Shed Delivery Access: How to Check Your Site Before It Arrives
Shed delivery access is simply whether a delivery vehicle, and then a person carrying boxes, can get from the street to the spot where your shed will sit. Measure the narrowest point on that route, look up for trees and wires, check that the ground is firm, and send your supplier the numbers and a few photos before you order. It takes about half an hour, and it is the easiest way to avoid a missed delivery, an extra charge or a pile of panels stranded on the nature strip.
This guide walks you through the whole check, shows how flat-pack and fully assembled sheds differ, and explains what can go wrong if access turns out to be tighter than you thought.
TL;DR
- Measure the narrowest point between the street and the shed spot: gates, side passages, steps and tight turns.
- Look up as well as along: tree branches, eaves, pergolas and power lines can stop a truck or a long load.
- Check the ground. Soft lawn, fresh fill or wet clay can bog a loaded truck.
- Send your supplier measurements and labelled photos before you order, and ask in writing how the delivery will be made.
- A failed delivery because of access can mean re-delivery or waiting charges, so confirm before you pay.
Table of Contents
- What shed delivery access actually means
- Start at the street
- Measure the path, gate and every turn
- Look up: overhead clearance
- Slope, grade and ground conditions
- Flat-pack sheds versus fully assembled sheds
- Can restricted access be solved?
- What to tell your supplier
- What can happen if the delivery can’t get through
- Perspective: why we pack for access
- Ready to choose a shed that fits your site?
- A quick pre-delivery checklist
- FAQ
- Sources
What shed delivery access actually means
There are really two journeys. The first is the truck’s: can it reach your street frontage or driveway, turn, and stop safely? The second is the load’s: once it is off the truck, can the boxes or the assembled shed be moved to the final spot?
Most standard freight drops go to the kerb or the truck’s nearest stopping point. Drivers generally can’t carry goods through your property, so the second journey is usually yours. That is why a backyard shed behind a narrow side gate deserves more planning than one going next to the garage.
A good access check covers six things:
- The route from the street to the site, and its narrowest width
- Gates, fences and doorways along the way
- Turns, steps and slopes
- Overhead clearance
- Ground conditions at the placement spot and along the route
- Where the delivery will actually be left, and who will move it from there
Start at the street
Stand at the kerb and look at what the driver will see. Is the street narrow, with parked cars on both sides? Is there room for a truck to stop without blocking traffic? Is your driveway sloped, steep or lined with something delicate such as pavers or a septic tank cover?
Write down where you expect the delivery to be dropped. If the answer is “the kerb”, then you need to be ready to carry everything from there. If you want it closer, you will need to confirm with the supplier whether that is possible and whether the truck can actually get in.
Measure the path, gate and every turn
Take a tape measure and walk the route the way the boxes will travel. Record the narrowest width, not the average. Common pinch points include:
- Gate openings (measure the clear gap with the gate fully open, not the gate leaf)
- Side passages between the house and the fence, including hot water units, air conditioners, meters and downpipes
- Garden beds, retaining walls and steps
- Tight corners where long panels need to swing
Long items are the real test. Flat-pack shed kits often include panels and wall sections that are long even though they are thin, so a gap that suits a wheelbarrow may not suit a 2.5 m panel on a corner. Think about turns in two ways: whether there is width, and whether there is room to angle the item around the corner.
If you are also working out a gate, a clearance guide covering driveway gate clearance, widths and slope rules is a handy reference for how openings and bottom gaps are normally measured. The principle is the same for a side gate: measure the clear opening, check what hangs down or sticks out, and note any slope at the threshold.
What to record
Keep a simple note on your phone:
| Item | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Narrowest gate or passage | Clear width in millimetres |
| Path surface | Concrete, pavers, gravel, lawn, soil |
| Turns | How many, and how tight |
| Steps or slopes | Number of steps, or how steep the slope is |
| Overhead | Lowest branch, eave, pergola beam or wire |
| Placement spot | Width and length of the cleared area |
Look up: overhead clearance
Trucks, cranes and even people carrying long boxes need headroom. Walk the route and look for tree limbs, shade sails, pergola beams, eaves and power lines. Lines over the street or driveway matter for trucks with tipping bodies or cranes, and you should never try to trim trees near powerlines yourself. Contact your electricity distributor or a qualified arborist for that.
For a compact resin shed delivered flat-packed, headroom is rarely the issue once the boxes are on the ground. For larger or fully assembled buildings brought in by truck or crane, it is one of the first things a supplier will ask about.
Slope, grade and ground conditions
Firm, level ground matters twice: along the route and at the final spot. Delivery logistics companies are clear that homeowners are responsible for making sure the delivery area is firm and level, because a loaded truck can sink into lawn, sand, fresh fill or wet clay. If it has rained heavily in the days before your delivery, that soft patch by your driveway may be a problem you didn’t have last week.
Check these:
- Driveway surface: is it sealed, gravel or dirt, and will it take the weight of a truck?
- Soft spots: lawn over a recent trench, new landscaping, sand or clay that stays wet
- Steep sections: a steep driveway can stop a truck from entering safely, and make hand-carrying hard work
- The shed spot itself: level, clear and ready, ideally with the base already in place
The base is part of access, too. If boxes arrive and the spot is not ready, you will be storing panels somewhere awkward for days. Our guides on shed base options for DIY homeowners and a 20 minute site check for putting a shed on pavers walk through how to prepare a level surface so the shed is ready to build when the boxes land.
Flat-pack sheds versus fully assembled sheds
The type of shed you buy changes what “access” means.
| Flat-pack (resin kit) | Fully assembled or pre-built | |
|---|---|---|
| How it arrives | Several boxes or a pallet | One large structure |
| Moving it to the site | Carried in pieces by hand | Often needs a truck, trailer, forklift or crane |
| Gate and path | Needs to fit the longest box or panel | Needs to fit the whole building plus equipment |
| Overhead | Rarely a concern once unloaded | Critical for crane and truck |
| Site prep | Clear, level base and a spot to stage boxes | Firm laydown and access for heavy machinery |
For large modular structures delivered by truck and crane, planning typically includes a crane pad, a firm laydown area and traffic management where public roads are affected. That is a long way from a backyard shed, but it shows why a pre-built structure needs so much more room than a kit that two people can carry.
For most homeowners with a narrow side passage or a backyard behind the house, a flat-pack resin shed is the easier option. The boxes can be walked in, opened where the shed will stand and assembled on the spot. If your yard is tight, our narrow side yard storage guide shows how to work out what fits before you commit.
Can restricted access be solved?
Often, yes. Tight access doesn’t always mean you can’t have a shed, but it does mean you need to plan. Options include:
- Choosing a flat-pack kit, so every piece can be moved by hand
- Choosing a smaller footprint, or a design with shorter boxes
- Asking for a different drop-off point, such as the front of the property rather than the rear
- Arranging helpers, with a plan for who carries what
- Removing a temporary obstacle, such as a gate leaf, a bin or a stack of pots
For very large or heavy structures, a crane or special vehicle may be needed, which adds cost and planning. As a general example from the modular building world, road transport of modules wider than 4.5 m needs pilot vehicles and permits. That sits far outside a standard garden shed, but it is a good reminder that oversize loads come with their own rules, and a supplier should tell you early if yours is one.
What to tell your supplier
Suppliers can only plan around what they know. The details that help most are the gate widths, driveway surface, tight bends or steep sections, overhead lines or trees, any recent rain or soft areas, and photos or a sketch of the approach and the placement spot.
A simple message could look like this:
Delivery address and postcode. Narrowest gate: 820 mm. Side passage: 900 mm wide, one right-angle turn, two steps. Driveway is sealed concrete, gently sloping. No overhead wires over the driveway; one low branch near the back fence. Shed will go on a levelled paver base, 2.4 m by 2 m, at the back of the yard. Photos attached.
Label your photos (“front gate”, “side passage, looking toward the back”, “shed spot”) so whoever reads them doesn’t have to guess. Then ask three direct questions:
- Where will the delivery be left?
- What are the longest and heaviest boxes or pieces?
- What happens if the driver can’t reach the site?
Keep the reply in writing so you can refer to it later.
What can happen if the delivery can’t get through
If the vehicle can’t reach the site, or the load can’t be moved where it needs to go, a few things can follow:
- A failed delivery. The driver may leave without unloading and your order goes back into the queue.
- Extra charges. Some carriers charge for a futile trip or re-delivery, quoted before rebooking.
- Waiting and storage costs. Some retailers’ terms say that if delivery is delayed because the site can’t be reached, you may be charged for waiting time, additional charges and storage.
- Delays. Rebooking can take days or weeks depending on the route and the season.
Terms vary between retailers, so read the delivery section on the product page and in the terms before you pay. If anything is unclear, ask. Delivery companies themselves say that most problems come down to access, ground or overhead clearance, and that ten minutes of preparation avoids them.
Perspective: why we pack for access
We design our sheds to be assembled by homeowners, and that shapes how we think about access. A resin shed that arrives as a flat-pack kit can go through a side gate and be built where it will stand, so you don’t need a crane or a wide driveway. We also use recycled and recyclable resin, so the shed resists weathering, doesn’t rot, rust or warp, and keeps working after the delivery day is long forgotten.
Our advice is always the same: measure first, then choose. Work out the narrowest point and the best spot, then match your shed to the site rather than the other way around. If you want a full list of what to check before you order, our top 8 things to know before buying a garden shed and the 6 essential pre-installation tips cover the rest. And if you are still deciding where it should go, our shed placement checklist also covers the council side, including staying under the exempt size.
— Liza
Ready to choose a shed that fits your site?
Once you know your gate width, path and base size, the choice gets simple. Our range of weather resistant resin sheds is made for DIY assembly, so you can match a footprint to your yard and build it yourself. If you have a larger space and want something with more room, you can look at the Apex double door sheds, or browse the full range of sheds, outdoor storage and cabinets to compare sizes.
Before you order, check the delivery details on the product page and keep your measurements handy so you can compare them with the pack dimensions.
A quick pre-delivery checklist
Use this a week before the delivery date:
- Path cleared of bins, pots, hoses and tools
- Gate unlocked, or a gate leaf removable if needed
- Pets and children kept away from the route
- Base finished, level and swept
- Spot staged for boxes, ideally a dry tarp on level ground
- Someone home who can sign and direct the driver
- Helpers lined up if boxes need hand-carrying
- Phone with the carrier’s tracking number and the supplier’s contact
After delivery, check the boxes against the packing list before the driver leaves, and note any damage on the paperwork. Keep the packaging dry until you are ready to build, and plan where the cardboard and wrapping will go afterwards.
FAQ
How wide does a gate need to be for a shed delivery?
It depends on the longest and widest box in your order, not the finished shed. Check the pack dimensions on the product page and measure the narrowest clear opening on your route. If the opening is close to the box width, ask the supplier before ordering.
Will the driver carry the shed into my backyard?
Usually not. Standard freight deliveries are generally left at the truck’s nearest stopping point, and drivers don’t normally move goods through your property. Plan for helpers, and confirm the drop-off point with your supplier.
Does difficult access cost more?
It can. A failed delivery because of site access may lead to re-delivery or waiting charges, and larger structures may need extra equipment. Ask in writing what happens if the delivery can’t be completed, and send your measurements and photos before you pay.
Is a flat-pack shed easier to deliver than an assembled one?
For most homes, yes. A flat-pack kit arrives in boxes that can be carried through a gate and built on site, while a fully assembled shed generally needs a truck, and sometimes a crane, to get it into place.
Sources
- Delivery Site Access Guide, AAD Logistics
- Modular Construction Installation Guide Australia 2026, EcoPrestige
- Terms and Conditions, Express Portables
- Driveway Gate Clearance: Widths, Bottom Gaps, and Slope Rules
