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4×8 Lean-To Shed Plans | Free DIY Woodworking Guide
Material and Cut List
FLOOR
(A) 7 – 2×6 Floor Joist: 3′-9″
(B) 2 – 2×6 Pressure Treated Lumber: 8′-0″
(C) 2 – 4×4 Skid: 8′-0″
(D) 2 – 23/32″ Tongue and Groove Plywood 4′ x 8′ Sheet (32SF)
WALLS
(E) 16 – 2×4 Wall Stud: 6′-8 1/2″
(F) 9 – 2×4 Wall Stud: 7′-6 1/8″
(G) 4 – 2×4 Top & Bottom Plate: 8′-0″
(H)4 – 2×4 Top & Bottom Plate: 3′-5″
(I) 2 – 2×4 Door Header: 6′-3″
SIDINGS
(J) 5 – 4′ x 8′ Plywood Siding Panel T1-11 (145SF)
ROOF & RAFTERS
(K) 7 – 2×4 Rafters: 4′-3″
(L) 2 – 4′ x 8′ 1/2″ Plywood Sheet (36SF)
(M) Roof Underlayment (40SF)
(N) 3-Tab Roof Shingles (40SF)
TRIM
(O) 6 – 1×4 Wall Trim: 7′-9 1/4″
4 – 1×4 Wall Trim: 6′ 10″
2 – 1×6 Roof Trim: 8′-2″
HARDWARE
3 1/2″ Galvanized Steel Nails
2″ Deck Screws
2″ Galvanized Finishing Nails
1 1/2″ Drilling Roofing Screw
4×8 Lean-To Shed Plans & Instructions
Step 1 – Foundation and Floor
At first, select a proper site for your lean-to shed foundation. Lean-to shed can help to make dead spaces functional, and usually placed adjacent to houses, garages, or fences.
To begin with, cut seven 2×6 lumbers to 3′-9″ length, and two 2×6 lumbers to 8’-0″. Then, place the two 8′-0″ 4×4 lumbers parallel to each other to make up the skid foundation. At this point, assemble the two 2×6 perimeter floor joist directly on top. Afterwards, install the seven 2×6 floor joists on top at 16″ O.C. Finally, drill pilot holes through the joists and secure with 3 1/2″ screws.
Now that the foundation frame is complete, place 1 full sheets of tongue and groove plywood to cover the 32SF floor area, these sheets usually come in standard sizes of 48″ x 96″. Then, insert 2″ deck screws every 8″ along the joint to secure the plywood in place.
Step 2 – Walls
We will start with the lean-to shed’s front wall frame first, all studs and plates will be 2×4’s.
At first, cut two 2×4 to 8′-0″ in length, these will be used for the top and bottom plates. Then, cut eight 2×4’s to 6′-8 1/2″ for wall studs, arranged per elevation drawing below. Afterwards, drill pilot holes through the plates and insert the 3 1/2″ screws into the studs to secure in place. Finally, align the frame edges and make sure all corners are flush for a professional result.
Refer to Double Door Framing Plan for full dimensions and instructions, compatible with this 4×8 lean-to shed build.
Next up is the building the lean-to shed’s back wall. Firstly, cut two 2×4’s to 8′-0″ length, and nine more 2×4’s to 7′-6 1/8″ length.
After that, space the wall studs to 16″ O.C., identical to the front wall. Then, drill pilot holes through the plate and insert 3 1/2″ screws to secure the studs. Follow the framing plan below:
Now it’s time to secure all four wall frames together for your 4×8 lean-to shed. At first, line up the edges of the front and side wall frame with the floor frame edge. In addition, make sure edges line up and there’s no gaps, use a spirit level if needed. Then, drill pilot holes through the bottom wall plate, and insert 3 1/2″ screws to secure wall frame to the floor. Finally, lock the adjacent walls together by inserting 3 1/2″ screws or nails.
Repeat and assemble all 4 wall frames following the illustrated plan below:
Step 3 – Shed Roofing
Our 4×8 lean-to shed will require a total of 7 rafters, installed at 16″ O.C. directly on top of the wall frames. Each rafter is cut from 2×4’s, the roof pitch is 3:12 or 14 degrees.
Tip: measure and cut a single rafter first to make sure it fits properly, then use it as a template to cut the rest of the rafters.
Due to the overall roof geometry, it’s easier to install the exterior siding panels first before finishing rest of the roof structure.
Firstly, measure and cut the 5 T1-11 plywood siding panels to size. Since these shed panels are designed to interlock, plan them out accordingly. The standard panel sizes are 96″ x 48″, so you’ll need about 145SF to cover the entire 4×8 lean-to shed.
Then, for the front wall siding, measure and cut out the door and window openings before installing. The rough double door opening is 72″ x 77″.
Next step is to measure and cut 1/2″ plywood sheets for the lean-to shed roof. Since these sheets usually come in the standard 96″ x 48″ size, you’ll need about 36SF to cover the entire roof structure. Insert 2 1/2″ nails into the rafters at about every 10″ to lock the plywood sheets in place.
When the panels are all secured, cover the entire roof area with underlayment or tar paper, this is a water-resistant barrier material to keep the wood structures underneath dry. In general, a 4×8 lean-to shed will require about 40SF to cover the entire roof area.
Finally, we need to lay out the roof shingles (40SF of 3-tab roof shingles) to complete the roof build. Start at the bottom of the shed roof, measure and mark every increment height all the way to top of the roof. Then, use glue or glue strip along the rake edge and drip edge. Simultaneously, insert 2 1/2″ nails to secure in place.
Tip: You can select the roof shingle material to match the roofing material of the main house for a unified look! Get samples from your local hardware or home renovation store to get a close match.
Step 4 – Trims and Door
Installing wall corner trims will add more durability to the shed exterior sidings and give it a professional look. First, measure and cut two 1×4’s to 7′-9 1/4″, and four 1×4’s to 6’10”, trim the top angle as needed to fit. Then, align and secure these trims with 2 1/2″ nails into the wall frames.
As for the door trim: use a 6′-7″ 1×4 as the header trim, and two 6′-5″ long 1×4’s as frame trims. 
Add in the shed double doors. Refer to the detailed door plans compatible with this 4×8 lean-to shed plans:
Double Door Plan
Step 5 – Paint
Prior to painting your 4×8 lean-to shed, wipe off any dirt or dusts off the T1-11 siding surface and the trims. Afterwards, prime the siding with a heavy acrylic primer, a single thorough coat will do the job. It’s best to use a small brush to fill in the grooves and corners first, and then use a larger roller to cover up the flat areas. Let it sit and dry. Lastly, apply two coats of exterior grade acrylic paint, allow 2 hours between coats to completely dry.
4×8 Lean-To Shed Plans Summary
To sum up, lean-to style sheds are one of the most useful storage sheds, which can add a lot of value to your home. There are several advantages of building a lean-to shed over other shed designs, such as ease of build, minimal construction material, and overall cost. This 4×8 lean-to shed is compact enough to fit in smaller backyards, while offering ample storage space for common garden tools and equipment. This set of 4×8 lean-to shed plans can be customized to create a number of shed build variations, get your tools and get creative!
