How to Build an Eight-by-Eight Storage Building

Place the floor frame on top of two pieces 96-inch long, 4x4 pieces of lumber. These larger pieces of lumber will be the skids the entire shed will rest upon. Nail the joists into these skids. You should now have a completed foundation. Use the carpenter's level to verify the foundation sits level on the ground. If not, remove small amounts of soil from under the high sides of the skids until level.

Align two pieces of 5/8-inch, 4x8-foot plywood on the frame, checking to make sure it is flush on all sides, it should cover the frame exactly. Nail the plywood to the frame.

Build the side walls for the shed. Lay out two pieces of 96-inch-long 2x4s to be used as the top and bottom plates for the wall. Cut another five of the 2x4s to a length of 78 inches. These will be the wall studs. Space the wall studs 24 inches apart in between and perpendicular to the top and bottom plates. Nail the plates to the wall studs.

Cut two pieces of the 5/8-inch exterior siding to a size of 48 by 84 inches. Align one piece flush with both the top and side edges of the top plate. The siding will hang a little past the bottom plate. Nail the siding to the wall. Align the other piece of cut siding flush with both the previous piece of siding and the top plate. Nail this piece to the wall.

Get assistance to raise the wall into place on the floor. Have your helpers securely hold the wall while you nail the bottom plate to the floor. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for the other side wall.

Start at one end of the shed and raise the trusses one at a time. Place them over the top plates of the side walls, running perpendicular to them and at 24 inch intervals. Nail them into place.

Install the decking for the roof. Cut a piece of 1x6 pressure-treated lumber to a length of 97-1/4 inches and nail it to the outside wall, flush with the top of the siding. The trim will be about 5/8 inch too long on each side. Raise a piece of the 5/8-inch, 4x8 plywood and place it on the roof trusses. Align it so is flush with the outside edge of one of the outside trusses (you can start on either side). It should be resting against the 1x6 piece of lumber so that it cannot slide down. Nail it in place to the trusses. Cut another piece of plywood to a size of 48 by 68-¾ inches. This piece will then cover the remaining area of the roof on this side of the shed. Nail it to the trusses to complete one side of the roof. Repeat this process for the other side of the shed.

Get four full sheets of the 5/8-inch, 4x8 siding. These will be nailed to the sidewalls and trusses to form the back wall of the shed. Position one sheet of siding against the side wall and flush with both the outside edge and bottom of the side wall. Nail it to the side wall and floor joists. Position another full sheet of the plywood in the same manner on the opposite side and nail it. The pieces should line up nicely and completely cover the area. Nail two more full sheets of siding directly above the previous ones. Trim to a flush edge with the roof trusses using a reciprocating saw or hand saw.

Pick out the door of your choice and measure its dimensions carefully. Using these dimensions, build a simple frame for the door using 2x4 lumber. Align another four pieces of 5/8-inch 4x8 siding in the same way you did for the back wall. Nail the door frame to the inside of the siding. Cut out the siding on the inside of the frame.

Hang the door on its hinges within the door frame. Raise the front wall. Nail it to the floor; install a 2x4 header above the door on the inside of the shed.

Install 1/2-inch trim of your choice on all sides for a clean finished look. Measure and cut roofing felt to a size that covers the plywood decking on the roof, overlapping the edges 4 inches. Nail the paper to the roof decking with roofing tacks. Nail down a drip edge on both of the side walls. Shingle the roof. Paint in a color of your choice and your storage shed project is complete.