New construction backyards look great and behave badly. The sod is three months old, the ground under it was compacted by machines and then loosened and graded, the irrigation lines are shallow, and the fence went in before anyone thought about how you would get anything larger than a wheelbarrow into the yard. Here is how to get a building in without a mess.
Find out what is buried before delivery day
Irrigation lines, invisible fence wire, low voltage lighting runs, and sometimes the lateral field are all in that yard and none of them are deep. Get your irrigation contractor’s as-built if you have it, mark the heads, and call 811 before you commit to a route and a pad location. A truck tire through a manifold is an expensive surprise.
Ground conditions decide the date
New yards hold water. Freshly graded fill does not drain like established ground, and sod holds moisture at the surface. A loaded trailer on a soggy new lawn will rut it badly. Schedule delivery after a dry stretch if you possibly can, and be willing to move the date. Our crews run Monday through Friday, we call ahead roughly 7 to 14 business days out to verify details, and that call is your chance to say the ground is not ready.
Plan the route with the fence in mind
Most new subdivisions have privacy fence with a single 4 foot gate, which is useless for this. Look for a removable fence panel, a double gate, or plan to pull a section. We need about two feet of clearance past the width of the building along the entire path, plus roughly 13 feet overhead. If the only way in is 8 feet wide, buy an 8 wide building and add length. Full details on the delivery prep page.
Build the pad before the sod problem gets worse
A level gravel pad about a foot larger than the building on all sides is the right base, and in a new yard it does double duty: it gives you a stable, drained surface on ground that is still settling. Do not set a building directly on new sod over fill. It will settle unevenly within a year.
Read the covenants before you shop
White House subdivisions frequently regulate accessory buildings: maximum size, siding and roof material, color, and how far from the property line. Some require architectural committee approval before anything goes in. Get that in writing first. It is much easier to design a building that complies than to move one that does not. Colors, shingle roofs, shutters and trim options are all on our custom options page, and you can try combinations in the 3D Shed Builder.
Sizing for a new build lot
Most new lots are modest. A 10×14 or 10×16 handles a riding mower, yard tools and seasonal storage without dominating the yard. Run it along the back fence line rather than centering it. We build 6×8 to 16×60 if you have the room for more.
Cost and terms
Starting at $1,900 for a C+ Utility 6×8 and $2,762 for a Cardinal Utility 8×8. Rent-to-own has no credit check, 24 to 60 months, from $75.44 a month, first two months down, no early payoff fee. Financing with no money down is available with approved credit. Every building carries our 10 year guarantee, a 50 year LP SmartSide warranty and a lifetime AdvanTech floor warranty.
Get Started on Your White House Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for White House.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
