Building a Tiny Backyard Office

My wife and I were expecting our second baby in late 2024. Our home is a 3/2, with one of those rooms dedicated to a home office that we built out during Covid.

With the impending arrival of our new little one, I had the fun idea to build a standalone tiny office in a somewhat unused corner of our yard back by our grapefruit tree. The office would be under 120 square feet, meaning for our area, we did not need a permit for the structure. With every skill in my arsenal and days of research, I kicked things off.

This project didn't require THAT many tools; here is a rough list; I can put materials in each section as the list is extensive.

Note - I designed (quite meticulously) the entire project in Sketchup (free online version); if you are interested in the rough design, you can email me at workshopeditsblog@gmail.com

Excavation Tools

1. Large and Small pick axe
2. Many Shovel(s), including this one to separate ground for laying conduit
3. Hand Tamper (10" x 10")
4. Trashcan
5. Gloves

Power Tools

1. Table Saw: https://amzn.to/3cr1dJO
2. Drill and Impact Driver: https://amzn.to/3cr1dJO
3. Jig Saw: https://amzn.to/4hpQkta
4. Circular Saw: https://amzn.to/3DzA4rM; need carbide blade for cement board cutting
5. Cordless Brad Nailer: https://amzn.to/4hpQkta
6. Caulk Gun: https://amzn.to/3LjCP0S
7. Multi Tool: https://amzn.to/3Fwpgex
8. Brad Nailer: https://amzn.to/43KmvjQ
9. Miter Saw: https://amzn.to/41XHNJB

Hand Tools

1. Hammer
2. Screw driver
3. Speed Squares
4. Tape Measures
5. Level
6. Chalk Line
7. Line Laser
8. Electrical tools (cutters/strippers, pliers, etc.)
9. Drywall Mudding Tools (Trow and Flat Spades
10. Hack saw (for metal)
11. Conduit bender
12. Electrical tester
13. Drill bits
14. Painting Supplies
15. Wood putty knives
16. Masking Tape
17. Box Cutter
18. Sanding blocks

My yard is not huge; I played with a bunch of different designs and inspiration. Ultimately, I decided on a simple 7 x 10 office that would sit on raised footings, with a lean-too 2/12 pitch style roof. I'd have a single window that faced my home so I could look out and see into the kitchen, and set of either French doors or a sliding door. Ultimately, I went with a sliding door.

Framing of this, and the design overall, because I was new to it, took a bit of time to figure out, but I got there and that was definitely my favorite step of the process!

Here is a full 3 hour video of the entire build series encase you wanted to watch and read. There are nine individual videos as well that can be found in a playlist here, or below outlined in each applicable step.

The corner of my yard is not huge; we wanted the office to feel like part of the overall house but also separate - a chance to take a somewhat nice, but boring part of the yard, and make it very integrated into the house.

Full build process of this entire section can be found here

The steps here here were actually really simple - I needed to

1. Remove Planter boxes (big step actually - took forever!)
2. Excavate my beautiful St. Augustine and leveling the dirt
3. Move / Cap sprinklers to fit around the new structure
4. Dig footings (included digging 8-10" down, tamping dirt, tamping 4-6" of 3/4" rocks)

Big note here - we are in SoCal - so we have NO frostline; if we did, I would do concrete pylons down to the proper frost line depth; but this compacted base and footing system is more than adequate for our area

1. Laying raised footings and leveling / aligning- quite challenging but a line laser and pure grit made this possible
2. Running 8/3 Romex from my breaker, through rigid metal conduit under my house 30 feet, then trenching another 45 feet to the back of the corner; I recommend RMC as you only need to bury it 6', versus 18" with PVC conduit; I ran 8/3 off a single pole 30 amp breaker; I had calculated this was plenty for the future needs of the space
3. Laying down weed fabric and small rock to prevent weed growth in the area
4. Squaring off and fully aligning framing to footings and where power terminates
5. Cutting and framing 2x6 pressure treated wood; I used joist hangers on each one, as well as blocking underneath to prevent any sagging over time
6. Laying 3/4" subfloor with subfloor adhesive

Materials for this section included

1. 50' of rigid metal conduit and connectors
2. 15 2x6 pressure treated boards
3. Construction grade framing screws rated for pressure treated boards (TimberLok from Lowes)
4. Joist hangers and joist hanger screws
5. 100' of 8/3 Romex
6. 30amp Single Pole Breaker
7. 6 x concrete footings
8. 7 x bags of 3/4" rock
9. 7 x bags of gravel
10. Weed Fabric
11. 2 x 4x8 x 3/4" subfloor panels with subfloor adhesive
12. Various sprinkler components (caps, new fittings / extensions)

Next up was framing the entire structure (definitely my favorite step);

Full build process of this entire section can be found here.

Main steps steps included:

1. Framing all four walls on the ground from my design, including a front wall for a sliding door, a side wall for a window, and two other walls, as well as double plating the structure ahead of building the roof.
2. Framing out all of the roof rafters and cutting birds mouths to get the 2/12 pitch I designed
3. Framing the fascia and ladders on the sides, and installing hurricane ties
4. Installing a shiplap ceiling above the roof rafters
5. Squaring off structure in every direction, and then sheathing with 1/2" OSB
6. Taping off all joints
7. Installing house wrap and house wrap tape

Materials for this section included

1. All framing lumber (2x4s) - ~40 or so
2. Fascia framing (2x6s) - ~4 of them
3. Conscruction Framing Screws (Strong-Drive from Lowes - my favorite screws)
4. 12' Shiplap boards for ceiling
5. Hurricane ties (one per joint, so two per board) and hurricane tie screws
6. Buttle tape specifically for taping joints in sheathing
7. 8 x 1/2" OSB sheets
8. House wrap and house wrap tape

Next up was installing my window and door. This was super new to me but I had used as much information from RR Buildings to help guide the process for install.

Full build process of this entire section can be found here.

Main steps steps included (for both window and door)

1. Weather prep and proofing the open joints with the taping of the house wrap (see video for process)
2. Applying sealant to window framing and installing window with nails/screws; the key was to center the window and make sure the pieces was spaced evenly

Materials for this section included

1. 3' x 4' window (Lowes) - this was ordered based on my design needs
2. 60" wide sliding glass door (Home Depot)
3. Buttle weather tape
4. Caulk Sealant
5. Nails/Screws

This was actually a fun step. My panel has space for 3 x circuits.

Full build process of this entire electrical section can be found here

My logic for laying out electrical was the following

1. Individual circuit to power all lights, all office equipment, and internet mesh puck
2. Individual circuit to power 120v mini split system
3. Individual circuit to power TV, Security Camera, and a future Sauna

And this was PLENTY of power for what I needed based on the ratings of all devices and use of the space. I am not an electrician, but I understand the fundamentals of amperage, voltage needs, romex sizing, and safety around installation of outlets, switches, etc. If you're not comfortable with this, please consult a pro.

My main steps include:

1. Design entire electrical system, outlet placements, and wire needs
2. Install electrical boxes throughout the entire office (more outlets is always better)
3. Install switch boxes (I have there switches - one for office lights, one for exterior sconces, and one for exterior lights, all on dimmers)
4. Drilling holes and running Romex (drill far enough back to code)
5. Attaching Romex to all outlets in order of the electrical set up I designed
6. Installing outlets
7. Running strike plates to prevent nails or screws from damaging wires
8. Installing round lights in ceiling (from Amazon) - a rather unnerving process but it looked amazing in the end! I use four inside and its plenty of light, and I can change the temperature of them as well
9. Secure all wiring within 12" of any switches per code
10. Installing an 8 foot grounding rod (by hand - using the "water method") to ground the structure

Materials for this section included:

1. 14 gauge Romex for 15 amp breaker
2. 12 gauge Romex for 20 amp breakers
3. Wire nuts
4. 15 and 20 amp breakers
5. 15 and 20 amp outlets (GFCI for any exterior outlets)
6. Outlet covers (oversized versions)
7. Strike plates
8. Recessed lights from Amazon; dimmable, with junction boxes

Now that electrical was completed, it was time to move on to finishing the entire roof and insulating the structure. The weather was starting to heat up in California so I was rushing quickly to get the rest of the exterior work finished while not smashing my thumb continuously.

Full build process of this entire electrical section can be found here

The steps for this process were as following:

1. Installing rigid foam insulation for the roof; I had designed my structure to have the exposed shiplap ceiling, meaning that I needed a way to then house insulation on top of that, work around the electrical junction boxes for the recessed lights, and fit within the 2x6 fascia boards. This took a lot of planning, but it came together exactly as designed with the proper prep and measuring.
2. Full roof installation - the main piece here was fully water proofing the entire process
3. Laying OSB to cover the insulation/electrical
4. Taping the roofing joints
5. Installing exterior appearance fascia boards over the 2x6s and painting a matte black color
6. Installation of drip edges for a lean to roof
7. Laying roofing paper with plastic cap nails, overlapping 6-8" for water barrier
8. Installing roofing shingles with the standard process, all by hand!
9. Installing exterior underside shiplap ceiling which was incredibly satisfying; this also included cutting holes for more recessed lights that were on a second switch, filing nail holes, sanding, and painting the same matte black color
10. Installing insulation (R value was max that I could find for 2x4 framing)

Materials for this section included:

1. 3 x 1" rigid foam insulation
2. 3 x 4x8" osb sheets
3. Roofing shingles (for 100 square feet of roof)
4. 40 feet of black drip edge and roofing sealant
5. Roofing Cap Nails
6. Roofing Nails (1")
7. Shiplap boards (same as the ones from the ceiling, but painted with exterior paint)
8. More recessed lights from Amazon
9. R-13 roll insulation (I think I used 4-5 rolls)

Welcome to my least favorite step - exterior siding. This was a big step, but also stressful, as it meant the exterior was completely finished, and I could focus on the inside.

This was stressful for a number of reasons:

1. Understanding what cement board is
2. How the board and batten process works fundamentally
3. How to design it to look good
4. Working with the material - very heavy, very dusty and dangerous, hard to cut, and very pricey

Full build process of this entire section can be found here

Process for this was:

1. Researching and landing on the material and design choice for my exterior; I wanted a modern farmhouse look, which involved the board and batten look
2. Designing my board and batten layout (eg - 12, 16, or 24 on center), where my seems would be
3. Acquiring material - I opted to try to save money, and only bought large 4x8 sheets (these are HEAVY - get help at Lowes moving these); by getting full sheets, I committed to cutting my own battens, which was very tough. In hindsight, I should have just spend the extra couple hundred $$ to get pre-cut strips
4. Cutting all battens (this was hard - I used a Kreg Ripcut which is not perfect, as it wants to tail off in the end meaning your cuts will be straight, then not straight , and a carbide blade for my circular saw); I used all the PPE I could, and it was a terrible process, mostly because I was building this in my free time between work meetings, and every cut I made required so much clean up, putting on new clothes, and putting on full PPE to protect myself
5. Measuring meticulously and cutting out all of my big sheets to fit over the sheathed framing - the goal here was to fit nicely around framing, and make sure my seems fell where needed to be even
6. Installing ALL battens - around seems, around windows, around edges
7. One thing I'd recommend is prefabricating all corners, then installing - its much easier to get nice straight corners and install over messy corners that might not line up
8. Caulking all seems - don't be me and use non paintable calk, then spend 4 hours removing, only to have to redo it...
9. Paint! I used an exterior white shade called "Santa's Beard"
10. Installing exterior sconces

Materials for this section included

1. 9 sheets of 4x8 3/8" cement board
2. Carbide 7.5" cutting blade for circular saw
3. Cement board screws (hundreds!)
4. Construction adhesive (for corner joists)
5. Wall sconces from Amazon

Drywalling was satisfying because I could start to see the interior vision come to life. I had never drywalled before, or mudded, so my main goal here was to simplify the process as much as possible

Full build process of this entire section can be found here.

Rough process for this was:

1. Designing the entire drywall install to have as few butt joints as possible - only ended up with one TINY one and boy did it help
2. Cut sheets to size, and cut them around the exposed ceiling joists which was very challenging; my one mistake I made was not setting up my hurricane ties to not be exposed inside; because of this, I will alway see them in the office (no biggie), but it made it very complicated to work around them with install and future mudding.
3. Fasten and secure all drywall, also cutting out any outlets, switches, or electrical boxes - something I'm also bad at for some reason
4. Route out around window and door (MESSY - LOAD UP ON THAT PPE)

Materials for this section included

1. 7 sheets of drywall
2. Drywall screws

Next up was mudding and painting; the former of which I had also never done. I did my homework on this, bought the right tools, bought the right user friendly materials, and did my best. I think it honestly came out awesome.

Full build process of this entire section can be found here

My rough process here:

1. Fill all screw holes with 2 coats 12 hours apart with premixed mud
2. Apply heavy layer of mud on all joints, then apply tape and smooth, and apply a coat of mud over each tape - repeat that for all joints and corners
3. Apply (the hero of the project) - tear away L-Bead strips, which were hard to find in big box stores, but i did find locally and they are very cheap, easy to cut, and super easy to install (see video for process)
4. This is where again, had I planned my hurricane ties better, doing the L-Bead around all joists would have made it SO MUCH easier, but I paid the price in time and detailing
5. Sand with 120 foam blocks, clean out all dust with fan and leaf blower
6. Second coating of mud on all joists and corners with a broader knife, let dry over night
7. Sand a second time, then apply a third ready mix top coat - at this point, the three coats had blended really nicely together, the joints were flat, and the tape stuck well; a tip is to make sure your tape is very wet to avoid blistering
8. Peal away L-Bead to reveal clean corners around joists
9. Final touches of mudding around all joists, and sanding
10. Apply big stretch caulk on all joists cleanly, and do one final round of sanding

This final step took about 15 hours - just sanding, finishing, caulking, sanding, finishing - it was so meticulous, and it would have been easier with the L-Bead everywhere, but the end, I prevailed

To continue with the process:

1. I then installed extra faux-joists at the top corners to hide the top edges on the angled walls (see video for why I did this and the final look
2. PAINT! I brought it all then together with some white interior paint (two coats)

I was so excited to see this all come together.

Materials for this section included:

1. Ready mix mud from Home Depot (get the 5 gallon, its way more cost efficient) - used regular and top coat mix
2. Sanding blocks
3. White interior eggshell paint
4. Big Stretch Caulk in white

Final stretches - I tackled flooring. I was meticulous with this step too. I research the type of flooring I wanted, underlayment needs, color varieties - I wanted a light oak/wood look, and the process overall for install. Another first for me - I hope the process helps you learn. It came out amazing!

Full build process of this entire section can be found here

Flooring Information:

1. Brand: Home Decorators Collection
2. Color: Virgil Oak
3. Price: $1.99/square foot
4. Thickness: 12m (10 + 2mm underlayment)
5. They are click-lock, waterproof, and scratch resistant

Overall process for install:

1. Choose flooring type (see above), including
2. Color/profile
3. Underlayment options
4. Sizing overall (for your space)
5. My flooring specifically was from Home Depot:
6. Buy flooring and let it sit in the installed space for a few days to acclimate to temperature and humidity
7. Sort boards - these packs come in 6 different looks - what you don't want to do is install the same looking boards next to each other
8. Lay out your first row - this is important to make sure it is straight, flat, and you've started your pattern
9. Repeat process - the most important steps here are
10. Stagger the seems at least 8" so it does not look like there is any pattern to how boards or laid, or they seems at the ends are too close to each other
11. Make sure joints are tight; you can buy tools for this, but they suck - my reco is to use an off cut and use that to serve as your blocking to hammer your pieces together

Final steps! This involved milling my own lumber for door and window trim - I wanted a nice natural wood look to compliment the roof, and installing some simple flat 4" tall white baseboards and painting. More firsts for me, but came out amazing as this covered out all drywall imperfections around the floor windows, and doors, and really completed the look.

Full build process of this entire section can be found here

Overall process:

1. Mill down to size all pieces for the wood trim of the door and window; I was doing a craftsman-style look
2. Dry fit pieces for optimal look
3. Install with brad nails
4. Wood fill and sand all nails
5. Note - I did not put a finish on the trim or the roof - I just love the natural yellow look of it all - no regrets after all this time
6. Measure all floor board spacing
7. Cut to length with miter'd edges and install my five pieces with brad nails
8. Fill with nail holes with caulk, then sand, mask off floor, and paint
9. Caulk seams for final look

FINISHED!!!

Materials

1. Pine boards, milled down to 1/2" thick for all trim pieces; the window had 8 pieces, the door had 7.
2. MDF baseboards (actually bought wider boards and ripped down as it was WAY cheaper)
3. Wood filler (color matched)
4. White Caulk
5. White paint (matched walls

I didn't film this section, as I could not DIY it myself, but I installed a 9000 BTU Della Mini Split; this was the smallest unit I could find, and will heat (heat pump), cool (IT CRANKS), de-humidify, and work as a fan for a space up to 400 square feet.

My 70 square foot space will heat or cool in a matter of minutes even on the coldest or hottest California days and I love it. It's efficient, VERY quiet (I can run it while on video calls), and was very easy to install overall, and runs on 120v power (I have it tied directly to a dedicated 20 amp circuit)

I did everything myself with the exception of charging the line, which I paid my HVAC professional friend to do for a small fee.

My DIY install included:

1. Installation of shut off box and fuses and wiring
2. Mounting interior unit
3. Drilling and passing through wires, drip drainage, adn charge lines through wall and sealing off
4. Mounting AC Unit
5. Wiring up AC Unit (very user friendly)

I then moved in!

I have my smart TV hooked up for all the golf one can watch, a plant my wife told me I needed, my large (70" wide) stand up desk and computer set up, and a filing cabinet.

High level things I'd do different

1. I'd make it 3 feet wider and 2 feet deeper so I could have a bigger sliding door and a closet - it would have cost more, but so be it - worth it to have more space but also I just freaking love my little set up
2. I'd have insulated underneath my subfloor - the floor is COLD in the California winter (heats up fast though, and I have slippers, but yea)
3. I'd do black window and door fixtures to better show the modern farmhouse look
4. I'd move it slightly further away from my block wall (it's fine, but more space is helpful)

I didn't film this part either as it was so new to me, and I wanted more freedom and flex to really figure things out, stumble through them - I didn't think it would be a helpful video.

My main steps were:

1. Debate endlessly what I wanted the deck to look like size-wise, color, etc.
2. Decide on a final design in Sketchup, which included pressure treated framing, and then mapping out the Trex I needed. This meticulous planning saved me hundreds, if not thousands, in the process as Trex is expensive.
3. I started by making a small platform back in my corner (very dead space) that was to be used for our new infrared single person outdoor sauna from Amazon. This was a great way to get my feet wet on framing, leveling, and installing Trex; the Sauna ties into the main office power and only pulls a max of 11 amps on a 20 amp breaker, so everything can function at once - including the AC, with no issues (we'd never do them all at once anyways, but we can)
4. I then dug and installed all footings (similar process to the base of the office); I did end up adding a few concrete anchored posts in corners to complement the pavers - as it all really held it together
5. Note - this is ground level, and barely really going to be used as a deck with heavy things on it, so I used 2x4s, tied into the office structure; if you're building a big true deck, use joist hangers and 2x6s
6. I then framed out three sections individually with my pressure treated boards; the key here was doing it separately to make it manageable adn to do the isntally in my driveway on a flat surface, then tie into the structure, and frame them to best fit the picture frame layout of my Trex
7. I ordered the exact amount of Trex I needed through my planning, and then slowly installed it
8. It cuts easily and true with a good miter saw
9. I took my time measuring everything - lengths, angles, etc
10. I also wanted to have low voltage lights running; I had strategically ran power to the bottom back corner of the office to tie in a low voltage plug in light system; as I installed the Trex, I installed the lights as well - VERY user friendly and they look amazing; they can dim, run on a dusk to dawn timer - my only wish is they could do colors and be controlled with an App but that cost 3x on Amazon
11. I finished the deck with the Trex fascia board install (oddly pricey) - but it really completed the look
12. I also created a small 3.5' wide step that is mounted at ground level with concrete posts as a step up to the deck for entering the office; it's small and was a last minute choice but it looks amazing

FINAL STEP!

The goal always, after the office was done, after the Sauna was in, after the deck and deck lighting was in, was to finish out with some greenery.

I did the following steps:

1. Finished moving all sprinklers to line up perfectly with my lawn ahead of spring (my lawn had taken a beating form all the work and was dormant form winter so really excited for it to roar back to life)
2. Installed a bunch of festuca grass plants to boarder the deck gap (looks so good)
3. Installed ficus bushes and an avocado tree to flank the left side of things; the other side is also flanked by mature ficus trees we installed 4 years ago, and a plum tree (along with the very mature grapefruit tree)
4. Mulched the entire area
5. No drip system - figured these will get sprinkler run off, are drought tolerant mostly, and we like to hand water our plants anyways

AND THEN IT WAS DONE!

Total cost of the office (was very meticulous about this) was

1. $5,700 for materials (all my own labor was free of course)
2. 250 hours of building, another 100 in design, research, and material pick ups (33 Home Depot and Lowes trips)
3. $600 for AC unit (includes $100 to charge the line professionally - homie discount)
4. $1,600 in decking
5. $100 in updated electrical materials to complete lighting and wire up sauna

What an incredible process and journey for me

1. Dozens of new skills and first time processes tried for me
2. Added a beautiful new space to our backyard that is super functional, aesthetically enjoyable, and accomplishing to look at

I'm an open book for questions on this so feel free to ask away - thanks so much for checking out the project!