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For a 12×24 gable shed on skids, the main items on the 12×24 shed material list are 160 framing 2x4s, 24 treated 2x6s, 8 treated 4x4s, 9 sheets of 3/4 in plywood, 13 of OSB, 22 of T1-11 and 15 shingle bundles. It assumes 94 1/2 in walls, a 6/12 roof and 16 in spacing.

Every quantity and cut length on this page comes from the 3DSHEDPLANS plan generator, which models each board and counts what to buy. It is a shopping aid, not a stamped engineering drawing. This 12×24 build passed all 83 checks of our framing audit, including 14 checks on where the long boards are spliced. The list covers one 60 in double door and two 36 x 36 in windows.

What this 12×24 shed material list assumes

The generator ran a shed 12 ft deep and 24 ft wide, with 288 sq ft of floor and the ridge running the 24 ft way. These are its settings:

  • Walls: 94 1/2 in tall including the bottom plate and double top plate, so wall studs are cut to 90 in (7′ 6″).
  • Spacing: studs, floor joists and rafters all at 16 in on center.
  • Roof: 6/12 pitch, 2×4 rafters, a 2×6 ridge board, 8 in eave overhang and 4 in rake overhang. The roof works out to about 364 sq ft.
  • Floor: four pressure-treated 4×4 skids 24 ft long, about 47 in apart (46.8 in), on a crushed stone pad 26 x 14 ft and 4 in deep (12 in wider than the shed on every side), with 2×6 joists cut to 11′ 9″ at 16 in on center and 3/4 in tongue and groove plywood.
  • Loads: the 2×4 rafters pass a span table check at 30 psf ground snow (SPF #2 at 16 in, 72 in run). That is the generator’s design assumption; if your area’s snow load may be higher, check your local permit office before you buy rafter stock.
  • Openings: a 60 in wide double door on 76 1/2 in trimmers in the 24 ft front wall, and one 36 x 36 in window in each 12 ft gable wall. The 24 ft back wall has no openings.

Our 12×24 lean-to shed plan has the same footprint with a single-slope roof, an 84 x 72 in door and three windows, so its own printable list differs from this gable run. If you buy that plan, shop from the plan’s list.

Shopping list by stage

Lumber sizes are nominal. A 2×4 measures about 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 in, as the American Wood Council explains. Check the grade stamp on plywood and OSB; the APA trademark guide shows how to read it.

Totals at a glance

Material Total
2×4 framing boards, all lengths 160
2×4 x 12 ft for temporary braces and a ridge post 9
Pressure-treated 2×4 x 14 ft (skid splice scabs) 2
Pressure-treated 2×6 (20 joists, 4 for the two rims) 24
Pressure-treated 4×4 (two per 24 ft skid) 8
2×6 (ridge and window headers) 4
2×8 (door header) 1
3/4 in T&G plywood sheets (floor) 9
7/16 in OSB sheets (roof) 13
5/8 in T1-11 sheets (walls, gables, door leaves) 22
1/2 in plywood sheets (soffit, header fillers) 2
3-tab shingle bundles 15

Floor

Item Qty Used for
Pressure-treated 4×4 x 16 ft, tagged for ground contact 4 Long piece of each 24′ 0″ skid
Pressure-treated 4×4 x 8 ft, tagged for ground contact 4 Short piece of each 24′ 0″ skid
Pressure-treated 2×4 x 14 ft 2 Eight 3′ 0″ scabs, one on each side of every skid joint
Pressure-treated 2×6 x 12 ft 20 Floor joists cut to 11′ 9″ (19 on layout plus a second joist at the rim joint)
Pressure-treated 2×6 x 12 ft and 14 ft 2 each Two 24′ 0″ rim joists, one 12 ft and one 14 ft board each
3/4 in T&G plywood, 4×8 sheet 9 Floor decking (288 sq ft at full sheet size)
Crushed stone 3/4 in, loose 5.4 cu yd Gravel pad, measured loose before tamping
Deck screws 2 in (or 6d ring-shank nails), rated for treated lumber 8 lb Decking

Walls and roof framing

Item Qty Used for
2×4 x 8 ft 122 Wall studs, rafters, fly rafters, cripples, sills, gable studs, lookout and frieze blocks, short plate pieces
2×4 x 12 ft 11 Back wall plates, side wall plates and cap plates, one gable stud
2×4 x 14 ft 23 Rafter ties, collar ties, door and window trimmers
2×4 x 16 ft 4 Long pieces of the front wall plates and both cap plates
2×6 x 8 ft 2 Window headers
2×6 x 12 ft and 14 ft 1 each Ridge board (24′ 8″, spliced)
2×8 x 12 ft 1 Door header
Hurricane ties, H2.5A type or equal 38 Rafter to plate
2×4 x 12 ft, temporary 9 8 wall braces and 1 post under the ridge joint, reused later

The three header filler strips of 1/2 in plywood are ripped from a soffit sheet, so buy the soffit plywood with the wall lumber.

Roof covering

Item Qty Used for
7/16 in OSB, 4×8 sheet 13 Roof sheathing
15 lb felt, 400 sq ft roll 2 Underlayment
3-tab shingles, 26 per bundle 15 bundles Roof, starter course and ridge cap
Drip edge, 10 ft 9 Eaves and rakes
Roofing nails 1 1/4 in galvanized 12 lb Shingles
Roofing cap nails 1 in 2 lb Felt
Roofing cement, 10 oz tube 2 Roofing
Louvered gable vent, 8 x 12 in 2 One in each gable
Insect screen, 2 ft x 25 ft 1 roll Vent holes and gaps at the eaves

Siding and trim

Item Qty Used for
5/8 in T1-11, 4×8 sheet 18 Walls (576 sq ft, before the door and window cut-outs)
5/8 in T1-11, 4×8 sheet 2 Both gable triangles
5/8 in T1-11, 4×8 sheet 2 Door leaves (one per leaf)
1/2 in plywood, 4×8 sheet 2 Eave soffit and header fillers
Z-flashing, 10 ft 3 Wall siding to gable siding joint
Drip cap, 10 ft 2 Over the door and window head casings
1×6 x 12 ft and 14 ft 2 each Eave fascia (two 24′ 8″ runs, spliced)
1×6 x 8 ft 4 Rake fascia
1×4 x 16 ft 2 Corner trim on the eave walls
1×4 x 14 ft 4 Door casing sides, door stiles, Z braces
1×4 x 12 ft 1 Door rails
1×4 x 8 ft 9 Gable-wall corner trim, door head casing, window casings
1×2 x 8 ft 2 Door stop and astragal
Exterior paint and primer in one 6 gal Two coats of about 794 sq ft each (rough-sawn T1-11 soaks up more, so check the coverage on the can)
Exterior caulk 3 tubes Trim

Hardware and windows

Item Qty
Framing nails 3 1/2 in (16d), hot-dip galvanized (about 1,685 nails plus 10 percent) 47 lb
Siding nails 2 1/2 in (8d), hot-dip galvanized 24 lb
Sheathing nails 2 1/2 in (8d) for OSB 12 lb
Connector nails 1 1/2 in for the ties 3 lb
Construction adhesive, 10 oz tube 8
T-strap door hinges 6
Door handle and latch set 1
Barrel bolts for the fixed leaf 2
Exterior screws 1 1/4 in (door frame to T1-11) 1 lb
Exterior screws 2 1/2 in (hinge straps into framing) 1 box
Prefabricated window, 36 x 36 in rough opening 2
Flashing tape 4 in 1 roll
Wood shims 1 bundle

Cut list highlights

Most of the 12×24 cut list is square cuts: 57 wall studs at 7′ 6″ and 20 floor joists at 11′ 9″. The parts below have angles, overhangs, splices or stacked sizes.

Part Lumber Cut length Qty
Rafter (board length, see below) 2×4 7′ 6 3/8″ 38
Fly rafter (rake) 2×4 7′ 6 3/8″ 4
Ridge board (spliced) 2×6 24′ 8″ 1
Rafter tie (interior pairs, at the plates) 2×4 12′ 0″ 17
Collar tie 2×4 4′ 4 1/2″ 9
Lookout block (rake overhang) 2×4 2 1/2″ 20
Frieze block (over the eave walls, top beveled) 2×4 1′ 1″ (32), 1′ 0 1/4″ and 1′ 1 3/4″ (2 each) 36
Skid (spliced) PT 4×4 24′ 0″ 4
Skid splice scab PT 2×4 3′ 0″ 8
Rim joist (spliced) PT 2×6 24′ 0″ 2
Front and back wall plate (spliced) 2×4 24′ 0″ 4
Front and back cap plate (spliced) 2×4 23′ 5″ 2
Door header (2×8 doubled + 1/2 ply) 2×8 5′ 3″ 2
Door trimmer 2×4 6′ 4 1/2″ 2
Window header (2×6 doubled + 1/2 ply) 2×6 3′ 3″ 4
Window trimmer 2×4 6′ 1″ 4
Center gable stud (under the ridge) 2×4 2′ 8 3/4″ 2
Gable end studs 2×4 7 1/8″, 1′ 3 1/8″, 1′ 11 1/8″ and 2′ 7 1/8″ 4 each

Rafters. The 7′ 6 3/8″ figure is the board each rafter needs, measured long point to long point on the top edge from the ridge plumb cut to the tail plumb cut, including the 8 in eave overhang. That is 90 3/8 in, so each of the 42 rafters and fly rafters comes out of one 8 ft 2×4 with about 5 5/8 in left over.

Mark the plumb cuts with a speed square pivoted to 6 on the common scale (26.6 degrees). The birdsmouth seat is 2 1/2 in, which makes the notch about 1 1/8 in deep, inside the generator’s one-third-of-depth limit. Cut one pattern rafter, test it at both ends and the middle of the 24 ft run, then trace the other 37. The 4 fly rafters hang off the lookout blocks and the ridge extension, so they get the ridge plumb cut but no birdsmouth.

Ridge. The ridge is 24′ 8″, 4 in past each gable wall to carry the fly rafters. It goes up in two pieces: 128 in from the 12 ft 2×6 and 168 in, the whole 14 ft 2×6. The joint is centered on a rafter pair, and the list buys a temporary 2×4 post to stand under the joint until both pairs on either side are nailed.

How the 24 ft runs are spliced. Every 24 ft member is two boards, and the generator places each joint so neighbors never line up:

Member Pieces Where the joint lands
Skids 8 ft + 16 ft 8 ft from one end on two skids, 16 ft on the other two, each under a joist and scabbed both sides
Rim joists 12 ft + 14 ft board 143 1/4 in, on the seam of a layout joist and the extra second joist
Front wall plates 8 ft + 16 ft 96 in, centered on a full-height stud
Front cap plate 16 ft + 7′ 5″ 192 in, 8 ft from the plate joints below
Back wall plates 12 ft + 12 ft 144 in, centered on a full-height stud
Back cap plate 8 ft + 15′ 5″ 96 in, 4 ft from the plate joints below
Ridge 10′ 8″ + 14 ft 128 in, centered on a rafter pair with a temporary post

The skid joints sit 8 ft apart on neighboring skids and at least 16 in clear of the rim joints. Tamp the gravel under each joint in thin layers until a boot heel leaves no print.

Headers. The 60 in door opening gets a doubled 2×8 header with a 1/2 in plywood filler, on trimmers cut to 6′ 4 1/2″, with three 6 1/4″ cripples above it. The bottom plate is cut out of the doorway after the wall is up, so the door leaves swing over the floor. Each window gets a doubled 2×6 header on 6′ 1″ trimmers, two 11 1/2″ cripples above, a 3′ 0″ sill and two 2′ 11 1/2″ cripples below.

Gable studs. Each 12 ft gable has one 2′ 8 3/4″ center stud plus eight end studs in four lengths, from 7 1/8″ to 2′ 7 1/8″. At 6/12 each stud 16 in further from the corner is 8 in taller, so the four lengths step 8 in apart. Measure each one off your actual end rafter before cutting.

Siding at the rim. On the 24 ft walls the T1-11 laps the rim joist by 2 7/16 in and is nailed into it. On the 12 ft side walls it laps only 3/4 in, too little to nail into the rim, so the generator does not nail it there. Cover that rim with Z-flashing or a 1x skirt board, or at least keep it primed and painted.

Plates. The side walls have 11′ 4 7/8″ bottom and top plates, 1/8 in short of the gap between the long walls, with 12′ 0″ cap plates that lap over the front and back walls to lock the corners.

Gable vs lean-to: what changes

We ran the same 12×24 footprint as a lean-to (single-slope) roof at 3/12, with an 80 in low back wall, the same 60 in door in the high front wall and one window in the back wall. That is a generator run for comparison, not the layout of our lean-to plan, which has an 84 in door and three windows. The lean-to passed all 64 of its audit checks. The skids, joists and decking stay the same; the studs, rafters and siding change.

Item Gable (6/12) Generator lean-to (3/12)
Rafters 38 2×4 at 7′ 6 3/8″ + 4 fly 19 2×6 at 13′ 10 1/4″ + 2 fly
Ridge board 2×6, 24′ 8″ from two boards None
Wall studs 7′ 6″ on all four walls 9′ 2 5/8″ front, 6′ 3 1/2″ back, stepped on the sides
2×4 framing boards bought 160 70
2×6 boards bought (not treated) 4 26
T1-11 sheets 22, all 4×8 20: eight 4×10, two 4×9, ten 4×8
Roof OSB sheets 13 12
Shingle bundles 15 12
Felt 2 rolls 2 rolls, laid double below 4/12
Fascia 1×6 1×8
Windows 2 1
Framing nails 47 lb 32 lb
Extra hardware 3 Z-flashing, 2 gable vents, ridge post 4 twist straps at the wall corners
Floor 4 skids, 20 joists, 9 sheets 4 skids, 20 joists, 9 sheets

On a 12 ft deep shed the lean-to rafters must be 2×6: the generator checks a 137 in span against a 143 in limit for 2×6 at 30 psf. That is why the lean-to buys 26 plain 2x6s (24 of them 14 ft rafter and blocking stock) but far fewer 2x4s. Each side wall has 10 studs stepping from 6′ 5 3/8″ to 9′ 3 1/4″ under an 11′ 9 1/4″ sloped top plate.

The high front wall takes 4×10 siding sheets, which some yards have to order. At 3/12, read the minimum slope on the shingle wrapper and follow the maker’s low-slope instructions. For more on single-slope builds, see how to build a lean-to shed, all lean-to shed plans and our gable vs lean-to vs hip roof comparison.

Where the waste goes

  • Wall studs and rafters: 90 in studs leave about 6 in from each 8 ft board, and 90 3/8 in rafters leave about 5 5/8 in, so a mis-cut rafter means a new board.
  • Floor joists: 11′ 9″ from a 12 ft board leaves 3 in for squaring the ends.
  • Rafter ties: the seventeen 12′ 0″ ties come from 14 ft boards, leaving about 2 ft each. Cut the 8 brace stakes (just under 24 in after the saw kerf) from these.
  • No trim room on the 24 ft runs: the skids (8 + 16 ft), the front plates (8 + 16 ft) and the back plates (12 + 12 ft) add up to exactly 24 ft. The 14 ft ridge piece and the two 12′ 0″ side cap plates also use whole boards. Measure these boards at the yard and check that the factory ends are square.
  • Rims, caps and fascia: the rim pieces leave about 3/4 in and 23 1/4 in, each cap plate leaves about 7 in, the 12 ft ridge piece leaves 16 in and each 24′ 8″ fascia run leaves 16 in.
  • Scabs: four 3′ 0″ scabs per 14 ft treated 2×4 leave 2 ft each.
  • Sheets: 9 floor sheets cover 288 sq ft at full size and 18 wall sheets cover exactly 576 sq ft, so a damaged sheet means a trip back to the yard. Many tongue and groove panels cover about 47 1/2 in net, so three rows can land about 1 1/2 in short of 12 ft. Check the net face width on the label and plan on a 10th floor sheet to rip the last strips from.
  • No spares: the counts include nothing for rejects. Sight down each board’s edge at the yard and skip bowed or twisted ones, and add a few 2×4 x 8 ft if you expect to cull warped or split boards.

Tools and crew for a 12×24 build

  • Circular saw, speed square and framing square for 57 stud cuts and 42 rafters; cut the 2 1/2 in lookout blocks from a long clamped stick with a stop block, never as loose scraps
  • Framing hammer or framing nailer, and a drill/driver for the screws
  • 4 ft level, 25 ft tape for checking that the floor diagonals match, and a string line for the 24 ft rims and plates
  • A rented plate compactor for 5.4 cu yd of gravel, laid in thin layers
  • A crew: the generator plans for one helper on most steps and 5 helpers (6 people) to raise the 24 ft front wall

Common mistakes

  • Mixing up 12×24 and 24×12. In this list the ridge runs along the 24 ft side. Turn it the other way and each rafter’s run doubles from 72 in to 144 in, far past the run these 2×4 rafters were checked for, and the ridge, gables and every rafter length change.
  • Moving the splices. The joint positions above keep plate, cap, skid and rim joints apart. If they all land at one spot, the floor and walls get a hinge line. Do not plan to drag a shed on spliced skids to a new spot later.
  • Forgetting the door sheets. The siding cut out of the doorway is 76 1/2 in tall, shorter than the 77 1/4 in door leaf, so each leaf needs its own new T1-11 sheet.
  • Skipping rafter ties. A ridge board is not a beam. The 17 rafter ties at the plates stop the 24 ft walls from spreading; the 9 collar ties higher up do not replace them.
  • Too few skids. The generator keeps skids no more than 48 in apart. Four under a 12 ft floor land about 47 in apart; three would not.
  • Swapping materials without recounting. This list is for 3-tab shingles and T1-11. Architectural shingles, metal roofing or lap siding cover differently, so recount from the coverage printed on the bundle or the maker’s install guide.
  • Untreated wood near the ground. Skids, rims, joists and scabs are pressure treated; plain framing lumber there rots. Use ground-contact rated wood for the skids, and hot-dip galvanized nails and treated-lumber rated screws in treated wood. The USDA Wood Handbook covers why wet, untreated wood decays.

A 288 sq ft shed is large enough that permit, setback and tie-down rules matter, and they vary by town, so check your local permit office before you order. Our shed permit checklist lists what to ask.

For how to read any list like this one, see our shed material list guide. For the base under the skids, see shed foundation options. For a rough budget, see how much it costs to build a shed, then price this list at two yards. For other sizes, try the shed material calculator.

Get the full plan

The 12×24 lean-to shed plan is a 3DSHEDPLANS PDF for this footprint with 40+ steps, 3D images and its own printable material list. Want a peaked roof instead? The 14×24 gable shed plan and 10×24 gable shed plan share the 24 ft length, and the 12×20 gable shed plan shares the 12 ft depth. Compare the 12×20 shed material list for a shorter build.

Want to see the format first? Download the free 12×24 lean-to shed plan preview PDF. Need more or less room? Compare all gable shed plans or browse every size on the shed plans page.

Frequently asked questions

What is on a 12×24 shed material list?

For a 12×24 gable shed with a 6/12 roof, our generator lists 160 framing 2x4s, 24 treated 2x6s, 8 treated 4x4s, 4 plain 2x6s, a 2×8, 9 sheets of 3/4 in plywood, 13 of OSB, 22 of T1-11, 2 of 1/2 in plywood and 15 shingle bundles, plus trim, nails and hardware.

Is there a free 12×24 shed plan with a material list?

This page is a free 12×24 material list with cut lengths from our generator. The 3DSHEDPLANS 12×24 lean-to shed plan PDF has its own printable material list, and its free preview PDF shows the format first.

How many 2x4s do I need for a 12×24 shed?

160 for the framing of a 12×24 gable shed with a 60 in double door and two windows: 122 at 8 ft, 11 at 12 ft, 23 at 14 ft and 4 at 16 ft. Add 9 more 2×4 x 12 ft for temporary wall braces and one temporary ridge post.

How many sheets of plywood, OSB and siding does a 12×24 shed need?

9 sheets of 3/4 in tongue and groove plywood for the floor, 13 sheets of 7/16 in OSB for the roof, 22 sheets of 5/8 in T1-11 for the walls, gables and door leaves, and 2 sheets of 1/2 in plywood for the soffit and header fillers.

How many bundles of shingles for a 12×24 shed roof?

15 bundles of 3-tab shingles for the 6/12 gable roof, which is about 364 sq ft with an 8 in eave and 4 in rake overhang. The count includes the starter course, ridge cap and about 10 percent extra.

Shed building guides