The most important part of building a garden shed is the preparation that goes on before you saw a single piece of wood or unwrap your shed kit. It may not seem as fun as picking out a paint color or snapping together the walls, but if you don't have the perfect site or ignore local laws, your shed will just have to be taken apart--which is definitely not a pleasant task.

To give your shed the best chance at a long life, you need to make sure the ground underneath won't undermine your efforts. A shed situated on uneven or sloping ground isn't just unsteady for the shed itself, but could cause items inside to fall off onto the floor. And let's talk about said floor. If you place a wooden floor directly on the ground, moisture will rot it away in time.

So take the extra time to level your site, and strip away any sod or plant growth. If you don't want to build a foundation, laying down a bed of pea gravel will provide support and drainage. Another option includes setting the shed on a grid of pressure-treated two-by-fours or four-by-fours. But for a large, permanent garden shed, a formal foundation is the best option. You can use concrete blocks or a foundation kit, or pour your own concrete foundation.

Crack the Code to Build a Great Garden Shed

Your local building inspector can give you guidance to the local building codes in your area. You will likely have to get a permit and get your structure inspected to make it fully legal. It may take a little extra time, but once the needed preparation is out of the way, you can get to the fun part of building your garden shed: power tools.