A Spectacular Garden Room, Built from Foundation to Finish

Most garden rooms are built under permitted development rights, which means full planning permission is not usually required — provided the structure meets the relevant limits on height, footprint, and proximity to boundaries, and the property has not already used up its permitted development allowance. Every garden is different, so we check your specific plot and proposed design against current rules before any work starts, and we are upfront if a planning application would be needed.

Broadly: a single-storey garden room with a dual-pitched roof can be up to 4 metres high, or 3 metres for other roof types, and no more than half of the total area of land around the original house can be covered by outbuildings. There are also rules around how close a garden room can sit to a boundary if it exceeds a certain height. These limits can vary with listed buildings, conservation areas, and flats, so we always confirm the specifics for your property rather than relying on a generic rule of thumb.

It depends on the ground conditions and the size and weight of the structure. A concrete slab or strip foundation suits most gardens and gives a very solid, permanent base. Screw piles are a popular alternative where ground disturbance needs to be minimised, drainage is a concern, or a faster, cleaner installation is wanted. We assess your garden's soil, drainage, and access before recommending the right approach — not a one-size-fits-all answer.

A straightforward garden room, from the foundation stage to a finished interior, typically takes somewhere between two and six weeks on site, depending on size, specification, and weather. Larger or more heavily specified rooms — full home offices or annexes with extensive glazing and services — can take longer. We give a realistic programme as part of the written quote, rather than an optimistic estimate that slips once work begins.

Yes, provided it is built to the right specification. A genuine year-round garden room needs a properly insulated timber frame, an insulated warm roof, and quality double or triple glazing — not simply a glorified shed with a coat of paint. Built this way, a garden room stays comfortable through a Berkshire winter and cool in summer, and can be heated efficiently with a small electric heater or a compact split air-conditioning unit.

Absolutely — electrics are routed in during the frame and lining stages, so sockets, lighting, and data points can be positioned exactly where you want them, with no unsightly surface trunking. Plumbing for a kitchenette or a shower room is equally possible where the garden room's use calls for it, though this does need early planning so pipework and drainage runs are considered before the slab goes down.

Every garden room we build is designed around the plot and the brief, rather than dropped in as an off-the-shelf box. Footprint, roof style, window and door positions, internal layout, and finish are all shaped around how you intend to use the room — a home office, a gym, a studio, or simply a beautiful garden retreat — and around how the structure sits within the existing garden.

Yes — the complete build, from foundation to finish, is covered by our standard workmanship guarantee, with the full details confirmed in writing as part of your quote. If anything in the structure, the weatherproofing, or the finish were ever to fall short of that standard, we return and put it right.