Good Garages and Exteriors

Shed Location

Shed Location

Things to Consider when Picking a Shed Location

  • First, research your specific local zoning and building codes. Almost all accessory structures have to get approved by zoning. Beware of setbacks, which is the space required from the property line. Common setbacks are 3 or 5 feet. Most of the time, anything over 200sqft requires a building permit. 

  • Surrounding topography is very important for water drainage when thinking of your gravel shed pad location. You want to make sure that it is not a low part of the yard. 

  • Fill dirt or dirt that has been recently excavated that was not compacted in lifts correctly is not conducive for a shed location because it will settle over time, causing the features like doors and windows to not work properly

  • Large trees near the site of a shed pad can cause not only short-term but also long-term issues. Short-term include increased cost of installation and potential killing of the tree due to disruption of the root system. Long-term, roots can uplift and shift your shed foundation walls. Lastly, if the tree dies and the root system that is under the shed base decomposes, it can cause settling because of the voids created.

  • Access from the house and to the entry points of the shed for transporting things in and out.

  • Immediate weather, like amount of sun. You don’t want to pick out a shed location that is too shaded because the shed materials won’t dry out and will promote fungi which will cause rapid decay. The exact opposite is not ideal either. Too much direct sun will cause material to deteriorate faster, and increased interior temperature of the shed might put things being stored inside at risk.

Good Garages & Exteriors is your trusted storage shed site preparation contractor in Cincinnati. We are your local licensed and insured contractor with experience in excavation and hardscape for your gravel shed base covering the tristate area.