Build a Storage Shed on a Hill

After buying my first house I was pleased with the volume of storage space - a vast improvement over the apartment in which I had been living! All too soon, however, the inevitable accumulation of junk began to fill the basement, attic, and closets to overflowing. Some people would have a dumpster day, some would have a garage sale. I decided I needed to build a shed.

My backyard is not large, and its main feature is a big hill sloping away from the house into the woods. Not much room for a shed. I decided to make use of the otherwise useless hill area for my shed.

My idea was to make an 8x10 free-standing deck on the hill and then build a shed onto that sub-structure. The following article documents the successful build...

Step 1: Research, Plan, Permits In order to ensure that the structure you build will be legal, you need to research the building codes for your area. These codes will provide you with guidelines for the construction.

For my specific project, I had to look at the codes for both free-standing sheds and decks. A quick call to the county Office of Zoning and Planning answered the few questions I had (they were actually QUITE helpful and friendly - I was impressed!).

After you know the guidelines you have to follow, you can begin to draw up the actually plans for the shed. For my permit, I was required to submit detailed drawings of my plans to the county. Even if you are not required to do so, a good drawing will save a lot of time and wasted material, especially on more complex building projects. Always make a drawing.

After the plans and drawings were all completed, I took the package down to the County Zoning office and walked out with my permit. Hurray!

Note: The Permits process can take several weeks, especially if you need to obtain permission from a Home Owners Association or some other community organization. Plan accordingly. Most permits are valid for a year, so this step could (and should) be completed well before you are planning to start digging!

Step 2: Foundation. Sheds on level ground don't need much in regards to foundation, a few blocks and beams. My backyard is anything but level, and I needed to dig out four large footer holes to ensure my shed didn't end up at the bottom of the hill with the first heavy rain.

The building code in my area calls for deck foundation footers to be 30 inches deep and 24 inches in diameter if the deck is supporting a roof. Them's some big holes... I rented a gas auger for the job and it was well worth it.

To make the prospect of working on the hill less dangerous, I constructed two platforms which create a level surface for standing. these platforms are easily moved around and anchored into place with a couple re-bar spikes.

After the footer holes were dug, the county had to inspect them to ensure they complied with code. After a few days wait, I had my orange sticker and was ready to go back to work!

The large diameter of the footer holes translated into a LOT of concrete... a full 4000 lbs. I rented a mixer and was able to get them all filled in one day. J-bolts were installed in the wet concrete to attach the posts once the concrete had set (as per code in my area)

Step 3: Deck Substructure. After the concrete footers have fully cured, the construction of the deck began.

After careful measuring, the four 6x6 posts were installed. The two beams were next - double 2x12's (as per code). The joists are 2x8's, spaced at 12 inches O.C.

Two and a half panels of 3/4" plywood and the substructure is complete!

Step 4: Frame. I decided to go with full size, 8 foot walls for my shed, and I have been extremely please with that decision so far. Too many sheds are stuck with little 6 foot walls; the added space of an extra 2 feet overhead is quite apparent.

The walls are framed just like any normal frame. 2x4's 16 inches O.C, with pressure treated 2x4's on the bottom of each wall for moisture resistance. At this point, the walls are not very sturdy, and should be supported. Temporary diagonal 2x4's were used to make the frame walls more rigid

Step 5: Roof. I chose a very simple roof design for this shed simply because I had never done a roof before. 2x6 rafters attached to the framed walls with galvanized rafter ties and nailed to a 2x8 beam. I overhung the roof on all four sides by 1 foot to better protect the shed walls from water. Plus I thought it looked nice.

1/2 inch Plywood sheets make up the roof itself. Tar paper was applied with staples keeping it in place. Galvanized edging supports the shingles on all sides of the roof and helps prevent water running down the sides of your shed. The shingles were the last thing to go on.

Step 6: Siding and Trim. I bought a window for the back wall which was very easy to install. Simply nail in the plastic fins all the way around the frame and presto!

The siding used was 3/4" plywood siding sheets. They were heavy and a little awkward to get into place. The doors were custom made from siding and 2x4s. Once the siding was up, things were getting very exciting!

The trim was just 1x4's and 1x6's cut and installed in such a way as to hide the seams and ends of the siding and frame.

Finished! The project took me about 2 months to build (I do have a day-job), cost about $2000 and was a LOT of fun. I really enjoy building things, but this was my most ambitious home-improvement project to date and I was a little nervous. It turned out great, though and I am enjoying the new space I have.

I eventually ended up installing a separate circuit in my house and running power to the shed. It now has a full workbench inside with 8 outlets, external and internal switched lights, and attic storage space. I really like having a little workshop as well as all the extra space for storage.