Lean to shed plans
Four free lean-to plans, each drawn by the same shed designer that checks the rafters and packs the cut list onto standard boards. Every plan has the framing for each wall, the rafter pattern, a cut list, a shopping list and a PDF. Open any of them in the designer to change the size, the slope or the doors.
Every lean-to size
4x8 Lean To Shed Plans
8' 1-1/8" front · 7' 2" back · 52 boards · 7 2x6 rafters
View plan Open this size in the designer6x8 Lean To Shed Plans
8' 1-1/8" front · 6' 8" back · 63 boards · 7 2x6 rafters
View plan Open this size in the designer8x10 Lean To Shed Plans
8' 1-1/8" front · 6' 2" back · 68 boards · 9 2x6 rafters
View plan Open this size in the designer8x12 Lean To Shed Plans
8' 1-1/8" front · 6' 2" back · 74 boards · 10 2x6 rafters
View plan Open this size in the designer
When a lean-to makes sense
A lean-to has one roof slope, so every rafter is the same cut and there is no ridge board. The front wall is the tall one, and the back wall drops by the slope over the depth: on the 8 ft deep plans at 3/12 it goes from 8' 1-1/8" to 6' 2". That shape suits a spot where the back of the shed faces a fence, a hedge or the side of a garage, and where the roof should shed water away from the door.
It suits a shallow shed best. The deeper the lean-to, the lower the back wall at the same slope, so the four plans stop at 8 ft deep. For a bigger footprint, a gable plan keeps both side walls at full height.
Building one against an existing shed or house wall is a different job, with a ledger on that wall: our guide to building a lean-to on a shed covers it. The step-by-step build of a freestanding one, from the base to the roof, is in how to build a lean-to shed.
What the materials cost
Each plan's shopping list priced on Sep 30, 2026, before sales tax and delivery. The 10x8 lean-to takes 15 siding panels against 11 for the 8x10 gable, because its front wall is taller than one 4x8 panel covers. The full breakdown for every size is on the cost to build a shed page.
| Plan | Sq ft | Lines priced | Shed materials | Per sq ft | Gravel base, bagged |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8x4 lean-to | 32 | 34 of 34 | $1,565.36 | $48.92 | $245.86 |
| 8x6 lean-to | 48 | 31 of 31 | $1,823.67 | $37.99 | $349.38 |
| 10x8 lean-to | 80 | 33 of 33 | $2,420.62 | $30.26 | $524.07 |
| 12x8 lean-to | 96 | 34 of 34 | $2,520.78 | $26.26 | $595.24 |
Questions people ask
Not by much, and not always. At one Home Depot store (Bronx Terminal) on Sep 30, 2026, the frame package of our 10x8 lean-to cost $706.88 against $786.83 for the 8x10 gable, the same 80 square feet. The shed materials went the other way: $2,420.62 for the lean-to against $2,346.60 for the gable, because the tall front wall takes more siding and Z-flashing (the Z-flashing in both sums is a Hamilton Mill store price, the same day). The gravel base under either is site prep and priced apart.
Yes. Our 12x8 lean-to plan is 12 ft wide along the tall front wall and 8 ft deep, which is the 8x12 size most people search for. It is free, with the framing drawings, the cut list, the shopping list and a PDF.
The back wall is low: at the default 3/12 slope the 8 ft deep plans drop from 8' 1-1/8" at the front to 6' 2" at the back. A roof that shallow needs two layers of underlayment under asphalt shingles, and the tall front wall is taller than one 4x8 siding panel covers, so it takes a flashed joint or a 4x9 panel.
Need another lean-to size?
Pick the lean-to roof in the designer and set any width and depth. It checks the rafters, the back wall height and the headers, and draws the same plans.