Building a garage or a shed: Size, location, building codes and style

The garage and the shed – also known as a tool shed, outdoor cabana or backyard storage – are very practical, multifunctional spaces; put away Christmas decorations and bicycles, do little projects, park and maintain your car, or store your snowblower, tractor mower or ATV, etc.

Before building a shed or a separate garage on your property, you need to consider certain fundamentals such as location, size and appearance to ensure the structure meets your needs. Continue reading to learn the details that will guide your decisions.

Preliminary verifications

Prior to drawing up plans for your shed or garage, you need to learn your municipality’s bylaws regarding acceptable locations and dimensions (height, width and surface area) for this type of building.

Your city or town will inform you of the distance required between the new structure and your house or property lines. If needed, you can also obtain a building permit from the municipality.

Choosing the location

To choose the ideal location for your garage or shed, we suggest that you study your certificate of location. By knowing your property’s limits, structures, fences, encroachment, and right of ways, you will avoid building in proscribed places.

Basically, think of any obstacles that could hinder the construction of your garage or shed, also consider snow removal and winter access. With this in mind, favour an easily reachable location.

Don’t forget practicality! A shed or a garage in your backyard’s remotest location, may not be ideal to store the snowblower come winter time!

Finally, keep the view in mind – will this new building ruin what was once a beautiful backdrop?

 Soil composition and incline

By choosing Pro Post Foundations’ screw piles for the foundation, you don’t need to consider the composition of the soil or the incline when selecting the location of your new shed or garage.

In fact, screw piles are anchored into the ground below the frost line thanks to a helix plate at the bottom of the shaft. Therefore, they are not affected by ground movements due to the frost and thaw.

Depending on the location, the soil composition and the structure requiring support, different sized piles can be used. To avoid any surprises, the weight capacity of the screw piles is precise and available in the manufacturer’s documentation; the adjustable pile head allows for an accurate adjustment.

In other words, a screw pile is an engineered product that is built according to strict guidelines and in conformity with the National Building Code. Guaranteed durability!

Determine size

To determine the right size garage or shed to build, think of what you want to store in it and what you want to use it for:

• To store your bicycles, tractor mower, lawnmower, snowblower, ATV, etc.?
• To winterize your garden furniture?
• To park your car?
• To do little projects requiring a workbench, storage for tools, etc.?
• What about those bulky items that are currently in your basement?

Answering these questions will help you determine the width of the door.

To get a better idea, don’t hesitate to mark out the dimensions of the planned shed or garage on the ground with a rope; this will allow you to see if all the items you plan to store and the various work zones you have in mind, actually fit.

Don’t forget to leave some space to move around!

Ascertain your needs

Now that you have determined the size of your garage or shed, you need to think of other factors:

• Do you need electrical outlets, a ventilation system, lighting?
• Should you insolate to be able to use it year-round?
• Would a ramp for the mower or snowblower be practical?
• Are you planning to have a water connection?
• What about shelves and hooks?

Think about the look

Generally, your shed or garage should match your home, this ensures that the municipality will give you permission to build. Therefore, you can use any leftover siding and shingles from you house. If not, simplify your shopping trip by bringing samples or the names of the products you need.

In conclusion, building a garage or a shed requires certain considerations: once you have been to the municipality to verify the bylaws, you need to choose the location, determine the appropriate size, think about any necessary equipment depending on your needs, choose the exterior materials and opt for solid foundations that will support heavy loads.

By selecting Pro Post Foundations’ screw piles, which are installed below the frost line by a certified installer and, therefore, not affected by ground movement, you ensure that your new shed or garage will remain stable and level for many, many years!

When it comes to foundations, choose peace of mind!

Certified product, dedicated team, quality work, clean and guaranteed.

Require the PRO, require Pro Post Foundations