Imperial and the ridges around it are pretty and difficult in the same ways: mature trees, real grade, and lots that were carved into hillsides. All three of those affect where a building can go and how long it lasts once it is there.
Cutting a level pad into a slope
A building has to sit level. On a grade you get level by cutting into the high side and building up the low side, then bringing everything into plane with compacted gravel. Do not try to level a building with blocks under one end; it will settle unevenly and you will spend the next ten years fighting doors that will not latch.
Extend the pad about a foot past the building on all sides, and put a shallow swale or a gravel trench across the uphill side to divert water around the pad rather than into it. Water coming downhill and pooling against the uphill wall is the number one failure mode on a sloped site.
Tree roots are a bigger problem than tree trunks
People clear the trunks and forget the roots. Cutting into a slope near a mature oak means cutting roots, which can destabilize the tree and also means your pad is sitting over a root system that will decompose and settle over the years. Where you can, set the pad outside the drip line of large trees. Where you cannot, expect to top up and re-level the pad at some point.
Leaf load and shade
A building under heavy tree cover stays damp. Leaves pack on the roof and hold moisture against the shingles, moss gets a foothold on the north side, and the pad never dries out. Three responses: pick metal roofing if the building sits under trees, since it sheds debris better than shingles; clear the roof every fall; and be aggressive about trimming anything overhanging.
You need the clearance for delivery regardless. We require roughly 13 feet of overhead room and about two feet of clearance past the building width along the entire path.
Access is usually the real constraint here
Steep driveways, sharp turns, and a backyard you can only reach through a gate are standard in this part of Jefferson County. Walk the route before you settle on a size. If the tightest pinch point is under 12 feet, look at 8 or 10 wide buildings and gain the space back in length. An 8×16 stores more than a 10×12 and fits where a 10 wide will not. Details on our delivery prep page.
If the spot genuinely cannot be reached, tell us early rather than on delivery day. There are usually options.
Moisture in a shaded building
Gable or ridge vents let humid air out. Spray foam insulation stops condensation from forming on the underside of the roof deck. On a shaded, wooded lot both are worth the money. Our AdvanTech flooring carries a lifetime warranty, which matters more on damp ground than anywhere else, and the LP SmartSide siding carries a 50 year warranty and is engineered against the swelling that kills cheap siding at the bottom edge. We handle those claims for you.
Cost and payment
We build 6×8 to 16×60, 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, runs 24 to 60 months, starts at $75.44 a month, takes your first two months as the deposit and has no early payoff fee. Financing with no money down is available with approved credit, and cash custom orders take 20% down.
Get Started on Your Imperial 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 Imperial.
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.
