Many homeowners feel they need a storage shed for tools and power equipment. A well-designed storage shed can not only serve the purpose of storing your tools, it can enhance the appearance of your home and yard, and even add value to your home. As always when doing a major home-improvement project, check with your local municipality to acquire any permits or licenses that you will need to build.

Hiring a contractor

If you're not the do-it-yourself-type, one option you have for building your shed is to hire a contractor. A contractor can custom-build your shed at your house, and if any changes need to be made to the design, they can be discussed and the design can be adapted to meet the new requirements. A good contractor will do a quality job, and the shed will last you for years. Do your homework when hiring a contractor though; shop around for a good price, and ask them for references.

Pre-fab sheds

Another option for the hands-off homeowner is to get a pre-fab shed. Pre-fabricated sheds are built off-site at the company's factory, as opposed to the entire build being done in your backyard. Depending on how big the structure is, the entire shed could be built off-site and then delivered to your home as a finished product, or some of the construction could be done at the factory, then the pieces are trucked to your home for final assembly. Pre-fab sheds will generally cost less than hiring a contractor to build one for you, but you won't have the flexibility to make any changes in the middle of construction.

Do-it-yourself

If you're a do-it-yourselfer who likes to get his hands dirty, then you can build your own shed from the ground up. You can find designs on sites like This Old House.com, buy them from a site like My Shed Plans.com, or design your own using graph paper, a pencil and a ruler, or a Computer Aided Design (CAD) program (Google SketchUp is a good free CAD program). Custom-design your shed inside and out for what fits your needs, and then build it from there.

Source:

This Old House: Shed plans for backyard builders

Fine Homebuilding: How to Build a Shed

MyShedPlans.com

More Information:

Prefab

Google SketchUp