Custom Sheds – Frequently Asked Questions

According to the North Carolina Residential Building Code, permits are required for accessory structures (sheds) with any dimension that exceeds 12’. These are the responsibility of the homeowner and can be obtained through your local city or county zoning and/or building inspections department. Shed Depot can provide engineered drawings free of charge, which are usually necessary to acquire permits along with a site plan of your property showing existing home and structures as well as the location for the proposed new shed.

We build and set up our sheds using concrete block leveling piers and ground anchors for buildings larger than 12’ in any dimension at no additional charge to meet code requirements.

According to the North Carolina Residential Building Code, permits are required for accessory structures (sheds) with any dimension that exceeds 12’. These are the responsibility of the homeowner and can be obtained through your local zoning department and/or building department. Know the square footage when you want to build a shed because that can help you determine whether you need a permit.

It’s always in your best interest to be proactive when it comes to building permits and to be familiar with local city permit regulations. You don’t want to get a shed without a permit if you need a permit for the type of shed you’re getting. If you need to get a permit, it’s best to do so to avoid problems with your local zoning department.

Shed Depot can provide engineered building plans free of charge, which are usually necessary to acquire permits along with a site plan of your property showing an existing home, outdoor buildings, other structures, as well as the location for the proposed new shed. This detailed lot plan can help your new shed get properly permitted. We build and set up our sheds using concrete block leveling piers and ground anchors for buildings larger than 12’ in any dimension at no additional charge to meet local codes, including zoning codes.

When you’re talking about property lines, typically, your accessory structure must be at least 3 feet from side and rear property lines. Any accessory structure over 15 feet tall must be at least 10 feet from property lines. Check your local zoning restrictions to make sure you are in compliance. Knowing the property boundaries before you get your new shed can save you a lot of headaches down the road.

Many people use their sheds for storage space or just about anything you’d like! When you add a shed from The Shed Depot, you’ll notice that they also add curb appeal to your house!

Generally, a small shed of up to 8×6 does not need a foundation. A small shed can rest on crushed stone with either a treated wood foundation type or concrete foundation blocks. A large shed will need a strong foundation type.

Yes, we can meet most HOA rules and other design requirements such as matching paint
colors and siding types as well as roof pitches and shingle types and colors (exp.
architectural shingles). Although we do have some transportation and building code
restrictions, in general, if you can dream it, we can build it. Contact our team for more information.

Our customers have four options when it comes to the siding used on their shed:

1. LP SmartSide Panel Siding
2. LP Lap Siding
3. James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding
4. Vinyl Siding

Lean more by visiting Shed Siding Options

No, currently we do not offer Build-On- Site. The two most common reason we are asked these questions are quality concerns or access restrictions such as a fence.

• Our sheds are engineered and built in a climate controlled facility to eliminate any environmental impacts to the structure before it is complete.
• It allows our engineers to monitor every phase of the construction process including your customizations.
• It allows our buyers to purchase higher grade materials for less since we are buying for hundreds of sheds… not just one.

• Fences are perceived to be a barrier to delivery. Wooden privacy fences are the most common we hear about. In this example most fences have 8’ sections between posts that can easily be removed by the homeowner or fence professional. Then, simply dig up the post that connected the two panels, resulting in an opening over 15’ to allow delivery of the pre-built shed. If it is not a corner post or gate post, then there is less concrete around the post, which further simplifies the removal as well as re-installation process. It can be intimidating to remove a section of fence, particularly if it is new, but the value trade-off is usually worth the difference since built-on-site sheds are generally 20% more expensive excluding caulking and paint.

Your new shed will come with a 5 year warranty on materials, workmanship and leveling.  Our most common warranty claim is for leveling due to the ground settling.  This is covered at no additional cost and can usually be remedied in 1 – 2 weeks.

Damages due to accidents or weather (including paint fading) are not covered.  We do use a quality Sherwin-Williams exterior paint.

We can fix most minor damages not covered under our warranty at our cost.  For example, broken windows due to a fallen tree limb or rock from a lawn mower would not be covered, but could be fixed for the cost of the materials, labor cost and reasonable travel charge. Read more

We offer 6 standard paint colors at no additional charge. There is a $50 charge to add “trim paint” (2nd color).

Customers can choose any Sherwin-Williams paint color or provide a sample for us to match for an additional $100. Any leftover paint will be delivered with the shed.

We offer 4 standard shingle color options and metal roofing can be added in your choice of colors for an additional $2 per square foot.

Our sheds are engineered from the ground up to meet building code requirements and feature up to 5 – 4×6 pressure-treated skids that minimize the spans of the floor joists. This results in better weight distribution of the walls through the included piers directly than through the floor systems like other shed builders.  Our sheds are engineered to hold the weight “close to the chest” instead or instead of extended into the floor joists.  The old cantilever-style weight distribution of the roof and wall moves the weight further inside the floor of the shed demanding larger joists.

We engineer our entire floor system as a unit including the placement of concrete leveling piers, floor joists, and 4×6 skids resulting in a floor as strong or stronger than those with 2×6 floor joists but fewer, smaller skids and piers.

Tongue and groove floor decking is a standard feature of our sheds, and it also adds to the overall stability. And, if you want peace of mind, we can add 2×6 floor joists for just $1.00 per square foot for even more strength.

Many sheds are designed to withstand severe weather. Ask us about shed designs for smaller sheds and sheds of all sizes.

Many shed designs can be made hurricane-proof. Thanks to superior fastening technology available for purchase at any big-box home reno store, you can even modify an existing shed to withstand hurricanes. But if you are building new, tons of interesting shed designs can withstand extreme storms.

As long as you have the room, are not too close to property lines, and are following local zoning laws, you should be able to get a second shed.

Always check with your local building code requirements to make sure you are following building codes.