Plans to Build a Lean-To Storage Shed

Design three shed sides against a building facade, which will form the fourth side. Plan to construct the shed 8 feet wide and 16 feet long with the shortest wall 8 feet high. Construct the higher wall, the one resting against the building, approximately 10 feet tall.

Build a concrete perimeter for the shed walls to rest on. Dig footings roughly 8 inches wide and 8 inches deep for a concrete pour. Plan to construct framing to rest on the concrete once the footing has dried for 24 hours. Don't worry about framing the perimeter of a footing of this size. Just pour the concrete directly into the ditch line. Plan to add small pebbles to create a floor inside the shed after construction is complete.

Cut 2-by-4 boards with a circular saw to create each facade of the shed. Build each side 8 feet high with studs nailed into a bottom board, called a sill plate. Lay the framing out on a flat surface. Mark the sill plate with a pencil to install the studs exactly on 16-inch centers. Nail them into place from the bottom of the sill plate and replicate this with the top plate, marking the top plate every 16 inches. Allow an opening for the door in one wall framing.

Secure a header board along the side of the existing building roughly 10 feet high, so that roof rafters will slope at least 30 degrees. Use a circular saw to cut 2-by-4 rafter boards on the proper angle to create the sloping roof. Secure the rafters with 4-inch nails into the header board on 16-inch centers. Install 1/2-inch plywood over the rafters with nails or screws. Nail tar paper and asphalt shingles over the plywood. Enclose the exterior with plank boards or exterior house siding.

Enclose the exterior of the lean-to framing with plank boards or exterior house siding to match the existing building the shed rests against. Roll or brush two or three coats of exterior-grade paint or stain on the building. Install a guttering system around the overhang area of the roof line to skirt water away. Add a downspout and splash block at the corners of the lean-to building.