Shed World

Articles / Bases and foundations

Step-by-step gravel shed foundation

A timber frame filled with compacted crushed stone is the base we'd point most first-timers to. It drains, it stays level, and you can build it in a weekend for a few hundred dollars.

Updated 4 November 2026. 12 minute read.

Cross-section of a gravel shed base: compacted soil, landscape fabric, four inches of crushed stone, held in by a treated 4 by 6 timber frame pinned with rebar 4 in of ¾ in crushed stone Treated 4×6 frame Rebar pin Landscape fabric Compacted soil

Why gravel works

A shed rots from the bottom up. Water that sits under the floor is what kills joists, so the job of a base is to stay level and let water drain away. A bed of clean crushed stone does both. Rain runs straight through it, the stones lock together when compacted, and the timber frame stops the edges spreading.

It's also forgiving. If the ground settles a little over the years, you can rake in more stone and re-level. Try that with a slab.

Check first: some towns need a permit for sheds over a certain size, or set a minimum distance from your boundary. Call 811 (or your local utility-locating service) a few days before you dig.

Materials list

For an 8 × 10 ft shed, build a pad 10 × 12 ft: a foot of extra gravel on every side keeps drips off the walls and gives you somewhere to stand a ladder.

  • Pressure-treated 4×6 timbers, 12 ft, rated for ground contact4
  • Clean ¾ in crushed stone (no fines)about 2.2 tons
  • Woven landscape fabric120 sq ft
  • ½ in rebar, cut to 24 in8 pieces
  • 10 in structural timber screws12
  • Plate compactor, hired for a day1

Tools: tape measure, string line and stakes, 4 ft level, spade, rake, wheelbarrow, circular saw, drill with a long ½ in bit, and a sledgehammer for the rebar.

Example pick (sample, not a live recommendation)

A 3.2 oz woven polypropylene landscape fabric

Woven fabric lets water through but stops stone sinking into the soil. Skip the thin non-woven rolls sold for flower beds.

Check the price

The steps

  1. Mark out the pad

    Drive a stake at each corner of a 10 × 12 ft rectangle and run string between them. Measure both diagonals: when they match, the corners are square.

  2. Strip the turf and level the soil

    Dig out grass and roots across the whole pad, about 4 in down. Find the high corner and work from it. On a gentle slope, dig into the high side rather than building up the low side.

  3. Build and set the frame

    Cut two timbers to 10 ft and screw the corners together with two timber screws per joint, staggered. Set the frame in the trench, then check it is level across both directions and along each side. Pack or dig under the timbers until the bubble sits in the middle.

  4. Pin the frame down

    Drill a ½ in hole through the timber 12 in from each corner, then drive a 24 in length of rebar through it into the ground until it sits flush. Eight pins stop the frame creeping as the stone settles.

  5. Lay landscape fabric

    Line the inside of the frame, overlapping joins by 12 in and running the edges a few inches up the timber. It keeps weeds out and stops stone disappearing into soft ground.

  6. Fill and compact in two layers

    Spread 2 in of stone, wet it lightly and run the plate compactor over it twice. Repeat with the second layer until the stone sits level with the top of the frame.

  7. Check level and screed

    Drag a straight 2×4 across the frame to strike off high spots, fill the low ones, and give it a last pass with the compactor. Your shed's floor bearers can go straight on top.

What it costs

Here's a worked example for the 10 × 12 ft pad above. Prices are our sample estimates for late 2026, not quotes: stone and delivery in particular vary a lot by area.

Sample estimate. Check prices with your local yard before you order.
ItemCost
Crushed stone, 2.2 tons, delivered$175
Treated 4×6 timbers (4)$96
Plate compactor hire, 1 day$85
Timber screws (12)$30
Rebar, 8 pins$24
Landscape fabric$22
Total$432

How does that compare with other bases? The ranges below are our rough DIY estimates for the same 8 × 10 ft shed, materials and tool hire only. Gravel isn't the cheapest option on paper, but it's the one that is hardest to get wrong.

Shed base cost, 8 × 10 ft shed

Sample estimate ranges in US dollars, DIY. Not quotes.

Estimated cost ranges: plastic grid $220 to $480, gravel pad $300 to $500, concrete blocks with a timber frame $300 to $600, concrete slab $700 to $1,500. $0$400$800$1,200$1,600 Plastic grid$220–$480 Gravel pad, this guide$300–$500 Blocks and timber frame$300–$600 Concrete slab, 4 in$700–$1,500
Example pick (sample, not a live recommendation)

Ground-contact rated 4×6 treated timber

Look for a "ground contact" or UC4 rating on the end tag. Lumber treated only for above-ground use will soften within a few years when it sits in damp stone.

Check the price

Questions people ask

How deep should the gravel be?

Four inches of compacted stone suits most garden sheds up to about 10 × 12 ft. On clay or soft ground, dig deeper and go to 6 in.

Can I use pea gravel?

Not for the base. Pea gravel is round and rolls under load, so it never locks together. Use angular crushed stone with the fines washed out.

Do I need a plate compactor?

For a pad this size, yes. A hand tamper will do a small 6 × 4 ft base, but on 120 sq ft it's slow, tiring and less even. A day's hire is usually worth it.

Can the shed sit straight on the gravel?

Most kit sheds come with floor bearers (runners) that sit directly on the stone. If yours doesn't, lay treated 4×4s across the pad every 16 to 24 in.