Building a Shed (Taunton's Build Like a Pro)

Bought this book partly to save money on a shed by making my own, and partly to have a fun activity to learn to build (and then build) a shed with my children. The author's writing style flows really well and makes what could have been a boring instructional book into what's genuinely a really good read. I love all of the detail, and the explanations of why to pick different designs or approaches for each step of the shed-building process are detailed and incredibly helpful.

I needed a shed of 12 x 16' dimensions. I looked at the many pre-built or build-on-site local offerings but was not impressed by the quality of materials and/or craftsmanship. I had never constructed a building but decided I could do at least as well as the thrown together sheds I looked at. I bought a few sets of plans and read much about shed building but still wasn't completely comfortable since I had trouble putting all of the pieces together in my mind. I decided that this book might fill in the gaps and it definitely did that plus more.A picture is worth a thousand words and this book has many pictures, so I guess it equals thousands of words about shed building. I did not follow any specific plan from the book but used it as a guide to develop my own plan. With the information provided I felt confident that I could not only build the shed but it would be done well.My shed has been completed and it turned out nice looking and sturdy (to toot my horn), and it is way better than the sheds that many of my neighbors had put up. Of course, those sheds went up in less than one day while mine took months doing it solo. But I'm pleased with the outcome and this book was extremely useful to me as a guide.

Definately worth the two bucks I paid for mine used. Alot of good info in here to set you straight on how to build a shed or outbuilding. Well put together information. Some of the featured projects are definately not for beginners. I would have liked to see a little more detail on some aspects of framing and roof sheathing, but I guess there had to be limit on some specifics in order to get every thing between the covers. I'm a mechanic, not a builder, so some carpentry calculations are a little fuzzy for me. I would most certainly recommend this book, but I'm going to get another that stays with one or two simple designs step-by step, right down to what size nail to use, and how to lay the roof sheathing . I used to know a carpenter who could build a shed with a gambrel roof without a second thought. It just came natural to him. I would say that this book is not really a beginner book, more beginner/intermediate level Again, still a very good book, especially if looks are important.

If you have basic hand skills you can legitimately build a shed by carefully following the instructions for one of the examples. If you are freestyling, you will probably save a mistake or two by reading through a few chapters relating to your specific plan. The instructions are clear, well ordered, and have enough photos for clarity with brevity.

I thought the book was for beginners...either I am totally worthless when it comes to shed building or it was totally over my head--or possibly both. I ended up paying a guy to build my shed (he builds sheds on the side). He did a great job for a price that was only a little more than I would have paid in materials and the headache of doing it myself. Have been trying to sell the book on craigslist for $5 but have gotten no interest:-/

This book tells you the basics of what you need to know to build a basic shed with dimensional lumber. It covers a lot from how to avoid code violations, choose the best location, make the foundation, make the framework/walls/rafters, put on the roof, build and install windows and door to selecting the exterior cladding. Even if you never do the building yourself, this book will tell you what you should know about choosing a builder and what you should and should not see during the construction process if you have hired someone to build a shed for you. This book does not include a detailed plan and materials list for building a specific shed.

This book is a good resource. It does not have plans, so if that's what you're looking for don't bother with this book. What this book does have is a lot of great information on the building of sheds, design ideas, building options, etc. The author goes through the steps to build a foundation, framing, roof, even ideas on internal storage and external finishes. The text is easy to follow and understand. There are many sidebars that give tips and advice which most laymen probably wouldn't have considered. The photographs are great quality too. This is a great book and I'd recommend it highly for anyone needing or interested in building a shed.

I will be using this to build a 10ft by 12ft gamble roofed shed in my garden. As I have built one in the past, I know a bit about the process. The most important part of building a shed is the foundation. Once that is completed,the rest is fairly easy. The only reason this book gets 4 stars is I don't think it has enough good photos on that part of the process. It also does not go into detail on the reasons for the initial placement of the 4 corner posts on a pier and beam foundation.