Shed Foundations

Nick wrote:

First off, I find your site very informative and I too plan on building my own shed. The one question I have is what is the best footing for a shed. Is it better to have concrete footings, stone, or cinder block?

There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, Nick. It all depends ...

• How large is the shed?
• What does your municipality require?
• How comfortable are you with each technique?
• What do the plans call for?

The simplest and smallest sheds might get by sitting on pressure treated timbers. That's what I did on my little 8 x 12 salt box shed. It was under 100 square feet and didn't need a concrete foundation. I got off easy and in ten years it hasn't blown away like the Wizard of Oz. (Knock wood, we don't need to see any flying monkeys around these parts.)

Now that having been said ... for a larger shed or barn, I'd go with concrete footings. But if I had a rustic backyard and had the budget to build a period-designed colonial era barn, I'd be inclined go with a stone foundation.