Source for Shed Plans and Instructions

[Felix]

Well, we just bought our first house yesterday, and I want to build a 10x12-ish wooden shed in the backyard. Aside from a lot of volunteer work with Habitat, I don't have too much experience with carpentry, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I've looked at some of the kits you can get at Lowes or Home Depot, but I'll have a lot more options if I'm willing to cut the lumber myself.

Can anyone recommend a good source for shed plans to follow? I'll probably need more than just the blueprints, something like step-by-step instructions.

Thanks in advance.

 

[cruiserdawg]

Built a small shed for garden tools using these. Worked great and super easy. You dont have to worry about cutting angles.

http://www2.northerntool.com/product-1/572.htm

 

[Felix]

Thanks, that looks damn cool. I might just do that.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[Blue77FJ40]

I have a 9x12 that I stick built set on a concrete pad. Doors are plywood sandwiching 2x4 internal frame. Have them set on HD hinges with an astragal protecting the deadbolt. I ran 110 service to it. Basically a tiny house.

Shoulda built bigger...

 

[Felix]

Yeah, I'd like to build bigger, but the city says that if I go over 120 sq. feet or 8 feet high it has to be at least 7 feet from the rear and side property lines. And that would put it in a location that the finds unacceptable.

Are there any structural drawbacks to a framing kit like the northern tool one? Would a traditionally framed shed be more sturdy?

 

[Blue77FJ40]

Depends on the size roof that you want, as well as the shape that you want. Those metal joist ends are preset to a specific angle. If the angle works for you, I suppose it's all good. Those joist ends only dig into the wood just so far. Lots of little points digging into the wood. You can always add a few deck screws or even 1/4 bolts for peace of mind, no bigee. For the walls, you really don't need the joist ends, just nails or deck screws if you want.

I used similar, many holed plates when I was making the roof trusses up. Too bad I didn't make a jig, then maybe my trusses woulda been all the same. Doh.

 

[D'Animal]

Go to Wal Mart or Home Depot and get a book on Garden Sheds building and plans. It has blue prints of different little sheds.

 

[Blue77FJ40]

I did that too. I spent a good while deciding where I wanted the shed, then more time laying out the setup, where all the tools/parts/ workbench/ etc. would go.

It came out great, just too small now. It's basically a garage for my bike, with tools and stuff all around it. The plans book gave me ideas on shelving and layout. You're welcome to drop by to take a look if you want.

 

[Spike Strip]

I used a plan from:

www.shedplans.com

They were step-by-step instructions, but you also had to interpret elevation drawings... Worked out well. Built a 12x12 on a slab that holds every stinking piece of the FJ60 I've got torn apart in my backyard!

But as D'animal said, I remember the books from Home Despot or Lowes were good too.

S.

 

[Gumby]

Public library

 

[sirenmoses]

...Those joist ends only dig into the wood just so far. Lots of little points digging into the wood. You can always add a few deck screws or even 1/4 bolts for peace of mind, ...

Please do add some screws. These gusset plates only grab 1/4" or less into wood, and will quickly fail in a fire or strong wind load. Screwing the plate to the joist will increase stability, and allow firefighters a better chance of saving your shed should bad things happen.

public library x2

 

[John Smith]

Felix, Congratulations on the home purchase! I just bought a 8x12' shed from this PA Dutch company just up the road from my house. Their price was a third of what Sheds USA charges and they dropped off the prefab bits and built it on-site. http://www.beilersstructures.com/ I am very happy with the shed quality. I have never seen a shed as secure as Dan's. If you are putting high dollar stuff in there check out his shed.

 

[kulangot]

Felix,

Congratulations on the house, six houses and ten years later and I can tell you that buying a house has caused my Cruiser hobby to take back a seat to fixing up old houses.

84 Lumber sells a prefabbed/pre-built truss that is wall and ceiling combined. Makes it a snap to build a shed. They come in a few sizes and you just buy as many as you need and sheath with OSB. Buy a Roybie Cordless Impact Screwgun and built it all with coated deck screws. Also, cough up the cash for a pre-hung exterior door - makes it easier to make the shed secure. You can special order an out swing door from 84 as well.

If you want to do it DIY, this is about as cheap and easy as it gets - they will deliver the materials as well:

http://www.84lumber.com/Projects/storagebuildings.asp



Cheapest to build the whole thing on precast concrete piers as a slab cost a few bucks in the DC area.

-Stumbaugh

 

[Felix]

Thanks, John. Both of you.

I didn't get around do doing anything with this over the weekend with all the moving crap. Hopefully I'll get started next WE.

 

[4Toys]

Not sure if these set of plans are designed for what you are ideally looking for.

However if you are looking for something in the lines of a pole building or equipment shed, these basic plans I found seem to be good. Obviously you can change some of the dimensions based upon your needs.




http://www.co.larimer.co.us/building/loafing_shed.pdf


Good luck

4Toys

 

[Wile E Coyote]

Hijack in progress...
Whatcha guys spending in materials cost for your small DIY sheds? Like 10'x12' range. Just the shed, one 'winder', shingle roof, 4 ft door, ya know just the basics. No concrete slab costs, that I can figure easily.
Already know what HD/Lowes wants for a build-it-on-site for you, one. Not interested.

 

[Blue77FJ40]

Hijack in progress...
Whatcha guys spending in materials cost for your small DIY sheds? Like 10'x12' range. Just the shed, one 'winder', shingle roof, 4 ft door, ya know just the basics. No concrete slab costs, that I can figure easily.
Already know what HD/Lowes wants for a build-it-on-site for you, one. Not interested.

If you have Amish builders near you, check them out. I checked out an Amish-built, delivered, and setup shed at a friend's house that was just as well built as my stick built, but without concrete pad. Amish provide excellent bang for the buck.

 

[Felix]

Hijack in progress...
Whatcha guys spending in materials cost for your small DIY sheds? Like 10'x12' range. Just the shed, one 'winder', shingle roof, 4 ft door, ya know just the basics. No concrete slab costs, that I can figure easily.
Already know what HD/Lowes wants for a build-it-on-site for you, one. Not interested.

Well, so far I've just built the foundation and floor for my 10' x 12' shed, and I've spent about $460. That includes the following

2 - 12' 6"x6" pressure treated skids
2 - 12' 2"x6" pressure treated end joists
10 - 10' 2x6 pressure treated floor joists
tongue and groove plywood for the floor
16 penny galvinized nails
decking screws
a bunch of standard gravel for underneath

That was all from Home Depot. Of course, I was starting out from almost complete scratch when it comes to tools and supplies, so I ended up spending about $600 more on circular saw, decent framing hammer, levels, squares, mitre saw (just 'cause ), hand tamper, etc. In the end I will probably have spent a bit more money than I would have to pay lowes or home depot to come build it for me, but I'll have the shed I want in the size I want, a bunch of tools, and I'll know how to build a shed.

As the weeks pass by and I realize how slow I am, I occasionally regret not having a crew come out and just throw up a shed over a weekend. But in the end, I'll have a longer lasting shed, compared to a big chain built shed, that is. 16" on center studs instead of 24", etc. Plus, most of the prices I looked at from those places didn't include the foundation, so I still would have spent a couple hundred on the gravel and skids. Those damn 6x6 treated skids were about $70 alone.

 

[Wile E Coyote]

I'm stubbornly DIY, so not even gonna consider the built for ya route.

Thanks for taking the time to tally up your progress to date, Felix.

Living in AZ, I have virtually no snow load (yes we do get a rare couple inches a year at my elevation). I feel I can go to 24" on center and have an acceptable margin of safety. Will include hurricane ties and ground anchors, however.
I dragged the wife out back to do some site planning, and got kinda bummed. My rear yard is long and narrow. Our HOA, although basically inactive, and spottily enforced, nonetheless states the set back from the rear property line must be > 15'. Leaving 3' between my garage and the shed for future maintainance, that gives a max width of 7'. I don't like getting stuck w/ an odd # dimension, but 6' of width is too prohibitive when your talking the length can go to 14'.
Sounds like 7' x 14' is my max shed dims. Oddly proportioned as far as sheds go, but it is what it is.

 

[Felix]

Yeah, I'm stuck with a not ideal backyard, too. It's long and narrow (I live in half of a duplex) and the property line offset is supposed to be 5-7 feet for anything over 80 square feet or 8 feet high, imposed by the city. I didn't feel like doing that or getting a variance, so I'm pressing my luck that my neighbors won't care as long as it looks decent. That was one reason for building it on skids. If I ever get called on it, I'll throw a chain through my pre-drilled holes in the skids, hood it up to the 40, and drag it wherever it needs to go.