Craftsman assembly
A Craftsman badge on a Suncast-built shed, and mostly a tall, narrow one.
Craftsman’s resin sheds are made by Suncast, so they build like one, and most are slim vertical units sized for ladders and long-handled tools. The two things to get right: measure the real interior, and anchor a tall, narrow box properly.
What you are actually buying
Craftsman resin storage sheds are made by Suncast, they are produced in Batavia, Illinois, which is Suncast’s home, and Suncast’s own shelving accessories are cross-compatible with them. That is not a criticism, Suncast build good resin sheds, but it is worth knowing that the Craftsman name sits on a Suncast product, which tells you how it goes together and where replacement parts and accessories come from.
The Craftsman line leans heavily toward tall vertical sheds, slim units designed to tuck against a house or garage and swallow ladders, rakes and long-handled tools, plus a few horizontal boxes and larger gable walk-ins. That vertical profile is really the identity, and it shapes the two things most worth getting right.
First, the advertised size is not the interior size. Second, a tall, narrow resin box needs anchoring and a level base more than a low wide one does. Get those right and it is a genuinely easy, low-maintenance shed.
The build
A resin panel system, quick once the base is right.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Small vertical (2x2, 5x2)Panel-by-panel resin. Floor and hardware included. | 1 to 2 hours | 1 to 2 |
| Large vertical / horizontal (6x4, 4x2)Two people to hold panels while you fasten. | 2 to 3 hours | 2 |
| Gable walk-in (7x7)Bigger, with a vented roof to set. | half a day | 2 |
| Leveling the base firstPanels only meet on level ground. | 1 to 2 hours | 1 |
| Aligning the doorsDoor track and foot latch, so they close flush. | the fussy bit | 1 |
Have all the boxes within about fifteen feet of the site before you start, and note the wood shelves on the larger vertical models are sold separately, and are Suncast-compatible.
The things worth knowing
It is a Suncast shed under the Craftsman name
Genuinely useful to know. Craftsman’s resin sheds are manufactured by Suncast, in Suncast’s Illinois home, and Suncast’s shelf kits and accessories fit them. So it assembles like a Suncast resin shed, its replacement parts come through that channel rather than a Craftsman tool counter, and if you want interior shelving you are shopping Suncast-compatible parts. None of that is a downside, it just tells you what you own and where the ecosystem is.
Measure the actual interior, not the name on the box
The classic vertical-shed trap. The advertised size is the nominal footprint, and the usable interior is noticeably smaller, one model sold as five by two feet has an actual interior nearer four by two and a half. Before you buy, check the real internal dimensions against the ladder, mower or tools you mean to store, because a slim vertical shed that is a few inches short inside is a shed that will not hold the one thing you bought it for.
A tall, narrow shed needs anchoring more, not less
The vertical profile that makes these so space-efficient also makes them tippy, top-heavy when loaded high and prone to catching wind. Anchor it, to the wall it sits against, to its base, or to the ground, rather than relying on its weight. A low wide shed can sometimes sit on its own, a tall narrow one really should be fixed down, especially before you load the upper shelves.
The doors are the fussy part, so align them last and carefully
On these resin sheds the doors are where a build succeeds or annoys. The door track has to be aligned and the foot latch set so the doors close flush and latch cleanly, and professional installers specifically call out verifying the door before finishing. If the doors are not sitting right, it is usually the base being slightly out or the track needing adjustment, both fixable, and worth taking the time to get flush rather than living with a door that gaps.
Level the base, briefly but genuinely
As with any resin shed, the panels only meet cleanly and the doors only latch on a level base, so prepare a flat, solid surface first. It does not need the elaborate foundation of a wood barn, but it does need to be genuinely level, a small slope is enough to leave a wall panel that will not close at the end. A little care here prevents the most common resin-shed frustration.
Check the parts on arrival
A quick, worthwhile habit. Resin sheds occasionally arrive with a mispacked or missing screw bag or a scuffed panel, so open everything and check against the parts list on delivery day. Replacements come through Craftsman and Suncast rather than back to the store, and catching a shortage early saves a stalled build and a mid-project trip to the hardware store.
Before you build
Measure the actual interior against what you intend to store, not the nominal size on the box.
Prepare a flat, level, solid base.
Plan how you will anchor a tall, narrow shed, to the wall, base or ground.
Have all the boxes within about fifteen feet of the site, and a second pair of hands for the panels.
And if you want interior shelving, buy Suncast-compatible shelves, since the wood shelves are not included.
Where an installer helps
By leveling the base so the panels meet and the doors latch, which is the usual sticking point.
By aligning the door track and latch so the doors close flush, the detail that most affects how finished it feels.
By anchoring the tall, narrow profile securely so it stays put and stable when loaded.
And honestly, these are among the easier sheds to build, so the value of help is mostly in the base, the doors and the anchoring, plus knowing it is a Suncast shed so the right accessories and parts are easy to source.
What an installer does
- Confirms the actual interior suits what you are storing before building.
- Levels a solid base so the resin panels meet cleanly.
- Assembles the panel-by-panel resin structure and sets the vented roof.
- Aligns the door track and foot latch so the doors close flush and latch.
- Anchors the tall, narrow shed to the wall, base or ground for stability.
- Checks parts on arrival and sources Suncast-compatible shelving if wanted.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Who actually makes Craftsman sheds?
Suncast. Craftsman’s resin sheds are manufactured by Suncast, in Suncast’s Illinois home, and Suncast’s shelving accessories are cross-compatible with them. So it builds like a Suncast resin shed, and its parts and accessories come through that ecosystem rather than a Craftsman tool counter.
Is the shed as big inside as the size suggests?
No, and this is worth checking. The advertised size is the nominal footprint, and the usable interior is smaller, a shed sold as five by two feet can have an interior nearer four by two and a half. Measure the real internal dimensions against your ladder, mower or tools before buying, especially on the slim vertical models.
Does it need to be anchored?
Yes, more so than a wide shed. The tall, narrow vertical profile is top-heavy when loaded and catches wind, so anchor it to the wall it sits against, to its base, or to the ground rather than relying on its weight, and do so before you load the upper shelves.
Why won’t the doors close properly?
Usually because the base is slightly out of level or the door track needs adjusting. On these resin sheds the doors are the detail that most needs care, align the track and set the foot latch so they close flush, and if they still gap, re-check that the base is truly level, since that is the most common cause.
Are shelves included?
On the larger vertical models the wood shelves are sold separately. Because the sheds are made by Suncast, Suncast’s resin shelf kits are compatible, so that is what to look for if you want to add interior shelving.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Craftsman, Suncast, or Stanley Black & Decker. Craftsman is a trademark of its owner, referred to here only to describe the assembly services that independent installers on this directory provide.