What kind of footings do I need for prefab shed?

[Greg]

I'm about to buy a prefab 8 x 10 vinyl shed from Home Depot. I want to put it in my yard, which is grass & dirt. We live in NY City. Do I need to put in real concrete footings? If so, is this something a reasonably handy guy can do, or should I hire someone?

Greg G.

[Joseph Meehan]

What you "need" do will be determined by local code. I would put mine on a pad with real footings. I live in an area, like you, that is subject to freeze thaw cycles. An 8X10 pad needs that footer IMO, to keep it from cracking.

If you are up for the work, you should be able to dig it yourself. You should be able to finish it yourself, IF you have a friend who has done this work before and maybe an extra friend, and the truck can deliver it directly to the site. Concrete you need to finish right in a limited about of time. My first such project was a 36'x36' pad with three inexperienced friends. Lucky for me they all worked really hard and the truck driver helped out.

[m Ransley]

9 concrete blocks will do 3 down the middle 3 on each side. Keep it off the ground and run buried galvanised heavy screen to keep out the rodents. The floors [ I asume] wood are not treated so ventilation - keeping it raised will make it last. Now if floors are not wood I have no idea on their strength or need to be raised, or what is right. But a foundation is not needed is there is little weight. But you should ck your local codes

[George Fairbairn]

I bought a prefad wooden shed 3 years ago and it was installed in my yard by the driver. They put it on top of concrete blocks and it seems to have worked out just fine. In my yard I have a bit of a slope, so I had to dig out one side where the edge met the ground. If you go the concrete block route, you don't want the shed to come in contact with the ground if you can help it.

-G