How To Build a Pallet Wood Shed

Building a pallet wood shed is a great way to store firewood, garden tools, and other lawn equipment. Pallets are often available from local businesses for free or at a low cost. This DIY project is cheap, eco-friendly, and can be finished in a weekend with some basic skills. If you’re unsure about a pallet wood shed, check out some other shed design ideas.

This article will guide you through each step of building a pallet wood shed, from the materials to the finishing touches.

Tools

First, gather the tools for the project and set up your workspace. Here’s what you’ll need:

Shed Building Materials

You’ll also need the following materials:

• Nine 48-inch by 40-inch pallets in good condition, stained to preserve the wood
• Four 4-inch by 4-inch by 10-foot pressure-treated posts
• Six 2-inch by 4-inch by 8-foot pressure-treated boards for rafters
• Three 1-inch by 4-inch by 10-foot pressure-treated boards for purlins and joiners
• Four 2-inch by 4-inch by 8-foot boards for bracing
• Two 26-inch by 10-foot sheets of galvanized roofing metal
• Six galvanized rafter ties
• Box of 3-inch deck screws
• Box of 11/2-inch metal roofing screws
• Four wooden stakes
• Fast-drying concrete mix
• A can of brightly colored spray paint

Pro Tip: Tom Silva recommends having two drill/drivers on hand for any building project: “One for drilling holes. So you don’t have to change the bit and the other for screwing in a screw. So it saves a lot of time.” This is especially useful when working with pallet wood, where you’ll be pre-drilling and driving screws constantly.

Steps for Building a Pallet Wood Shed

The standard size of a pallet is 48 inches by 40 inches. For this wood shed build, we’ll use nine pallets to create a structure that is 4 feet deep by 6.5 feet wide.

Step 1: Choose a Location

Choose a flat, level area of your yard or grade the area by removing soil with a shovel. Save any removed topsoil to use around your property or add to your compost.

Pro Tip: Before you break ground, check your local zoning requirements for setback distances. On one Ask This Old House project in Detroit, Mark confirmed a 5-foot offset from the neighbor’s property line — “the distance required between a structure and the property line.” Requirements vary by municipality, so call your local building department or check your town’s zoning bylaws before choosing your final location.

Once the area is graded, lay landscape fabric over the exposed soil before adding gravel. As Mark explains in a shed build on Ask This Old House: “We want a barrier between the soil and the gravel. It’s gonna help with weed control.” This simple step prevents weeds from growing up through your base and keeps the gravel from migrating into the soil over time.

Step 2: Assembling the pallets

1. Cut one of your 1-by-4-inch pieces of lumber into ten 1-foot-long pieces to use as joiners for your pallets.
2. Join two pallets along the 48-inch side to create your floor by screwing two of your joiner pieces where they meet.
3. When done, the floor will measure 48 inches by 80 inches.
4. Using a circular saw, cut one of the pallets in half, creating two halves measuring 24 inches by 40 inches.
5. Join these halves to two of the other pallets to create two wall pieces measuring 40 inches by 72 inches. These pieces will make the back wall.
6. Using your circular saw, cut a 32-inch section off two other pallets to create two pieces measuring 32 inches by 48 inches.
7. Join these pieces to two separate pallets along the 48-inch length. These will be your two side walls.

Pro Tip: When cutting pallets with a circular saw, keep in mind that the blade won’t cut all the way through thicker timbers. As TOH general contractor Roger Cook explains, “You have to mark it on three sides, flip it over, connect it, make your cut on one side, flip it over and cut the other.” This two-pass technique ensures clean, accurate cuts on dense pallet lumber.

Step 3: Setting your posts

1. Before digging the holes for your posts, consult your local utility company to ensure you won’t damage power, gas, or cable lines.
2. Lay your floor in the area you leveled out.
3. Mark the ground at the corners with brightly colored spray paint.
4. Remove the floor and dig post holes 9 inches in diameter with your post hole digger or an auger.
5. Set the 4-by-4-inch posts in the holes. Have someone hold the post upright while you check for plumb with a level.
6. To accommodate the pitch of the shed roof, set the two posts in the front 12 inches higher than the two posts in the back.
7. Brace each post with a two-by-four by nailing one end to the post and securing the other end with a stake in the ground.
8. Follow the manufacturer’s directions to mix fast-drying cement in a wheelbarrow.
9. Pour it into the holes around the posts to within an inch of the surface. Resist filling it to the top because it expands as it dries.
10. Work up any air bubbles as you pour using a shovel.
11. Allow it to cure for 48 hours.

Step 4: Attaching your walls

1. Once the concrete is set, remove the braces and lay the floor pallets back in place.
2. One by one, screw your wall pieces to the posts using the 3-inch deck screws.
3. Use one of your 1-by-4-inch pieces to join the two pieces of the back wall.
4. Create top sills by setting pressure-treated two-by-fours, cut to length, on edge along the front and rear of the shed.
5. Screw to the posts.

Step 5: Install the rafters and purlins

1. Cut the remaining pressure-treated two-by-fours to the correct length to use as rafters.
2. Using the galvanized roof ties, attach each rafter to the top sills 24 inches apart from the center. The final one will be about 8 inches from the sidewall.
3. Screw the remaining pressure-treated 1-by-4-inch piece to the rafters perpendicular down the middle, dividing the rafters in half as a purlin.
4. If you live in an area with a lot of snow, add additional rafters.

Pro Tip: As TOH general contractor Tom Silva has demonstrated on the show, always make sure your ridge or top beam is perfectly straight before nailing off rafters: “If we nail it with the beam being crooked, it will stay crooked. If we nail it with the beam on the line, it’ll stay straight.” Use a string line along the top sill to check for any bowing before you secure the rafters permanently.

Step 6: Install the roof

1. Use your metal snips to cut the sheet metal panels to length.
2. Lay the pieces on the rafters, overlapping the edges by 2 inches.
3. Screw in place to the rafters and purlin using the roofing screws.
4. You’ll need to cut the final piece to fit the narrower space.

Pallet Wood Shed: Finishing Touches and Optional Features

Add some finishing touches and other features to enhance the appearance, lifespan, and utility of your shed, such as the following:

• Staining and sealing: Apply a wood stain or sealant to all exposed wood surfaces to protect the wood from moisture, UV rays, and pests. Choose a product made for outdoor use and follow the manufacturer’s application instructions.
• Organization: Install shelving, add hooks for hanging tools, or create a workbench along one wall. If you’re using the shed for firewood storage, install a simple rack system to keep logs off the ground and well-ventilated.

Shed Maintenance Tips 

Inspect the shed annually for wear, damage, or pest infestation. Check the roof for leaks or loose panels, especially after severe weather, and repair them. Keep the area around the shed clear of debris and trim any overhanging branches that could fall and damage it. Restain or reseal the wood every few years to protect it from weathering.

Pallet Wood Safety Check: According to This Old House Magazine, when sourcing or replacing pallet wood, always look for an “HT” stamp, indicating the wood was heat-treated during construction to kill microorganisms. Pass on any pallet that’s stained or smells. When sanding during maintenance, wear a mask and goggles, and disinfect planks with equal parts bleach and water — the sanding allows the solution to really soak in.

Pro Tip: When finishing or refinishing your pallet wood shed, Tom Silva of This Old House advises using a finish with built-in sun protection: “You can use a polyurethane or a marine finish, but make sure it has a UV protector in it.” This is especially important for pallet wood, which tends to be lower-grade and more vulnerable to weathering.

In spots that are particularly hard to maintain or constantly exposed to damp conditions, This Old House Magazine recommends treating the wood with borates for added protection. Also consider using stainless steel fasteners — which don’t corrode — and sealing joints with waterproof adhesives like polyurethane or epoxy to prevent moisture intrusion at vulnerable connection points.