How to get started on building a shed in France
Sheds are very useful things, from the most basic tool store to a home office
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Although I have an enormous barn, I have often been tempted to build myself another outbuilding.
It would partly be for utility, partly for shelter, in case I am caught in the garden in the rain, and partly for the sheer fun of building an entirely new freestanding structure.
Sheds are very useful things, from the most basic tool store to a home office.
I thought, therefore, it might be worth running through the various options in France and passing on what I have learned about the subject.
Choosing where and how to build
This being France, do not assume that you can rush out immediately and throw something together just as you like.
Some research and preparation are required. There are two basic decisions to make. First, where your shed is going to go and, second, what will it be made of?
Most people opt for kit sheds because they are quick and convenient to put up, but there is no reason why you should not design something from scratch. With a kit, however, it is important to know what is, and is not, included.
Usually, for example, you have to provide your own floor. We will deal with all that in a subsequent article. Before that, you have to compare what you want to do with what the authorities will let you do.
If you are thinking of building a structure in your grounds where there has never been one before, you should check the rules with your mairie before proceeding. I can give you an outline here, but every case is different and depends on your local plan (PLU).
A good place to start finding out what you need to do is on the service public website.
In general terms, you can build something small – with a floor plan under 5m² – without permission, assuming it does not bother the neighbours.
That will not give you much room. Such a shed is likely to get filled up with junk very quickly and you would be wise to consider your needs.
It might sound obvious, but if you are thinking of putting long garden tools in the shed, will they fit, either horizontally or vertically?
Larger sheds bring more requirements
Bigger is generally better, but there is a downside to scaling up: officialdom needs to know what you are up to.
If your shed is medium-sized – five to 20m² – you will have to make a detailed declaration (déclaration préalable de travaux) of what you are hoping to do, and why.
Large sheds have big advantages but, obviously, they involve a greater cash outlay and might also trigger an obligation to pay the taxe d’aménagement – a one-off tax payable in connection with a construction project.
On a practical level, they need windows that open and close, and you will almost certainly want to supply them with electricity, and perhaps even running water and drainage.
Such things will greatly increase the cost and complexity of the project.
Having gone that far, you might even want to make it habitable. Sheds can make good home offices, where you can get peace away from domestic distractions.
To use a shed as an extra room, however, you will need to insulate it, install sockets and more than basic lighting, and provide some form of heating for winter. You will also need an access path so you do not have to wade across wet, unmown grass.
A lot to think about, I know, when all you wanted was somewhere for your spade and trowel. However, thinking, in my experience, always pays off.
