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Where Should You Put a Shed in Your Backyard? Drainage First

Pick the driest, most level spot you can reach with a barrow, keep it clear of boundaries and trees, and check the rules before the base goes down.

By Zakaria 3 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A grey painted timber garden shed with a bench against it, surrounded by shrubs
Photo: Antranias, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
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Driest, most level ground you can reach with a barrow. Drainage decides a shed’s life more than anything else — wet ground rots it from the floor up however well it is built. Then access, boundaries and trees.

Work through it in this order

This table answers the question on its own
ConsiderationWhat to look for
1. DrainageThe driest ground you have. Avoid hollows and the bottom of a slope
2. LevelLess excavation, cheaper base, door that still shuts in five years
3. AccessA barrow or a mower has to get in and out, loaded
4. Clearance450–600 mm all round — plus any local boundary minimum
5. TreesOutside the canopy, not just clear of the trunk
6. LightEast or south-facing door dries fastest
7. RulesHeight, footprint, boundary distance, front-of-house position

Never tight against a fence

It is the commonest regret. Without a gap you cannot treat the cladding, clear leaves or reach a failed panel, damp is trapped between the two, and the hidden side rots first — usually unnoticed until it is structural.

Why not under a tree

  • Leaves and sap on the roof, holding moisture
  • Dripping long after the rain stops, which keeps everything damp and mossy
  • Falling limbs onto a lightweight roof
  • Roots make a level base harder now and lift it later

Keep outside the canopy, not merely clear of the trunk.

The base

A level, free-draining base holding the timber off the ground: a concrete slab, paving slabs on compacted hardcore, or a timber or plastic grid base on gravel.

Same size as the shed, or slightly smaller

A base that overhangs collects water at the edges and runs it back against the walls, which is exactly what you were trying to avoid. The floor should sit clear of the surrounding soil.

Permission

Usual triggers are height, footprint, distance from a boundary, and position relative to the front of the house. Many places allow a modest shed without permission but cap eaves height, overall height and how much of the garden it covers. Listed buildings, conservation areas and covenants add more. Ask the local authority first — moving a shed is easy, moving its base is not.

Common questions

Where should you put a shed in your backyard?

On the driest, most level ground you can reach easily with a wheelbarrow, clear of boundaries, trees and anything that drips. Drainage is the first consideration because a shed on ground that stays wet rots from the floor up regardless of how well it is built, and that is the failure that ends most sheds. After drainage, think about access for getting a mower in and out, distance from fences and the house, and whether the position suits how the door opens.

How far should a shed be from a fence?

Leave enough space to walk round it, which in practice means at least 450 to 600 mm on every side. That gap lets you treat the cladding, clear leaves, and reach the back when a panel needs replacing, and it stops damp being trapped between the shed and the fence. Local rules often also set a minimum distance from a boundary, sometimes one metre, and building right up against a fence is a common regret because the hidden side rots first.

Which direction should a shed face?

Face the door toward the house or the main path, because the route you take with your hands full decides how usable the shed is. Where there is a choice, an east or south-facing door gets morning light and dries faster after rain, while a north-facing one stays damp. If the shed has a window and you intend to work in it, orient that for light rather than orienting the door for looks.

Should a shed go under a tree?

No, if it can be avoided. Overhanging branches drop leaves and sap onto the roof, keep the structure permanently damp, drip long after the rain stops and encourage moss, and falling limbs are a real risk with a lightweight roof. Roots also make a level base harder to build and can lift it later. If a tree is unavoidable, keep well outside the canopy rather than just clear of the trunk.

Do I need permission to put up a shed?

It depends where you are, and the usual triggers are height, footprint, proximity to a boundary and position relative to the front of the house. Many jurisdictions allow a modest shed without permission but set limits on eaves height, overall height, how much of the garden it covers and how close it sits to a boundary. Listed buildings, conservation areas and covenants add further restrictions, so check with the local authority before the base goes down rather than after.

What should the shed sit on?

A level, free-draining base that holds the timber off the ground — a concrete slab, paving slabs on compacted hardcore, or a timber or plastic grid base on gravel. The base should be the same size as the shed or very slightly smaller, so water runs off rather than pooling against the walls, and the floor should sit clear of the surrounding soil. A base that is too large collects water at the edges and defeats the point.

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