How to Build a 16×20 Gable Shed in a Week or Less?

Having a large shed in your yard adds a lot of value to your property. Sheds can be used for multiple purposes. From storage to being a safe spot and an outdoor party venue, sheds depending on their size area great addition to bungalows. If you are fascinated by the idea of having a good shed in your garden but you are reluctant because of the amount of money it will require hiring professional woodworkers and paying them for all the material, STOP YOUR THOUGHTS right there.

Welcome to 3DSHEDPLANS. We devise step by step guide to shed building with the help of professional woodworkers. With our FREE and PREMIUM shed plans, you can build the shed in your yard yourself and save thousands of dollars. Our shed plans include every minute details you will need to start a shed from the scratch and you don’t necessarily have to be a professional woodworkers. Even if you haven’t hammered frames in the wall, following our shed plans will help you make a shed just like a professional woodworker would.

Don’t believe us yet? Follow this simple 16×20 Gable Shed Plan to build yourself a shed in less than a week!

Step # 1: Check for Permits & Law

Before you start off with the construction of a shed in your yard, know what the law of your state/city/neighborhood says about extension in your property. After acquiring the necessary permits and consulting the district attorney on shed building, you now have the go ahead to build yourself a beautiful shed in your yard.

Step # 2: Know the Type & Size

Once you have sorted the legalities, it is now time to decide what type of shed you will be building and what size. These two parameters go hand in hand and depend on one important thing: the purpose. If you need a shed simply for storage purposes you might need a simpler shed, but for multiple purposes like turning it into a small garage or keeping the pool table or making it a small outdoor cabin you might need a bigger and better shed. Following are the types of shed you can choose from.

1. Lean-to Sheds: Lean-to sheds are smaller and better suited if you only want to store firewood or need a shed to place your garden and car supplies. It is constructed against an already erect wall.

2. Gable Sheds: Larger in size than lean-to sheds, gable sheds are a complete wooden cabin in themselves. They range from medium to large in sizes and can be used for multiple purposes such as setting up a gym or a gaming area or making your children’s playhouse or can serve as a small outhouse.

3. Hip Roof Sheds: These are exquisitely designed sheds and may take longer than a week to make. They are complicated structures and are usually quite large in size. They can be used as a small warehouse or a guest house even.

Step # 3: The Equipment & Supplies Needed

With the legalities sorted, the type decided after thorough research it is not time to make your shopping list. You can’t do much without shopping. For a gable shed of 16×20 dimension, you will need to shop the supplies including pressure treated timber, tongue and groove plywood, wood planks, shingles, flooring sheets, rafters for trusses etc. You will need all the basic tools for constructing a shed including hammer, saw, galvanized nails, l-joints, headers etc. for a complete shopping list of what you need for your 16×20 gable shed, download our PREMIUM PLAN and save yourself from over-buying or multiple trips to shopping because of under-buying.

Step # 4: List down the measurements

The last thing you need to do before you begin constructing your shed is know the measurements. A typical 16×20 gable shed will have a maximum roof height of 12 feet and 2 ½ inches. A 16×20 gable shed is very spacious with a width of 20 feet and 1 inch on the front and a massive 16 feet 1inch to the sides giving you ample space to keep furniture or park the whole car inside or convert it into a garage or a party shed. You will also need to install a door and at least 2 windows to your shed to make it ventilated. You will have to buy the doors and windows separately.

Step # 5: Foundation Framework & Flooring

Once you have the necessary supplies and the exact dimensions, let’s start with the construction. Start building your shed by laying the foundation.

• The foundation must be constructed on a flat and even surface to avoid any faulty measurements.

• Make the foundation frame using pressure treated timber. Line up the timber with even spaces on the floor.

• Make added headers on the edges and nail them together. Once your foundation skid is intact, you will now line up the foundation with plywood to complete the flooring.

• You can also make cemented or logwood floors but we recommend tongue and groove plywood for your flooring as it is cheaper and durable. Building the foundation framework and flooring will take up a whole day.

Important Tip: Clean any vegetation or dirt before laying your foundation and make it in the place where you actually want to erect the shed itself because moving the foundation will not only be difficult but might induce damage.

Step # 6: Build the Walls Structure

On the second day of building the shed, start off with building the walls.

• Once you have the foundation and flooring ready, use temporary brackets to erect the structure of the walls.

• Make use of pressure treated timber again placing them evenly and nailing them together in a pattern similar to the foundation.

• The front and back walls will have additional spacing for windows and a door, so ensure you cut that out while making your framework.

• Once the wall structure is erected, you may remove the temporary bracket.

• Cover the outside of your framework with T1-11 wood to give your exterior a more finished look.

• Use galvanized nails to nail it all together. You may use L-joints to fix the wall structure on the foundation.

Step # 7: Build the roof

This is the trickiest part and might as well take 2 days to only erect the roof. You may need additional help as it involves lifting a lot of heavy parts and placing them on the wall structure.

• Start the construction of the roof by making the trusses with rafters. Once you have shaped the truss for the edges, line them with extra support.

• This too is made from pressure treated timber. Once you have constructed all the trusses, line them along the roof framework hammering them together using galvanized nails.

Step # 8: Add Asphalt Shingles to Cover the roof

Once the structure of the roof is ready, cover it with asphalt shingles. You may want to refer to the manual of the shingles to know the details. You can also use plywood and then line it with asphalt shingles to further protect from leakage. Hammer the covering with nails.

Step # 9: Time to add Fascia & Soffits

Fascia and Soffits accentuate your shed’s look. Cover the roof shingles with fascia panels giving your roof and your shed’s exterior a finished look. Fascia also acts as a resistance to weather extremities. Cover the lower edges of the roof, the edges of your window sill with soffits using soffit trims.

Step # 10: Adding Finishing Touches

• Install the door and 2 windows, (advisable to install all 3 on the front end). Remember that you will have to purchase the door and windows separately.

• Add a coating of paint on the exterior to keep it safe from moisture and pest attacks.

• Insulate the shed if you are planning on adding electrical wires inside.

You now have your 16 x 20 gable shed ready. You may turn it into an outdoor party place or your laboratory or even a playhouse for your children. If you are looking for more step by step instructions, we recommend downloading one of our PREMIUM SHED PLANS that come with a complete list of tools and materials, step by step instructions with 3D images of each and every step of the process and professional tips for you to easily get through the building process.