My brother, in Bend, Oregon, has a problem. He lives in an outdoor recreation mecca and he does it all. He has dirt bikes, ski gear, an ATV, a paddle board, and about four seasons of outdoor stuff. His problem he has no room in his garage. So we spent a weekend building him a 9×12 shed to to house all of his “toys”, and I filmed the whole thing. Here is how the build went, what it cost, and the couple of things I would do differently if we did it again.
The Quick Version
We built a 9×12 foot storage shed (108 square feet) to hold two dirt bikes, an ATV, ski and snowboard gear, a paddle board, a lawn mower, lawn tools, and all their accoutrements. It took us 5 days with two people to get it built a a few more to really spiff it up and make it look nice. With barn doors, that swing wide and a smaller front door, a DIY shed this size usually runs somewhere around $2,000 to $4,000 in materials depending on your siding, roofing, and whether you add power. Ours came in at about $2,500.
No fancy tools required, just patience and a helper.
- Size: 9×12 feet (108 square feet)
- What it holds: 2 dirt bikes, skis and snowboards, a paddle board, yard and outdoor gear
- Time: 5 days, two people (3 more days for prime, paint, and doors)
- Cost: about $2,500
- Skill level: beginner friendly with a buddy if you take it one step at a time
Why we built a 9×12 shed
My brother is one of those people who is always out in the wilderness on one of his toys on the weekend. Whether it is camping in his VW Westfalia camper, on the lake with his paddle board, or in the mountains on his dirt bike, he truly uses all his outdoor toys to the fullest. We just recently bought and completely flipped a house for him in Oregon and while we completely gutted and renovated the interior of the house in 6 months, we left his garage untouched. His garage was a catch all for tools, building materials his toys, and half his gear was actually outside under a tarp on the side of the house. It was time to give his gear the same design and DIY love we did for his living space!
He chose 9×12 for a reason. It is deep enough to roll a dirt bike straight in and still walk around it, and long enough to hang skis and a paddle board along one wall without everything turning into a jumble. It also stayed under the size where his county requires a building permit, which made the whole project a lot simpler. More on that below, because permit rules are the first thing you should check before you buy a single board. not building it to be 8ft definitely complicated the floor, because we couldn’t use a full sheet of plywood, but more on that later.
Tools Used:
This is basically the same kit I reach for on every build. If you are just getting started, my best beginner DIY tools post covers what to buy first and what you can wait on. For the shed itself, the short list was:
- Power tools
- Measuring and layout
- Safety gear
- Safety glasses
- Leather work gloves
- My work boots (get $10 off with code: SELENEBUILDS10
- Site and ground prep
Materials Used:
Here is everything we used on the shed, pulled straight from my Lowe’s list. These are affiliate links, so if you shop through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can shop the whole list here.
- Framing lumber (Douglas Fir)
- Sheathing and siding
- Roofing
- Fasteners and sealant
- Foundation and ground prep
- Paint and finishing supplies
Slide for before and after
Step by Step How to
1. The Foundation
Foundation is where you want to really spend some time doing it right. We used what is called an on grade concrete block foundation. First, we dug down and couple inches and roughly leveled the ground. We did this so the floor level would only be several inches above ground level. Then we dug out a few more inches for each Concrete deck block and tamped down the soil. With that done we poured in a couple inches of ¾ minus gravel in each tamped hole. Then we laid the cut 2×4 pine for the floor frame in the Concrete Deck blocks and leveled the whole base with the 4 ft box beam level. This is critical take time to make sure it is level. After this was done, we filled in the dirt around the deck blocks, laid down Weed Barrier (landscape fabric) around the blocks and nailed it into place with landscape fabric pins. Finally, we used the rest of the gravel and spread it on top of the weed barrier. We were ready to build the frame for the floor.
2. Building the Floor
If you have taken the time to level the blocks, building the floor frame is pretty straight forward. We built the frame out of 2 x 4 pine boards, because the shed was built in the high desert of Oregon. If you build in a wetter climate you probably want pressure treated lumber for the floor frame, so it can handle sitting that close to the ground and not rotting. Double checking level and square is also critical here, confirming you laid your foundation is right. If your floor is off, every thing after is harder. We used We checked it corner to corner and did not move on until the diagonals matched.
3. Framing the Walls
We framed each wall flat on the deck and then stood them up, which is so much easier with two people. One holds, one screws. We framed a wide opening on the front wall with two massive 2 x 12 boards screwed together. Make sure to use a king stud and a jack stud if you are doing it this way. We did this so for the shed could have two big barn doors, making it easy for a bike to have a wide opening to go in and out. We haven’t built a ramp yet, but we will.
4. Roof and Sheathing
Once the walls were up and braced, we sheathed everything and framed the roof. We used T1-11 Douglas Fir panel siding (4×8) and put it on the outside of the framed walls and cut it to height (angle to match roof slope), and width. Make sure your cuts always line up on a stud. Then we screwed it in and wer ready for the roof. We didn’t bother using house wrap because we were not planning to put siding on the shed or put anything on the inside walls, choosing to leave the bare studs exposed. If you are building a shed for an office or something like that you may want to use house wrap insulation and drywall on the interior. We opted for a lean to or single slope roof because it was a simple design and we wanted to shed the rain and snow away from the barn door entrance.
Then we put the sheathing or decking (essentially plywood on the trusses), and shingled it. There are several steps for basic roofing that involve an underlayment (barrier over the plywood, a drip edge, and then the shingles on top of this. The underlayment synthetic paper or roofing felt is hammered into place and acts as moisture barrier. Then the drip edge is a metal flashing hammered into place around the edge of the roof and sheds water away from the roof. We used Black galvanized steel drip edge (2-in). Remember to put the drip edge on top of the underlayment on the rakes (see below angles down to the eave). However, at the eave (low side) you want to put the underlayment on top of the drip edge and the drip edge under the underlayment. Once this is done, you can put the shingles on the roof.
5. Doors and Finishing Touches
With the siding up and the roof on it is time to put on our doors. This is definitely a good time to have a buddy helping you out. Putting doors on is not a one person job. We actually decided to make this shed really look good and so we primed and painted it. When painting you always want to remove the doors. We would recommend hanging all the doors and making sure everything looks right and then removing them and priming everything. After te primer has a day to dry you are good for paint. We opted for a deep gray blue color for the walls and a charcoal for all the trim. I looks great! We also were matching it to the other wood shed Damien built earlier this year.
Then the fun part of actually moving gear in. Inside we added some shelves and some bungees attached to the studs so the paddle board and skis hang on the wall in between studs. The floor stays open for the bikes, there is so much room for everything. That is the difference between a shed that stays organized and one that becomes a junk pile by spring. We even put some vertical tool storage on the exterior under the eaves.
What it cost
Our 9×12 shed cost about $2500 in materials. That tracks with what a DIY shed this size usually runs, roughly $2,000 to $4,000 depending on the siding and roofing you pick and whether you run power out to it. Building it ourselves instead of buying a pre-built shed or hiring it out saved a big chunk, since labor is often half the price of a finished shed. There are multiple options at Lowes where you can get an 8 x 10′ to 10′ x 12′ shed and they run about $2000 to $3500 just for a pre-put-together package of materials and the installation is another $2000 on top. So a shed like ours would be about $5k.
What I would do differently
We tried to save on materials and used 1/2 inch plywood for the floor and it was a mistake. Looking back if we were to do it differently we would use 3/4″ plywood.
If you were going to build this shed, I would make it 8 feet wide instead of 9 feet. We made ours 9 feet to fit the dirt bikes, but an 8 foot wide shed makes the flooring so much easier. We cut 3 foot sections of plywood for the floor instead of using one 4ft by 8ft section of plywood. this would have made putting in the floor so much faster and easier.
Building this with my brother was the best part. If you have a helper and a free weekend, a shed is a very doable first big build. Take it one wall at a time and keep checking that everything is level and square.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build a 9×12 shed?
A DIY 9×12 shed usually costs about $2,000 to $4,000 in materials, depending on your siding, roofing, and whether you add power. Building it yourself instead of buying pre-built, or hiring a contractor saves the most, since labor is often around half the total cost of a finished shed. There are also packages from Lowe’s where they sell you the material all packaged together just like our shed.
How long does it take to build a 9×12 shed?
With two people and basic tools, a 9×12 shed comes together in about two full weekends or one week of dedicated afternoons. This really depends on your experience, how many hands available and the weather. Getting the foundation right and the floor level and square is an important part to make sure to take time to get it right.
Is a 9×12 shed big enough for dirt bikes and gear?
Yes. A 9×12 shed (108 square feet) fits two dirt bikes on the floor with room to walk around them, plus wall space for skis, snowboards, and a paddle board. We also built two large swinging barn doors to make taking out equipment and putting it away even easier. Many shed builds have small doors. A wide open entrance allow so the toys to slide in and out easily. It also makes for ease when putting the long gear in the space work too.
Do you need a permit for a 9×12 shed?
It depends on where you live. Many areas do not require a permit for a shed under a certain size, often around 120 or 200 square feet, and a 9×12 shed is 108 square feet. Height should also be a consideration, although under 12 feet tall is usually fine. You also want to check set-back rules and if you are planning to add electricity you will almost certainly need a permit. Rules vary a lot by city and county, so always check your local building department before you start.
Can a beginner build a shed?
Absolutely. A shed is a great first big build because it is forgiving and the steps repeat. If you can build a square, use a drill, understand how to use a level on the floor, and, stand up and plumb a wall, you can build a shed. However, this is a two person job and I would not recommend doing it alone. It also makes it easier and a lot more fun. Take it one step at a time and do not skip checking that things are level.
More builds you might like
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Thanks for reading, if you build this I would love to see how it turns out. Tag me on social media at @selenebuildsthings
Happy DIY-ing!
Until next time,
Selene
