How to Build a Shed

Whether you’re looking for a place to do some DIY or you’re after a safe place to keep your tools, it’s hard to go wrong with a shed. Thankfully, putting a wooden shed together is an easy task anyone can do with the right know-how and basic knowledge of DIY. Building a shed from scratch might sound like a big job. But we can get you started.

To make things as easy as possible, we’ve created a helpful step-by-step video. Be sure to watch the how-to video above as part of this guide to see the process in action. If you’re looking for plans for building a storage shed or just want to know how to build a garden shed, we’re here to help. Let’s dive into how to build a shed.

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Before building a shed, prepare your space by ensuring a completely level base and laying out all your timber, tools, and hardware before starting the shed build.
Construct the main structure by securing the floor, drilling the side, back, and front panels together, and fitting the windows and doors using pilot holes.
Finish the project by attaching the roof arches and panels, nailing down the waterproof roof felt, and adding secure locks and decorative fascias.

Step-by-step guide

Step 1: preparing your shed base

Before you begin, measure out the space you want to place your shed to ensure it fits.

Then lay out all your tools, materials, screws, and shed fittings. Double-check you have everything you need and don’t have any missing parts in your shed set.

It’s important to make sure the base you put your shed on is level, so no matter what kind of shed base or flooring you’ve selected, use a spirit level to ensure it’s level before you begin building your shed.

If you need more help with this, you can also learn how to build a garden shed base with our dedicated guide.

First, bring your base materials over to the space where you’ll be building your shed. Then carefully cut your materials free from the packaging using a utility knife and lay them out to create a large square.

Starting from the back corners, drill two screws through the face of one piece of timber into the end of another.

Repeat this process with the other three corners to form the overall outer frame. Make sure all the edges and faces of the timber are flush as this ensures your shed is strong and stable.

With the outer frame made, measure the longest sides to determine where the centre timber parts will be placed and mark the measurements.

Place the centre parts in line with your markings. Then drill them into place from the outside of the frame and into the top of the centre parts.

With your base setup, bring over the shed’s floor part and place it over the base. Before you move on, ensure the floor part and base are flush.

Secure the floor part to the base in all four corners with your drill and screws.

Step 2: putting up the shed panels

Now the base is finished, it’s time to move on to the walls of your shed.

Lay out all the side panels around the base. Now it’s time to get the back, front and side panels fitted.

Lift the back panel onto the base along with one side panel. Shed building is a team effort, so have one person hold these pieces together so the corners meet.

Then the other person can drill three pilot holes into the bottom, middle, and top. Make sure the pilot holes go through the side panel and into the back panel. Drill screws into each of the pilot holes to secure the side to the back panel.

Place the next side panel next to the fixed one. Drill your three pilot holes from the new panel into the fixed one before securing it with screws. Repeat this process until all the side panels are secured together.

Secure the front panels to the side panels using the same application method used to secure the back panel to the side panels.

Lock the side, back, and front panels into place by drilling into the bottom-middle of each panel. Make sure the screws fit securely into the base. This should eliminate swaying while you work on the other parts of the shed.

Step 3: fitting the roof arches

Once the sides are up, you can attach the roof.

Have one person position the apex roof arch part on top of the front-side panels so that it sits flush.

Secure it in place by drilling a screw up into the top of the front-side panel on either side. Repeat this step for the back apex roof arch and secure it in place with screws either side of the central beam.

Step 4: fitting the window

If your shed has a window, you’ll want to install this now.

To start with, use a tape measure to measure the length from the bottom of the shed to the bottom of the window cutout on both sides. Then make your pencil markings. Our measurement was 1002mm, but yours may differ depending on your choice of shed.

Line each L bracket up with your markings and make a pencil marking in the holes of the L bracket ready for drilling.

With your markings made, secure the L plates onto the bottom of the window cut out, ready for your window.

Once the brackets are fitted, have one person bring the window over and rest it within the window cut-out. Place and hold one of the window cover strips on the side of the window and drill your pilot holes before securing it with screws. Repeat this step for the other side.

With your window fitted, it’s time to seal up those outside corners and keep those panels together.

Place and hold a seal panel on each of the corners then secure three screws, starting from the bottom then working your way to the top.

Repeat this step on all corners of the outside shed and on the inside where the panels join.

When you get round to sealing the window side panels, secure the seals onto the previously installed window cover strips using the same process.

Step 5: building the shed roof

Once you’ve sealed the panels and corners, it’s time to finish off working on the roof. Start by bringing a step ladder inside the shed and set it up.

Place the single ridge beam into the corresponding slots on the apex roof arches. Then one person climbs the step ladder to drill into the single ridge beam and roof arch slot on each side. The other person stays on the ground to hold and support the beam while it’s being drilled into.

Bring the roof panels over to your workspace along with the supports. Lay them on the ground and place the roof panel over it and secure it to the edge. Repeat this step for the other support and roof panel.

Lift one of the roof panels up onto the roof so the support hangs over the side of the shed.

From a safe working height, drill pilot holes on the roof panel.

Then secure it to the single ridge beam with a screw at the front, middle and back of the shed. Repeat this step for the other side.

Step 6: applying the roof felt

Now it’s time to get your roof felt measured and fitted.

Start by measuring the length of one of the secured roof panels. Then roll out the felt and use this measurement to mark out where to cut. Safely cut using a utility knife.

Lift and place the cut felt over the roof panel and let some excess hang over the top of the panel and the side. Secure the felt to the roof panels using a hammer and nails.

Repeat this step for the other roof panel.

Next, it’s time to tidy up the felt on each side. Take a utility knife and cut away the felt that hangs over where the roof panel bason sits. Cut from the back of the shed towards the front. Once you’re happy with your cut, secure the felt to the roof panel with a hammer and nails. Repeat this step on the other side.

Step 7: hanging the shed door

With the roof felt fitted, it’s time to move onto fitting the door. Building garden shed doors might seem tricky, but it is simple if you take your time.

First, choose which side you would like to hinge your door. Secure the weather strip to the inside edge of that chosen side by drilling three screws through the weather strip and into the front-side panel. Start from the bottom and work your way up.

Secure the slamming strip to the opposite side using the same application method as the weather strip with three screws and a drill.

With the weather strip and slamming strip secured, bring the door over to your workspace along with the hinges and screws. Lay the door face down ready to fit the hinges.

Measure 175mm down from the top edge of the door using a tape measure and make a pencil mark. Then measure 202mm from the bottom of the door and make a pencil marking.

Use these measurements to lay the hinge in line with the marking and make pencil markings in the hinge holes ready for drilling. Drill screws into the hinge fixings to secure them to the door.

Once the hinges are secured to the door, lift the door into the opening and ensure the door is level. Now, open the hinge on the door and line it up with the weather strip face, then make pencil markings for where the hinges need to be secured.

Follow that up by drilling pilot holes into those markings and secure the door in place using a drill and screws.

With the door secured to the shed, now it’s time to fit the hasp and staple. This keeps everything stored inside secure with a padlock of your choice. Line up the hasp and staple, then mark the edges with a pencil for extra guidance. Mark the holes on the hasp and staple. Secure them in place by drilling in 25mm screws.

Step 8: finishing touches

Finally, all that’s left to do is to secure the facias and the finial to the front and rear of the shed.

Line each fascia up at the front to where the roof panel meets the single ridge beam. Make three markings along the face of each fascia and use a drill and screws to secure it into place.

Repeat this step for the other fascia on the front and the same on the back two.

Place the finial in the middle of the two front fascia pieces and drill screws through so it’s secured to both pieces.

There you have it. You now have a dedicated space in your garden to do more DIY garden projects and to safely store all your tools.

Whether you wanted to build your own shed to store your lawnmower, or you followed this guide to learn how to build a lean to shed, we hope this gives you the confidence to get the job done.

If you’re using your shed for storage, check out our guide on how to build a garden tool storage rack. Soon, your tools will be more organised than ever.

FAQs

If you are wondering how big you can build a shed without planning permission, we always recommend checking with your local council guidelines before you begin your project. It’s likely that a standard-sized shed like the one we built won’t be an issue though.

We recommend having two people to help when you build a shed. For example, one person can hold the side and back panels together, while the other person drills the pilot holes. Working together makes the job safer and much easier.

It’s imperative to make sure the base you situate your shed on is completely level. Use a spirit level to check the ground before you begin and make sure all timber edges and faces are flush when building the outer frame.

To keep your new shed safe from the elements, there are a few important steps to follow during the build. These include applying roof felt, sealing the exterior, and fitting a weather strip.

You can also apply timber treatments once the shed is built. At Wickes, we offer a wide range of sealants, wood preservatives, and shed and fence paint to help you protect your timber long-term.