How to Build a Small Barn Shed Shelter

Commonly used to house horses, a small barn or shed shelter is also great for housing other animals, hay or equipment. Although available from retail outlets, a small shed is an expensive investment in comparison to constructing your own structure. A simple, yet effective shed requires no previous building experience and only a few, relatively inexpensive supplies. This shed is 12 feet square with three walls, 4-foot high inside kick walls, no windows and an opening for a door. The roof of the shed is slightly angled to encourage water run-off. All measurements can be altered to suit your needs.

Plot map of your area
Fill dirt
Measuring tape
Garden stakes
Rubber mallet
Masons string
Post-hole digger or auger
Gravel
4-by-4-foot wooden posts, 10-feet long
Scrap lumber
Nails
Hammer
Quick-drying concrete
2-by-4-inch boards, 12 feet long
Metal roofing panels
4-by-4-inch post, 12-feet long

Instructions

- 1
  Look at a plot map of the area you wish to construct the shed on. Select a level building site that is high enough to avoid flooding and will provide maximum protection from the elements. The area should be slightly larger than a 12-by-12-foot square to accommodate the shed. If the area is un-level, or is in a flood zone, use fill dirt to raise it up.
- 2
  Measure a 12-by-12-foot square in the selected location. Lightly pound a wooden stake into the ground at each corner. Tie Mason's string across all of the stakes. Adjust the stakes until the string is perfectly straight. This is an outline for the 12-by-12-shelter.
- 3
  
  If you don't own an auger, you can rent one from most home improvement stores.
  
  Remove the first stake and dig a 2 1/2-foot deep post-hole in its place. Repeat with the remaining three stakes.
- 4
  Put a 6-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of each hole. This will help with water drainage.
- 5
  Place a 4-by-4-by-10-foot post upright in the first post hole. Nail scrap lumber to the sides of the post on a 40-degree angle to the ground so they brace the board in place. Repeat to brace three more posts in the remaining holes. The braces come off later but will hold the posts in place for now.
- 6
  Mix a batch of quick-drying concrete following package instructions. Pour the concrete around the base of the posts. Allow the concrete to set in overnight. Remove the bracing boards after the concrete has set.
- 7
  
  Nails will securely hold the walls in place.
  
  Decide which side of the shelter will be the door opening, leaving the remaining three sides as the walls. Select the first side of the square that will be a wall. Place a 2-by-4-inch board across the two posts on that side. The board should be on the inside face of the posts. Adjust the board so that it is slightly above ground level, then nail in place. Install a second board above the first leaving no spaces between the boards. Repeat until the inside kick walls measure 4 feet high. Install identical walls on the remaining two wall sides leaving one side open for access to the shelter.
- 8
  Place a roofing panel across the outside of one of the walls. Although normally used for roofing, the roofing panels make great water-proof walls. Adjust the panel so it reaches across two of the posts and the bottom side of the panel touches the ground. Nail the panel in place. Install a second panel above the first, slightly overlapping it. Continue this process until the metal wall reaches the top of the posts. Repeat on remaining two wall sides.
- 9
  Place a 4 by 4 by 12-foot post across the top of the two front posts of the shed. Nail the post in place. Put a 2 by 4-inch board across the top of the back two posts, and nail in place. These boards are the framing for the roof and will allow the roof to have a slight angle for water run off.
- 10
  
  Metal roofing is economical and long-lasting.
  
  Place a roofing panel across the top of the shed, stretching from the 4-by-4-inch post to the 2-by-4-inch board. Adjust the panel so that it overhangs the side of the shed slightly, then nail in place. Continue installing roofing panels in the same manner overlapping each panel by at least 6 inches. This will ensure that no water leaks into the shelter.

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