Is the new shed to be built on the site of the old shed, or is it going into a new location?

While it was not exactly planned that way my shed has over a foot of ground clearance at the one end and 6" on the other. (My yard is all slope). HOWEVER what this does is provide plenty of air circulation under the shed. Keeping it dry under there helps prevent rot. Additionally the shed is built on 2 4X4's with the 2X6 floor joist fastened the 4X4. All are pressure treated, including the 3/4 plywood floor.

I have a permanent earthen ramp to access the shed. I have 2 2X8 that rest on the earthen ramp and the floor of the shed to move the tractor into the shed. This allows air under the shed form all four sides.

We have encore azaleas planted around the shed to cover the open space.

It is now 12 years old and the only rot is on the decorative 2X4 cross members on the door in the acute angles with the 2X4 that edge the door. I should have made sure that those joints were caulked so the water did not collect in the angle and run into the joint.

A slab of concrete sure is neat and tidy. But I did concrete pavers (decorative, even) on top of a gravel bed. Then I have a coarse gravel "surround" around the shed and concrete edging blocks between the gravel and my lawn. It's a very clean look, IMO, and was easy as a DIY project.

I cannot afford a concrete slab, so I am going to need to do gravel... and this is not something I am willing to DIY.

The shed will be in the same location, not raised.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of installation that can comment on durability of pressure treated wood in direct contact with the ground?

That's fine Lauren, was just a suggestion for a much better way of doing it... Other than that, yes, that is a typical way to go about it, just use pressure-treated wood rated for ground contact.

This is a picture of our shed, as described in my previous post. It was taken in March so the plantings have not leaved yet. When the leaves come on you can not see that gap under the shed. But you can see how it looks.

Everybody near me uses the treated wood for direct ground contact. It will last for years and years - not forever, but long enough. Raised decks are built completely of treated lumber, resting on 6” square treated posts sunk into the ground.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that my shed has treated wood around the border. The wood is two stacks deep, which required some digging/trenching. We got a very long drill bit to drill through the two layers of perimeter wood and then inserted rebar into the holes. Inside the perimeter, we filled with gravel and topped with pavers. We also put decorative gravel outside the shed. It's been >5 years so far, and I expect the wood will last longer than the shed.