Sheds are perfect for keeping outdoor and gardening equipment among other things, but they can get expensive. So what if you are moving or just want your shed in a different location around your house? Can you move it and how do you move it? The easiest way we found is by disassembling it and then moving it.
You can disassemble and move your shed by removing the fascias, trims, windows, door, framing, siding, and roof. Prior to this process you will want to clear out anything in your shed to avoid damaging them. Smaller sheds often do not require disassembly, but very large ones may require this.
I’ll explore some easy-to-understand steps on how to disassemble and move a shed. You will also get to know the costs involved and many more. This will help you understand how you can shift yours, so, scroll on to learn more…
Can You Dismantle and Move a Shed?
If you have a small enough shed, you may be able to move it completely assembled as this will work in the majority of scenarios. Below you can find a video on how to do this.
You can dismantle and move a shed, but it may be harder than you think depending on the type of shed you have. You need to contemplate whether moving the shade base is reasonable or if assembling a different one is a good choice for you as this has to be your first step in the planning process. Whether your shed is wooden, metal or plastic it is possible, but different sheds required you disassemble them in different ways.
And if you want to build a new base, you should do it before you begin disassembling your garden structure. You can tear apart the old base afterward but not unless you already have one assembled at the new resting place for your shed. For instance, you can not shift a concrete base easily, however, it can be possible to take apart and reassemble an eco-base or wooden base.
If you have as slab for a shed base and want to move it, than check out our article about how to move a slab of concrete without breaking it.
Space is also another crucial factor that you should always keep in mind before you start dismantling your shed. As recommended, you need to leave adequate space around a garden shed. This is to allow easier movement and to accommodate following the ordinances of your county or city.
Ensuring you are following all of the laws and permitting of your county/city can be tricky. If your current shed required a permit than you will likely need to submit a new permit to move your shed to a new location.
All this being said, it is definitely possible to move a shed. Getting some help would be critical to making the process manageable, especially when it comes to the heavier pieces like the roof. Just ensure when you are in your first step(the planning process) you are taking your safety into consideration as you are likely dealing with heavy materials and sharp metal.
Do You Need To Dismantle Your Shed To Move It?
The basic answer is no, you do not need to dismantle a shed to move it. What you will have to decide if you choose not to dismantle it is whether you have the ability and equipment to do this yourself.
How Do You Move Your Shed Whole?
In order to move your shed without dismantling it you will require certain tools that can be found at your local hardware store. I will discuss some of the most common ones, but certainly do not skimp on the hardware you use as the last thing you want is to risk the your safety or the integrity of your shed to save a few bucks.
You can find a list of tools below:
- Car Jack – Don’t use a car jack with a small surface area as this will concentrate the stress onto a localized area creating a higher likelihood of damaging the shed.
- PVC or Metal Pipe – This will be used to roll the shed along the ground. You want enough to be able to place them no more than 2 ft apart just to be safe.
- Plywood or wooden boards – These will be used as a hard surface if you are moving the shed across soft ground. Get enough to lay down at least two lengths of the shed.
- Friends – While some have succeeded in moving their sheds alone, it is not recommended.
The general method for moving your shed starts with ensuring it is stable prior to lifting it off of the ground.
- Remove all excess being stored in the shed.
This will lighten the load and ensure that the only weight that the shed is moving is the weight of the shed itself, minimizing the stress on open areas of the floor.
2. Ensure your shed is stable.
There are multiple ways that your shed will weaken over time. A quick test is checking to see if it wobbles. If you don’t quite understand than check out our article we wrote about why your shed may be wobbling.
3. Lift your shed using the car jack
When placing your car jack you want to ensure that you are lifting directly by the floor joist. This is critical as with heavier sheds you may break through the floor if you are not lifting by the joist.
4. Shimmy the Plywood or Wood under the shed
This step again only needs to be complete if the ground you are moving it across is soft.
5. Place the pipes under the shed perpendicular to the direction you will be moving the shed
This will allow you to roll the shed over the pipes
6. Lower the end of the shed you lifted onto the pipes
Be careful as you lower the shed that it does not begin to roll. If you are set on a hill the weight of the shed may be enough to get it started, so having someone else watching the shed and stabilizing it during the process will help.
7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 on the other side of the shed
At the end you should have pipes going the entire length of the shed ready to roll(literally).
8. Push the shed ensuring that as a pipe rolls out from underneath it you pick it up and place it in front again.
The trick to this part is to make sure that no pipe gets anymore than 2 ft away from another pipe. This will ensure that stress is always equally distributed across the shed. Once a plywood sheet or wood is completely out from under the shed, place it in front of the lead piece along with the pipes.
9. Place the shed onto its final resting base.
Essentially reverse the order of the steps we performed before. Lift the shed and remove the wood and pipes from underneath it and slowly lower it and remove the jack.
Be careful with the placement of your shed, if you want to know how close you can put your shed to your house than check out our article we wrote here about it.
How Do You Take a Shed Apart and Move It?
You can easily take a shed apart and move it by following the steps below. However, you first need the right tools to accomplish the project.
Which Tools You Will Need?
This will vary based on the shed you have with you and how you can fix it.
- A hammer to help remove the nails
- Wrecking bars for prying apart sections of the timber.
- Screwdrivers/Drill to remove screws
- Eyewear and gloves to help protect yourself from any injuries inflicted by rotting timber, broken glass, and rusted debris.
- Ladder to help reach parts of the roof.
Steps on How to Disassemble a Shed
Below we will discuss how to disassemble a wooden shed(this also applies to other wood-like subsitutes, but we will later talk about metal and plastic sheds.
- Discard Trims and Fascias
This is the first thing you will do by unscrewing the screws holding them to the shed’s frame. These are majorly decorative elements and don’t really affect the structure.
- Remove The Windows and Doors
Remove them by unscrewing hinge mounts that are connected to the structure. You can then remove all the locks and latches. Proceed to the windows and cautiously unscrew the frames and then remove all glass panels. Ensure you store these with care so as not to scratch them or crack the glass.
- Remove the Roof
If you need to remove the felt than use the claw of a hammer to take off the nails securing it to the roof. When you can see the roof boards, pry/unscrew the nails/screws and then slide the roof board from the shed. Ensure you get another person to assist you to discard the roof safely.
- Remove the Siding
Remember that this is a delicate step and you have to be cautious. If your shed is intended for reassembly than keeping the siding on the wall structure can be an option. this will make the reassembly much easier and faster.
If you do need to remove the siding, ensure you move slowly. Some interlock in the channel joints or tongue and groove joints and you have to be removed in a way so they do not stress to the joints and cause the boards to crack.
- Deconstruct the Framing
Roof trusses are normally a perfect place to start when it comes to deconstructing the frames. You can pry the trusses apart, however this is very difficult depending on what materials you used. Ideally screws were used to assemble mostly everything making disassembly much easier than prying screws from every piece of every board.
You can then proceed to the walls. Attempt to separate the joined corners from each other by unscrewing or prying them apart. Prior to fully separating them, ensure that anything else that could possibly hold them together like wiring is completely removed.
Once fully separated ensure there are no bolts connecting it to the base and slowly lower the wall down flat. Repeat this with the rest of the walls and you are almost done.
- Ensure the base is completely disconnected from the foundation
Not all sheds have floors that are above the foundation, some connect the walls directly to the concrete foundation(if you have one). Just be sure to remove all screws so that you do not damage the floor when you try to move it.
If you would like a more visual explanation than check out the video below that walks you through the whole process.
When you are completely done taking the shed apart it is important to inspect your materials if you intend to reuse them. Do not keep old nails or screws as it is uncertain whether they will have the same holding power in reassembly. The most common things to look for are rot, wood damaging insects, rust, mold/other water damage, or animal damage. If there are any clear signs of these things that replace the affected part of the shed as this could weaken the integrity of the entire shed.
If you are wondering what locations you can put your shed than check out our articles we wrote abuot whether you can put a shed on asphault or if you can put your shed on you deck.
What Is the Average Cost to Move a Shed?
The average cost of moving a shed ranges between $200 – $500. This is assuming a small enough shed that you can keep it assembled and it is being moved a relatively short distance.
Furthermore, certain circumstances may further influence the costs of moving your shed. Even though prices fluctuate from one from one area to another, if you are moving it to another home or on the other side of a fence the time will be much longer making the price much higher.
As in most contracting jobs it is best to get a quote from multiple businesses. While I would not necessarily automatically go with the lowest bid, I would take it as well as the experience and reviews into consideration. if you are paying someone to move your shed than you obviously don’t want to be paying the cost to replace it, so don’t skimp on who you higher because generally you get what you pay for.
Is It Worth Moving a Shed?
This question largely depends on why you are asking it. If you are mainly wondering if the cost of moving a shed is more favorable than just buying a new one that you will have to compare the price of both.
Generally if you are moving a shed from one place in your lawn to another, it is best to have it moved. It may still be cheaper if you need to move it locally as well. When you need to take the shed on the highway, costs start to rise considerably so getting accurate quotes is critical.
Also consider whether the shed is truly replaceable or not. A custom built shed may have things that would cost considerably more replace than if you were just to move it. If you ran electrical and plumbing to your shed than costs just went up again to move it. The more complex the shed, the more expensive to move.
Does Building a Shed Increase Property Value?
Building a shed doesn’t increase the value of a property. And even if it does, it is not by much, this is according to the experts. Whatever you use your shed for and the way you maintain it can make a difference to the perceived value to some potential home buyers, but there is not a significant rise in value from having a shed on the property.
A well-maintained shed like a storage building can attract a buyer who needs the space particularly if you are in an area that normally requires a good sized shed. Examples of this are if the property has a lot of acreage and thus needs a large lawn mower and possible a tractor to handle the property care.
Certain sheds are outfitted with utilities like electricity, plumbing and insulation. These can double as guest houses, offices or workshops and can attract buyers that are willing to pay more for this in a property. While sheds do not necessarily guarantee an increase in property value, they can fetch a better price for select buyers.
Why You Should Move Your Shed?
There are several reasons why you should move your shed. Check out some of them below.
- Weather Changes
If your shed(whether inherited from a previous owner or purchased by you) was placed in an area prone to pooling rain water or drainage, you may want to move it to another place in your yard rather than paying to correct the drainage issue. If you leave it, it can not only degrade its foundation and the rain can also flood your shed and destroy its contents.
- When It Violates Some Codes
In the case where your shed violates a county ordinance, your neighbors have the right to contact the county. While you may have inherited this problem, or accidentally build yourself into it, you should comply or you could be facing some hefty fines.
- Reorganizing Your Yard
Sometimes you just want to change the flow or your yard or want to open up the view. Making space for a growing family to play or just to bring the storage a little closer to the house. There are many reasons to change up the arrangement of your yard.
- Usage Changes
Are you thinking of using the sun to heat and also brighten the interior of your shed because you are turning your storage shed into your own little oasis? Moving your shed can drastically change the level of light and privacy making it your little getaway.
How Hard Is It to Disassemble a Shed?
It is quite hard to disassemble a shed, especially those made of metal and wood. You should be aware that disassembling a shed isn’t the same as assembling it. It is generally a time and physically intensive task that can take hours or days.
You need to think about the materials used, your safety, and whether you need to reuse the materials or not. Also, before you rush to use your tools, you should plan out your process. When taking apart a shed, if you don’t go about it systematically you could remove its structural integrity causing it to fall in or onto you or your things.
Rusty nails/screws and hinges can make the disassembly harder as they are more likely to strip or get stuck into the wood as the rust may bind the metal to the wood. You also run the risk of getting hurt by these things unless you use the proper personnel protective equipment.
Lastly do not underestimate the cleanup of any debris. There is generally a significant amount of material involved and unless you have a truck and trailer you may be stuck cutting it all up or renting something to transport it.
How Long Does It Take to Dismantle a Shed?
It can take a few hours to a few days to dismantle a shed. It greatly depends on the size of the shed, whether you are trying to reuse the materials and whether you have the right tools for the job and whether you have people to help.
Can You Use a Forklift to Move a Shed?
You can use a forklift to move a shed. Some local tool rental shops will let you rent a smaller forklift for relatively cheap and can make the process of moving a small shed seamless and much faster.
Just make sure that if you do decide to use larger machinery your are trained in operating it. Not that you have to be an expert, but just be familiar with the controls as they are much less forgiving than an accidental swing of a hammer onto your thumb.
Are Plastic Sheds Easy to Move or Dismantle?
Plastic sheds are generally easier to move, however not always to dismantle. They are much lighter and can generally be slid by a few individuals or even carried. Disassembly can sometimes be trickier if the assembly did not use fasteners, but rather snaps that lock into place. Some plastic sheds are made for quick and easy assembly, but are made to be difficult to disassemble so they are sturdier.
Generally I would advise against disassembling them if you are just trying to move them
