My daughter bought a house with a large backyard, almost an acre. So I'm buying a riding lawn mower (Cub Cadet, 2 cylinder Kohler engine, 46" cut) and I need a shed for storage. Looking at the plastic/resin type and 7x7 or 8x8. Looking for thoughts on these types of sheds and the best way to set-up, I have a level spot but hoping not to pour a concrete foundation, is there another way? Thanks for any help or thoughts.

I went the TuffShed/poured foundation route. I don't like sheds that critters can live under.

I have a lady friend who had a unit built in her backyard by hand.

She said the price was really pretty competitive and the guy she hired did what she wanted.

After looking at a bunch of units from the usual local retailers, she had a good idea of what she wanted and got that custom made.

Better materials, better roof, better door hardware and windows, and best of all a concrete foundation so that, as mentioned above, keeps critters out from under and coming in.

I'd definitely go with something like this.

Good luck to you.

All I'll say is if I had that much space available in my backyard, the shed I built would be bigger than 8'x8'. Sheds are like gun safes...no matter how big they start out being, they always end up being too small in the end.

If you're handy building things and have time you can build your own shed for much less money than if you buy a prefabricated shed. I built my own shed several years ago for significantly less money than what Lowes and Home Depot were asking for their sheds. I think I spent less than 500 bucks in materials while the equivalent prefabricated shed were above 2 grand.My shed is also far sturdier than the prefab sheds, the prefab sheds were built with 1x3 while I built my shed with 2x4. My only regret was building my shed to small, 8x8, I should have went with 10x10 or 12x12. Initially 8x8 seemed large enough until I started putting stuff in the shed and quickly ran out of space.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: calugo,

Permit?

Some places require them, even for sheds. Things like “set backs” - certain minimal distances to property lines, etc. are important to the zoning officer types.

Best to start on the right side of these people.

Use pavers as a floor. Cut sod back, put down a sand base level pack and pave, sweep sand into joints. Good enough for what it’s for.

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Originally posted by scratchy:
I went the TuffShed/poured foundation route. I don't like sheds that critters can live under.

This ^^ I have a TuffShed and recommend them.

quote:

Originally posted by scratchy:
I went the TuffShed/poured foundation route. I don't like sheds that critters can live under.

Or in, once they burrow/craw/dig under...

At minimum the paver route makes sense, it's what my SIL had done when she had one of the TuffSheds put in to store her lawn and garden items. Held up quite a few years.

A solid base will also help keep the unit upright and solid vs any shifting in the soil from rains, storms snow, etc..

Without pouring concrete I like Reflex's suggestion. I would also consider a treated platform. 3 4x4's for runners and deck with 5/4" board. Dig any high spots where the runners contact the ground to remove any teeter/totter to the base.

I built one from a plans purchased online for less than $20. It was 10x12. With the concrete and materials I was into it for around $2500. I know you stated you don't want to have concrete poured, but I would highly recommend paying an outfit to do so. Otherwise, it will become a veritable housing project for all manner of rodents that will foul up your mower. They especially love to build nests behind the metal shrouds surrounding the cylinder head, usually causing the engine to overheat and dislodge the valve seal.

That small of a shed won't be worth much once you get the mower in there.

I'd also go with a concrete pad. Check with the local building code to see how big you can go without a permit. In my city, it's 10*12. The Tuff shed comes on a steel girders, but I'd still go with that on concrete.

If you can get TuffShed, go through Home Depot's website.....it's cheaper. In St Louis, it shows $3106 for a 10*12 Tahoe. They sell a model with two large doors that would accommodate a riding mower. The trick will be building a ramp to the door threshold.

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The trick will be building a ramp to the door threshold.

I had my concrete guys pour one for me. Worked out well. Old school Italians. I've never seen finished concrete so perfect.

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Originally posted by Chris42:
Permit?

Some places require them, even for sheds.

True that, call to ask, there is a 200 sq foot and under exclusion here, none needed.

I went with what I wound up calling my Tupperware shed, 8x8 with patio stones on the corners and at the mid points. I was never happy with it, it settled over time and the doors became hard to open. Like a gun safe, it is never big enough, I kept adding crap that made it even more difficult to manage.

Get a 'real' shed, or at least put a plywood floor in it, you will be happy you did.

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Originally posted by HRK:
A solid base will also help keep the unit upright and solid vs any shifting in the soil from rains, storms snow, etc..

And during part of the year in Florida, it might just help keep it on the ground.