How to Build a Metal Shed in the Yard for Lumber

Measure and mark the area on which you want to build the shed. Drive wooden stakes into the ground to show where you want the corners of the shed.

Dig a 12.5-inch hole at each stake with a posthole digger.

Place 6 inches of gravel into each of the holes that you dug.

Prepare the cement according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Fill each hole with 6 inches of cement.

Place a 4-by-4 post into one of the holes and backfill it until the level of cement is even with the ground. Repeat this process with the three remaining posts. The two posts at the front of the shed should be 12 inches taller than the posts at the back of the shed so rainwater can run off the roof. A good height for the tallest posts is 7.5 feet above the ground, or 9 feet total. Allow the cement to cure.

Center and secure a 2-by-4 joist hanger onto the top and bottom inside edges of the posts with deck screws. You will use two joist hangers on each post. When installed correctly, the joist hangers on each side of the shed’s perimeter will face each other.

Place 2-by-4 lengths of lumber that are cut to size into the joist hangers. You may need a partner to help you hold the lumber. Use deck screws to secure the lumber and joist hanger together.

Start building the roof frame. Install joist hangers onto the front and back horizontal pieces of lumber that you just installed at the top portion of the shed. Space the joist hangers 16 inches on center on the inside edge of one length of lumber. Then install the next set of joist hangers on the exact opposite length of lumber. Secure the joist hangers to the lumber with deck screws.

Use deck screws to secure 2-by-4 lengths of wood into the joist hangers you previously installed. These lengths of lumber are part of the shed’s roof frame.

Complete the roof frame by securing 2-by-4 lengths of lumber perpendicularly over the lumber you just placed into the joist hangers. This lumber should equal the length of the shed, plus 8 inches. First, place a length of lumber, on center, at the front and back ends of the roof so the outside edges are flush with the lumber underneath. Secure the lumber with deck screws spaced 6 inches apart. Then secure additional lengths of lumber every 16 inches on center to the lumber in the joist holders with deck screws. When you finish, you will have a crisscross-like pattern.

Secure 2-by-4 lengths of lumber that are cut to size vertically between the posts on the sides and back of the shelf. Secure the lumber to outside edges of the boards in the joist holders using deck screws. Space the 2-by-4s 16 inches on center.

Make 14 corner braces out of 2-foot lengths of 2-by-4 lumber. Make 45-degree bevels on either end of the lengths of wood using a miter saw.

Attach the corner braces to the top and bottom inside edges of each post and the adjacent horizontal length of lumber with deck screws. The only parts of the shed that will not have corner braces are the front bottom corners because they post a tripping hazard.

Install sheet metal roofing over the shed’s roof frame. Start at the back edge of roof’s frame and work your way up the incline toward the front of the shed, which is also the tallest part of the roof. Secure the roofing to the lumber beneath with sheet meal screws that come with a dish-shaped washer and rubber gasket. The gasket will help prevent water damage to the wood underneath. Place the screws along the top ridges of the metal roofing and space them by 12 inches along the perimeter of the roof’s frame and along the inner cross members. If you need to add an extra sheet of roofing, overlap a new sheet by 6 inches over the sheet you that previously installed.

Install metal siding onto the outside of the shed’s frame, starting at the bottom edges of the shed. Use screws that come with a washer and rubber gasket to attach the sheets of metal to the lumber. Place a screw at the lower corners of the metal sheet and then space the screws by 12 inches. Overlap sheets of metal along the length of the shed, if needed, by 6 inches. If you need to add sheets of metal along the height of the shed, overlap the siding by 6 inches so rainwater cannot run between the sheets. Use screws every 12 inches to secure the metal siding to the vertical lengths of wood. The only side of the shed that will not have metal siding is the front.