Shed storage · back gable wall · 27-gal base row
Five 2×4 ladders against the back gable wall. Thirty totes hung by the rim — a 27‑gal tote as the base row of each column, 14‑gal above, stepping from two 7‑high columns in the low right corner up to two 8‑high toward the peak.
Two numbers decide whether the totes hang right: the ~17½″ runner gap (a hair under the rim so it catches) and the hang below the runner (8⅝″ for the 14‑gal, ~13¼″ for the 27‑gal). Test‑fit one of each before cutting all 60 runners — totes vary.
Notes from actually building it. Worth reading before you cut anything.
Seven steps, in order. Tick each as you go — progress saves in your browser.
Cut everything first. The taller 27‑gal base row pushes the tall columns past 8 ft, so the six tall legs come from 2×4×10′ boards and everything else from 8‑footers.
If the store offers cutting, have them cut the sixty 28½″ runners (twenty boards, three each) to save time. Label each leg A–E; A is the right end, in the low corner.
Mark the first runner at 14¾″ off the floor. That leaves the taller 27‑gal base tote a 1½″ gap above the floor, the same gap every tote above it gets.
Each runner after that is 11.8″ higher. Cut an 8‑5/16″ spacer block to set the distance between runners without measuring each one. Both tote sizes share the same rim, so the spacing stays uniform all the way up, including where the 27‑gal gives way to the 14‑gal. Short ladders (A, B) get seven marks; tall (C, D, E) get eight.
Each ladder is two legs joined by its runners. Legs sit 28½″ apart; runners stand on edge and screw into each leg end with two 2½″ screws.
Middle ladders (B, C, D) get runners on both faces; ends (A, E) on one. On edge, the pair leaves ~17½″ between them — the rim catches, the body hangs through.
Set the ladders 20½″ apart with ladder A tight in the right corner, and screw a full‑length base rail across the feet, front and back (two 2½″ screws per leg). Runners run front‑to‑back, so totes slide toward the aisle.
Check for square before the rails are fully driven.
Tie adjacent ladder tops together, front and back — these hold the rack square and keep the ladder spacing. No diagonal braces: the wall anchoring in the next step is what stops the rack folding sideways.
The frame is loose until it's anchored, so stand it against the wall, get it plumb and square, and fix it to the studs right away (or tack one temporary diagonal across the back just for the stand-up).
With no diagonals, the wall anchor does double duty — anti-tip and anti-rack — so anchor at several points, top and bottom, across the width, not just once. The top anchors stop forward tipping; the lower ones stop side-to-side racking.
The ladders won't all line up with studs, so once the rack is standing, fit the anchor points to your wall's stud layout and add a back cleat wherever a leg falls between studs. Screw into studs only, never down into the floor. Put a felt pad under each foot to protect a finished floor. Anchor it before loading any totes.
Bottom tier of each column is the 27‑gal (same rim and footprint as the 14‑gal, just taller) so it hangs on the same runners; 14‑gal above. Rim rides the rails, body hangs below; lids can stay on.
Load heaviest low — the big 27s on the bottom are made for it. Tall columns top out ~99″, still 10–15″ under the peak.
How one column stacks: the bottom runner sits at 14¾″ (holding the taller 27‑gal with a 1½″ floor gap), then every runner is +11.8″. Both totes share the same rim, so the pitch stays a uniform 11.8″ all the way up and every gap is 1½″.
Verify against your own totes: the ~17½″ rim gap, the 14‑gal 8⅝″ hang, and the 27‑gal hang (~13¼″). Test-fit one of each before cutting all 60 runners.
| Part | Length | Qty | Cut from | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tall ladder legs | 101½″ | 6 | 2×4×10′ (1/bd) | Ladders C, D, E |
| Short ladder legs | 89½″ | 4 | 2×4×8′ (1/bd) | Ladders A, B |
| Runners (on edge) | 28½″ | 60 | 2×4×8′ (3/bd) | 2 per rim line |
| Base rails | 89½″ | 2 | 2×4×8′ (1/bd) | Front + back |
| Top ties | 20½″ | 8 | 2×4×8′ (4/bd) | 4 bays × 2 |
| Item | Qty | Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2×4 × 10 ft SPF | 6 | ~$5.50 | ~$33 |
| 2×4 × 8 ft SPF | 28 | ~$4.50 | ~$126 |
| HDX 27 gal tote (999‑27G‑HDX) — base row | 4 | ~$9.98 | ~$40 |
| HDX 14 gal tote (999‑14G‑HDX) | 26 | ~$8.98 | ~$233 |
| 2½″ construction screws (5 lb) | 1 box | ~$27 | ~$27 |
| ¼″×4″ structural screws | 8 | ~$1.4 | ~$11 |
| Rack only (lumber + screws) | ~$197 | ||
| With 30 totes | ~$470 |
| Col | From right corner | Ceiling | Totes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (right) | 2–22″ | ~96″ | 7 |
| 2 | 24–45″ | ~105″ | 7 |
| 3 | 46–68″ (peak) | ~114″ | 8 |
| 4 (left) | 69–90″ | ~109″ | 8 |
Bottom tier of every column is the 27‑gal; totes 2–8 are 14‑gal. Even with the taller base the tall columns top out ~99″ — still 10–15″ under the peak.
| Screw | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2½″ construction (star drive) | Everything wood-to-wood: runners into legs (2/end), base rails, ties | 1½″ through the first board + 1″ bite — strong, and nothing pokes through the far face |
| ¼″×4″ structural (SPAX PowerLag / Simpson SDWS) | Back legs → gable-wall studs | The anti-tip anchor. This one is meant to pass through the leg into the stud |