Tiered garden with a porcelain path, strips of artificial grass, white render walls and a glass-fronted garden room

Garden rooms

Garden rooms, built from the base up

We build timber-framed garden rooms for home offices, gyms and somewhere to sit out of the weather. Because we are groundworkers and landscapers first, we do the whole job: the base, the frame, the cladding and glazing, and the paving and lawn around it.

Get a free quote 03300 433699

Free site visitMeasured and quoted in writing
Fully insuredPublic liability cover on every job
Itemised quotesEvery stage priced separately
Bournemouth basedWorking across the south

How we build them

What goes into one of our garden rooms

Base. A concrete slab or block plinth, level and above the ground so the timber stays dry.
Frame. Treated timber studwork and roof joists, with a breathable membrane on the outside.
Insulation. In the floor, walls and roof, so the room can be used in winter.
Outside. Cladding, roofing, doors and glazing.
Inside. Lining, flooring and power by a qualified electrician.
Around it. Paths, patio, lawn and planting tied in to the rest of the garden.

Blockwork base wall with a timber-framed garden room roof going up on top

What it's for

What people use our garden rooms for, and what each one needs

Tell us what the room is for first. It decides the base, the insulation, the power and sometimes the paperwork.

Home office

Needs insulation all round, double glazing, enough sockets for the desk and a data cable from the house so the Wi-Fi does not drop.

Studio

For art, music or yoga. Big glazed doors for light, and extra insulation in the walls if you want to keep the sound in.

Gym

Needs a floor strong enough for weights and a running machine, usually with a rubber finish, and doors that open right up in summer.

Guest room or annex

Anyone sleeping in it brings in building regulations, and a shower or kitchenette needs water and drainage. We plan both before the base goes in.

Summerhouse

An open room for summer evenings. It can skip the full insulation, which brings the price down, and opens onto a deck or patio.

Pool house or bar

Next to a pool or hot tub, with somewhere to change or a counter and fridge. Power and drainage are planned in from the start.

On the quote

The quote is split into the base, the room and the garden

A garden room quote has three parts, each on its own line. The base is the concrete slab or block plinth, and any path or cable duct to it. The room is the frame, insulation, cladding, roof, doors and glazing. The garden is whatever ties it in: paving, lawn, steps or a wall.

Power inside the room is done by a qualified electrician and priced separately, so you can see it. If the room is only going to be used in summer, we will say so rather than insulate it for winter you will not use. Planning and building regulations depend on the size and whether anyone sleeps in it. The answers are in the questions below.

On site

Garden rooms going up

Photos taken during our builds, from the block plinth to the roof frame.

Timber frame of a garden room with a sloping roof and dark membrane behind the studs — Garden room

Timber-clad garden building built tight round a mature tree trunk, with black damp-proof membrane at the base — Garden room

Finished

Garden rooms in the gardens we built round them

The room is only half of it. These are the terraces, decks, beds and lawns that went in with them.

Terraced garden at dusk with wall lights, pale porcelain paving and a glass balustrade — Porcelain patio

Dry lawn running up to a black garden room, with a paved path along the side — New lawn

Deck sub-frame and a raised brick bed seen from inside through open bi-fold doors — Garden landscaping

Blockwork walls and timber-edged beds being built in front of a black garden room — Groundworks

Wide shot of excavated trenches and a timber-edged bed in a garden with a black garden room behind — Groundworks

Where we build garden rooms

Dorset

Hampshire

South Wiltshire

Salisbury

West Sussex

FAQs

Garden room questions

Does a garden room need planning permission?

Often not. In England, an outbuilding usually falls under permitted development if it is single storey, not in front of the house, covers no more than half the garden, and is no taller than 2.5 metres when within 2 metres of a boundary. Listed buildings, conservation areas and sleeping accommodation change that. We check your plans against the rules before we start.

Does a garden room need building regulations approval?

Not usually if it is under 15 m² of floor area with no sleeping space. Between 15 and 30 m², it is normally exempt if it is at least 1 metre from the boundary or built from non-combustible materials. A bedroom, or anything larger, needs approval.

What base does a garden room need?

A level, solid base that will not move: a concrete slab, a block plinth with a timber floor frame, or ground screws on difficult ground. We build the base as part of the job, along with the path to it and any cable ducting.

Can I use it all year round?

Yes, if it is built for it. That means insulation in the floor, walls and roof, a breathable membrane, double glazing and power. We build ours to be used year round.

Thinking about a garden room?

We will look at where it could go, check the planning rules and give you a written quote for the base, the room and the work around it.

Get a free quote 03300 433699