Shed Delivery Basics
A lot of people really don’t know what to expect when a shed gets delivered, or what they should do to prepare for a shed delivery. We know that it’s as important to you as it is to us that your shed delivery goes smoothly, so we’ve prepared a checklist for you.
We are assuming that you’ve already figured out what kind of foundation you will have–blocks, gravel, post-and-beam, or concrete. And we assume that you know basically where you want to place your building.
Here’s the simplest way to start. Print this article out, or pull it up on your phone, and go outside. Start where the building will be coming in–maybe over the lawn, maybe up your drive way. Let’s walk through a number of steps together.
Building still on the trailer, just before installation.
Now that you are out at the street, think about how it would be to get a semi-trailer driving or backing into place. Buildings vary, but that’s about the height you will need–13 ft 6 in. (“But my building isn’t that tall!” Yes–but it’s coming on a trailer.)
Would there be room for a semi-trailer to get onto your property and back to the shed site without driving onto your neighbor’s? If not, be sure to ask permission from your neighbors. You may live beside them for years to come–this is not a case where forgiveness is easier than permission!
“Drive the trailer” to your shed site, looking all around you. Are there tree branches that will be scraping the sides? If your building is 14 ft. wide, then you need a minimum of 15 ft of width to get it through. Are there low-hanging branches? (Don’t think of this from your perspective on the ground. Think from the perspective of sitting on top of your building as it rolls in on a trailer. You shouldn’t need to duck to get through!) Trim any branches that will get in the way.
As you go from the street to the shed site, keep looking up. What about wires? If wires are in the way, consider how you will deal with them. If you’re not sure, call your shed company and ask them for suggestions.
If there is a fence blocking your way, it will block your building as well. Take out whatever sections are needed to get the building through. If you have a gate, make sure the gate is at least a foot wider than the building, and a minimum of (the width of the trailer).
Know where the underground dog fences are. One of our delivery drivers warns, “I’ve dug up dog fences many many times.” If the dog fence is on the surface or is not deep enough, and the trailer drives over it, it can break.
Once you arrive at the building site (having avoided trees, wires, and dog fences), take a final look at the site.
Your building site needs to be a dry place without low-standing water. After a good rain, no water should stand there. This benefits you in two ways. First, it helps keep your building dry and less prone to rotting. Most buildings, to be sure, are built with a pressure-treated floor structure. But treated wood can rot, eventually–particularly if it is kept wet. Second, if the ground is wet, your shed can shift and settle unevenly. Sometimes sheds have to be moved to a dry site (after having been re-leveled 2-3 times!), and you can save yourself that expense if you think of it beforehand.
Tall grass and weeds (not to mention poison ivy!) can really be a problem. The delivery job will be much more difficult if there is a small jungle to clear in order to set the blocks and the building. So, trim the grass at least as low as as a lawn mower would cut it. And get rid of poison ivy!
Know setbacks. The shed delivery guys are nice guys–they will set your shed exactly where you tell them. After that, it’s your responsibility. We know of situations where after the building was set, the HOA told the homeowner that the building had to be moved back from the property line, and they had to pay to get the building moved all of 5 feet. Five feet away from the property line is fairly standard, but be sure to check it out with your local HOA or city/county offices. (If you aren’t concerned about setbacks, consider whether you want to mow around your building. If so, be sure to leave enough room.)
Some people are afraid that grass will grow under the building, and want to put landscape fabric down underneath the shed. Grass doesn’t grow where there’s no sun, so there’s not much worry there (unless the building is way out of level, leaving a large gap between the building and ground). If you decide you want to have landscape fabric anyway, wait until the blocks are set in the ground by the delivery crew.
Finally, double-check to be sure it’s not sitting on top of utilities. If they county has to come out and tear up a sewer line, and the building is sitting on top of it, guess who pays to get the building moved?
There are lots of details to see after, and we want your shed delivery to be as smooth as possible. We’re here to help, so give us a call if you have questions.
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