Tips Needed on moving a Shed

[4PIGS]

I am in need of suggestions on how to move a small shed from one property to another.
I built the thing myself and do not want to leave it here when we move.
It is 8x16 feet, but it is 12 1/2 feet tall. That seems to be the problem.
Have any of you had experiences with this, good or bad that might be helpful?

[ricky]

your going to have to take it apart and rebuild it. 12.5 feet is way to tall to move unless you want to buy pirmits and such maybe hire a big time money guy to move it. it would be to your advantage to take it apart and rebuild at the new location. i know it will mess up some stuff but hey it beats shelling out all the money for a new one

[JRF]

If you get a low trailer and jack the building up enough to get the trailer under there you should be able to do. Just make sure you have alot of bracing inside. I don't think you would have to many issues if you're in the country moving it. We have moved two building onto our property. One was a 20 x 24 and the other was a 24x36. We just used a tractor and a homemade trailer. Just make sure you check your route out to know if there are any power lines that could be in the way.

[fantasymaker]

It shouldn't be a problem with the height in most of Utah. I think the legal limit is 14 ' there. Of course you need to check your route if its over that, but we routinely move loads approaching 15 feet without a major problem..
You can find some double drop semi trailers with a bed height of 18" or less...so with one of those no problem!
if you do wind up tall an old trick that might save your butt is to nail a plastic pipe next to the ridge line and extending forward far enough to droop down a few feet.It ill help branches and more importantly WIRES slide over the load.
How far ya going? a from were to where might let me give a bit more specific advice. For instance from Cove Fort to Callao I think you could be 30 feet high without a problem but in some of the Salt Lake neighbor hoods even 12 feet woud be a problem.

[Alex]

Me in F150, using 4W, low range, low gear. We skidded two of these 16 x 16 x 12' high sheds 3/4 mile from the neighbors.

Alex

[RosewoodfarmVA]

We've moved several old outbuildings by picking them up with the tractor lift and cement blocks, then backing our old farm trailer(made from mobile home axles and old metal, 8foot by 16foot) under it and letting it down onto it. Power lines are mandatory 13 and 1/2 feet high, but most all of them are quite a bit more that because the power co.s plan for eventual sagging and ice accumulation. Just keep an eye out going down the road for low branches or wires.

Alex...great pictures! That is certainly the easiest thing to do, but around here if the police man saw you (highly unlikely) he won't like that a bit!

Some buildings may need shoring up, but as long as there isn't much termite damage and you place the trailer crossways from the floor joists, to catch every one on the trailer, you shouldn't have problems. We have sometimes had to replace sills or joists before moving because the weight of the building on the joists sitting on the trailer would have broken the joists. But a fairly new building should have no problem. I would jack each end/place a block under the corners, then do the other end and back and forth until it's high enough to get the trailer under.

[fantasymaker]

Around here if ya call it farm use you can do nearly anything!
By federal law all power lines are supposed to be a minumum of 17 feet off the ground but its one of the most ignored laws going! After all they AREthe power company whats anybody goingto doabout it? Shut them down?
Phone and cable lines are often much lower!

[wy_white_wolf]

Legal limit without an oversize permit is 13'6" high. If you can skid it that would be the way to go and stay under the limit. A couple of 16' timbers braced under it and away you go. You didn't say how far you need to move it. That might rule out skidding. If you can't skid it I see no way to stay under 13'6" without taking it apart.

[MELOC]

i recommend lots of extra temporary rack bracing. i have seen older sheds fall to pieces right on the road when being moved.

they do make dollies soecifically for moving buildings. look into renting those.

[4PIGS]

Thanx for all the good ideas. We are leaving the city and moving to a rural area, still in Utah about 100 miles away. A skidder would be the way to go on a short distance, but I am afraid to drag that around and out of the city. The shed is well built and probably pretty heavy, we used 2x6 floor joists and too many roof trusses.
I will have to look into the rental of one of those flatbed semi trailers.
I guess I could just leave the shed here for the next owners to use, but I really have grown attatched to it because I built it myself. Not many women fall in love with a shed, do they?

[retire2$]

Option A - After exhausting all moving possibilities ask the new owners if they want to BUY it. If you sell it you can rebuild and make any changes from your original building.

Option B would be to advertise it and let the new owners move/dismantle it.

Option C would be to dismantle and move it with you.

[Davymax]

I called a tow truck where the car or truck gets loaded and hauled on the flatbed.

Just a thought. It worked for me.

[comfortablynumb]

if you get a lowboy trailer made to haul a bulldozer, it should be easy

[deaconjim]

I just moved one the same size on a 16' flatbed trailer (with side rails). It worked out well, but pay attention to which direction you want it to face when you unload it. I had to unload in another spot and roll it on 3" PVC pipe to the desired spot. Make sure you have plenty of blocks, wood and good jacks. Heavy duty tie downs are a must as well.