OK guys, I need your help. I purchased a yard barn from a guy up the street who's moving to Arizona. I need to get it off his property and onto mine without making total carnage out of both yards. It's 10 x 16. Any ideas what it weighs, and the best way to move it would be appreciated. I was thinking of rolling it on 4" PVC tubes across plywood on the grass, and just pulling it down the street on skids with my truck. Or, just getting a flatbed to come out and pull it pull it up and drop it off. But, I know that idea will probably create ruts in the yard. I have a sprinkler system I need to worry about, and it has to come across the yards of two of my neighbors to get out of his backyard.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

Southbend to AZ huh? Sounds about like what my fam did about 8 years ago.

Id go the pvc rout.

 

How far do you have to move it? How much grass and how much pavement to go across? Any other obstacles? Totally level terrain, or bumpy?

It's going to be heavy and awkward, and the walls are not well braced. I think you are going to have to take it SLOW whatever you decide.

How about splitting it in half between those two doors, bracing it for transport, then rejoining the halves on your property? 10' x 8' is a lot easier ot move than 10' x 16'.

Are the two other neighbors on board with this?

I hope it's not too far over to your house!

Best way to estimate the weight is to inventory the materials used, then look up the weights on the internet. For example, a 2 x 4 weighs 1.3 lbs per linear foot; the plywood might weight 2.5 lbs/square foot, etc...

I'll take a wild guess that the structure weighs about 3,000 lbs.

 

I'd do the pvc pipe thing to get it to the street, then go rent four furniture dollys and push it over to your house, then use the pvc again to get it thru your yard.

 

yeah, thats not a bad idea. If you have a store like "ollies" or "big lots" in your area you can buy those furniture dollies cheap. I for sure saw them at ollies a while back, a whole huge stack of them. Just get a couple spud bars to pry a side and keep biting at it a little at a time while blocking it as you go. Eventually you could a floor jack under it or by that time just put the dolly under it a wheel away.

Don't let the size scare you. I once had to raise my old house and put all new basement walls in. I jacked that house up six feet higher than it was to get a bobcat under it. Everyone said it couldn't be done but it was not bad. Lots of cribbing and six 12 ton bottle jacks. It was a big old two story farm house too.

 

I moved an 8' x 12' foot shed with another guy and 3 sheets of plywood. We rented 2 pallet jacks, jacked up the shed (your 1/2 way there already), layed the plywood down and slid the jacks underneath. It took a little manuevering at first to get it positioned right, then we just layed the plywood end over end and rolled it...We didn't have to move it to far but depending on how much grass you need to cover to get it into the street, maybe that'll give you an idea.

 

It needs to go over about 100' of grass (through two other neighbor's back yards, so going easy on the grass is very important) and get over the curb onto the street. Then about 6 houses down and around my house to the back. It'll be a trek. A friend of mine suggests bolting 2 x 10s cut at 30 degrees at the front vertically to each side of the 4 x 4's on the bottom. They will make skids and then we just pull it with my truck and throw 2 x 4's under it as it goes so that the skids don't cut into the yard. When it gets to the street we just drag it. Who cares if it wears down the wood. Or buy large casters. That's probably the best idea yet.

Great tips guys, keep them coming.

 

Go rent an off road fork lift with 8ft forks and pick it up and move it. You should only have to pay for a day of rental and it wont tear up the yards and most places will deliver and pick up the equipment for you.

 

You have a lot of limiting criteria....
I think the weight of a forklift plus the shed would tear up yards and sprinkler systems. I agree with the 3k weight guess earlier.

One question...
Do you have either a single or multi engine rotary wing aircraft license?

 

If you get a lift with floatation tires on it the yard and sprinklers will not be harmed. We have a lift in the company that I have used a number of times to do exactly what the OP is trying to do.

 

helos arent classified by how many engines they have- those are fixed-wing only. i believe they are classified by their weight

 

You're probably right. But if he's going through yards with sprinklers that more than likely means the yards have been watered. Which means the ground is going to be soft. Which means, anything he uses to move that 1 1/2 ton or 2 ton shed is going to create a rut or two.

Your idea is the best so far though. That or a piece of equipment with tracks. Tracks disperse the weight more evenly and will not create ruts AS BAD as wheeled loaders. Not saying it still won't sink, though.

More than likely you're going to be adding fill dirt back to some yards. Is there a straight shot out without going over any sprinkler lines?

 

I used it to move a shed on a contruction site that was dry beach sand and the tires never left a rut. The trick to doing it long sweeping turns and very smooth direction changes. Damon if I was closer I would come and do this for you.

 

Fork lift, big flotation tires to ease the pain on the lawns and get over the curbs, and cut it in half (brace the open side) to 8' x 10' reducig the weight and make it much easier to carry and reduce lawn damage.


While cutting it in half may sound extreme and it will take some additional planning, it greatly reduces the chances that the whole thing collapes during transport, IMO.

 

I believe you. As I said your idea is the best. But if he can't get a piece of equipment with flotation tires at least find one with rubber tracks.

Good luck and carry a camera. Because if you have any of my luck that shed will be upside down in the middle of the road!