You’re going to need a few helping hands
Does a home sale or landscaping project have you thinking about moving your storage shed? Learning how to move a shed is possible, but you’ll have to evaluate if it’s worth moving—or if it’s even movable. With a few helping hands, you can complete the job over a weekend. Or, if you hire a local moving team, it could take a few hours and save you from potential injury risk. Here’s what you need to know about the shed-moving project.
The last thing you want to discover once you’re mid-shed move or shed removal is that you need an additional tool or more materials. Before throwing a jack under your shed, take stock of what you might need beforehand and assemble everything so you don’t have to run to the hardware store and start over. Here’s a checklist of what your shed move requires:
Tools:
Thin-blade saw
Pry bar
Reciprocating saw
Floor or bottle jacks
Pallet jacks
Dolly
PVS tubes
Materials:
Nails
Screws
Scrap wood
Furring strips
Plywood sheets
Before you ask your friends to block off a Saturday to help move your storage shed, you need to ask yourself a few questions about whether or not you can move it.
Is the shed unattached to the foundation or on skids? If so, it's portable, and you can move it.
Can you take apart the shed and rebuild it on a new site?
What is the shed’s condition? If it's poor, it probably won’t withstand the move.
Is the cost to move the shed less than buying or building a new one?
Is the shed easily accessible, or will you need to navigate hazards like power lines or sharp turns?
You know what they say: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. In this case, developing a transportation plan for relocating your shed can help make the physical aspect much easier.
Several extra pairs of hands (and eyes) are essential when it comes to moving a shed, regardless of its size. A friend or family member who can help not only lighten the load of the building but also help you navigate the route and fire up any equipment needed to lift or transport the shed. The more help you can get, the smoother and faster your move will be.
Keep in mind that hiring local professional movers who specialize in shed moving is the safest and most efficient way to carry out this task.
You’ll need to determine which route makes the most sense for moving your shed based on its location and the type of terrain. If you can avoid rough, uneven terrain, the moving process will likely be much easier than dodging potholes or slippery gravel. Make sure everyone is briefed on the moving route and try to designate one person to stand by and direct traffic so you don’t have any blind spots.
Regardless of how you move the shed, you’ll need to empty it. The lighter the shed, the easier and safer it is to move. To prevent damage and keep the structure intact, you should also:
Prepare the shed foundation by digging out, leveling, tamping down, and typically covering with sand or gravel. Larger or more delicate sheds often need a concrete foundation to ensure stability.
Remove all materials from your shed, including workbenches, storage racks or panels, and equipment. Now’s the time to give them a thorough clean. Set them aside in a barn, garage, or other facility.
Snap photos of your shed from all angles. This is an important step not only to record any damage, but to use it as a guide for re-assembling the shed. For more complicated sheds, you may want to create an inventory list of all parts as you dismantle them so you can keep them organized during and after transport.
Clear the paths (rocks, lawn and garden accents, toys) the shed will travel to and from its destination.
Trim grass and shrubs around all sides of the shed to prepare it for dismantling or moving. You’ll want easy access to every part of the shed.
Dig space around the shed for pick-up points and jack access to lift the shed.
Prepare the new shed spot by leveling the ground, creating drainage, and avoiding underground utilities.
If the shed doesn’t have skids or a floor, add a concrete foundation made from blocks or pad or on top of level gravel.
Disassembly is the best way to preserve your shed during a move. The process might take longer than moving it, but the pieces tolerate transporting better, especially during a long-distance move. The key to success is taking many pictures and videos and creating a system for labeling the parts for easy reconstruction. Don’t forget to pack the hardware together so you don’t lose a critical piece.
Remove doors and windows to pack separately and prevent damage.
Unfasten ramps or steps.
Fasten 2-by-4s diagonally on the shed’s inside framing to strengthen the structure.
Screw 2-by-4s in an X shape on the floor to stabilize the shed.
Drill in temporary wood planks over window and door openings to keep the shape.
Carefully unscrew brackets that hold the roof or roof boards onto the shed. If you run into rusty screws or nails, toss them and repurchase.
Remove the roof in sections and set aside, labeling parts as you go. Remove gables if necessary.
Detach the walls to set aside. Pry off brackets or panels as necessary to take walls apart in sections several feet long.
Remove floor boards or panels last, detaching them from the foundation. If any have been damaged by water or rot, toss them and purchase replacements.
There are several ways to move a shed whether in one piece or disassembled. Choose the option that best fits your situation. If it’s a large shed, you might need to rent a forklift or crane or hire professional movers.
1. You can lift small sheds by attaching 2-by-4s to the framing lumber outside the shed about 2 feet up from the base.
2. Find the studs near the four corners to affix the 2-by-4s and create handles that stick out horizontally about two feet.
3. Lift the entire structure with several people. This is a four- or five-person project.
4. Lift the shed with floor jacks and use PVC or metal pipes under a series of thick plywood planks to roll the shed like a conveyor belt into place. You’ll want to place a few extra pieces of pipe ahead for the sled to roll forward onto as you go.
5. Build a sled shed from 6-by-6s and framing lumber.
6. Jack the shed, place the sled underneath, and use chains and a truck or tractor to pull it. This works best on smooth terrain.
Whether loading the shed intact or in pieces, you’ll want to position the truck or trailer as close as possible to the shed. A trailer with a tilting body and a winch is the best solution for loading.
1. Use the floor jacks to lift the shed to meet the vehicle and slide it in.
2. Use a ramp to move the shed to meet the truck bed.
3. Secure the shed with cargo straps, ratchet straps, and tie-downs.
After preparing the new site, it's time to unload and secure the shed. If you’re rebuilding the shed, consult your photos and labeling system. Starting with your floorboard system, reconstruct your shed and fasten components into place. Now is the time to upgrade to new screws or nails, add insulation, and more important upgrades.
If you’re moving the entire shed, you’ll use the same methods to unload as you did to load. For example, use the ramp or tilting body trailer to remove the shed and place it on the sled or planks and poles to transport it to the new site. If you are moving the shed on rollers, position it carefully onto the new foundation and dismantle any braces or sled supports used under the shed. Ease it into place, making adjustments with your team. Finally, unload your stored shed materials and place them back into the shed in an organized manner.
Shed-moving costs depend on your approach and your involvement in the process. If you’re dismantling and moving the shed by yourself, most of the cost is your labor. Even a small shed can take several afternoons of work to move that way. However, your monetary costs for this DIY project are minimal.
If you want to move a whole shed across your property, you may be spending around up to $100 on rollers like PVC pipes, mounting planks, and similar materials. Larger sheds require trailer or forklift rentals, which will increase the project cost. Look in your area for rental prices on equipment like a shed-moving forklift.
If you’re hiring a professional mover, the cost to move a shed is $200 to $500 to move an average-size shed to another location on your property. If you’re moving the shed to another address, these costs rise to up to $1,000, up to $2 per mile for long-distance hauls. Larger sheds will naturally cost more, and companies charge more if the shed is above a certain height. If your shed is well above 10 feet high, you’ll have to dismantle it before moving.
Your storage shed’s dimensions, your budget, and your DIY capabilities will help you decide how to move your shed.
Choose the DIY option if you're moving the shed a short distance, like on your property, and you can disassemble it. With help from a few extra pairs of hands, you can lift a small shed into the truck's bed and secure it.
If the shed is large, you’ll likely need a tilt trailer or a flatbed truck. Some trucks and trailers have winches to help you pull the shed on board, but depending on the size and weight of the shed, you might need a forklift or crane. To avoid the hassle of renting this type of equipment and the danger of using it without proper training, we recommend hiring a moving company to move large sheds.
If you’re not interested in a DIY move or the storage shed is heavy and oversized, consider hiring a professional moving company near you. They have the experience, tools, and equipment to make quick work of the relocation. Also, consider hiring a moving company for long-distance or cross-country moves—it’s the best way to make the move without damage.
Hiring a professional moving company will get the job quickly, efficiently, and safely. Their fees range according to your shed's size, weight, and material. You’ll also pay according to the relocation distance, hours on the job, and any specialized services, like jacking or digging.
Consider these key tips you need to know to avoid shed damage during the moving process.
Wait for the right weather: Moving a shed in bad weather is almost impossible. You can’t dismantle in the rain without risking water damage, and sheds in soggy areas will become impossible to work with until things dry out. Plan your shed move for a dry, warm weekend to prevent any mistakes or injuries.
Remove fasteners carefully: Unintentional damage can happen during dismantling. Pry out nails and unscrew screws with caution. Use tools like pliers and files to deal with stripped screws and other difficult problems.
Work slowly: Conveying a shed on pipes should be a slow, careful process, especially if it’s your first time. Going fast greatly increases the risk of shed damage like shattering windows.
Double-check your path: Take a last look that your path is clear of rocks, large debris, and other issues that can cause damage. Don’t forget to look up at tree branches that could get in the way.
Smaller sheds, no more than 10 to 20 feet wide, are the best candidates for moving without dismantling. The shed should have a sturdy construction and strong bolts or brackets holding components together, with its materials in good condition. If your shed is permanently connected to a concrete foundation, you won’t be able to move it without dismantling first.
Transport a shed on a trailer by lifting the shed onto the trailer and secure it before transport. The hardest part is lifting the shed. A forklift or crane attachment on a truck can handle the job easily. But if you’re manually moving the shed, you’ll need sturdy supports under the shed and a lot of manpower to lift it, at least four to five people. Always measure your shed and trailer before beginning the project to confirm it will fit on the trailer bed.
A gravel foundation is easy to level, allows for healthy drainage, and can easily hold a small shed. In some cases, packed sand can also work. For larger, heavier sheds, you should consider a concrete foundation instead. Never relocate a shed to a sloped area or bare earth. Always dig out a foundation and add a tamped substrate before placing the shed. This step also helps minimize future ground shifts.
In some cases, you may be able to move a 10-foot by 12-foot shed with a pallet jack or even a large dolly. The best options are small, prefabricated sheds that are easy to lift from their foundation, 10 feet by 12 feet at the most. However, you’ll still need at least two people to safely move the shed.
No you cannot cut a shed in half to move it. You’ll either need to move the shed as a whole, or dismantle it entirely for a safe move. Cutting buildings in half to move is a drastic strategy that some experienced engineers use to move large houses, but shed integrity can’t survive being cut in half.
