Believe it or not, building a shed on a budget is actually possible. While many fret that this endeavor would cost a fortune, the truth is quite the opposite. In reality, you don’t really need to pay thousands of dollars to a professional shed builder just to attempt the feat plus the money you will spend on buying the material.
So, without much ado, let’s dive into the steps of how you can build your own shed in a week or less.
Step # 1: Pay Heed to the Requirements:
If this is the first time you are building a shed, you need to look into the following requirements:
- Does your state or region require a certain permit to build a shed or to add any structure to your house? If so, you need to fulfil the requirements before you get started.
- What purpose will the shed serve? Do you need just to shed to store your tools or do you want a shed big enough for you to spend time working on your hobbies? Once you have determined the purpose, you will be able to figure out the type of shed you require.
- What type and size of shed do you require? Sheds range from gable sheds, lean to shed and the like. They can be built in different sizes so make sure you know how big of a shed you want.
Step # 2: Choose the Type of Shed You Want to Build:
Generally, sheds come in three types. Each of the type serves a certain purpose. So, you need to have clarity on which shed type to choose. Here’s a brief of each type and their difficulty level in terms of building them yourself:
- Lean to Shed: These sheds are usually small and they lean to a wall within your garden. Lean to sheds are mostly used for storing tools and supplies.
- Gable Sheds: Gable sheds are the most popular shed type since they can be scaled to any size or for any purpose. They are standalone sheds with a gable roof; hence the name gable sheds.
- Hip Roof Sheds: Probably the most expensive and tough to build sheds! Since these sheds have a hip roof, they might be tough to build for beginners. If you are just starting out with woodworking, we wouldn’t suggest you opting for a hip roof shed.
Step # 3: Collect the Tools & Materials
You will need a long list of tools and materials. But, don’t worry, it wouldn’t cost you your wealth. Here is a small list of tools and materials you would require:
- Hammer
- Clamps
- Nail gun
- Drill
- Tape measure
- Saw
- Chalk line
- Level
- Drill bit set
- Stepladder
- Router
- Sawhorses
- Speed square
- Tin snips
Tip: We would recommend you download one of the FREE SHED PLANS from our website or buy a PREMIUM SHED PLAN from our shop which would hardly cost you a few dollars but will give you a complete list of tools and materials you would need for the building process.
Step # 4: Start from the Foundation, All the Way to the Roof:
Laying a solid foundation is the core to building a solid shed. You will be using 0.74 inches thick tongue and groove plywood with 2 inches screws and struts to join them together.
Once the foundation and flooring has been laid down, start building the walls. Make sure you leave space for the door and the windows. You can use a 3×3 window and a single door. Use 1.5 inches galvanized nails to attach the walls to the foundation. Use T1-11 to cover the walls.
Step # 5: Start Working on the Roof:
Building the roof might not be as difficult as it seem. You simply start working with timber trusses and then add rafters to it. You can either buy already built rafters and trusses or you can build them yourselves in accordance with your roof’s requirements.
As for the shingles, we recommend using asphalt shingles as they are the most durable and affordable ones. In addition, asphalt shingles are also quite weather resistant so they will prolong the life of your roof.