Greenhouse standing ready before spring

Plan your greenhouse before you build

Where to put it, what to build it on, whether you need a permit and when to install — the decisions that make the first season easy.

Learn · 7 guides

Planning

All guides →
Greenhouse standing ready before spring
When is the best time to install my greenhouse?
TIMING · 1 MIN READ
Greenhouse standing on a timber perimeter base filled with gravel
What base should my greenhouse sit on?
BASES · 1 MIN READ
Do you need a permit to build a greenhouse
Do I need a permit to install a greenhouse on my property in Canada or the United States?
GREENHOUSE GARDENING TIPS · 6 MIN READ
4 Essential Considerations for Building Greenhouse Foundations
4 considérations essentielles pour la construction des fondations d'une serre
GREENHOUSE INSTALLATION · 5 MIN READ
How To Optimize Sun Exposure for Your Greenhouse?
Comment optimiser l’exposition au soleil de votre serre ?
HEATING / COOLING · 6 MIN READ
Slope Solutions: How to Install a Greenhouse on Uneven Terrain
Solutions de pente : comment installer une serre sur un terrain accidenté
GREENHOUSE INSTALLATION · 5 MIN READ
Exploring Greenhouse Flooring Options: Pros, Cons, and Considerations
Explorer les options de revêtement de sol pour serres : avantages, inconvénients et considérations
GREENHOUSE INSTALLATION · 4 MIN READ
The Beginner's Guide for Greenhouse Owners
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The Beginner's Guide for Greenhouse Owners

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Planning a backyard greenhouse

A greenhouse stays in one place for many years, so the decisions you make before the kit arrives matter most. These guides walk through them in the order most growers face them.

Choose the spot

Look for the sunniest, most level part of the yard, away from trees that shade the roof in winter or drop branches in a storm. How to optimize sun exposure shows how to check a spot through the seasons, and Slope solutions covers yards that are not flat.

Prepare the base and floor

The greenhouse needs a level, square base to sit on. Compare the options in What base should my greenhouse sit on? and 4 essential considerations for greenhouse foundations, then pick a floor in Greenhouse flooring options.

Check permits and timing

Rules for garden structures differ by town, so check size limits and setbacks before you order — see Do I need a permit?. Then choose your install window with When is the best time to install my greenhouse?.