Getting a prefabricated building takes a lot of the hassle out of your next structure, but the question remains – “where do we put it?” Don’t be one of those people that lets site prep go forgotten (until the builders arrive). At NE Sheds, we do not provide site prep services, leaving this responsibility entirely on you, the property owner. In order to best prepare for our crew to deliver your newest purchase, we recommend preparing your site in one of the following ways.
Option #1:
Crushed Stone Pad
In our experience, the cheapest and easiest way to prepare a site for your shed is a base of 1” crushed stone, 3-5” thick leveled and stamped. This area should be large enough to cover the entire footprint of your new building, but we recommend covering the footprint of the building plus one foot of additional space around the building. This allows for plenty of room for drainage and access to all areas of your structure.
Option #2:
Concrete Slab
A solid, concrete slab makes for a professional looking base to your building. Concrete is also not nearly as attractive to rodents looking to dig or live under your structure. Concrete also prevents bugs and other pests from living inside the base of your building (though they may get into your buildings in other ways).
Option #3:
Concrete Footers
This option is recommended for all larger structures, or if you are planning on adding plumbing to your structure. This is usually done by digging a 16”-18” wide trench 12-24” deep for each footer. Each trench should be placed evenly every 8’-10’ apart until the length of your new building is accounted for. Each trench is then filled with concrete, giving you a very solid footer. Footers need to be as low to the ground as possible and run perpendicular to our 4’x6’ skids. The area between the footers should be filled with dirt or clean stone to allow for drainage, as well as a canvas for where plumbing will live (if applicable).
Option #4:
Cinder Blocks
Placing your building on cinder blocks, while the quickest option, can only be reliably done for small structures. Using cinder blocks as your base can lead to future structural issues, like becoming unlevel over time, especially for larger buildings. This happens as blocks tend to settle over time, leaving doors and windows to potentially not function. This natural settling may require you to re-level and shimmy up your shed. We strongly recommend a crushed stone or concrete pad for larger sheds.
Below is a guide of how to place cinder blocks, depending on your building’s size (click to enlarge):
We can also deliver your structure with no floor!
If your building is being placed on a concrete slab (Option #2), we can deliver your structure with no floor (to instead utilize the concrete slab as your floor). In this instance, the concrete slab should be the same size as the structure you ordered. The outside perimeter must be very even, without humps or dips as this is where your building’s wall will sit. NE Sheds and Mid-America Structures LLC are not responsible for the workmanship of the concrete slab and the ramifications that come to your building. Note: A floorless prebuilt model has construction, labor, and material modifications that equal the cost of the floor.
Concrete anchor straps, placed when the concrete is still wet, is the best way to anchor your structure. We can install anchors once the building arrives if needed.
Have other questions? We’re happy to help!
If you have questions or want to get our recommendation on what floor might work best for you – please reach out and we would be happy to help! While we are not responsible for your project’s floor/site prep, we’d be happy to give guidance where we can. Reach out by filling out the following contact form, giving us a call or text, or through our social media channels.
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One response to “Setting up for Success: Site Prep for your Prefab Building”
[…] to a site prep pro in your area. If you would like to prepare your site by yourself, we created this guide to help with the […]