building a backyard shed...
 

I need to build a shed. It will be small, 10' x 12', as that's as big as I can build here without a permit. My question is, what kind of foundation would be best to build it on?

We have sandy-ish soil here and our frost depth is 42". A concrete pad would be nice but I'm concerned with it heaving and decking piers just sink into the ground with every rain so something between those two. A few days on the google led me to a plethora of options but it's overwhelming to say the least.

My main reason for asking is because this will eventually become a small studio so having a level floor is important but I don't want to go through the hassle of an 8 course block foundation if I don't have to. So which way to go...gravel pad? Paver patio? Deck with footings concreted in 42" below grade? Set directly on the ground? Concrete pad with lots of rebar to minimize heaving?

Any and all suggestions welcome as this is the only thing stopping me from starting construction on this thing. Once I decide on a foundation, I'm digging and building. So what says the Pelican brain trust?

Given the permitting restriction on size I wonder if a concrete slab would also require a permit?

I have similar restrictions here and have used sunken piers to avoid the permitting process.

Given the choice, my wife decided to rather have new bathrooms before I tackle the project... but I did ask the same question a while ago. My takeaway was: Pavers

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/986574-10x12-concrete-slab-shed-diy.html

Cheers,

G

For something that small pour piers and then pour a thick reinforced concrete floor. It would be ideal to get the floor up off the grade so it wouldn't be lifted by frost heaving. Not sure how you would do that.

Good question. I know that the portion of our driveway in the ROW required a permit but the actual driveway on our property did not. With that being said though, ordinance states if the shed is bigger than 10x12 it must be on a concrete foundation with footings. Guess I'll have to call the building department tomorrow and ask about that.

Read your thread earlier tonight actually. Pavers would definitely be easy enough, especially if I decide to move this shed (not likely but you never know). After having torn out a 60 year old concrete garage foundation by hand last spring, I do know that if I go with concrete, it's staying there forever. Not messing with that again.

The concrete floor off grade or the shed floor? Even with a concrete pad I'd still do an elevated wood floor with joists just to get the shed off the ground. It'll be sitting at the base of a hill with plenty of runoff so if the concrete were the floor it'd need to be elevated quite high to prevent the shed from leaking.

I made a 10x12 shed. I used my tractor to dig out about a foot down where I got to pretty well consolidated DG. I put down piers with the 4 in. wide hardware on top. I used 4x4, pressure treated posts for the sub floor and put 2x4's on top spaced at about a foot. Then over that I laid down my plywood floor. If you have frost down to 42", I'd sink those cardboard tubes you can buy at a place like H.D. (maybe 12" dia.) to a little deeper than that and pour them full of concrete and put a mounting hardware into the top of the concrete. I did 12 piers (three rows of four). How many you put in would be your decision.

Before you consider pouring a slab or a foundation, look into tuff shed through home depot. I hired a contractor to haul fine gravel and laser level the spot. Rolled flat. Then in came the tuff shed crew, and I had a finished shed in one morning, it's colors matching the house perfectly. I doubt I could have bought the materials for what it finally cost. It's "foundation" is galvanized steel.

https://www.homedepot.com/services/c/shed-installation/18e89c88d?cm_mmc=SEM%7CG%7CHS%7CD28I%7C28-21_STORAGE_BUILDINGS%7CNA%7CNA%7CSHEDS%7C717000000 37926239%7C58700004181152288%7C43700034638783558&g clid=Cj0KCQjww47nBRDlARIsAEJ34bkCbNTw-XFFzFuftmwf9BxA527uaKY_D1u1VaT5tEbKv8fpcxrnzdUaAth JEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm not sure I'm envisioning what you are doing.
If you are going to build a wooden joist floor you wouldn't need concrete, just sink piers and build the floor on them. You just don't want the floor in contact with the ground because it can frost heave.

6 holes, 6 pieces of sonotube, sand or stone under then set the floor on the poured pillars. OR.. 6 holes, 6 6x6's paver in the bottom of the hole, then fasten the floor to the 6x6's

I would do one of two things. If I wanted overkill, I would drill a pier in each corner below the frost line, place void forms on the ground between them and pour an integral slab and build the shed on that. I would not have a wooden subfloor, I would just simply place the walls directly on the slab.

Or, more likely, I would simply excavate the 10 x 12 area and pour a 12 inch thick slab directly on it and build the shed on that. I’d make sure the excavation was level, properly compacted and maybe I’d throw some sand on the top of it before pouring the mud but that’s the extent of it.

Whatever you do, make sure you aren't unintentionally making a nice home for raccoons and skunks. There was a shed here when I bought my place and the last owner had just plopped it down on the dirt and gravel. I had to pay the "skunk lady" $25 per skunk to remove them all... It had become a beautiful home for them.

^ 12 inch thick slab???? This isn't going to be used for a crane support pad.

Consider using hot tub pads. Available in 4' square sections or smaller sizes and build the platform dimensions you want.

Tuff Shed actually has exactly what I want but I'm being cheap. Using a mix of what I already have and buying new, my materials list is still less than $1200 for everything which is a quarter of what Tuff Shed wants. Besides, building it myself will give me something to do for a month or two. :D

I just thought building it directly on concrete would be a whole lot easier than digging piers. It'd also help with critters under the thing. My neighbor has groundhogs living under their porch which will be about 10 feet away from my shed so anything to stop them from digging under it would be nice.

What that does is twofold. One it has enough mass to essentially struggle off any frost heave issues. It’s essentially a big rock sitting on the ground and nothing much is going to happen to it. Secondly, it gives enough elevation to keep the wooden part of the structure a good distance above ground level to prevent any problems from water intrusion. Recall that he mentioned the possibility of water runoff at the site. It also allows the bottom of the slab to be placed below the typical level of any organic matter on his lawn.

The cost difference between a 12 inch thick slab of that size and a typical 6 inch slab is about 200 bucks.

If he really wanted to save a buck, he’d buy a pre-manufactured shed and stick it in his yard on four concrete blocks and call it a day.

I earned my PHD ( posy hole digger)early in life and still do what I need to so I can maintain that PHD. This is certainly a back, hand, and shoulder saver!

When I looked into a back yard shed for the lawn and garden stuff, I decided to use a local company that builds them on site.

20 years ago I marked out where I wanted it, and put down 9 concrete foundation blocks. One guy in a pickup came out and built my 8x12x10 shed in one day. The outside walls are metal and it stays a LOT cooler in summer than an all wood shed. I paid something $50 extra to have the ceiling height at 10 feet not 8. That made a big difference.

I am a lousy carpenter, and this guy was amazing. One man working by himself built it in 7 hours.

It has kept the lawn equipment and all the gardening crap my master gardener wife has to have and my garage is reserved for cars and my tools and workspace.

I just did this shed kit.

For "foundation", Simply use (2) ~14' 4x6"

Position like a skid. Typically no permit as, it's not "permanently" attached. I staked Skid Runners with 2' sections of Rebar pounded into ground at 4 corners.

Put your ~10' 2x6's floor joists cross-ways. I put mine on 1' centers just cuz..

Deck these joists with 5/8" sheeting. Did a 1 gallon garage floor paint to seal floor.


Costco has pre-cut lumber kits. My 10x14 was ~$2200

I used my own double pane windows, and insulated walls with 2" foam sheet, then finished interior with T-1-11.



My Kit :


pretty big really, twin doors allow riding mower storage and such.


Storage and a small loft.

I'll post my actual build pics soon. Proud of my custom mods.

https://www.costco.com/Crestwood-14'-x-8'-Wood-Storage-Shed.product.100281881.html

Our shed had to be a "temporary" structure, as it sits over the easement for the city sewer and water lines. When we had a connection from our home line into the city line shift, we had to pay a little more to have a new line dug around the shed down the 8 feet to the sewer line. The bad connection was right under the shed. And pay a few extra bucks to have the line dug was way better than emptying the shed, and trying to move it out of the way. I have a picture of the plumber standing in a hole so deep he was below ground level connecting the new line into the city line.

I just did this with my son's shed.
Under $50 cdn!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1558541916.JPG

Dig six holes - Plastic 5 gallon bucket of cement in each with a pier on top. 2 small beams. Floor joists 2x6 on 16" center with sheeting will make for a nice floor. Buckets aren't 42 inches deep, but doubt you will ever notice a little rise in the winter. Did that with my deck attached to house. Similar frost code.....Never moves...