Concrete foundation

[AAA]

How expensive is to hire someone to build a concrete slab foundation for a medium-size shed? What is the level of difficulty to DIY? Does anyone have any experiences to share? Thanks.

[TrevorK]

I think your biggest challenge to having someone do it isn't price, it's whether they would be willing to take on such a small job.

In Alberta it's difficult to find trades for such small jobs, they just flat out refuse them because it's not worth your time. If this is the case where you live (And with Canada's unemployment so low chances are it is) you may wish to just rent the mixer and do it yourself.

You could also change your plans and do it the old fashioned way - place your shed on top of railroad ties and use a wood floor (that isn't touched soil or anything wet).

[Techhead]

I have to agree with TrevorK. To have anything less than 4yards is not worth the companies time. I had one a few years ago. 10' x 10' = slighty over a yard of concrete.

On the other hand if you don't mind some hard labour, DIY. gather a few buddies, wobbly pops.

First figure out how many bags of crete and mix you will need.

Build a frame for your foundation, 4" deep is good after you put down about 2" of stone.
Rent a mixer.

and have fun..

[AAA]

Thank you, techhead and TrevorK.
I've never done any concrete work and am quite worried about bad outcome.
Let's see other optons, is stones/bricks better, stronger for the shed or wood?
Do we need to put posts down with concrete like fence and deck?
Also, does HD sell railroad ties? Where is the place to pick up railroad ties?

[sunnybono]

No matter what you lay down, whether it be bricks, concrete or even those 2x2 concrete patio slabs, it's what's underneath, your base, that will make a huge difference!!!!

sk

[TrevorK]

Thank you, techhead and TrevorK.
I've never done any concrete work and am quite worried about bad outcome.
Let's see other optons, is stones/bricks better, stronger for the shed or wood?
Do we need to put posts down with concrete like fence and deck?
Also, does HD sell railroad ties? Where is the place to pick up railroad ties?

For a DIY'er many just opt to lay down the railroad ties (you could also use PT wood I guess?) right over top of the grass/dirt/etc... Even though the wood is in direct contact with moisture it should last decades before it needs replacement. The wood lays horizontally on the ground, so there is no need for any concrete work.

If you want to go the extra mile you could do a bed of gravel to allow for drainage and take away the wood being directly on a moist surface, however it would not be needed.


You could use brick/stone/cinder blocks in place of wood if you want. One advantage to wood is that it makes it very easy to slide the deck around if you need to move it in the future.


Many people opt to over engineer their sheds. Take a step back, look at what you potentially will use it for. Once you realize it's just there to stores garden tools and the lawn mower, you'll understand that it doesn't need to be structed the same way a house or deck needs to be. Unless you plan on having a party in your shed it has no need to support 2000-3000 pounds, so why build it as such?

Doing things right does not just mean take the minimum and add 10 times the strength. Doing it right means analyzing your current needs, future needs, adding in a little extra and building it as such.

[Drthorne]

I built a 12 X 8 shed last year and made the floor frame from 2 X 6 pt wood sitting on those precast deck blocks. Then layed 3/4" exterior plywood over top. I find the 6" floor height above ground keeps the water and snow out

[CowDoc]

I've run into a bit of a bind. I'm building a shop/shed in my backyard and the building inspector has just told me that I need an engineer's stab b/c it is >28ft x 28ft. The shed measures 40x30 and I was planning on a floating slab like design to save on the cost of footings. Does anyone have any contacts that I could get a floating slab drawing/stamp in Canada? The space does not have radiant in floor heating if that matters.

k doc

[Drthorne]

Home Hardware has pre-engineered shed/ garage packages that are stamped. I'm not sure if it includes the floor/ foundation

[CowDoc]

Home Hardware has pre-engineered shed/ garage packages that are stamped. I'm not sure if it includes the floor/ foundation

Thanks Drthorne, it is a pre-ingineered shed, has anyone heard of www.floatingslab.com ?? Their rate is only $250 for a garage slab and I'm wondering if this is accurate. The quote I got from another engineer was over $750! Has anyone ever used them before and have any comments about their service - good or bad.

Thanks in advance,

k doc

[Mattones]

Easy.

-Mark where you want it.
-Dig 5'' down.
-Buy 2x8 or 2x10 and nail it together to create a square or how ever you want it.
-Make sure its fairly squared up and LEVEL!
-Support the 2x8 or 2x10 for back up if the nails start pulling out.
-if you wish you can dig an inch deeper and lay gravel 1'' thick along the bottom before you poor it.

When its poured take a straight 2x4 or 2x6 one person on each side of the foundation and use it like a saw moving slowly forward so it levels the concrete out. Just make sure you dont keep pushing towards the front. work your way move it back and fourth while slowly working your way across.

Thats how I have done it for many of the sheds I have built.

Hope that makes sense haha

[CowDoc]

I just thought I would post a response / review / testimonial of www.floatingslab.com .

So I contacted the engineer on Friday, downloaded the slab design form. Filled out the info like size, siding material (in my case brick veneer), emailed it back to the engineer and today presto - I have the drawings --> sent to the city department and we can start ASAP. I would totally use them again and would encourage anyone to use them in the future. I got 2 stamped drawings via email (digital stamp) and now on to construction And true to his word $250, and not $700 as my second quote was.

Mattones I do need an engineers stamp, this is not a garden shed, and the local bylaws here at least state that I need a stamp.

k doc

[Regin8r]

It is a relatively small job for an 8'x10' pad.

I think I estimated about 30bags of ready mix (about $150), plus rental of the mixer (about $100) and the boards for the form (about $30), plus the gravel delivery (about $110), so about $500 for everything. The price for getting for concrete delivered via a mixing truck was in the $350-400 range for just over a yard. So basically $600 worth of materials instead of $500 with the bags.

Then you have the heavy labour. Just buying 30 bags of cement and bringing it home is tough on the body (I did it many years ago when i was much younger). Then you have to spend the time mixing in the proper ratios. To save $100, you're better off getting the truck. However, than being said, unless the truck can drive to the back, you're gonna have to wheel barrow it from the front to the back (also hard labour).

It was not that I didn't know how to do it since I have done it for the cottage in the past, but I did remember the pain of doing it back then. I was pretty much a vegetable over the next few days because I was so sore.

Our landscaper who does our grass cutting, garden maintenance did it for $1k for a 8'x10'x4" concrete pad with 2 inches of gravel underneath.

They were able to finish it in 1.5 days (.5 day to excavate and build a form, 1 day to have the truck and 2 guys wheelbarrow, with 1 guy leveling). They did it during the weekday when I was at work, and I still had the energy to assemble the resin shed that following weekend.

So for $400-500, I saved my body, my weekend and hired a company.