Build a gravel pad for a shed

A framed, level gravel base for a shed kit. The shed is only as straight as what it sits on.

How big is the pad?

square feet

This one needs a trailer

About 4321 lb of materials. That is more than one pickup load — your shopper will need a trailer, and may make 6 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. ⚠️ 2 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 digging — it is free and takes a couple of days. A pad this size is thousands of pounds of stone; use the wheelbarrow, take breaks, and never lift a 4×6 alone.

What to buy — untick anything you have

Stone

80 bags of paver base gravel, 0.5 cu ftThis is about two tons. A landscape supply yard sells crushed stone by the ton and delivers; 80 bags is several truckloads.

Lumber

6 Pressure-treated 4×6, 8 ft, ground contactThe tag must say ground contact. These are heavy — pickup only.

Hardware

8 Rebar stake, 18 in
1 box of galvanized spikes, 10 in (5 lb)
1 roll of landscape fabric, 4 × 50 ft

Tools — already ticked off, since most people have them

Tools

1 Plate compactor
1 Drill bit, 1/2 × 12 in
1 Corded or cordless drill· most people have this
1 Sledgehammer· most people have this
1 4 ft level· most people have this
1 Landscape rake· 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 a weekend · some experience

Mark a pad 1 ft bigger than the shed on every side and check your city and HOA rules on where a shed can sit.
Strip the grass and dig the high side down until the whole pad can be level.
Lay the 4×6 frame, level it corner to corner, drill through near each corner, and drive the rebar stakes into the ground.
Spike the corners together, lay the fabric inside, and fill with gravel in two layers, compacting each one.
Screed the top flat with a straight board across the frame, and check it with the level in every direction before the shed goes on.