Lean To Shed Attached To Garage (Great Value For Money!)

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If you have a yard then you just need to have a shed. Now you may have one which is right at the end of the lot. Possibly it is pretty old and needs some serious repairs. Alternatively, you might be cramming all your gardening equipment & supplies in your already overcrowded garage. Time to make or buy a Lean To Shed Attached To Garage!

Lean To Shed Attached To Garage vs Free Standing Shed

A Lean To Shed Attached To Garage is certainly different from a stand alone or a free standing shed that you may be used to or see in the neighborhood. The obvious differences are that a lean-to shed will be

• Attached to an existing larger structure such as the house or the garage
• Using a wall of the house or garage for structural support
• Having a sloping roof to one side

A lean-to shed may be partially open, whereas a free standing shed is generally fully enclosed with a door (and maybe even windows).

Quite often a garage will have a concrete apron all around it. In that case the lean to shed attached to the garage will not need a separate concrete slab to sit on.

Typically a lean to shed attached to the garage will be smaller in size than a free standing shed in the yard. So it is only suitable for a house that has a small or medium sized yard or garden. If you have a pretty big yard and use a riding lawn mower, for example, then you should definitely build a custom designed free standing garden shed.

Ways to Use a Lean To Shed Attached To Garage

In most homes there are so many things to store that you are always running out of space. Of course, stuff that you need on a daily basis such as food, clothes etc. have the pantry or the closet within the kitchen or the bedroom.

Stuff that you use less frequently, such as heavy winter clothes, outdoor sports gear, power tools etc. find a place in the attic, basement or the garage.

But what do you do with yard equipment such as lawn mowers & rakes and gardening tools & supplies. It is not convenient to keep them in the house for sure (unless they are really small like clippers). So either they end up in the garage or just lie around somewhere (maybe on the porch).

So this is where the “shed” comes in. It is a covered place to keep and store the stuff that you use in the yard or the garden. Some folks make their free standing shed big enough to even allow space for a workshop or even a man cave.

Since the Lean To Shed Attached To Garage is usually not too big, it is primarily to store gardening tools & supplies. It keeps the clutter away from the garage. Moreover, you do not need to open the garage every time you want to do a bit of gardening or rake the leaves.

Actually it makes a lot of sense to keep your gardening tools & supplies out of the garage. If the tools have not been cleaned thoroughly then they may bring in some pests into the garage. The same can be said for compost fertilizers or wet wood.

Do I need a Permit to Build or Put Up a Shed?

Generally speaking, a planning permission to build a shed is not required as a shed is considered to fall under the permitted development regime.

However, as always, it is best to check with the local building code and the authorities. HOA may have their own rules as well. If a permission is required it will usually concern one or more of the following:

• Distance from the property line
• Height of the shed
• Area of the shed
• Utilities to be put in the shed

Just as an example, The Rules of the City of New York §101-14, do not require you to get a permit, if the shed is 120 square feet or smaller, 7 feet 6 inches or shorter, more than 3 feet away from the property line and not permanently fixed to the ground.

Different counties, towns, cities and states, no doubt will have their own rules and regulations.

However, you can be reasonably sure that you will not need a planning permission for a standard sized Lean To Shed Attached To Garage.

What Utilities does a Lean To Shed Attached To Garage Need?

Actually, chances are that you need none. Depending on the size of the Shed you could have lighting and running water.

Since the Lean To Shed is attached to the garage you can very easily share the utilities with the garage.

Running an electrical extension from the garage to the shed and putting in a couple of lights and electrical outlets is a fairly simple DIY job.

If you think this is going to be too much of a hassle, you could just as well ignore it. Chances are you will never use this kind of shed at night. And if you must just use one of those rechargeable battery powered Atomic Beam Lanterns available at BulbHead.

I would certainly not want running water in the lean to, as the space is small and running water will just make it messy. However, I would seriously consider a wash area outside the shed. The fresh water can come from garage plumbing.

This would be super useful for washing off the mud and other muck from all the garden tools before storing them. You could use it to clean up your shoes and hands as well. The waste water (basically just muddy water) can flow into a flower bed or into the storm water drain.

Lean To Shed Attached To Garage (Buy or Build?)

You have three options

• Build from scratch – cheapest but needs a lot of elbow grease
• Build using a DIY Kit – moderate price with some easy assembly
• Buy Pre fabricated – reasonably priced with virtually no work required

Let me take you quickly through all the three options:

Build From Scratch

It will help a lot if the wall against which you are planning to build the lean to shed is strong and sturdy and without any windows or other openings. It also will be super helpful if there is a garage concrete apron which is 3-4 feet wide.

It is up to you, but a lean to shed that is 8′ (L) X 4′ (W) X 7′ (H) should be quite appropriate. Remember that the roof will be sloping away from the garage wall so that end may be 7′ 6″ (H).

Build an A-frame using 2 X 4 wood studs for the three walls of the shed. Make sure to leave space for the door opening on one of the shorter walls. Check out my earlier blog post for more information on Garage Wall Studs (6 Important Things You Need To Know!).

For wall sheathing, OSB or Plywood will be a good choice. Go for Exterior grade Plywood if it rains a lot in your area. Alternatively you can opt for Fiber Cement Board, which is a lot more durable.

Assemble from a DIY Kit

There are several options available on Amazon or other online retailers such as Home Depot or Lowes.

I think Arrow Shed 4′ x 7′ Yardsaver Compact Galvanized Steel Storage Shed with Pent Roof from Amazon is reasonably priced and great value for money.

The compact and economical Arrow Yardsaver Pent Roof Galvanized Steel 4′ x 7′ Storage Shed provides convenient storage and easily fits along the side of your garage.

Equipped with 62 inch walls for increased storage, the outdoor metal shed is ideal for storing lawn equipment, pool accessories, trash containers, firewood, and bicycles.

The metal shed is constructed of electro-galvanized steel and is treated with zinc for strong resistance to corrosion and rust. With UV resistant steel panels, your shed is protected against rotting, insects, and extreme weather conditions.

The sloped steel roof is designed to reduce the pooling of water and provides easy storage of tall outdoor products, garden equipment, and garden and yard storage.

The shed includes double swing doors that provide easy entry and removal of items. The doors are also pad-lockable and can mount on either 4-foot end for easy entry and exit (padlock not included).

With the neutral exterior palette of eggshell, the Yardsaver garden shed complements a variety of home exteriors and lawns.

Easy to assemble and comes with pre-cut and pre-drilled parts. The Arrow Yardsaver Shed can be placed directly on the ground, wood platform, or concrete slab.

An anchoring kit to help protect from strong winds and wind damage (sold separately) is highly recommended. Floor kits can also be purchased separately. The shed comes with a 12-year limited warranty.

Buy Pre Fabricated Shed

If you want something that requires no assembly at all then you will have to settle for something really small. It will be more like an outdoor waist high cupboard really. Useful if you plan to keep your trash cans or some of your BBQ utensils but not adequate as a garden or tool shed.

But you can still go for a spacious shed made of vinyl, PVC or polypropylene which is large enough and requires almost no assembly. Check out KETER Manor 6×8 Resin Outdoor Storage Shed Kit-Perfect to Store Patio Furniture, Garden Tools Bike Accessories, Beach Chairs and Lawn Mower, Grey & White from Amazon.

It is designed in a manner that it can be used as a free standing garden shed or placed against a garage wall.

Lawn mower, garden tools, extra hoses, fertilizer bags and those leftover bricks from your patio project. . . what do all of these items have in common? They’re all cluttering up your basement or your garage and you’re tired of dragging them out into the yard every time you need to use them.

The solution to your problem just might be the Manor 6 x 8 outdoor storage shed from Keter Plastic.

The shed is made from polypropylene resin plastic & steel reinforcement to ensure its durability. This tough plastic shed won’t ever rot, peel, or dent, weather-resistant, waterproof and UV protected, unlike its wooden and metal competitors. Furthermore, the double door at the front of the shed makes it easy to get big items in and out of the shed without strain or hassle.

• External dimensions: 73. 1 in. W x 93. 2 in. D x 89. 4 in. H
• Internal dimensions: 66. 5 in. W x 87. 4 in. D x 86. 5 in. H
• Storage capacity: 291 cu. ft.

The shed is roomy enough to fit your garden supplies, tools and other odds and ends that might be lying around your yard. The shed also has a fixed window on the side and a ventilation vent at its peak. These features prevent the shed from becoming too musty during hot or wet weather.

The Manor shed is easy to assemble. What’s more, once you’ve gotten it assembled, you won’t have to do anything to maintain it. Use your garage for parking, not storage.

Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and useful.