Build a backyard playhouse

A small freestanding playhouse on skids. An honest weekend and then some, and a lumber load that needs a truck.

This one needs a trailer

About 1328 lb of materials. That is more than one pickup load — your shopper will need a trailer, and may make 2 trips. The rental is $35.00, it goes to them in full, and we take nothing from it. Only shoppers who can tow will see the run. ⚠️ 3 items on the list have no weight on file, so the real load is a little heavier than this.

Before you start

Call 811 before you dig or drive anchors. Sand every edge and corner, and keep pressure-treated wood to the skids and floor frame where kids do not chew or grab; walls, sills and door are plain lumber. Anchor it so it cannot tip in a storm, leave the windows open rather than glazed, and wear eye protection on the saw. The sheets are heavy, so lift with a helper.

What to buy — untick anything you have

Lumber

2 Pressure-treated 4×4, 8 ft
5 Pressure-treated 2×6, 8 ft
1 Exterior plywood, 3/4 in, 4×8 sheetAsk the cut station to cut it to 4×6 ft.
32 Kiln-dried 2×4, 8 ftNot pressure-treated. Sight down each one and reject anything twisted.
5 Plywood siding panel, 4×8T1-11 or similar grooved siding. This is more than one pickup load with the rest, so ask about store delivery.
2 Exterior plywood, 1/2 in, 4×8 sheet

Hardware

4 Corrugated polycarbonate panel, 26 in × 8 ft
1 pack of foam closure strips for the panels
1 pack of panel screws with sealing washers
1 box of exterior screws, 3 in, 5 lb box
1 box of exterior screws, 2 in
1 pair of heavy T-hinges
1 kit of shed anchor kitThe auger type that screws into the ground, with straps or cable.

Stone

6 bags of paver base gravel, 0.5 cu ft

Paint

1 gallon of exterior paint and primer

Supplies

1 pack of sanding discs, 80 and 120 grit

Tools — already ticked off, since most people have them

Tools

1 Circular saw· most people have this
1 Cordless drill· most people have this
1 Jigsaw· most people have this
1 Random orbit sander· most people have this
1 4 ft level· most people have this
1 Speed square and tape measure· most people have this
1 Flat shovel· most people have this
1 Step ladder· most people have this

It lands in the shopping form, where you can edit anything and say what you think each thing costs. Nothing is ordered until you send it.

How it goes · about two weekends · confident

Call 811 before you dig or screw anchors into the ground. Pick a flat spot away from fences and trees, and check whether your HOA or city has rules on backyard structures.
Scrape two shallow strips for the skids, fill them with gravel, tamp it, and set the skids level on it.
Build the 4×6 ft floor frame on the skids, check it is square by measuring the diagonals, and screw the plywood floor down.
Frame the four walls flat on the floor, with the back wall a foot shorter than the front so the roof slopes, then stand them up and screw them together.
Screw on the siding, cut out the door and window with the jigsaw, and fit the rafters, roof deck and corrugated panels.
Hang the door on the T-hinges, sand every edge a kid can reach, and paint the outside.
Strap it to the shed anchors so wind cannot tip it.