Moving an existing shed, whether across the yard or to a new address, is usually a job for a specialist mover rather than a general contractor. The move itself may take an hour or two. Most of the work, and most of the ways it goes wrong, come from preparation: the rules for the new spot, the ground it will sit on, and the path to get it there. This guide covers what to settle before the mover arrives.
Do you need a permit to move a shed in North Carolina?
It depends mainly on the shed’s size and what is in it. The North Carolina Residential Code applies to the construction, alteration and movement of homes and their accessory structures, and section R101.2.1 says accessory buildings with any dimension greater than 12 feet must meet the code. County inspection offices read that the same way. Wake County says accessory buildings with any dimension greater than 12 feet require a building permit, and those that do not may still need a land use permit from planning and zoning. Johnston County says no permit is needed if the building has no dimension over 12 feet and has no electrical, plumbing or mechanical systems; where it does, those systems must be exposed for inspection.
Practical takeaways:
- Measure the shed’s length, width and height. If any of them is over 12 feet, call your local inspections office before the move.
- If the shed has wiring, plumbing or HVAC, assume reconnecting it at the new location involves inspections.
- Even small sheds may face zoning rules on setbacks and placement, and HOA rules may be stricter. Cobbs Mill Utility Buildings says it offers HOA and permit guidance and stamped engineered plans if needed.
Preparing the new spot
For sheds that must meet the code, R101.2.1 lets a building of no more than 400 square feet and one story sit without a masonry or concrete foundation, except in coastal high hazard or ocean hazard areas, if three conditions are met:
- it rests on a wood foundation of at least 2×6 or 3×4 mudsills of approved wood (Johnston County notes the lumber must be treated and approved for ground contact);
- it has at least one ground anchor at each corner; and
- the anchors’ total resisting force equals 20 pounds per square foot times the building’s floor area. For a 10×12-foot shed (120 square feet), that works out to 2,400 pounds in total.
Johnston County adds that accessory buildings over 400 square feet or more than one story must be installed and anchored on a permanent foundation or slab. Whatever the size, ask the mover whether it levels the shed at the new location and on what. Curt’s Decks & Sheds, for example, says its prices include blocking and leveling using the existing blocks, and charges for extra blocks. Cobbs Mill offers reinstallation on a new foundation or pad.
Call 811 before anchors or pad work
Driving ground anchors, digging footings or grading a pad is excavation. Under North Carolina law (G.S. 87-122), the person responsible for an excavation must notify the NC811 center at least three full working days before digging. NC811 says utility members then have three full working days to mark their lines or report no conflict, that the tolerance zone extends 24 inches on each side of a marked line, and that hand digging is recommended within it. You can call 811 or use NC811’s online ticket system.
Two caveats. G.S. 87-124 exempts homeowners digging on their own single-family property when the work does not encroach on a utility right-of-way, easement or permitted use, but a contractor doing the digging is not the owner. And according to NC811’s excavation manual, private lines not owned by a utility, such as a line you ran to the shed yourself, are not located by NC811; marking them may require a private locating company.
Getting the shed ready to move
Big Bear Building Systems’ relocation checklist is a good model. It asks that the shed:
- has runners underneath, which it says are needed to pick up and move the shed safely;
- is empty; and
- has clear pickup and drop-off areas, free of obstacles such as vehicles, fences or low-hanging wires.
Walk the whole route, not just the two ends. Gates, slopes, soft ground, septic areas and tight turns between buildings all matter. Carolina Shed Movers describes using specialized equipment called a “shed mule” for moves across a property or across town; ask any mover whether its equipment can reach both the current and final positions, and how it protects the lawn along the way.
What shed moving costs
A few North Carolina movers publish prices. Curt’s Decks & Sheds lists cash-only prices of $475, $525 and $575 for sheds 8, 10 and 12 feet wide and up to 16 feet long, adding $100 for longer buildings. Those include the first 40 loaded miles, then $3 per loaded mile and $5 per extra block, and are labeled estimates only. Sheds By Design lists relocation from $750 plus tax, starting at an 8×10 shed, with larger sizes quoted individually. These are the providers’ own published figures, not market averages. Size, construction, access, distance and setup work all change the price.
Questions to ask before you book
- Does the quote include leveling, blocks, anchors or a new pad, or only the move?
- Who handles any permit, HOA approval and the NC811 ticket?
- Is there a size, weight or construction limit (for example, buildings without runners, or with a loft or slab floor)?
- How are distance and travel charged, and is the price a firm quote or an estimate?
- What is covered if the shed, fences or lawn are damaged during the move?
- For wired sheds, who disconnects and reconnects power, and is that electrician licensed?
Find a shed mover
Our North Carolina shed moving directory lists businesses that publish shed relocation services, with the coverage each one states, including movers serving Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte. Our shed moving quote guide covers comparing written estimates.