Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 10/25/2008

Question
I would like to find out how to move a storage shed approximately 1 hour away. It's a x. It is suppose to be portable (haha), but I guess that just means it doesn't have a concrete foundation. I have a large trailer that it will fit on, but we don't know how to get it onto the trailer. A professional to move the shed is out of our price range.

Answer
Hi Ana, moving a shed isn't too difficult if it has "runnners" underneath it.  Runners are like what the name sounds like.  Like sled runners, they are two beams that are parallel to each other  spaced apart a few feet that the floor joists of the shed sit on.  If your shed doesn't have runners then you may need to add some.

To add runners, (pressure treated 4x4 or 4x6 on edge preferably with a taper cut on the front so it doesn't drag on the ground when it is being pushed or pulled), you need to tip the shed back and get the runners under the shed as far as you can then push the shed up onto the runners.  At this point you can attach the runners to the bottom of the shed front and back so now your shed is sitting up like santas sleigh on top of the runners.  Now you can make a ramp up to your trailer and push or pull the shed up the ramp on the runners.

If your shed is too heavy to manhandle like that, you can get creative.  For jacking the shed up off the ground you need to get a hydraulic jack or even just a car jack.  Dig a hole under one corner of the shed or in the middle of one side.  Make the hole deep enough to slide the closed jack underneath.  Then you jack that corner or side of the shed up as high as you can.  As you get it elevated you slip some wood or blocks underneath to hold the shed up.  Keep going around the building and jacking and lifting and shoring up the shed until you get it as high as the trailer.  Then you can begin to back the trailer underneath the shed a little at a time until you are able to push it on the trailer by hand.

The runners are a must for moving small to medium sized sheds. Good runners can even have hooks or loops on them to run cables through so that they can be pulled onto a trailer with come alongs, hoists or a vehicle.  I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com