One of the biggest keys to keeping your home and yard looking its best is storage. Having a home for all your maintenance equipment, personal items and toys is often easier said than done but is well worth the effort.
One of the best ways to keep all your items organized and in a safe place is a backyard shed. Whether you don’t have a garage or just need some extra space, an exterior structure provides the place to keep your stuff organized and locked up.
When considering if a backyard shed could be right for your situation, location is probably the biggest things to consider. As a part of that, one of the biggest questions we hear is: How far does a shed need to be away from the house?
Generally, a shed cannot be built within 10 feet of the back property line or 15 feet of the side property line. Between your shed and your neighbor’s yard, there should be enough space. Review your permit, check with your Homeowners Association or your municipality’s office if you have any questions.
You definitely want to be sure you are aware of the regulations and rules in your city concerning sheds before you start building it and placing it. Certain zoning laws and regulations require that you place them at a certain distance from your house or other building. To get a summary of the specific rules in your area, we recommend checking out your city’s / homeowners association’s website.
Table of Contents
- Choosing the Right Shed for You
- How Are you Planning to Use Your Shed?
- Storage
- Workshop
- Outdoor Office
- Final Thoughts
- Look to the Landscape
No matter where you place your shed, it is vital that you make sure it does not sit on top of buried power lines or other utilities. Luckily, there are local experts you can call on the phone to make sure you aren’t at risk of doing just that. Safety is always far more important than a shed’s practical location.
Choosing the Right Shed for You
It goes without saying that outdoor sheds can have a wide range of uses. Historically sheds have been used as a storage option to store things like lawn tools, outdoor furniture, and seasonal decorations.
As of recently, people have been using outdoor structures for tons of other creative uses including exterior offices, guest rooms, and man caves.
We’ll cover some details about both in this article starting first with storage and then cover some of the more modern uses.
How Are you Planning to Use Your Shed?
Creating and installing a shed isn’t an easy task and it takes a lot of time, energy and effort but can provide lots of benefit.
Storage
If you are planning on using your shed for storage the main things to consider are:
- Accessibility – You want your shed to be in a convenient location if you are going to be hauling storage items to and from the shed multiple times a year. Items like patio furniture and seasonal decorations are bulky enough that you certainly wont want to be carrying them long distances.
- Size – Depending on the amount of items you plan on storing, the size of the shed will be a huge consideration. We put together a chart below that shows some of the common shed sizes. These are examples of pre-built sheds. Obviously, if you are custom building a shed, the size can vary outside of this list
- Other Considerations – If you are using your shed to store things like motorcycles, cars, or Jet ski’s, you may need to consider some things like ingress / egress (getting in and out), space for ramps, and proper air flow if you are storing gasoline.
Common Pre-Built Shed Sizes
| Small | 10′ X 12′ or 8′ X 12′ |
| Medium | 10′ X 16′ or 8′ X 16′ |
| Large | 12′ X 20′ or 12′ X 24′ |
These shed sizes generally range by what you will need to store. Small sheds can hold a good amount of gardening tools and larger power tools. Medium sized sheds can hold riding lawn mowers. Large sheds will be much less limited on what you can store – In addition to all your garden / power tools, furniture, etc., a shed this size should be able to fit things like ATV’s, dirt bikes, and even small boats.
Workshop
Another great use for a back yard shed, is an extra workspace. With a larger shed, it is very common to convert some of the additional square footage in the shed to accommodate a work bench and some wall tool storage.
While a workshop can be easily accommodated from a size perspective within a larger shed, there are several other considerations that come with an exterior structure workshop including..
- Power – To operate power tools, you will need to have some level of power run to your shed. In this instance, it may not be a bad idea to have the shed built closer to the house as it will be less of a distance that cables will need to be run and you may be able to just run power from the house or garage.
- Air Conditioning – If you live in an area with a warmer climate, you may want to consider some climate control in your shed. Controlling the temperature will also be made easier by insulating the shed.
- Air Flow – Most pre-built sheds come with at least one framed window and an air vent but this is something to be aware of especially if you will be storing gasoline or paint.
- Room to Move – This may seem obvious but when determining what size shed you are going to buy or build, make sure it is large enough to store your items and still allows natural walk ways / work space.
Outdoor Office
Outdoor offices have become an extremely popular option as working from home has become more and more common.
Similar to operating a workshop in your shed, you will need to plan to allocate electricity, climate control, and some level of interior finish – Drywall, carpet / hard surface flooring, and furniture.
There are tons of places to find inspiration for outdoor office ideas and we’ve included some below.
Final Thoughts
In summary, outdoor sheds can have a wide range of uses and can be a helpful addition to tons of homeowners. However, there are lots of things to consider when you decide to buy or build a shed and location is one of the most important factors.
Look to the Landscape
When you are selecting a final spot for your shed, you should definitely consider the area around it. All of this will impact your shed and its shelf life. For example, you need to make sure that there aren’t many slopes, hills, or unleveled ground around your shed. You need to find a good amount of space in your yard that is flat and able to hold the shed with ease.
You will also want to make sure you aren’t putting your shed in the middle of a water collection point. Is it a spot where water builds and builds during a big rain storm? If so, you don’t want to place your shed there. This will only lead to flooding and permanent damage to your shed.
Additionally, you shouldn’t put your shed right underneath a tree that might be old or prone to breaking. The worst thing that can happen to a shed is a broken, heavy tree limb. That will spell immediate disaster for any shed, no matter how strong it is.
A shed is a must-have for many homeowners but it needs to be built and place in the right way. If you establish your shed without any forethought, you are just inviting trouble. Additionally, you need to be certain that you are placing the shed at the right distance away from your house or any other buildings. That is all dependent on your local city ordinances, which means you’ll have to do some research. But the work will be worth it because your shed will be following all the rules and ready to make your home even better.
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