I’ve built a few backyard sheds over the years, from traditional wood sheds that I planned and framed myself to the resin and plastic kits you can pick up at a big-box store. I’ve used them mostly for storage: lawn equipment, power tools, a table saw, a miter saw, bikes, and all the other stuff that was taking over my garage but still needed to stay secure and out of the weather.
Over time, I realized that the shed itself is only part of the equation. The planning decisions you make before the installation—from choosing the location to preparing the foundation—have a much bigger impact on how useful it is in the long run. Before you swing a hammer or start assembling from a kit, you need to answer a few questions about your shed.
Pre-planning
Think about the inside first.
Start with figuring out what you need the shed for and how big it needs to be. I’ve built sheds around 8’ x 8’ and 8’ x 10’, and I generally prefer the smaller, square designs. They’re simpler to frame, easier on the budget, and still big enough for basic storage. Bigger doesn’t automatically mean better—an 8’ x 10’ shed with a lousy layout can be less useful than an 8’ x 8’ shed where everything has a place.
I learned to start planning how the interior needs to be set up before getting too excited about the exterior. A mower takes up a good chunk of floor space. Shelves use up plenty of wall space. A table saw may need enough room to roll in and out. You also have to plan for an aisle so you aren’t pulling three items out every time you want the fourth thing buried in the back. I’ve made the mistake of thinking mainly about the shed dimensions and not enough about exactly where my shelves were going. Sketching out the interior first takes five minutes and can save a surprising amount of aggravation.
Decide between custom and prefab.
"A premade shed makes more sense for the vast majority of homeowners, since it saves you the trouble and cost of assembly, plus you're able to spend less on the unit itself," says Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Improvement & Outdoor Director Dan DiClerico.
That’s why I’ve gravitated toward prefab resin and plastic sheds lately. They fit what I need right now. They’re easy to clean, maintenance is minimal, and many can be taken apart and moved without turning the whole exercise into a demolition project. For storing lawn equipment and general outdoor gear, that’s pretty appealing.
I enjoy building custom wood sheds. There are real advantages to doing that. You can put shelving exactly where you want it. You can size doors for your equipment. You can build a heavier floor. Adding things later is also easier because you have actual wood framing to work with.
The downside of a custom wood shed is pretty obvious once you start buying materials. Lumber, plywood, siding, roofing, fasteners, doors, hardware, paint, and foundation materials add up quickly. Building your own shed can save money in some situations, particularly when you already own the tools, but I wouldn’t start one assuming it will automatically be cheaper than a kit. It also takes time.
Give me more property, more time, and a reason to build a dedicated shop with custom shelving and I’d happily build another wood shed. For straightforward storage, I’m much less interested in making the project harder than it needs to be.
Pick the spot carefully (because moving it later is no fun).
It’s important that the shed works with the yard you have. Look at the door opening and picture yourself actually using it. I wanted enough space to guide in lawn equipment and larger tools without having to perform some awkward three-point turn every time. A swinging door needs room in front of it. Tight side yards may be better suited to a sliding barn-style door. Either way, make sure you have enough clearance to get large equipment through the opening without having to bang into a fence or tree.
Look overhead too. Trees, branches, and roof overhangs are easy to ignore while staring at a bare piece of ground. I had a tree over one of my sheds that dropped leaves onto the roof. It wasn’t a catastrophe, but it meant I had to keep the roof clear and pay attention to drainage.
One of my sheds also went onto a sloped part of the yard. That wasn’t my ideal site, but it was the space I had. I used blocks as a base and built a wood platform on top, leveling everything with a shovel, gravel, string, and a laser level. It worked and I never had drainage problems, but I spent considerably more time getting that foundation right than I expected. Doing it again, I would excavate more at the beginning and put down more gravel rather than fighting the slope as much as I did.
A laser level is particularly handy here. A shed floor that looks close enough while you’re standing in the yard can turn into doors that don’t hang correctly and walls that become increasingly annoying as the build goes up. Starting level makes everything after it easier.
Check local regulations before you start digging.
I never had to pull a permit for the sheds I built, but I did check the setback requirements and made sure I wasn’t building too close to my property line. Part of that was simply being considerate of my neighbors. Mostly, I didn’t want to build an entire shed and find out later that I had put it somewhere it wasn’t allowed to be.
Shed rules vary quite a bit by city and county. Size, height, and distance from a property line can all matter, and adding electrical or plumbing can change the permit requirements. HOA rules can create another layer of restrictions. Check the local planning or building department before buying materials. You want to know about setbacks, height restrictions, utility easements and permit requirements while the shed is still a drawing, not after the roof is on.
This is also worth doing for prefab sheds. Buying a shed in a box doesn’t automatically make it exempt from local rules. The building department cares about the structure sitting in your yard, not how it was built.
Building
Spend time on the foundation.
Even smaller prefab sheds benefit from a foundation to prevent them from sinking, shifting, or taking in moisture from the ground. I’ve stored some fairly heavy equipment in my sheds, so I used 3/4-inch plywood for the flooring and added blocking under the subfloor. I’d rather spend a little more time and add more lumber down there than feel the floor flex every time I roll a heavy piece of equipment across it.
A concrete slab is about as solid as it gets and makes a lot of sense for a permanent shed or workshop, particularly with heavy equipment. It’s also more expensive and a bigger commitment. A properly prepared gravel base with a wood platform is much more approachable for a DIY build and has worked well for me. Blocks or piers can help deal with uneven ground, but they still need a stable, level base. Prefab sheds often have their own floor or foundation requirements, and I’d follow the manufacturer guidelines rather than trying to improvise something underneath them.
The important part is getting the base level and stable before the shed goes up. Dirt moves. Poorly compacted gravel shifts. A structure sitting on a sloppy base eventually tells you about it through doors that stop closing properly, floors that feel uneven, or walls that start shifting.
Anchoring matters too, especially in windy areas. A shed has a lot of surface area for the wind to push against, and it shouldn’t simply be sitting there under its own weight. Follow the anchoring instructions for the shed and the requirements for your area.
Build the roof for where you live.
My sheds were in California, so snow load wasn’t a concern. Rain was, along with leaves from nearby trees. I had a couple of roof leaks over the years, and both reinforced a pretty basic rule: Roofing materials have to overlap in the direction the water is traveling.
That sounds embarrassingly obvious until you’re standing inside the shed watching water drip somewhere it shouldn’t.
Pay attention to the roof pitch, flashing, and every seam or overlap. Water will find a bad detail eventually. Keep leaves and debris from piling up on the roof as well, particularly around any spots where water needs to drain.
Other climates bring different problems. A shed in snow country needs a roof designed for the loads it will encounter. Areas with high winds bring anchoring and structural requirements into the conversation. Hot climates can make ventilation much more important. The cute shed that works fine in Southern California may need some changes before it makes sense somewhere else.
Plan power before you build, even when you aren’t adding it yet.
I’ve never added electricity or insulation to one of my sheds. Mine were primarily storage buildings, so there wasn’t much reason to.
A workshop is a different proposition. Lights, outlets, and stationary power tools make electricity useful very quickly, but permanent wiring to a detached structure is electrician territory for a lot of homeowners and commonly involves permits and inspections. That is something to discuss with the local building department and a licensed electrician during the planning stage.
I wouldn’t build around the idea of running an extension cord across the yard whenever power is needed. For occasional use with a portable tool, that’s one thing. A shed intended to function as an actual powered workspace deserves a proper electrical plan.
Insulation falls into the same category for me. A storage shed for lawn tools doesn’t need to pretend it’s a tiny house. A space meant for regular work in hot or cold weather is another matter and should be designed around that purpose from the start.
Expect the doors to need some attention.
My wood sheds haven’t required much maintenance beyond normal exterior care, but I have adjusted the doors over time. That’s not terribly surprising. Outdoor structures move a little, hinges loosen, and wood changes with moisture.
I used pressure-treated lumber where it made sense and painted or stained the exterior wood. Those are basic steps, but they matter. Keeping exposed wood protected and dealing with a small roof leak or sticky door early is easier than ignoring it for three seasons.
I also pay attention to the door hardware because I’ve kept expensive tools inside these sheds. Hinges, latches, and locks should feel substantial. There isn’t much point building a substantial structure and finishing it with flimsy hardware.
My biggest tips
My first move would be to measure everything I plan to store, then draw the interior of the shed with shelves included. After that I’d lay out the footprint in the yard and stand there for a few minutes. I’d open an imaginary door, walk the mower toward it, and look up at the trees. That sounds ridiculous, but it catches problems a tape measure doesn’t.
Next comes the boring stuff: property lines, setbacks, permits, drainage, and foundation prep. This has a big impact on how well the shed works once it’s finished.
I’d also decide early whether I actually want to build a shed or simply want to own one. Those are different things. I like building, so framing a wood shed has always been a satisfying project for me. Someone looking for dry storage as quickly as possible may be much happier assembling a resin prefab kit and moving on with the weekend.
Neither approach is inherently better. The mistake is putting time and money into the wrong type of shed because you started shopping before figuring out what you needed.
These days, prefab resin sheds usually make more sense for me. They do the job, they’re easy to maintain, and I don’t feel like I’ve constructed a permanent outbuilding every time I need another place for equipment. Still, there’s something satisfying about building a wood shed exactly the way you want it, especially when you know you’re going to use it for years.
Just get the foundation level first. Everything goes better from there.
Timothy Dahl is an experienced writer and editor covering home improvement, DIY, and lifestyle topics for nearly 20 years. With a deep background in hands-on testing and reporting, he has reviewed and worked with hundreds of tools, products, and home innovations. Timothy's work has appeared in The New York Times, Wired, and Popular Mechanics, and he's the founder of Charles & Hudson. He specializes in making complex projects accessible and is passionate about empowering homeowners with clear, actionable guidance.
