I like a big shed, but I have not always had a large enough yard to support a lot of shed storage. I knew I wanted to increase the square footage and storage space, but I had already used up all of the overhead storage space and the space in between the studs. There was only one place to go…down. A shed basement!
A shed can have a basement, but there may be extra building codes, construction costs, and permitting required that you should consider before adding a basement to your shed. The cost of building a basement will likely range anywhere from $500 – $2,000 depending on your shed size and labor cost.
Whether you need the extra storage, a root cellar, or something else building a basement to a shed is one way you can go about getting more storage. As a shed is detached from the house, it could make the perfect place to host storage you don’t want anywhere else. Consider your canned pickles, non-perishable foods, or even your Christmas decorations you have no room for an under the shed basement to make a great space to hold these items year-round.
The cost of building a shed by itself ranges from
- $20 – $35 per square foot for DIY shed (Really just the cost of materials)
- $1,500 – $4,000 for pre fab shed kits (You can get huge sheds for around $2,500)
- $60 – $150 per square foot to contract a custom shed (This can actually go a lot higher depending on how expensive your taste is)
If you in the deciding phase of how to build your shed here is some helpful information for your decision making process.
Permits, Bylaws and Building Codes For Sheds
Certain municipalities and cities don’t allow for sheds over a specific size in their building laws. Additionally, where most places allow for you to build a non-permanent shed in an area without a permit, a shed with a basement would require a permit to build. It would be required to have a permit to ensure that your shed and basement follow the Building Code of your area and follow the local zoning bylaws.
When am I supposed to get a permit? You must obtain this building permit before you even start construction in the basement, as well as any new building over ten square meters, renovations and additions to the building, changing the use of a building and construction of a seasonal building.
You must consider and research how to obtain a building permit in your area, as every city has different restrictions, bylaws, and considerations when it comes to Building Code. Thus, before you start your project, contact your municipality to apply for a building permit. Building a shed basement can only begin once you’ve ensured that you’ve followed all of your municipalities bylaws, permit requirements, and Building Code.
Some municipalities will ask for drawings, plans and other similar documents, and they may require you to pay a fee before starting. These plans generally can’t be something that you came up with on a napkin, but will likely have to be purchased through a third party or made to order using a drafter or architect(this is probably too expensive for what you have in mind) unless you are one yourself.
What Surveys Are Required For Your Shed
Before you start to plan the size/shape and design of the basement, you will likely need or should have(depending on your area) surveys done. Below are examples of surveys that will be performed:
- Geo-Technical Survey to report on the soil structure down to the depths you are planning on digging and any potential issues posed by the height of the water table.
- A drain survey to figure out where the drains under your home and shed, and if those drains will impact building plans.
NOTE: If they do, then there may need to have other agreements with your utility provider made.
- Topographical surveys to help get more accurate dimensions of the sight.
- Arboricultural survey to take a look at the trees in both your yard and your neighbour’s yard, to see if the digging will cause damage to the health of the trees. Additionally, this will help you identify if any of them fall under a Tree Preservation Order.
- Boundary surveys or Location surveys are used to identify where property boundaries divide and ensure you are meeting the zoning laws and code for the location of the your shed.
To give you and idea of why surveys prior to building are so important, one of the worst things that can destroy your shed over time is moisture in the wrong places. If water builds up or natural pools directly around your shed it can cause shed foundation damage or structural weakening. Check out our article we wrote here and see just how fatal moisture is to your shed.
This is not a complete list, but gives you an idea of the things you may need. A good place to start could be calling a local construction company and asking them if they provide a free quote. You can glean a lot of knowledge off of a quick conversation with a subject matter expert.
Building Your Shed
When it comes to building a basement to your shed, the actual building of it needs to come after all of these careful steps above—ensuring that you are complying with your municipality’s Building Code and that the area you plan to put the basement is even capable of hosting the basement. Once all of your ducks are in a row you can move forward with your build.
The cost of building a shed by itself ranges how you see below without a basement (please note this does not include the costs of the surveys and potential permitting as those will range a lot depending on jurisdiction):
- $20 – $35 per square foot for DIY (Really just the cost of materials)
- $1,500 – $4,000 for pre fab kits (You can get huge sheds for around $2,500)
- $60 – $150 per square foot to contract a custom shed (This can actually go a lot higher depending on how expensive your taste is)
Some things you should not skimp on and one of those is the structural support for your shed. No one wants a shed that is so wobbly that it may fall. Check out this article we wrote here about identifying what causes a wobbly shed.
With such a massive range of cost it can be very difficult to decide what to do, especially when you are not even calculating the cost of the basement. The cost of building a basement will likely range anywhere from $500 – $2,000 depending on your shed size and labor cost. With such a high ticket price on the line there are some very important key factors when it comes to deciding how to go about building your shed.
Deciding Factors
- What is a need and what is a want? Do you need that extra storage space under your shed. If the answer is yes than don’t sugar coat it, but if you are just looking to do another DIY project on the weekend than this may not be the easy weekend warrior task you were thinking. Make sure you are serious about this as it will likely cost a bit of money as we saw above.
- What is my budget? I know just how fast costs can build up, and if you are not working with hard numbers than you will be digging into money that you don’t have. Doing the research and putting costs to each section will help you get a real idea of what you can afford. Don’t forget to add at least a 10% buffer for the cost as you never know what to expect.
- Who will build my shed? Yes, I am just like the next guy and love to get my hands dirty then stand proudly over my new creation, but like I said foundation work and building a basement is not a weekend warrior thing. It will definitely take time and it is not something you want to rush.
I do not want to discourage any of you out there from doing this, but you must do your due diligence when planning and prepping so that your are building a basement that won’t collapse or cave in. Safety is always the most important, which means that maybe getting a professional involved in this process may be the most important part of the process.