Buying Guides · 6 min read
How to Measure Your Garden for a New Shed (Step by Step)
Measure the space, not just the shed. A six-step guide to clearances, heights, delivery access and slopes — so your new shed fits first time.
Measuring Guide
How to Measure Your Garden for a New Shed
Twenty minutes with a tape, some pegs and a ball of string — and the certainty your new building fits, gets delivered, and lasts.
Here's the mistake we've watched people make since 1995: they measure the shed. They find an 8×6 they like, spot an 8×6 gap by the fence, and order. Then there's nowhere to stand to fit the roof, the back wall is jammed against the fence, and the timber that never dries out fails first.
Measure the space, not just the shed. A building needs about 2ft (60cm) of clear working room on every side — for assembly, then for re-coating and gutter-clearing every year after. Tight-to-the-fence installs trap damp and make repairs miserable. Here's how to do it properly.
Measure it properly in six steps
A tape measure, four pegs, a ball of string. That's the kit.
- 1
Measure the plot both ways
Run the tape across the full width and depth of the space — at both ends, because gardens are rarely square. Write down the smaller figure in each direction. That's the number you work from.
Tip: Measure at waist height, not along the ground — fence posts often lean into the garden.
- 2
Subtract your clearances
Knock 2ft (60cm) off every side facing a fence, wall or hedge. What's left is your maximum footprint — the biggest building the space can genuinely take.
Tip: An open lawn side can get away with less — but never shave a fence side. That gap is where you'll stand to re-coat the timber.
- 3
Check your heights
Measure up as well as across: washing lines, branches, cables. Then measure how far the footprint sits from the boundary — that distance decides how tall you're allowed to build.
Careful: Within 2m of a boundary, the whole building must stay under 2.5m to the highest point to remain inside permitted development.
- 4
Walk the delivery route
Panels arrive pre-built, so walk from the kerb to the footprint and measure every pinch point — side gate, alley, doorways, tight corners. The narrowest point must pass the largest panel.
Tip: Measure the gate's clear opening, not the frame — hinges and latches steal an inch or two.
- 5
Peg it out and live with it
Mark the footprint with pegs and string and leave it up for a day or two. Hang the washing. Walk the mower past it. Watch where the shadow falls.
Careful: If the string shades the veg bed, blocks the washing line or sits under a dripping tree, move it now — not after the base is down.
- 6
Remember the overhangs
The size you buy is the wall line. The roof overhangs it by a few inches each side, so check the eaves stay inside your clearances — and, near a boundary, inside your garden.
Tip: Add the overhang to the pegged-out footprint before you sign it off.
Heights, boundaries and the 2.5m rule
Most garden buildings need no planning permission — but within 2m of a boundary the whole building, ridge included, must stay under 2.5m to sit inside permitted development. If your only spot is hard against the fence, the low single-slope profile of our pent sheds solves it. Full rules in our planning guide.
And measure tightly, because it pays: sizes in the Build Studio run in 1ft steps, so you can match your maximum footprint exactly rather than rounding down a whole size.
Will it fit? A quick gut-check
Fits fine
- You can walk right round the pegged-out footprint
- Every fence side keeps its 2ft (60cm) of working room
- The narrowest gate passes the largest panel with room to spare
- Near the boundary, the highest point stays under 2.5m
- The ground falls less than a couple of inches
Think again
- The back wall would touch — or nearly touch — the fence
- Panels would have to be lifted over a wall or hedge
- The string shades the veg bed or blocks the washing line
- It sits under a tree that drips all winter
- The plan is to sort the slope out later
Delivery access: the measurement everyone forgets
Because the panels leave our workshop pre-built, the largest one — usually a full wall section — has to physically pass every gate, corner and doorway between the kerb and the base. A big garden behind a narrow side gate is a harder job than a small garden with open access, so measure the route as carefully as the plot.
- Side gates and alleys: the clear opening, plus any turn a long panel has to make.
- Through the house: often fine for smaller buildings — measure every doorway and the tightest hallway corner.
- Steps on the route: note them; they change how the crew plans the carry.
Delivery is free across mainland UK — details on our delivery page. Not sure? Measure the pinch points, take a couple of photos and send them over before you order.
Sloping ground: sort the base before the shed
Lay a straight plank across the footprint with a spirit level on top. An inch or so of fall is nothing. More than a couple of inches means groundwork before the building arrives — a building on a lean twists slowly out of square, and doors start to bind.
The good news: a proper base is a straightforward weekend job. Our shed base guide covers which type suits which ground, and our animated base guide walks you through the build. Either way, the base wants to be ready and level before delivery day, not after.
Before you order
If every box ticks, the building fits.
- Plot measured both ways, at both ends — smallest figures noted
- 2ft (60cm) clearance subtracted on every fence, wall and hedge side
- Boundary distance measured — under 2m means 2.5m max height
- Footprint pegged out and lived with for a day or two
- Roof overhang allowed for beyond the wall line
- Every gate, corner and doorway on the delivery route measured
- Fall across the footprint checked with a plank and level
- Base ready and level before delivery day
Measuring questions, answered straight
How much gap should I leave between the shed and the fence?
About 2ft (60cm) on every side facing a fence, wall or hedge — enough to assemble the building, then re-coat the timber and clear the gutters each year. Any less traps damp, and the wall you can't reach is always the first to suffer.
Can the panels come through the house?
Often, yes — plenty of terraced-house sheds arrive through the front door. The largest pre-built panel must pass your narrowest doorway and tightest corner; smaller buildings usually manage it, larger ones generally need side access. If it looks marginal, send us the measurements first.
Do roof overhangs count when I'm measuring?
Yes. The size you buy is the wall line; the roof overhangs it by a few inches each side. Near a fence that eats into your working clearance — and an eave crossing the boundary is your neighbour's business too. Add it to your pegged-out footprint.
What if my garden slopes?
Check the fall with a plank and spirit level. Up to a couple of inches can be taken up in the base construction; more than that means levelling groundwork first. Never perch a building on packers — it twists out of square and the doors pay the price.
Should I measure in feet or metres?
Whichever you like, but note both: shed sizes run in feet — 1ft is roughly 30cm — while the boundary height rule is metric (2.5m within 2m of the fence). Writing measurements down both ways catches conversion slips early.
Got your maximum footprint?
Dial in the exact footprint in 1ft steps — made to order in our West Midlands workshop from FSC-certified, pressure-treated timber.
Open the Build StudioReady to put it into practice? Every building is made in our West Midlands workshop with free mainland delivery.
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