How to move a shed by hand is fairly easy if you have the right equipment and use the proper technique. I have used this technique to move a shed anywhere from 4×6 up to 12×24 in size..
Other Options
- If for some reason you have to disassemble the shed to move it, then you can read this post.
- If you need to move a shed across town, then read this post.
Of course the easiest way to move a shed is with a crane or forklift. But since you probably don’t have either of these at your disposal I’ll show you a low tech way to do it with common household items.
Gather the necessary equipment
A few pipe rollers, wood tracks and any auto jack is all you’ll need. These are pretty common items so you can probably borrow anything you don’t already have.
- For a jack, a Hi-lift jack is the best. A hydraulic floor jack is the next best, but a scissor jack or bottle jack or ultimately any car jack will do.
- You’ll also need a few wood or concrete blocks to keep the shed up in the air while you’re manipulating the tracks and rollers underneath.
- You’ll need at least 3 heavy pipe rollers. I prefer 2 to 2 ½ inch water pipe but some people use 4 to 6 inch PVC pipe.
- And finally you’ll need at least 4 wood tracks of 2×4, 2×6, 4×4 etc. Whether you need these depends on what type of pipes you’re using and if the ground is smooth and hard enough for the pipes to roll easily.
Your new site
- Select your new site with proper drainage, security and ease of access in mind
- Prepare the new site by removing any debris, level it and make your foundation if necessary
- Clear a route from the old location to the new location paying particular attention to any overhead obstacle like wires, tree branches and the eaves of the house.
Prepare the shed
- Empty your shed of any heavy items. It will be ok to leave the bulky and light stuff in.
- Strengthen the shed if necessary with cross bracing, depending on the construction and if it has any windows that might break. However you should have few if any problems moving a sturdy shed.
Now you are ready to actually move your shed
Place the pipes between the skids and tracks, lower the shed down and push to move…
Jack the back end of the shed up at least as high as the rollers and wood tracks combined, then block it up in place.
When I say the back end of the shed I mean the end of the shed away from the direction of travel.
Jack the front end of the shed up high enough to work easily.
Lay the wood tracks down on the ground underneath the skids extending past the center of the shed.
Lay a roller near the front of the shed and one just behind the center of the shed.
Sit the front end of the shed down on the rollers, then remove the blocks and set the back end of the shed down.
Now all you have to do is to push the shed in the direction you want it to travel.
As the shed moves forward you will have to keep replacing the roller pipes, bringing the free roller from the rear around to the front as the shed moves off the back one.
As you run out of track place another set overlapping the original so the rollers will not fall into a crack between the ends.
Change Direction
If you want to change direction just spin the shed on the pipes by putting a person on either corner and spin. Then jack the shed up again – reposition the pipes and tracks – lower it down and push in the new direction.
When it’s in place
- Block and level
- Maybe add tie down if necessary and you are done
- Reload your stuff
- Return any borrowed items and thank your friends for helping you.
As you can see, how to move a shed by hand is fairly easy. The tools you need are common and the technique is simple.