We understand that some of our customers may have trouble deciding whether they should build a DIY garden room from scratch, or enlist the help of a professional team to ensure the work is done properly. To help them in this process we have created this short guide on our process for building a garden room, in comparison to the process involved when building it from scratch.
Read on to learn more about how to build a garden room with or without our help, or contact us right away if you would like to speak to a member of staff about building a garden room on your property as soon as possible.
Our 6 Simple Steps in Building a Garden Room
We follow a specific process for building wooden garden rooms for our customers, which we have listed below as easy-to-follow steps for your convenience:
- Everything will begin as soon as you get in touch with us; at this stage, we will take you through your options for building specifications. This includes helping you to decide on frame types, whether you would like your build to be insulated, roofing, doors and windows, and groundwork options.
- Our professional team will take the designs and requests you have set and use this information to manufacture your timber frames. This will be done using high-quality, expertly-graded wood and the most efficient machinery for precision accuracy in cutting the frames.
- As soon as the work has been signed off, your frames will be delivered. This can be anywhere in the UK.
- The installation work will take place over several weeks to a month, depending on the size and complexity of the build, and will be carried out by a trusted trades company local to your area.
- These experts will carry out all the work necessary to complete your garden room’s structure
- Once this work is complete, you will be able to have your garden room finished as you want
How to Build a Garden Room Yourself from Scratch
If you are on a budget, or would simply like to know how to build a garden room by yourself, you can follow these steps:
- Design and draw up the plans for your garden room
- Obtain planning permission and check up on Building Regulations for your garden room (if and where necessary)
- Gather together the tools and materials needed
- Lay a proper, level foundation; it should be made of a durable material such as concrete slabs. Dig out footings and fill them using gravel and hardcore as the base, before adding concrete on top to fix the blocks in place. All of the blocks should be level before moving on from this step
- Frame the room base and add insulation; connect the outer four beams. Fixing them on top of the concrete blocks by screwing metal strapping or angle brackets on the sides of the beam and the blocks increase rigidity. You can also staple a membrane under the frame to keep the wind out and add flooring joists to the base frame before filling it with insulation and adding a vapour barrier (skip this part if you are using foam insulation)
- Build the wall frames; make the first three walls (two sides and the back), add studs in between and raise them. Appropriate fasteners and studs should be used here. Ensure you are clear on your door and window requirements before building the front wall and space the studs accordingly. You can compensate for studs lost by adding headers at the top of the door and windows. Add oriented strand boards (OSBs) to the wall frames
7. Build the roof; attach wall plates on top of two opposite walls, where the length of your roof will rest. Make notches for the ceiling joists on the plates and fix the joists in place using angled brackets
8. Add your door and windows, according to the instructions
9. Install wall claddings; you should ensure that you wrap your room with a membrane before installing wall claddings. Cladding should also go down past the insulation at the bottom and reach the roof at the top
10. Install electrics, heating, and other services (such as internet connection) as needed; you may need to call a professional to make sure this is done correctly
11. Complete the roofing; cover the roof with OSBs and cover the boards with a membrane. Avoid simply joining the membrane. Instead, you should overlap the membrane and staple it in place. These can then be covered with steel sheets for a neater look and higher moisture protection
12. Insulate the room itself; this should be fitted on the walls and ceiling
13. Finish the walls; add plasterboards, while being careful of the wires and electrics, and join the gaps. Plaster and paint the walls after this, before adding LED lights, breaker boxes, or other items related to the electrics that you require
14. Add flooring to your room
Can You Build a Garden Room Without Planning Permission?
It may come as a relief to know that it is possible to build a garden room without planning permission. The best way to make sure this happens for you is to limit the size of the structure you intend to build, as smaller structures are usually allowed under the permitted development rules.
You should be allowed to build your garden room without planning permission if it:
- Does not sit in front of your home (if you have an extension on the front of your home, this is not counted as part of your original home design)
- Does not cover, or help other buildings to cover, more than 50% of the land around your home (this refers to your home as it was originally built, so previous extensions are again not counted)
- Is a single storey and has a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres
- Has a maximum overall height of 3 metres when built with a single pitched roof and an overall height of 4 metres when built with a dual pitched roof
- Is not built within 2 metres of your property boundary
- Does not have a balcony, veranda, or raised platform
- Is not a self-contained living accommodation (meaning it has no bathroom, kitchen, or sleeping accommodation)
If you live in a listed building, you will need to have permission in place for your garden room before you begin, regardless of size and location.
If you live in a listed building, you will need to have permission in place for your garden room before you begin, regardless of size and location.
If you live on designated land (such as a National Park, the Broads, a World Heritage Site, a conservation area, or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), there are rules about the size and location of your building that you will have to follow:
- The maximum area of any outbuilding more than 20 metres from your property will fall to 10 square metres
- If any part of your garden room will sit between the side of your house and the boundary of your property, you will need planning permission
You’re more likely to need permission for a garden room if the structure is larger or more complex, though these may not be the only criteria you will have to meet in your local area. Garden room extensions will also have their own criteria. To learn more about this, and to find out how our service can help, please see our planning permission guide.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Garden Room?
As there are so many varying factors, we cannot specifically set a number on how much it will cost to build a wooden garden room through our service. Generally speaking, most of our products will cost somewhere between £5,000 and £30,000, though where your planned build will fall on this scale depends on the features and specifications given as part of your order. For instance, if you are planning a large timber frame garden building designed with multiple rooms for multiple uses, this will cost more than a small garden room only built for one purpose.
We also understand that you may be on a budget and have specific requirements for your build. This is why we work closely with you to calculate the cost of the timber frame design that you want, helping you to sort through each feature based on what you need and would like to see in your structure. Give us a call or send us an email to start discussing these; one of our team members will be in touch with you soon to offer a quote.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Garden Room from Scratch?
If you are on a budget, the first idea that may cross your mind is building a garden room by yourself, completely from scratch. This may or may not be the best way to make sure the work is done to the price you have set for yourself, though. Prices will still be affected by the size and type of structure you are building, as well as any complex features you intend to include in the design. Added to this, you will also have to consider:
- All necessary tools and materials
- If you want the building to be insulated
- Whether you need electrics or plumbing installed
- Whether the interior of your room will need plastering or cladding
- Whether you need to create a pathway from your home to your garden room
- Other access needs
- Any security requirements or features you need to have installed
- Labour costs for anything you cannot do yourself
Once you have thought about all of these, you should be ready to move ahead with your project. Average costs of wooden garden room DIY projects normally fall between £1,000 and £30,000 but can go higher in some cases.
Experts will also recommend that you obtain at least three quotes from professional tradespeople before getting started, to ensure that you are carrying out the work in the most affordable way possible.
Turn a Dream for Your Garden into a Reality
If you have always imagined building a garden room on your property, whether for work, storage, or leisure, contact English Heritage Buildings today.
Our team will be prepared to help you design and craft the timber frame garden office, shed, or summer house that suits your needs and meets all your specifications. The frames can also be fully insulated upon request before they are delivered to you. This will happen within 6 to 8 weeks of the work being signed off, and we will ensure that your design is expertly built and installed exactly as you have asked.
Speak to us on the phone or send us an email about your plans for building a garden room on your property and we will be glad to provide a quote on how much it will cost before we begin. We will also be happy to answer any questions you may still have about our products or processes.
