Moving a shed

BoylermanCT · Jan 20, 2022

I agree with Eddie. Lift the shed up to get two 18' 6x6 skids under it - phone poles, even smooth logs would work too. Secure the shed to the skids and brace it well. Then hook a chain to the end of each skid and move it by pulling it with your tractor or a larger one if needed. Wish I lived closer to you, this would be an interesting day!

buckeyefarmer · Jan 20, 2022

Thinking of putting shed at the backside of my barn. This will take the least amount of dirt work, will have to dig some out and put gravel down. Wherever it goes, it’s going to be blocked so groundhogs don’t go under it.

Barn is 10 ft from edge of door to corner. Will probably stick edge of shed about 3 ft out from edge of barn. Put matching gray siding on after it’s moved.

Did find this drone shot.

Not sure I can build a lean to off of barn high enough for camper though.
how wide do you think a lean to should be to back a camper into it?

3Ts · Jan 21, 2022

Not sure I can build a lean to off of barn high enough for camper though.
how wide do you think a lean to should be to back a camper into it?

How good are you at backing? Can you back straight in or do you have to angle a little? I'd plan on a 9' wide camper (8.5' highway max width plus awning and door handle beyond that) and at least 2' on each side, but 3' would be better. If you have a slideout, that's another 3' but if you don't need access to one side, could get by with only 1' additional, so for a slideout = 3+9+3+1 = 16'. I have an RV pad that is 15' wide. I can back into it easily enough, but having the slides out and the steps out leaves no room to get by it and have added another 5' to the pad.

There is an RV campground near Key West where the RV sites are 14' wide. They are packed in like sardines! Personally, for storage, you can probably get by with no less than 12', but I think you'll regret anything less than 16'.

PS. on edit: How far out do your steps go? That's something to consider as well. Before you build the lean-to, try backing into the area you want it and see just how much space you'll need.

Hay Dude · Jan 21, 2022

I’d like 16’ myself, but it depends on approach. We have 16’ barn doors for bigger farm equipment and trucks and even that much, strange as it sounds, can feel pretty tight. Also that way you have about 4’ on either side to swing doors open, wash it, service, etc.

Just Gotta watch the snow load on a 16’ lean-to. It will also place additional load onto your barn. Probably will need substantial joists on shed roof with the shed roof being a low slope.

bdhsfz6 · Jan 21, 2022

Moving a shed is easy. All you need are a bunch of guys, a couple of 6 packs and away you go!

LittleBill21 · Jan 21, 2022

There are guys that transport sheds for a living, they use what is called a mule. utterly mind-blowing how large of a shed they can move. you might want to get a quote from one of them, might be less work then you think

jjeff · Jan 21, 2022

You look at metal carport companies? they can build you a decent free standing lean to off your existing shop in a day. I have several I Like them and have the room, including a 26 long by 24 wide 10' high walls I think its a 3 pitch roof so the center heights like 13' on a 24' wide. I store my boat and class c MH under. These are really quite easy to move around when you have equipment on hand. My 22x12 carport at my cabin survived winters with 3' of snow on the roof no problems I've had for almost 10 yrs now. When I went with these they were less expensive than building something with wood even If I was doing the work myself. unsure on prices now.

QRTRHRS · Jan 21, 2022

I had to move my 8x12 shed last summer. It's just your standard pre-built shed on skids. Being in a rush and working alone, I just picked it up on one end with forks with nylon straps wrapped around it to keep it from sliding off of the forks as I dragged it backwards.

Going across my gravel driveway and then on the grass to get it around my house, I quickly realized that I should have had some pipe on hand. That shed fought me all the way!

QRTRHRS · Jan 21, 2022

Funny story. Many years ago, my then mother in law had a large tree removed from between two garages. There was an old playhouse close by that she did not want anymore.

On the other side of the eight foot high security fence that boarded the alley behind the garages there was a phone company service yard.

M-I-L asked the tree guy if he wanted the playhouse, which he did. The area was a bit tight for a truck and trailer. The tree guy had a grudge with the phone company for some reason. He ended up with out asking, driving his truck and trailer onto the service yard.

Using his crane that he had on site to take down the tree, he picked up the shed which was pretty heavy. He lifted it up and over the fence, set it on his trailer and away he went.

The people whom worked at the service yard were watching all of this. I expected the cops to show up at any moment but that never happened.

EddieWalker · Jan 21, 2022

You have a really nice shop there already. I like the idea of adding on to it. Why are you messing around with this old shed when you could easily have something a lot nicer next to your shop building?

For your RV, you do not have to have the lean-to start at the top of the wall and under the existing roof. You can easily make the lean-to wall the same height as the building and bring the roof up to the middle of the existing roof, or all they way up to the peak of the roof. Neither are very hard to do. This will give you plenty of clearance above the RV to span the distance that you need with trusses, or 2x12's, depending on how wide you want to make the building.

Before spending a lot of time and effort on moving the shed, I would decide on what it is worth as it is and what it will cost to make it like you want it after you have put the time into moving it. Figure out that dollar amount. Then figure out what it would cost you to build a brand new shed. My guess is that when it's all said and done, you are not saving enough to make it worthwhile by moving the existing shed, and then fixing it up after you have moved it. Then figure out what it would cost to add a lean-to onto the really nice building that you have, and see if that's where you will have the best return on your money.

tigers2007 · Jan 21, 2022

I did a 24x40 with 10’ ceiling metal carport style garage this past summer for $16.5k (Midwest Steel Carports). Excellent fit and finish. Three guys started at 8AM and finished cleaning up at 5PM. They will install your own doors and Windows for cash (make that deal when they arrive). Cheaper than moving a building in my opinion.

Hay Dude · Jan 21, 2022

I have a PE engineer I use for all those calcs since Im not an engineer and cant legally stamp plans.
I just send him a hand drawn sketch and he sends me back a stamped plan (with corrections) for really cheap.
Usually existing building walls need reinforcement to support the additional roof load of the shed roof. We have added 6x6’s on conc sonotubes to assist in supporting shared wall load of existing barn and new shed together.

ovrszd · Jan 21, 2022

Buckeye designed and built his house. He can most definitely move this shed. He's an Engineer and probably doesn't need to hire one. This thread is a good topic for discussion on cold Winter days.

buckeyefarmer · Jan 21, 2022

3Ts said:
How good are you at backing?

Good at backing, it’s the hitting stuff that’s the problem.

I can back up good.

16 ft wide means no shed off the barn. Maybe a metal carport type structure.

buckeyefarmer · Jan 21, 2022

ovrszd said:
Buckeye designed and built his house. He can most definitely move this shed. He's an Engineer and probably doesn't need to hire one. This thread is a good topic for discussion on cold Winter days.

I know a PE also, lol. But retired my license.

The barn was a kit from a local hardware store, although I designed and got my building permit before they gave me their plans. The roof trusses are stamped drawings by the supplier.
The problem with a lean to coming off the existing roof is it’s not designed for the load increase. It’s rather simple to come off the wall, but will have to calculate header because it now has to support half the lean to load.

The shed has to go somewhere to get the camper parked at the right of the barn. It’s not getting trashed unless it won’t move.
Metal carport for camper is another option I have thought of, thanks for the price.
Prices sure have gone up. My whole barn was around $11k not counting concrete.
A 6x6x16 now costs $72.

buckeyefarmer · Jan 21, 2022

tigers2007 said:
I did a 24x40 with 10’ ceiling metal carport style garage this past summer for $16.5k (Midwest Steel Carports)..

Thanks. I’m outside their area but threw together something to get a price from them.

Rustyiron · Jan 21, 2022

Good skids with provisions (a "spreader") that prevent the pulling forces that will want to draw them together, add a half dozen diagonal braces to the corners and another bunch of diagonal braces from the supporting lean to beam down to the lowest or what would be the wall plate/rim joist (bandboard) point on the wall, and move it in one piece. I'd save it even if you need to get a buddy over with another tractor to help with the pulling.
Imho, putting time and a few dollars into the above would be the difference of success or not. Besides, it probably has some sentimental value and would certainly be rewarding.

buckeyefarmer · Jan 21, 2022

I set my house 43 ft steel I beam using my truck, a come along, and 1 buddy. Didn’t even have a tractor at the time.

25 years ago yesterday. Look at that nice shed back there.

buckeyefarmer · Jan 21, 2022

Course the cheapest solution is get rid of the camper, problem solved.

Hay Dude · Jan 21, 2022

buckeyefarmer said:
I know a PE also, lol. But retired my license.

The barn was a kit from a local hardware store, although I designed and got my building permit before they gave me their plans. The roof trusses are stamped drawings by the supplier.
The problem with a lean to coming off the existing roof is it’s not designed for the load increase. It’s rather simple to come off the wall, but will have to calculate header because it now has to support half the lean to load.

The shed has to go somewhere to get the camper parked at the right of the barn. It’s not getting trashed unless it won’t move.
Metal carport for camper is another option I have thought of, thanks for the price.
Prices sure have gone up. My whole barn was around $11k not counting concrete.
A 6x6x16 now costs $72.

I have a smaller metal carport planned for my small tractor shed. Have block walls and pad done for 4 years. Just have so many expenditures (college being the big one) that it always gets put last as a priority.

16’ x 25’ 8” block with vertical stickers. Filled cores solid.