How to Move a Shed into a Small Space

Prepare the shed's new foundation in the small space where you plan to set the building. Dig an area 12 inches deep that matches the shed's dimensions. Fill that space with 4 inches of small gravel. Compact the gravel with a hand tamper. Set 8-by-16-inch concrete blocks on the gravel so the tops of the blocks are at ground level. Add or remove gravel under the blocks as necessary to level them.

Remove everything possible from the interior of the shed to make it lighter to move. Untie anchors that hold the shed in place.

Brace the shed's interior by nailing at least four pieces of 2-by-4-inch lumber at 45-degree angles from the shed's top frame plate to its bottom plate. This temporary bracing helps to keep the walls squared during the moving process.

Lift one corner of the shed with a jack. If the ground is soft, set wood blocks under the jack for support. When the corner is about 2 inches above ground level, slide a piece of 2-by-4-inch lumber under the corner diagonally. Move to one of the neighboring corners, and repeat the process. Repeat the procedure until all four corners of the storage shed are off the ground.

Raise the shed with the jack 2 more inches following the process you used previously. Depending on the size of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe you'll use as rollers to move the shed, a third round of lifting may be necessary. Do not attempt to lift the shed too high at one time because its frame may twist.

Slide at least two pieces of 3- to 4-inch diameter PVC pipe that are the width of the shed under the building, placing the pipes parallel to each other. Put one of the pipes near the front of the shed and the other slightly past the shed's midsection.

Push or pull the shed toward its new location using the PVC pipe as rollers. Whenever the shed rolls off a piece of PVC pipe, move the pipe to the opposite underside of the shed to reuse the pipe. In this manner, maneuver the shed onto its new foundation.

Lower the shed onto its new foundation. Use the jack to hold the shed in the air as you remove the last PVC pipe roller. Lower the jack to set the shed in place.