How to Build a Shed With a Sloped Roof

You can put up wood slats for walls on a sloped roof shed.

Sheds that do not have sides are good for storing and drying wood, storing lawn care equipment like snow blowers and lawn mowers and storing children’s bikes and other outdoor toys. The purpose of the sloped roof is to keep the space small and in colder climates keep the weight of snow from getting too heavy.

1. Determine the size of the shed. For this project, the dimensions are 9 feet by 5 feet. The measurement of building lumber is true lengths. True lengths start at 8 feet and increase by 2 feet increments. Square-beam widths are in nominal measurements in 2-inch increments ranging from 4 to 8 inches. A 9 feet by 5 feet shed takes 12 square boards.

2. Dig out the sod from the area where you want the shed. You will dig up at least 6 inches of topsoil. Make sure you see the light-colored subsoil before you stop digging. The shed is 9 feet by 5 feet, so dig that measurement out. The inside of this size shed measures 8 feet by 4 feet.

3. Level the surface as flat as you can by tamping. Use a commercial motorized tamp, which pounds a surface flat mechanically. Remember you aren’t going to get it perfect; do the best you can. The loose soil will settle and there are going to be dips in the shed floor.

4. Fill the dug out area with 2 inches of crushed rock. Tamp the rock with a commercial tamp, getting it as flat as possible. Lay the ground timbers down in a “U” shape leaving one side of the rectangle open. Make sure you purchase .40 CCA ground timbers; this timber is for outdoor flooring. The ground timbers are 8 feet and 4 feet beams. The bottom of the “U” is 8 feet and the sides of the "U" are 4 feet. Use a framing square to make sure the angles of the “U” are 90 degrees. Pound the timbers 2 inches into the crushed rock with a long board. Use a spirit level on top of the timber to ensure the ground timbers are level. Fasten the angles together with lag screws. Lag screws are coarse threaded fasteners with square heads. Use a ratchet wrench to tighten them.

5. Construct the lintel frames. The lintel frames are two upside down “U” shapes just like you did with the ground timbers in Step 4. The measurement for the lintel frame is 6 ½ feet by 5 feet. Place diagonal braces creating a 90 degree triangle at the corners of the “U” in the lintel frame. Prop the lintel frames up against the corners of the ground timbers. Temporarily attach the lintel frame with braces to the ground timbers. The floor and side wall frames of the shed are now constructed, but not assembled permanently.

6. Cut with a table saw 5 upside down “V” shaped rafters. Use a miter set at a 45 degree angle, creating a “V” at the end of the beams. Screw the angles cut on the beams together with lag screws. This forms the rafter that sits on top of the lintel frames. The rear of each rafter must extend 4 inches beyond the lintel frame. Cut the rafter beams from 4-inch square stock timber. The measurement of the front beam is 1 feet by 6 inches and the rear beam is 5 feet by 6 inches.

7. Assemble the frame of the shed. Use lag screws and ratchet them through the timber of the lentil frame and into the ground timber. Use 3-inch galvanized nails to hammer the joints together. Remove the braces propping up the lintel frames. Attach the rafters to the lintel frames with lag screws. Use lag screws because you don’t want the sloped roof of the shed to blow off in a storm.

8. Select sheet metal roofing since it requires no cutting. Fasten the metal roofing right to the rafters and beams with drywall screws. Screw the roofing material into the exterior side of the sloped roof of the shed. The approximate square foot measurement of the sloped roof is 50 square feet of area.