Garden Room Guide & FAQs

Up to 2.5 meters high without planning permission is needed. Be mindful of garden heights though.
If further than 4 meters from a boundary, you can build higher.

Up to 30 square meters of floor area usually does not need permission. Up to half the area of a garden.

Whilst we may be able to build close to a boundary, our team will need space to work when they are creating your garden building. Then you need space to clean and remove any debris. We suggest at least 50cm. Any closer, you may need to remove and refit fence panels with neighbours consent.

If the building is solely or partially for business use, your Accountant can advise if and how much you could be offset as a cost against earnings. Ask about Capital Gains Tax, as planning now may legally avoid an unexpected tax bill when you sell the property later. 

Easy, visit this Government website for all the current rules. Also, give a very detailed and simple-to-understand explanation here.

Yes but as this is then treated as an extension to the house, planning and the additional costs to comply with Building Regulations need to be considered.

If you want an occasional-use structure, then a lower-cost and lesser insulated building may suffice. For year-round, invest in a building with good insulation and summer heat rejecting properties with low-cost appliances as these help recoup your investment. If noise is an issue, then look for specific acoustic insulation. We recommend a physical Cat 6 internet supply over less reliable WiFi booster.

Most buildings less than 2.5m high can be within 2 meters of a boundary without considering planning. As well as ‘kerb appeal’ of the front facade, consider the view out and how the sun can affect glare and heat ingress inside. Site behind the forward line of a house to avoid planning issues.

Consider the uses for the building and sketch out how you would set out and furniture inside. Planning could allow up half the area of your building but do not create something that negatively dominates a plot. Keep below than 30m2 internally to avoid the need for Building Regs.

Be cautious about buying an off-the-shelf building. Many modular buildings are designed to be built quickly, often at the cost of reduced strength, insulation and resulting heat loss and damp issues. Our software was creating to help design the building you want rather than adapting something standard (which could end up costing you more). Our Designers have lots of advice which can enhance a design whilst delivering cost savings.

Some are. Look for timbers from sustainable sources, the best insulation in walls, A+ Rated energy saving windows and doors and general quality that will ensure the building lasts. Ground screw bases help avoid the movement of many tonnes of waste moved from site and new materials arriving. Locally sourced materials and recycling of waste materials will help reduce the carbon footprint too.
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This is really easy. Simply a garden building suitable in size for both uses and an external door into each. Then build an internal wall and save money by not plastering the shed area. A neat and tidy way to solve two problems.

Generally 5-15 years. Many buildings are simply shed based timber frame structures. When sat directly upon non-insulated concrete this attracts dampness which can start rot, just like many sheds and summerhouses. Ground screws and other elevated options allow air flow beneath a building (just like air bricks in a house). This helps avoid or reduce damp issues and prolongs the building base life. Timbers with high a tannin content last naturally for many years. Kiln dried and tanalised treated timber will last but may need annual treatment. Try to avoid heavily knotted wood. Walls and roofs filled with loose Rockwall or Celotex type insulation need to be fitted without any gaps to avoid cold transfer which can attract damp issues. A SIP type building (as used for new homes) is beneficial as cold transfer can often be eliminated. Our buildings have a life expectancy of 100 years. The Elizabethans and Victorians also elevated timber-framed buildings and used air flow in buildings that still exist today!.

Built outside Building Regulations double and safety glazing are not required but we fit as standard. Our windows and doors include ABi Insurance-approved security locks as standard. We assume you could leave valuables in your building, so why not secure it as you would your home? Our WiFi could allow you to connect to an existing house alarm, CCTV and security systems.

Most homes have Permitted Development Rights which allow many improvements including a garden building. So, most garden building do not need permission and to be sure, check our Planning page.

Our quotes are fully detailed over many pages with a fixed price and detailed drawings for clarity. Be cautious as many internet promoted buildings may be ‘bait’ with a low price offered on a lessor quality building. These are often offered with extras such as installation, base, insulation and better glazing. Electrical connection is often excluded. Watch out for businesses that promote air con as this could be an indicator that they expect the building to get hot. We prefer to offer a device to help reduce heat ingress.

Convection electrical heaters create instant heat whilst underfloor and radiators are slower to heat up. Forget gas appliances as regulation changes will outdate these. Log burners look great and need to be professionally installed.

Electrics can be connected but your existing home consumer unit (fuse box) will need to meet current Building Regulations and be up to the task. Water and waste can be installed but this could require a pump due to distance and the need for expensive Building Regulations for the structure.

Kingdom Rooms can construct to meet building Regulations for disability access with low thresholds, wide access and easy-reach sockets and switches. We can also assist with ramps, auto-activated doors and a bespoke design to site windows and doors around your planned room.

Just ask Alexa! Seriously we can offer an app or device-controlled lighting, heating and sockets for remote and safe access. Our sockets are future-proofed with both Type A & C USB charging points. CAT 6 is an optional wire that negates any unreliable WiFi for an internet connection. Our electrical options include LED lighting features alongside our standard low voltage spotlights internally and externally.

Air conditioning can be expensive, so the building design can help avoid the need. Our solar rejecting blinds can help reduce heat ingress, as can the position of the building and any large windows or doors. Install a spare spur just in case as air conditioning could then be retrofitted if needed. Check out any air con unit efficiency and consider a unit that provides heat.

We recommend ventilation. An occupied and sealed room can be harmful as you breathe in air and breath out an ever-increasing amount of harmful carbon dioxide. Being timber, allowing a structure to breathe will help expel harmful moisture too. Stud frame buildings with air voids should include an additional consideration to ventilate. Kingdom use trickle ventilation and partial opening secured windows along with vented voids and claddings.

If built within building regulations foundations could need to be substantial. Otherwise, a concrete base could be a low-cost option but beware of cold and damp transfer to a timber frame as this can conduct damp and cause rot. Simple plastic grids may do for a shed but not for a larger building. We prefer ground screws or pads which distribute weight over a wide area whilst benefiting from a quick, clean and environmentally friendly base and damp avoiding airflow beneath the building.

SIP or Structurally Insulated Panel buildings are tried and tested for house buildings and commercial structures. Factory fabricated and assembled on site, these fit snugly together with a historic ability to withstand the worst of British weather. Stud frame constructions are usually produced by a Carpenter by hand who arrives on site with a stock of timber (often untreated). Stud construction is normally used for non-supporting internal walls and can allow greater wall movement than a solid wall causing issues such as roof leaks and cracks between plasterboard joints internally.

Generally, stud timber frames are lengths of 2″ x 4″ timber are placed vertically with occasional horizontal pieces to give some support to any plasterboard inside or wood panel outside. These are ideal for low-cost internal walls that carry no weight. Whilst sufficient for a shed, any flex or movement could cause issues with roof seals and any internal decoration. In comparison a SIP (Structurally Insulated Panel) is used by National Housebuilders to build homes and provides substantially more strength, stability and insulation.

As well as the cost of a building, budget for any furniture inside and then a path, patio or decking outside. You do not want to walk into a smart building with muddy shoes and creating a feature outside could help to frame and highlight your new building. If you opt for a better building we suggest leaving a gap between any paths and building to aid air flow against damp issues.

Most definitely and costs will vary too. Timbers for the base and structure should be treated to ensure the longevity of life. Breathable membranes can seal areas whilst air flow helps avoid moisture issues. A basic spruce softwood can be damp and if treated after installation will have no treatment benefit to its unseen rear. Heat and pressure-treated timbers such as Thermowood have a treatment drawn all the way through the timber (rather than a surface) with moisture removed and will last considerably longer. Premium timbers such as Oak and Redwood Cedar cost considerably more, creating beautiful facades. Why not use premium timber on the front and save money with a lower-cost product on the other sides? We prefer a stain that soaks into timber as opposed to a surface coating such as paint.

This differs considerably. A solid building capable of meeting Building regulations will be known to stand up to the test of strong winds and snow loading that our weather often brings. Lessor buildings may suffer from a movement that presents itself as cracks on internal corners and joints.

Considering that most garden buildings are timber, it makes sense to use a base that holds this away from cold, damp surfaces. Kingdom Rooms champion the use of Ground Screws and Easypad bases. As well as holding the structure off of a damp base, an air gap between affords greater insulation and helps keep the wood dry. Our Victorian housebuilders did this with air bricks in millions of properties that are in use today. Concrete bases are our last resort (but separated from our building) as concrete always gets cold and often damp too, two things that cause timber to rot from the base upwards.

Substantial concrete bases give great support for all that jumping and occasionally dropped weights but are not our preferred option due to damp transfer. Kingdom Rooms offer a floor over boarding, longer and more ground screw locations for higher weight or impact areas. These and our alternative pads are set across the whole floor area to provide a substantial base. We would recommend avoiding a rafter-type timber base with perimeter support.

Often yes. We offer an adapted pad system that allows us to do this but we need to ensure that the height then still remains within any 2.5m height restraint. Contractors will not guarantee any element of the build that they did not install such as an existing base, so ensure that you are happy that it is substantial and fit for purpose.

Now that’s a question with no simple answer. A low-cost building with less insulation and features will cost from £5000 but will not last as long as a high-quality building and usually adds no value. Installation fees will vary depending on attention to detail and the type of base you require, as will internal and external finishing details. We know from Estate Agents that we built for that a quality building often adds more value to a home than the cost. So if a £5000 building has issues after 5 years and adds no value and a £20,000 building has added £25,000 in value to your home which cost less?

Your own funds or an extension to a mortgage are the best value in funding a garden building. Low-cost loans are often available but check the terms as something as trivial as a late payment can cost you dearly. Speak to an Accountant as part or all of the cost may be tax deductible. And ensure that in doing so you do not leave yourself liable to any CG Tax when you sell your property. Also, consider any value this may add to your home and the cost of running this as an office instead of your whole house.

We recently had an enquiry from Grandad looking to build an annex for his Granddaughter. She could stop renting, live rent-free and start saving for her first property. She lives nearby but with independence and she has a space that he could rent out tax-free when she moves on and his home value rises – win, win, win. Be aware that annexes usually need permission.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/article-8460995/A-garden-retreat-perfect-granny-flats-teens.html

They can add value and generally, a low-cost building could add some or no value, whilst a quality building can add 5% to 15% value to a home. That could even exceed your purchase price and create a profit. Estate Agents state that homeowners have sought quality additional space since the pandemic.

Firstly, opt for a quotation, these are a fixed price compared to an estimate which is estimated with a final bill that may vary. Then to ensure that you and your supplier are happy all the way through, insist on a thorough quotation, detailing what is and what is not included. Our quotation has 7 pages of information. There’s lots to read but it has avoided disappointment and led to items being clarified before we even.

Honourable suppliers will price competitively but there could be areas where you can reduce a price. The specification could include differing internal and external finishes which when you change may reduce the price. Ask about a flexible installation. As materials, staff and weather can affect a build program, having a flexible customer who may allow a build to start early, late or over a longer period has a value to a supplier that may be reflected in a discount.

We offer a tough, solid plastic (colours) and composite (wood effects) with a premium Western Redwood Cedar (which looks great with two coats of Danish oil). Composite and plastic provide a cost saving over wood and are beautiful finish with wipe-clean maintenance. We avoid low-cost options such as Spruce which have lesser life-enhancing treatments, and higher moisture and sap content as stains and paints are more likely to need regular maintenance. We avoid Cement boards as brittle products can be expensive to repair after football and lawnmower impact damage.

Thin solid wood walls give little sound insulation, whilst using thicker, well-insulated walls with additional battened plasterboard will increase acoustic insulation further. We can guide you on Kingdom Glass use highly efficient SIP acoustic panels as standard for noise insulation, offering optional Noiseblock double glazing and advice on sound-blocking wall and floor coverings.

Basic structures have an external wall only. Foam and Rockwool types of insulation can then be applied internally in differing thicknesses with a thin MDF or thicker plasterboard covering. Thicker plasterboard, batons behind and even a plaster coating will enhance insulation further. We use a SIP as standard for an extremely low U Value. Ask for the product U value. This is a Building Industry indicator. The lower the number the better the insulation.

You have seen these already set out on an energy label. Generally the lower the U value the better the insulation. Some summerhouses and garden rooms being single glazed are approx 5.6, whilst normal double glazing is 2.9 and our A+ Rated windows are 1.1. Our walls are 0.27 as standard and can be made even lower to comply with the most stringent Building Regulations.

Reducing your heating costs at a time of rising energy bills is a key motivator. Another is ‘The Cold Spot’. If you have ever stood near a large poorly insulated window on a bitterly cold day, you would have felt the cold ingress as heat exits. Reducing heat loss will create a more comfortable environment year round and move that cold spot considerably closer to large windows or doors (as close as 1cm away).

L and U shapes are quite easy to produce, as is a triangle-type shape to utilise that otherwise wasted area of the garden. For costing think of the cost of a sheet of paper. It can be cut down to any shape but still costs the same which could apply to a shaped garden building too.

Our Kingdom Glass offers a UV stabilising glass option which reduces harmful UV rays by up to 95%. These are the rays that cause fading.

We build openings to be suitable for blinds and curtains. As dust can be more prevalent in gardens, our internal blinds prove very popular. Magnetically controlled, these are set between the glass, with no need to clean. Internal blinds can be seen at our show site (along with a working set now over 30 years old. Curtains and blinds you install may provide privacy but not work as well at heat rejection.

You can but we do advise that structural support be installed directly over the top of your doors along with additional ground support each side. Without it structures such as stud frame buildings could see the roof sag and cause issues with the opening and closing of doors.

No, not if properly designed. Roof lights can be expensive, prone to leaks on low-pitched roofs and create a no-go ‘Glare Area’ and heated below. You can normally avoid this with plenty of good-sized windows and doors. Flatter glass can also collect dirt, needing regular cleaning.

Certainly not felt! Modern materials such as EPDM (rubber) and fibreglass will cost you more but are designed to last considerably longer. These are ideal for low-sloping roofs whilst composite slates and tiles can be used for roofs with a greater pitch.

Yes, we can guide you as to when regulations apply and then help you through the process.

Generally, you will need to construct to more involved and expensive Building Regulations if this is a habitable structure with water in and waste out. Planning permission may also apply.

We recommend using your own or our Architect to guide you through the process of planning as he will be able to guide you through and possibly away from expensive pitfalls. The actual application cost is inexpensive and our agent will be able to advise you on costs before you start the process.

If not a habitable building, usually the only regulation to follow will be Part P for Electrical Safety. Kingdom Rooms feel this omission leaves many structures susceptible to becoming outdated or poorly performing. We use safety glass throughout (even the small windows), as the garden can be a barefoot risk area. We use energy-saving A+ Rated windows and doors to compliment our incredibly insulating walls, floor and roof. Buildings of less than 30m2 internal floor area need no permission.

Generally no, if it is not lived in, is below 2.5m high and has no water supply or waste.
There could be some exceptions and we are here to assist with further guidance here: https://www.kingdomrooms.com/legal-notice. We take our guidance for the Government Building Portal here: https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/43/outbuildings

Your local Tree Protection Order Local Authority Officer can give specific advice. But generally, our ground screws base option is the most preferred. They can avoid the damage to roots caused by strip or slab concrete bases. We have assisted with permissions and built a number of buildings under TPO rules.

If someone plans to live in this building, it will need to be built to Building Regulation standards (just the same as a house or extension). This also applies if you intend to run water in and waste out which connect to your home’s utilities. Most garden buildings are built outside Building Regulations, so will not be suitable. Fortunately, Kingdom Rooms are built from a house building product and with minor changes our building can be designed and built for this purpose.

Planning Permission is often needed and normally a formality as Councils are keen to encourage sensible additional accommodation. Annex implies a connection to the house and can be a separate building but essentially is part of the home site. These can be ideal for homing a family member but will be treated more stringently in the Planning process if to be used as a rental property or to be sold off.

The caravan act allows a temporary structure to be used for a period of time. This needs to be easily moved on which is defined usually by the inclusion of wheels as a mobile unit. Some mobile units in places such as holiday parks also restrict the amount of time a unit can be occupied.

Generally no, as many are ‘ad hoc’ structures built on-site or the company may be considered too high a risk to offer insurance to. More quality building suppliers are now offering IBGs as they gain the trust of insurers. We offer a Consumer Protection Association guarantee as standard on all domestic installed buildings and with cover varying, suggest you check out any cover being offered first.

We recommend that you inform your insurance company ensuring that your building and any contents are covered under your Buildings cover. Many companies cover outbuildings as standard. They may request an additional fee but we strongly recommend your investment is covered.