Plan your shed before you buy a single board.

Shed World is an independent guide for first-time shed owners. Build or buy, which materials last, what size you really need, and how to get a level base without hiring a crew.

Line drawing of a timber garden shed, 7 feet 2 inches tall, standing on a 10 foot gravel pad 10 ft pad 7 ft 2 in 8 ft
An 8 × 10 ft shed on a gravel pad, a foot wider than the shed all round. The gravel base guide walks through it step by step.

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Bases and foundations

Step-by-step gravel shed foundation

A timber-framed gravel pad drains well, costs a fraction of a slab and can be built in a weekend with hand tools and one hired compactor. Here's the whole job, with a materials list and costs.

Updated 4 November 2026. 12 minute read.

  • Costs

    How much does a shed cost? Prices by size and material

    Kit, base, delivery and the bits nobody quotes you for.

  • Materials

    Wood, metal or resin: which shed material lasts?

    What rots, what rusts, what cracks, and how to slow each down.

  • Sizes

    What size shed do I need? Measure your stuff first

    A ten-minute tape-measure exercise that saves buying twice.

  • Storage ideas

    Shed shelving you can build in an afternoon

    Two designs from standard lumber lengths with almost no waste.

The Shed Review Guide, free

Our checklist for judging any shed before you pay for it: wall and frame thickness, floor, roof, doors and warranty, plus worksheets for size and base costs. A printable PDF.

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