Written by Ibrahim Khan · · Updated · 5 min read
Poured Concrete vs Gravel Base
Concrete is permanent, gravel is flexible. Which base suits your shed, your budget and your ground?
The base is the part of a shed you notice for years and can least afford to get wrong. Two options cover almost every build: a poured concrete pad and a compacted gravel base. They are not one-is-better; they suit different sheds and different ground.
The poured concrete pad
A concrete slab is flat, level and permanent. It is the right choice for a larger shed, a workshop, or any build that has to stay dead-level under heavy loads. The trade-offs are cost and labour — you are pouring and finishing concrete — and a slab is hard to move if you ever relocate the shed.
The gravel base
A gravel base is cheaper and far less work: you level the area, add a layer of crushed stone, compact it, and set the shed's skids or concrete piers on top. It drains well, which keeps the wood dry, and it is a good match for lighter sheds on reasonable ground.
What the ground says
On soft or poorly draining soil, concrete (or concrete piers) wins. On firm, free-draining ground, a well-compacted gravel base is plenty. The one universal rule is a level, well-drained base — water under the shed is what rots floor joists, whichever base you choose.
A quick decision rule
Small shed on decent ground, want it cheap and movable: gravel base. Larger shed, permanent build, level floor matters: concrete pad. The full pack's foundation guide walks the depth, the layers and the compaction for both.