I finally gave up on the 'perfect' foundation for my backyard studio

Everyone kept telling me I needed a full concrete slab or a complex pier block system for my 12x16 foot studio. I spent weeks overthinking it, worried about frost heave and leveling. Then I talked to a builder in Boise who told me to just use a compacted gravel pad with a heavy-duty shed floor kit. I was skeptical, but I did it last spring. I put down 6 inches of crushed rock, compacted it, and dropped the pre-fab floor frame on top. Two years later, it's still perfectly level and solid, even after a wet winter. It cost me about $800 for the whole base instead of the $4k I was quoted for concrete. Has anyone else gone with a simple gravel base and had it hold up long term?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaelcoleman21h ago

Remember my uncle's deck built on railroad ties.

river_wright12h ago

Oh man, that brings back memories. My grandpa used the same kind of setup for his old shed. Those things last forever but they are a total pain if you ever have to move them. The creosote smell never really goes away either. Solid as a rock though, I'll give them that.