Site Preparation

Whether you have ordered a structure or you are still looking. We are glad that you are considering a Kauffman Structure and look forward to bringing you your custom-built structure. One of the most important steps in preparing your site for the placement of your shed. How do I prepare for my shed, is one of the most commonly asked questions. Here are several important things to remember.

How Do I Prepare for My Shed

How do I prepare for my shed?
Make sure we have proper access to your shed site. Make the shed site is as level as possible. The shed site should have a foundation that is composed of a nice bed of gravel, like 3-6″ deep. Preparing with these 3 things will make for a smooth shed delivery.

Site access: Make sure that we can access the shed site with our pickup and trailer. Are any surrounding objects such as trees, bushes, utilities, or buildings going to interfere with the placement of the shed? Check that we will have adequate clearance with any overhead wires or tree branches.

Site preparation: How level is your shed site? Your finished site needs to be level for the proper installation of your shed. Remember that even if your site looks level it may actually have quite a bit of slope, so checking it with an accurate level is always a good idea.

What type of foundation: Our sheds floors are built on top of pressure-treated 4′ x 4′ timbers made for ground contact, but we highly recommended setting them on a foundation besides dirt. A bed of gravel is ideal, and the most widely used foundation. 3″ to 6″ inches of road rock or smaller make an ideal shed pad, especially if your ground is not level. This allows you to use the gravel to make it perfectly level. If you are going to have more than 3 or 4 inches of gravel you may want to consider building a perimeter with treated timbers to keep your gravel in place. If you don’t build a perimeter it is always good to have an extra foot of gravel all around. For example, if your shed is 10′ x 12′ then a gravel pad that is 12′ x 14′ is ideal.

Concrete is the best foundation if you are willing to spend the extra money on it, but it is not a requirement. Please contact us if you are considering building a concrete pad for your shed, and we will be glad to give you some helpful tips for getting it the right size.

Another option that will work but is not as highly recommended is laying down concrete blocks for each individual runner. You can consult the runner diagram provided below for the proper spacing of your blocks. This is an end view of the runners (runner diagram) which will be running the full length of your shed. The number of blocks will vary with the length of the shed so we can advise you as to how many you will need. If your site is more than 4 or 5 inches off level it is always best to have some dirt excavated before laying any blocks down.

We want your finished shed to be as accessible and useful as possible so please contact us with any further questions you may have concerning site preparation. It is good to remember that the distance from the ground to the shed floor is approximately 8”, so you will need a ramp if you are driving any equipment in and out. Ramps are fairly easy to construct, but we also have them available if you would like us to build on for your shed.