Sheet cutting diagrams Dashed = openings to cut out
Sheet 1: 3/4 in plywood, 4 x 8 ft
Shopping list $196.66 checked / $42.00 estimated
Item
Store
Qty
Each
Line
Note
2x6x8 ground-contact pressure-treated
Home Depot
2
$9.78
$19.56
see lumber cutting diagram
4x4x8 ground-contact pressure-treated
Home Depot
2
$11.28
$22.56
see lumber cutting diagram
23/32 in (3/4 in) CDX plywood, 4x8 sheet
Lowe's
1
$46.57
$46.57
see sheet cutting diagrams
55 gal food-grade barrel, used
SD Drums or local
2
$39.00
$78.00
3/4 in bulkhead spigot and barrel fittings
Home Depot
2
$15.00
$30.00
Exterior wood screws #9 x 2.5 in, 5 lb box
Home Depot
1
$29.97
$29.97
3/4 in PVC fittings, assorted
Home Depot
1
$12.00
$12.00
overflow hose
Total before tax
~$238.66
Filled dot: price read from a store listing on Oct 20, 2026. Hollow dot: estimate. Prices come from the master price list, so they change when it changes.
Build steps
Cut six 4x4 legs to 17 3/4 in and the 2x6 beams to length. Screw the beams between the legs, on edge, with the tops flush.
Cut the plywood top in two and screw it down every 6 in, with the joint on the middle beam.
Set the stand on a level pad of 4 in gravel or pavers in the shade under the downspout.
Fit each barrel with a spigot 3 in from the bottom, and a 1 in overflow fitting 4 in below the top. Connect the two overflow fittings with a hose.
Run the downspout into barrel A through a screened lid, and an overflow from barrel B to a drain away from the house.
Before you start
Two linked barrels hold 110 gal. A 1,000 sq ft roof gives 600 gal from one inch of rain, so size the catchment for the storm, not the roof.
A full pair weighs 920 lb. Use 4x4 legs and a level, hard pad.
Screen the inlet against mosquitoes, and drain the barrels before a freeze.
The barrels and fittings are not in the master price list; the prices are estimates.
Draft drawings generated from the model. Build one before selling this plan.