Purpose: Its important to develop a crystal clear purpose of what your new farm shed will be used for and also to think about any possible future useage. Whether it's for storage of farm equipment, hay or livestock, or as a workspace for your operations, this will determine the design that best meets your needs.

Location: Choose the right location for the shed based on accessability, proximity to other infrastructure and driveways, and also the local council requirements. Ensure that the shed site has suitable drainage and is on firm ground.

Material: Choose the material for your shed frame and cladding that best suits your requirements. Framing is usually timber or steel, cladding can be steel (either colour or Zincalume), plywood or an architectural type cladding.

Floor. Is a concrete floor required or is it best left as compacted metal base? The thickness of a concrete floor will be governed by the weight loading of machinery and other items such as shelving or equipment. Remember that point loadings may be significant and require a thickening.

Size: Work out the size of the shed based on the amount of equipment, feed, or livestock you need to store. You should also consider future needs and expansion plans. The local council may have site coverage rules to account for.

Design: Consider the design of the shed in terms of functionality, height, aesthetics, and the type of farm activities you will undertake. Popular shed designs include Monoslope roofline, gable or American barn style. A lean-to can be attached to any type of structure and is a popular choice for an office, pump shed, firewood shelter etc. Fort Buildings have specialist staff that can help formulate a great design, ideas can also be found at https://www.fortbuildings.co.nz/our-sheds/

Council rules: Check the local council requirements and building codes to ensure that your shed meets legal requirements. You may need to obtain a building permit and possibly a resource consent. Common regulations are around boundary setback, height, and site coverage. For support reach out to us at: https://www.fortbuildings.co.nz/contact/

Budget: Determine your budget for the shed, including the cost of site works, materials, labour, freight, concrete work, council fees and any additional services such as insulation, electricity, internal linings and ventilation.

Choose a trusted supplier: Quality of workmanship and materials can vary greatly so its important to work with reliable and trusted shed builders that don't take short cuts and provide a fixed quote.

Site specific requirements: Consider the proximity of coastal sea spray, earthquake zones, extreme wind zones and other such factors which will affect your shed design. Think about maintenance requirements of the shed, including cleaning, painting, and repairs and choose materials and designs that are easy to maintain and resistant to corrosion and wear.