlybird Turbine Vent On Your Shed Roof (video) This is the time to install a turbine vent to keep your shed cool.
Make a metal roof instead of using shingles

Long Term Care

Shed maintenance Keep your shed functional and looking good for a long time.