Most people don't know how to move a large storage shed or garden shed. This may seem like an impossible task, or one that could be very costly if done incorrectly. Some people use 4×4 pickups and drag chains – heck, that can wreak havoc on your shed – not to mention your poor yard! Others suggest rolling sheds with galvanized pipes. That's too much. The truth is, moving the shed with PVC pipe works very well, schedule 40 will do. Plus, it's readily available for most people.
We moved a 12 x 10 shed from one end of the yard to the other, about 50 feet across rough terrain and even around a tree that was in the way. It's quick, easy, and didn't tear anything up in the process.
Table of contents
- required tools
- Move a Shed with PVC Pipes in 6 Easy Steps
- Jack up the shed and insert the PVC pipes
- understand deeper
- Ready to go!
- keep pipes aligned
- final shed positioning
- balance it
- final location
Here's how we moved a shed with PVC pipe (a picture is worth a thousand words, so don't expect us to write everything). This how-to project is best conveyed through photos—we took a bunch of them. We'll outline each necessary step to get you on your way. The first thing you need to do is make sure you have the tools and parts you need to get the job done:
- floor jacks (two will make it easier)
- 8 pieces (or more) of 6" PVC pipe (can be 6-8 feet long)
- Concrete or blocks used as pads
- pressure treated or cedar spacers
- Two 2 x 4 x 12s
- 4 feet horizontal
- 3-4 buddies
Jack up the shed and insert the PVC pipes
The first thing you need to do (after you've emptied the shed and planned your "route") is jack up the shed and run PVC pipes under the entire structure. For the purposes of this article, we'll assume you know how to use a floor jack safely:
To raise the shed, use a floor jack. You don't have to use a high tech NASCAR style jack like we do, any old 2 ton jack will work just fine. Bottle jacks may come in handy for this project, however, they require extra clearance that floor jacks do not.
understand deeper
The only thing that might be tricky in the first step is understanding how the joists run under the shed floor. Our shed has floor joists that run parallel to the PVC pipes, and they all sit on a couple of large 4×4 posts. It's those posts we keep on top of the PVC pipes. If your shed is aligned the other way around, just insert your own 2x4s over the PVC and through the supporting 4×4 posts so you can roll in the correct direction. We actually only did it towards the end because we had to shift gears and push the shed back into place.
Ready to go!
Once the 6" PVC pipe is under the shed, you can start rolling. Remember the idea is to hang the shed slightly over the PVC pipe and roll it gently as you go, when the shed rolls off the back tube you just bring them to the front and keep rolling. But if you're anything like us, you might need to tweak to get around some roadblocks.
Luckily, we need to go around a tree that is in the way. To do this we simply push the shed in the corner to twist it – it slides easily on the smooth plastic PVC.
keep pipes aligned
After twisting, we realigned the PVC so that it rolled in the correct direction again. After clearing the obstacle, we realigned it and pushed it straight through.
The PVC pipe never showed any signs of straining or collapsing. Those recommending 3 or 4 inch galvanized pipe obviously like to spend money, or maybe have some to spare. If you only have 4 inches of PVC pipe lying around (6 inches, you might have to borrow some from your friendly neighborhood builder) you can use that, it just takes pushing harder and using more pipe.
final shed positioning
Once we have the shed all the way across the yard, we need to push it back into place. To do this we can't just rotate the PVC pipes 90 degrees, we also have to give them something to roll around. Since we have two 4×4 brackets, we need to insert a couple of 2×4 brackets on the PVC pipe (which we have now rotated 90º to roll the shed back into place). This is where you will again need to use a good floor jack.
balance it
Once the shed is in place, use a level to determine how you need to support it. Pad any uneven areas with pressure-treated wood or cedar spacers.
final location
Here is a photo of the shed in its final position, filled and braced. This took us about an hour to complete once we had the hurricane straps loosened from the bottom of the shed and were ready to start. Probably the hardest part was securing the PVC – it took a few friends to help provide enough strength to move the shed. It's something novices can do, and it's a safe, easy and convenient way to relocate any shed with an integrated floor.
