Home Garden

How to Build a Shed Office

A shed can be fitted with electrical, phone, and Internet connections along with insulation, drywall, carpet and paint to provide a cozy office space on your property for much less than building an extra room onto your existing house. In many areas an eight by 15 foot structure falls just under the threshold of requiring a permit to construct so it makes the perfect size for an office in a shed.

Things You'll Need

  • Electrical grade conduit with at least 2 90 degree bends
  • Trenching shovel
  • Outdoor grade extension cord
  • Network cable
  • Phone cable
  • Surge protector with Ethernet and phone line protection
  • Caulk
  • Drill
  • Screw driver
  • Insulation
  • Drywall
  • Drywall screws
  • Drywall tape
  • Drywall mud
  • Trowel
  • Primer
  • Paint
  • Carpet liner
  • Carpet
  • Utility knife
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Instructions

    • 1

      Dig a trench between the main electrical box on your house and the shed. Run the extension cord wire, Ethernet cable, and phone cable through the conduit and place the conduit in the trench. Plug the new wiring into the existing wiring in your house. Drill a hole in the side of the shed large enough for the conduit to pass through. Install the 90 degree bends in the conduit at the shed end separated by a two foot vertical piece of conduit. Feed the cord the rest of the way though the conduit. Fit the terminating bend into the hole in the shed wall and seal the edge with caulk. Plug the shed side of the cables into your surge protector. Bury the conduit.

    • 2

      Insulate between the studs of the shed. Use the thickest insulation that will fit in the space provided. Roll the insulation out into the space then cut it to length.

    • 3

      Install the drywall for the walls and ceiling according to the manufacturer's specifications. Screw the drywall to the studs. Tape the seams between the sections of drywall then cover the seams and screw holes with drywall mud and smooth the mud with the trowel. Wait for the mud to cure completely.

    • 4

      Prime the walls and ceiling, then paint them. Use a second coat if necessary to obtain full coverage.

    • 5

      Roll out the carpet liner on the floor of the shed. Start in one corner and roll to the other side. Press the liner into the opposite corner then roll out the length of the shed. Smooth the liner tight then cut off the excess at the corners. Install the carpet over the liner in the same fashion.