8×12 Shed Blueprints For Building A Wooden Storage Shed

Here are the detailed shed blueprints for building an 8 x 12 wooden shed. You can also find more shed construction plans for making  sheds of various sizes on this website.

Step By Step Instructions For Making An 8×12 Wooden Storage Shed

Step #1: Constructing the Foundation & Floor

1. Dig out the construction site and add a 4″ layer of gravel. Stamp down the gravel properly and make it level and flat.
2. Cut out three 4 × 4 timber skids of 144″. Organize the skids on the bed of gravel and make them level, following the FLOOR PLAN .
3. Cut out two 2 × 6 rim joists of 144″ and 10 joists of 93″. Copy the joist layout onto the rim joists, referring to the blueprints. Assemble the frame using 16d nails and check each joist for crowning. Then set it up with the crowned edge up.
4. Position the floor frame above the skids then measure each of the diagonals to ensure that it is perfectly square. Setup metal clip angles at each of the joists along the two outer skids, with 1 1/2″ nails and 16d nails, and toenail each joist with the center skid using 16d nails.
5. Setup the tongue and groove floor sheathing, beginning with a complete sheet at each corner of the frame. Using 8d nails driven at every 6″ on the edges and at every 12″ inside the field. Fasten the joists with the outer skids using angles. Secure the joists with hanger nails and the skids with 16d nails.
6. Construct and hoist the walls, then secure adjacent walls to each other at the corner studs.

Step #2: Building the Walls

1. Mark the wall plates on the floor using chalk lines.
2. Cut out 2 × 4 wall plates: four of 144″ for building the side walls and four of 89″ for building the front and back walls.
3. Draw the stud layouts on the plates referring to the floor plan in the shed diagrams.
4. Cut out 27 studs of 92 5/8″, and cut out 6 studs of 81 1/2″ which will be used as jack studs.
5. Construct 3 headers with 2 × 6s and 1/2″ plywood: one will be of 65″ to be used for the door opening, and one of 67″ for right side window, and one of 35″ for rear window.
6. Assemble, hoist, and secure the walls doing it one at a time, and finally attach the double top plates.

Step #3: Building the Roof

1. Cut out 2 pattern rafters, referring to the rafter template as shown in the shed blueprints diagram. Fit the rafters with a 2 × 8 spacer block, and then cut out the remaining 12 common rafters. Cut out 8 rafters for building the gable end overhangs which will not have the bird’s mouth cuts.
2. Cut out a 2 × 8 ridge timber board of 156″. Mark the rafter layout on the top plates and the ridge board, using 16″ oncenter spacing. The outer edge of the outer rafters must be at 6″ from the ends of the ridge board.
3. Setup the rafters. Strengthen the rafter and wall connection using metal anchors—set them up on all rafters excluding the outer common rafters.
4. Cut out three 2 × 4 rafter ties of 96″, and chip the top outer corners to keep them from projecting over the rafters. Arrange each tie next to every pair of rafters referring to the framing elevations diagram in the shed blueprints. Nail the face of each tie end with the rafter using three 10d nails, then toenail very tie end with the top wall plate using two 8d nails.
5. Cut out the gable wall plates for reaching from the wall plates to the ridge. Setup the plates with their outside edges even with the outer rafters. Cut out and setup the gable studs, referring to the framing elevations diagram.
6. Secure the bottom ends of each common rafter with the wall plates using metal anchors.
7. Fix lookouts to 4 of the overhang rafters, and nail the overhang rafters with the outer common rafters.

Step #4: Constructing the Gable Overhangs

1. Cut out twelve 2 × 6 lookouts of 3″. Nail the ends of the lookouts with each inner overhang rafter, with 16″ on-center spacing (refer to the gable overhang detail).
2. Nail the face of inner overhang rafters with the outer rafters using 10d nails.
3. Secure the outer overhang rafters with the ridge and lookouts, with 16d nails.

Step #5: Setting Up the Fascia, Roofing and Sheathing

1. Cut out and setup the 2 × 6 subfascia on the eaves (refer to the EAVE DETAIL segment of the shed blueprints). Fix the ends plumb with the outer edges of the overhang rafters, and the bottom edges plumb with the edges of the bottom rafter with 16d nails.
2. Setup the 1 × 8 fascia on the gable overhangs and along the eaves positioning it 1/2″ over the rafters so it remains flush with the sheathing with 6d nails.
3. Setup the 1/2″ plywood sheathing, beginning at the lower corner of the roof; with 8d nails along the edges at every 6″ and at every 12″ withing the field of the sheets.
4. Fix a metal drip edge along each of the eaves, and use #15 building paper on the sheathing. Add the drip edge on the gable ends, on top of the paper.
5. Setup the asphalt shingles, beginning at the eave edge.Setup the plywood roof sheathing after you have setup the fascia. Nail the sheathing at every 6″ along the edges and every 12″ inside the field.
6. Rip out the soffit panels and make it fit in between the fascia  and wall plates. Secure the panels to the nailers, subfascia and rafters.

Step #6: Setting Up the Soffits & Siding

1. Cut out twelve 2 × 2 nailers for fitting between the rafters, referring to the eave detail in the shed blueprints. Secure the nailers in between the rafters using 10d nails.
2. Tear the 3/8″ plywood soffit panels and make it fit in between the wall frame and the fascia. Secure the soffits with the rafters using 3d box nails.
3. Cut out holes for 4 soffit vents. Position a vent in each of the 2 outer rafter bays, on the eave, along both sides of the shed. Setup the soffit vents.
4. Setup the plywood siding, with 8d nails. Fix the top edges of the siding to the soffits. Setup Z-flashing on the top edge of siding along the gable ends. Continue the siding up to the soffits.
5. 8-ft. siding should cover the floor plywood by about 1/2″ along the side walls .To make the siding cover the floor frame make use of 4 × 9’ sheets.

Step #7: Constructing & Setting Up the Doors

1. Cut out out the bottom plate for the shed’s door from the opening cut out in the shed wall.
2. Cut out the pieces for the door frame of size 3/4″ × 4 1/2″. Cut the head jamb of size 61 1/4″ and the side jambs of 81 7/8″. Secure the frame by connecting the head jamb to the side jambs using 2 1/2″ deck screws.
3. Cut out 1 × 2 stops and set them up inside the jambs using 1 1/4″ deck screws. If the doors must swing outside, set the stops about 2 1/4″ from the outer edges of the frame or if they need to swing inside, set the stops about 2 1/4″ from the inside edges.
4. Setup the door frame inside the opening, with 10d casing nails and shims. Ensure that the frame is plumb and square.
5. Cut out 12 pieces of 1 × 6 tongue and groove boards of 81 3/4″.
6. For each of the doors, fix together 6 boards making their ends level, and mark the two end boards for trimming thus making the total width as 30″. Finally trim the end boards.
7. Cut out the Z-brace boards referring to the door elevations details in the shed blueprints. Lay down  the doors onto a flat surface and secure the brace boards with l 1/4″ wood screws and adhesive.
8. Setup the hinges and suspend the door with shims for setting the gaps along the bottom and top of each door.
9. Setup flashing over the door, and then nail the siding. Finally setup the 1 × 4 door trim, with 8d finish nails.
10. Using pairs of tapered shims square and level the door frame into the opening.
11. Attach the window frames with screws. Add a 2 × 4 mullion to the center of the side window frame.

Step #8: Making the Windows & Trim

Note: If you have purchased pre-hung windows, then set them up using the manufacturer’s instruction. For building your own windows, follow these directions.

1. For every window, cut a 3/4″ × 4 1/4″ frame stock forming a rectangular frame of outer dimensions which are 1/2″ smaller and narrower than the opening. Fix the frame using 2 1/2″ deck screws. Cut out and setup a 2 × 4 mullion to the center of the frame for building the side-wall window.
2. Setup every window frame in its opening, with shims and a spirit level making sure that the frame is square and level and the jambs are properly straight. secure the frame using 10d  nails.
3. Cut out 1 × 2 stops. Shape a bevel on the outer sill stops referring to the window jamb detail in the shed blueprints. Attach the inner stops using 6d nails.
4. Setup the glass and outer stops, fix glazing tape to the stops on either side of the glass. Setup the 1 × 4 window trim.
5. Setup the horizontal 1 × 4 trim as seen in the elevations. Secure the trim with 8d nails.
6. Setup the 1 × 4 corner trim and make it square with the horizontal trim and extend it to the bottom edges of the siding.
7. Caulk on the trim joints, where the trim meets with the siding, and around the window and door trim.

Step #9: Constructing the Ramp

1. Find the best slope for building the ramp with boards or plywood fixed on the ground and the shed floor. Mark off the ground to visualize the end of the ramp.
2. Cut out two 2 × 8 pads for the full width of the ramp.
3. Calculate the distance from the ground to the floor; and minus 2″ from it for getting the height of the tapered stringers.
4. Utilize the ground marking for finding the length of the stringers and consider the 1 1/2″ thickness of the decking in the measurement. Cut out the tapered stringers out of 2 × 8 timber  one for every end and one for each 16″ in between.
5. Fix the pads with the stringers with 16d nails connecting the bottom faces of the pads with the stringers.
6. Cut out 2 × 4s for the ramp decking depending on the measurement of the sloping sides of the stringers. Keep a 1/8″ gap in between the decking boards and measure the required number.
7. Secure the decking boards with the supports using 16d nails, keeping a 1/8″ gap in between boards.
8. Setup the ramp in position with the shed and secure it to the end stringers and the top board using 3 1/2″ deck screws.
9. Construct the ramp using pressure-treated 2 × 8s and 2 × 4s (or a custom size)