Guides
Shed building guides
Answers to the questions people ask before they build a shed, with the numbers worked out by the same plans engine that draws our cut lists, size by size. Every guide links its sources.
What size shed do I need?
Square footage for 26 shed sizes, the floor you get inside the walls, door widths and a simple way to size a shed for your things.
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How much does a shed weigh?
The weight of 26 shed sizes, worked out board by board from each plan, dry and freshly built, in pounds and kilograms.
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Shed foundation options: gravel pad, concrete blocks or skids?
Skids on gravel, concrete blocks or a slab: how each works, and the gravel, blocks and skids every shed size needs.
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Shed floor joists: what size and spacing do you need?
A span chart for shed floor joists from 2x4 to 2x12, the joists every plan size uses, and when you need treated lumber.
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Shed roof pitch: chart, degrees and the minimum for each roof
Pitch to degrees from 1/12 to 12/12, the lowest pitch each roofing allows, and what a steeper roof does to a shed's height and cost.
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Do I need a permit for a shed?
The 120 and 200 square foot rules, which shed sizes fall under each, and what to ask your building department and zoning office.
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More free guides and tools
- Shed materials calculator: every board, sheet and box of nails for any size from 4 to 20 feet, priced
- Shed plans by size: 26 gable and lean-to sizes with a sample cut list and materials list
- Shed costs: what each size costs to build in materials, by siding and roofing
- Gable vs lean-to: the same footprint with both roofs, compared
Full made-to-measure plans
Every size from 4' to 20', gable or lean-to, as many designs as you like: $37 once, not a book of fixed sizes.
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