DIY Shed Guide: How to Build A Shed?

An outdoor shed can significantly help your house organization and living experience by adding extra storage for your not-so-pretty stuff. Your DIY shed is the house for your tools and equipment like lawnmowers, cycles, car tools, etc. Additionally, you can use it as an extra living space. In this article, we will discuss how to build a DIY shed, what tools and materials are required, and the cheapest DIY shed plan.

During the process, you will also need power tools, including saws, air compressors, drills, etc. We recommend using a solar generator as they are environmentally friendly, and the cost of operation is meager because of the lack of fuel usage. The Jackery solar generators line has small to large-capacity generators equipped with high-performance charging and fluctuation-free technology.

What Tools & Materials Do You Need for a DIY Shed?

A DIY shed is a large project but simple. With a detailed plan and the right tools, you can manage it easily in four to six days. Following is a list of all tools and materials required for this project.

Tools For DIY Shed Project
Air compressor	Clamps
Air hose	Cordless drill
Brad nail gun	Drill bit set
Caulk gun	Hammer
Chalk line	Hearing and eye protection
Circular saw	Jigsaw
Level	Pocket hole jig
Router	Sawhorses
Speed square	Stepladder
Tape measure	Tin snips

List Of Materials For DIY Shed Project
Material	Unit	Quantity	Size
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x2″	pcs	3	10′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x2″	pcs	24	6′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x2″	pcs	2	8′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x3″	pcs	5	6′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x3″	pcs	5	10′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x3″	pcs	2	8′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x4″	pcs	4	8′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x4″	pcs	2	10′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 1″x4″	pcs	4	6′
Pressure-Treated Board 1″x6″	pcs	2	10′
Pressure-Treated Board 1″x8″	pcs	1	10′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x2″	pcs	4	6′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x2″	pcs	3	8′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x2″	pcs	2	12′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x3″	pcs	4	10′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x3″	pcs	7	8′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x3″	pcs	5	6′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x4″	pcs	3	12′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x4″	pcs	26	6′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x4″	pcs	22	8′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x4″	pcs	9	10′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x6″	pcs	4	6′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x6″	pcs	18	8′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 2″x8″	pcs	10	10′
Pressure-Treated Lumber 4″x4″	pcs	4	8′
Plywood (9/16″)	pcs	28	4′x8′
Poured concrete	lbs	4	60
Concrete Brick Pavers	pcs	140	3 5/8″ x 2 1/4″ x 8″
Building paper (#15)	roll	4
Asphalt shingles (250# per sq. min)	ft2	150
Metal drip edge	ft	20
Wood siding boards (1/2″ x 6″)	ft2	85	9′-5″
Wood siding boards (1/2″ x 6″)	ft2	135	9′-6 1/2″
Wood siding boards (1/2″ x 6″)	ft2	13	2′-2 3/4″
Window beading	ft	8
Glass (1/8″)	pcs	1	2′-10 1/4″ x 2′-10 1/4″
Wall fastener (3″)	pcs	4
Door hinge (3″)	pcs	18
Door pull (6″)	pcs	2
Surface bolt (4″)	pcs	4
Window lock	pcs	2
Wood square louver gable vent (12″ x 12″)	pcs	2
Galvanized nails (1/2″)	pcs	100
Galvanized nails (2″)	pcs	2000
Wood screws (2″)	pcs	1750
Wood screws (3″)	pcs	1200
Wood screws (5″)	pcs	500

DIY Shed Plans & Ideas

DIY sheds can be very simple and small, while many examples of very elaborate designs and plans exist. Since we are focusing on a low to medium-level skill set, we are only discussing basic DIY shed plans. These ideas are easy to make and require limited building time and resources.

Garden Closet Storage Shed Plan

This closet-like DIY shed plan is designed as an affordable idea to store lawn equipment and gardening tools. Since it is smaller, it is relatively inexpensive and requires little time to assemble. The detailed plan, pictures, construction steps, and requirements are available on the Family Handyman Shed Plan page.

Gambrel Style Free Storage Shed Plan

This gambrel storage shed is a moveable shed plan in a practical size of 10x12 ft. It has enough space to accommodate your tools and equipment. You can even use it to store your outdoor furniture or not-do-frequently used stuff. The detailed plan is available at Construct101 Gambrel Style Free Storage Shed Plan.

8x10 ft. Free Storage Shed Plan

8x10 ft. Free Storage Shed Plan is a guide to building an 8x10 ft. storage shed built on skids. This means that once it is constructed, you can move it. This is a simple and budget-friendly plan with enough storage. The detailed plan, materials list, and step-by-step instructions are available at BuildEazy.

4x2 ft. Small Outdoor Shed/Smokehouse

This DIY shed plan is multipurpose as it could easily be used as a smokehouse. It is simple to make and very affordable. The detailed plan includes step-by-step construction steps, a materials list, and pictures. Detailed Plan.

How to DIY Shed

So, we are starting the most exciting part, i.e., how to build our DIY shed. We have listed the required tools and materials above, so let us jump straight to the work.

1. The first step for your DIY shedis to make its foundation. A concrete and brick foundation is a stable and more robust option, so let's go with it. The foundation measures 10'-7 ½" on each side.

• Dig 1’ wide and 1’ deep footing trenches and fill them with concrete.
• When the concrete hardens, spread mortar and fix the bricks.

2. Construct your frame.

• Mark the 9’-10 ½” joists at a distance of 11 inches each to line the plywood sheets in the middle of the joists.
• Use 8×5″ Phillips wood screws to secure the joints.
• All the corners should be 90-degree angles.
• Install the foundation.

3. Install the plywood for your DIY shed’s floor. Ensure that the plywood's wood grain and the joists are perpendicular to each other.

• Secure the plywood to the frame using 2-inch Phillips flat-head wood screws.
• Add more rows of plywood to the frame.

4. Start shed wall framing. It will consist of four top plates and four bottom plates. The dimensions of these plates are 10’ x 3 ½, and half are 9’-5” x ½.

• Lay out wall studs similarly to the floor we discussed above.
• Now frame the walls using Phillips flat-head wood screws. The 2 x 4 intersections should be connected using two screws.

5. Make the roof.

• Use 10’ pressure-treated lumber for your roof beams. Connect the beams with flat-head Phillips wood screws.
• Build your rafters with either 2x4 or 2x6.
• Make the rafters, collar ties, and ride board. Each rafter is 6’-11”long, and we need 18 rafters spaced 1’-1 ¼”

6. Attach the exterior wall siding.

• We will be using 1x3 pressure-treated lumber for wall trims. Two  5′-10 3/4″ boards, two eight ′- 1/2″, and one cut of 10' are needed.
• Cut starter course 9′-5″ long from the pressure-treated lumber with cross-section 1/4″ x 3/4″.
• Use 1/2 “ x 6” siding boards for exterior sliding.
• Now prepare the window trims with two boards cut to 3′-9″ and two boards cut to 3′-4″.

7. Attach the roof. Prepare 9/16" plywood for the roof sheathing. You will need four four ′ x 6′-11″ sheets and two 2′-5 3/4″ x 6′-11″ sheets.

8. Install the roof shingles.

9.Assemble the windows, and you can attach them directly to wall framing or on the top of the siding. Once the windows are assembled, line up to the door's opening with the trim and then use three heavy-duty hinges to hang the door.

10.Build the doors and install the ventilation system.

11.The following steps are optional.

• Install roof drainage system.
• Install door ramps.

So, here we are. Our DIY shed is ready.

Jackery Solar Generators for DIY Shed

The Jackery solar generators are available from a range of small- to large-capacity power suppliers that are compact and weather-resistant. These solar generators can provide enough power to run your power tools while building your DIY shed and later. You can power your circular saw, drill, lawn mower, pressure washer, and other tools. Following is a list of power tools with both running and starting wattage. Running wattage is the required power during the tool's operation, while starting wattage is needed for a few seconds when the tool is started.

Appliances	Starting Wattage	Running Wattage
Circular Saw	2400	1200
Drill	1800	720
Edger	2400	960
Electric Chainsaw	2400	1200
Electric Lawn Mower	4320	1440
Electric Pressure Washer	3600	1200
Electric String Trimmer	1500	600
Jig Saw	1800	720
Miter Saw	2100	840

Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro

The Jackery 3000 Pro is a large solar generator with a 3024 Wh capacity. It is large enough to power up your electric drill, circular saw, grinder, and lawn mower. Despite being large in capacity, it charges fast within 3 to 4 hours with solar panels and only 2.4 hours with wall charging.

Solar Generator 3000 Pro
Capacity	3024Wh
Battery Cell	Lithium-ion Battery
Cycle Life	2000 cycles to 70%+ capacity
Dimension	Length: 18.6in (47.3cm) Width: 14.1in (35.94cm) Height: 14.7in (37.36cm) Weight: 63.93lbs (29kg)
Recharging Methods	Solar Panel: 3-4 Hours AC Adapter: 2.4 Hours Car Adapter: 35 Hours
Output Ports	AC Output(x1): 120V~ 60Hz 25A Max AC Output(x3): 120V~ 60Hz 20A Max USB-C Output(x2): 100W Max, 5V⎓3A, 9V⎓3A, 12V⎓3A, 15V⎓3A, 20V⎓5A
Working Hours	Electric Drill (1500W)	1.7 Hours
	Circular Saw(1200W)	2.14 Hours
	Drill(720W)	3.57 Hours
	Edger(960W)	2.6 Hours
	Electric Chainsaw(1200W)	2.14 Hours
	Electric Lawn Mower(1440W)	1.78 Hours
	Electric Pressure Washer(1200W)	2.1 Hours
	Electric String Trimmer(600W)	4.2 Hours
	Jig Saw(720W)	3.57 Hours
	Miter Saw(840W)	3.06 Hours

Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus

1. What size of solar generator do I need for a DIY shed? 

The size of a solar generator for a DIY shed depends on what tools you will be running. Generally, 1000 to 3000 watts is a reasonable range. So, the primary method to calculate the required generator wattage is to add the running wattage of all the tools you will be running. Add the highest starting wattage among all the tools to the total running wattage. This is your required wattage.

The second way is to calculate the working hours of your required equipment and see how long your generator can support it.

How to calculate the hours:

Working time = Capacity Wh * 0.85 / operating wattage of your equipment

For example, assuming the power consumption of your jigsaw is 300 Watts.

The working time for the Jackery Solar Generator 1000 plus will be 1264Wh * 0.85 / 300W = 3.58 hrs. These calculated estimates are very realistic as we have already incorporated15% loss of efficiency during operation and transmission.