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How to build a 3X6 wooden shed?

LieslC

I wanted to ask if anyone has plans or tutorials for building a 3X6 wooden shed with windows and doors, and ideally a bill-of-materials?

I am building this shed more-or-less on my own as a solo female with some help from my son. I have some training in tools and fabrication and am fairly handy (maintain a 2 acre homestead more or less on my own), but have not built anything as large as a 3X6

I have spent a lot of time looking, and most of the plans online are in imperial. They also look AI generated so I don't want to rely on them
There are lots of videos, but very few are in metric and very few have plans and BOM. Many are not suitable for Australian conditions.. "Watch me lay this H2 floor straight onto a thin layer of gravel on dirt!"
So even feedback on decisions you made on concrete base versus posts+stirrups and impact of various decisions on price and feasibility are interesting

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Noyade

I can share detailed plans, specifications, materials and 'how to' - from WWII.

But, we were imperial then.

JacobZ

Hi @LieslC,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

It is tricky working from online plans as they are often designed and based on building standards from different parts of the world. I am assuming the plans you have seen are likely American in origin, which means they are designed to different standards and in different measurements to Australia. The basic principles of construction are often much the same, but the specifics of these plans can't always be used due to differences in building regulation.

A 3 x 6 m shed is a great size, but it's worth flagging early that it may be beyond what is typically considered an “exempt” garden shed in terms of building approval in both Australia and New Zealand. In many parts of Australia, once you get above around 10 m² you will usually need some form of council approval, and at 18 m², there's a good chance you would require it. It is definitely worth checking your local council requirements before you get too far into planning, especially as things like slab vs footings, setback from boundaries, and height can all come into play.

I am happy to share general guidance, but specific plans are not something we would be able to provide. If you were looking for a plan that could be used for construction and would be up to the standard required for submission to your local council for approval (if required), it would be best to speak to a local draftsperson who is aware of the requirements within your specific location.

Now, for something this size, a concrete slab is generally the most straightforward and low maintenance option. It gives you a flat, stable base and avoids long term issues with movement, moisture, or posts shifting over time. In saying this, if the location of the shed is on a slope, then posts may be a better option as it allows the structure to "fly over" the natural ground. The specifics of your location could be the deciding factor in which approach is better for you. If your shed is subject to council approval, the anchoring method would also be something you need to confirm with your local council.

Unfortunately, a bill of materials would be extremely difficult to provide without cementing in specifics about the build as minor changes such as the angle or style of roof, or the location of windows or doors can have a pretty major effect. In saying this, just to give you a bit of a starting point, a structural stud wall that is 2.4m tall, uses 450mm stud spacings and has a double top plate, which is a requirement to support a roof structure, generally uses about 8 to 8.5 lineal metres of timber per metre of wall, and once you allow for noggings, openings, and a bit of waste, it is safer to work on around 9 lineal metres per metre of wall. As your structure would have a perimeter of 18m, you would work on a rough estimate of 162 lineal metres of framing timber just for the outside walls.

A custom timber shed is definitely a brilliant project, but the truth is, there is likely a lot more involved than you would initially think. Realistically, it can be done, but the process is not as straightforward as installing something prebuilt like a https://www.bunnings.com.au/endurashed-6-x-3-x-2-4m-tall-truss-roof-garden-shed-stone_p0076739 which has been designed and engineered to comply with the relevant construction standards.

I hope I haven't deterred you; I am just trying to convey the reality that it is not as straightforward as it might initially seem. The construction itself is definitely achievable, but I think the planning is something that should be done with a draftsperson to ensure that everything is in line with the relevant standards.

You might like to check out @DanUnited's post on how to build a skillion roof timber shed, for a bit of an example.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/329690/how-to-build-a-skillion-roof-timber-shed

@mikebarker has a good example which shows things from planning through to complete construction.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/191377/how-to-build-a-wooden-shed

@geoffc005 and @Starkers_17 also have projects that are worth a look.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/233315/custom-backyard-workshop-build

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/137858/purpose-built-workshop-with-tool-storage-on-rails

Sorry for the wall of text, I just wanted to give you as much information as I could to get started with.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

DanUnited

Surprised to see my post linked here! @JacobZ is right in that it is not as straightforward as it seems. For my case, I went with a concrete slab poured by a professional but as my post mentioned, it brought with it additional things to consider like waterproofing on a slab larger than my shed footprint. I've progressed quite a fair bit with my shed build now so I'll update the other post soon. I was lucky as I had a carpenter friend who could help me with some questions in my framing stage.

I guess to answer your direct questions here is that prices vary incredibly when it comes to external rated framing and cladding options. I went with H3 treated pine framing as well as fascia and trim boards. Some may approach sheds with H2 but I wanted to be sure I was as moisture protected as possible. I then elected for Hardieflex cladding for budget reasons just due to how expensive more fancy Hardie cladding, timber or other options were.

My main recommendation would be to plan very well. I had designed four walls with similar dimensions mentioned by @JacobZ but I didn't account for how they would butt against each other in the corners and it threw out my measurements and I couldn't cleanly use 900mm wide cladding boards everywhere and it necessitated a lot of on the spot redesign post frame assembly. Plan the materials you will use with confirmation that stock is available of what you want to build with so your design matches the supplied dimensions of materials (if possible).

Also, most manufacturers of materials also publish installation and tech specs. Read them to get an idea on how to build with them and what else you need to consider. e.g. I read a lot of Lysaght's metal roofing guides which led me to specific specs on the colorbond profile I wanted and then the type of capping and guttering I needed.

Good luck

LieslC

Thanks @JacobZ
On the tin shed - I already have one of those.
I wanted the challenge of something more substantial, for the joy of the work, and the learning experience
Also it does not look right. The house is heritage listed and I wanted something of better quality and built to last. That is also why most of the wooden kit sheds look too flimsy.
In my daydreams, I have a roof with reclaimed slate to match the house, but thats a whole new masochistic level of challenge

Love the work on @geoffc005 's post, and thank you for the follow-up notes

I have a lot of water issues. I am in the Blue Mountains, on a mild slope but sitting on a rock shelf with a few meters of dirt over the rock, so when we get real weather the water comes down in sheets and pools for days.The existing house on brick pillars and falling-down greenhouse on concrete base are not coping with climate change.
I have had to do a lot of new drainage work. Plus labor in the mountain is expensive and somewhat unreliable, so I am tempted to do posts and H4 sleepers for my base

@Noyade i would love those plans, thank you!
I am ordering the Black & Decker books on sheds. Has good reviews

Jason

@LieslC,

Might you consider a Stilla timber studio?

Workshop member @Itai shared their project of building a Stilla Peppertree studio build for a craft room that might be of interest.

Jason

LieslC

@Jason I did look at them, but the stillas seem expensive for what you get, less structural than something like this, therefore harder to insulate for the mountains
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgV03KC45TY&list=PLWvBjnyZde8uEkKll_su9GuBumSzoDDn5&index=1

I plan to use it as a garden studio/workshop
Looks like there is not much out there for Aussie template plans, which is interesting given how popular the kit sheds of this size are>

Noyade

G'day @LieslC

If you're still interested, you can PM me - I can post off photocopies to you of the build. Just remember though - you'll be going back in time to 1945 requiring skills no longer used and it's all imperial. But I would love to see you do it!

Cheers!

EricL

Hello @Noyade

Thank you for sharing that book, I had a lucky find in salvo's "The Australian Carpenter by C Lloyd 1965" Definitely an excellent source of information on carpentry techniques.

Eric

Noyade

G'day @EricL

Nice find! Can't go wrong at the Salvos - I have the 'metricated' edition. Cheers!

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