Everyone told me to build a shed on a gravel base, but I went with concrete in my Tacoma backyard

Last week, I finally poured a 10x12 foot concrete slab for my new shed after hearing for three years that gravel was the only way to go. My neighbor in the Puyallup valley said I'd get water pooling and cracking, but I sloped it properly and added rebar. Now it's perfectly level and solid, while his gravel-base shed has settled unevenly twice. Am I the only one who thinks a proper slab is worth the extra day of work?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendyw711mo ago

Oh man, my buddy Mike in Olympia went through the exact same thing with gravel. He put his shed on a nice deep gravel pad, thought he was being smart. First winter, that thing shifted like crazy and the whole floor ended up with a wave in it. He spent a whole weekend trying to jack it up and level it out, and it never sat right again. Meanwhile, my cousin poured a slab six years ago and hasn't touched his shed since. What's the plan for yours, a workshop or just storage?

tessa8683mo ago

Gravel always seems like the easy way out until you have to fix it later. A proper slab with rebar and the right slope is a one time job that lasts for decades. Your neighbor's problem with settling is exactly why I'd never skip on concrete. It might take more effort up front, but you'll never have to re level the floor or deal with a wobbly structure. What kind of shed are you planning to put on it?

leer123mo ago

Totally agree! I learned that the hard way when my own gravel pad sank after one wet season.