Shed, Trailer & Hot Tub Pads

The situation

You are putting something heavy on the ground — a shed, a trailer, a hot tub, a container — and it needs to sit level and stay level. Set it on grass or bare soil and it will settle unevenly, and then doors stop closing and frames rack.

What to buy

Build a compacted gravel pad. It is cheaper than concrete, it drains (which matters a great deal under a wooden shed), and done properly it does not move.

Use a compactable material — one with fines in it that lock together:

Crushed concrete is the value option and compacts hard.

Limerock base is the strongest and the standard spec material. Worth it under a hot tub, which is genuinely heavy once filled with water and people.

Do not use loose washed stone such as #57 or pea rock as the structural layer. It will not hold a level surface under concentrated point loads.

How much you need

Make the pad about a foot larger than the object on every side so water runs off the edge rather than under it.

Four inches for a shed, six for a trailer or hot tub. One cubic yard covers roughly 80 square feet at 4 inches.

• A 10 × 12 shed, pad 12 × 14 — 168 sq ft at 4 inches — about 2 yards
• An 8 × 8 hot tub pad, 10 × 10, at 6 inches — about 2 yards
• A trailer pad 12 × 30 at 6 inches — about 7 yards

Add about 20 percent for compaction, which our calculator does automatically.

Not sure? Tell us the rough size of the area and how deep you want it and we will work it out with you. Nobody expects you to know this — it is our job, not yours. Or use the calculator.

How to do it

1. Strip the grass and topsoil down to firm ground.
2. Frame it with timber or edging if you want crisp edges.
3. Spread in 2 to 3 inch layers.
4. Wet and compact each layer. A plate compactor from a rental yard. This is not optional for anything heavy.
5. Check level with a long board before you set anything on it.

For a hot tub specifically, check what the manufacturer requires — some specify a concrete slab and a gravel pad will void the warranty.

Materials for this job

Shed, Trailer & Hot Tub Pads — common questions

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