Frequently Asked Questions

Most garden rooms fall under Permitted Development, which means no planning permission is required. The key rules are: the building must not be forward of the principal elevation, must be single storey, must not exceed 2.5m in height within 2m of the boundary, and must not cover more than 50% of the garden. There are exceptions for listed buildings, conservation areas and national parks — we'll advise you on your specific situation during our free site visit. If planning permission is required, we can handle the application for you: we work with a specialist planning consultant who focuses on garden room and garden building projects.

Under Permitted Development, a garden room can be built very close to a boundary — sometimes leaving just a few millimetres of space for practical access. The height restriction (max 2.5m within 2m of a boundary) may affect your roof style, which is something we factor in at the design stage.

Every Green Rooms build uses SIPs — Structural Insulated Panels. SIPs are a composite panel with a rigid foam core bonded between two structural boards. They deliver far superior insulation, strength and soundproofing compared to traditional timber frame construction, and are used in high-performance housing across Scandinavia and Northern Europe. All timber in our builds is FSC and PEFC certified. Read more about how we build →

With traditional timber frame, the structural frame is built first and insulation is packed inside afterwards — which creates cold bridges at every stud. With SIPs, the insulation is integral to the panel: a rigid foam core bonded between two structural boards in one continuous, thermally broken unit. The result is better airtightness, higher U-values, greater structural rigidity, and less movement over time. It's why SIPs are the preferred method for high-performance housing across Northern Europe. More on our SIPs structure →

Yes. SIPs construction gives you genuine all-year insulation — warm in winter, cool in summer. For heating we offer smart electric panel heaters, sized to the room. For full year-round climate control, we install air conditioning units in 2.5kW, 3.5kW and 5kW sizes — these heat in winter and cool in summer from a single wall-mounted unit. See our climate control options →

We use ground screw foundations as standard. Ground screws are installed by drilling directly into the ground with no digging or concrete — which means they can be installed on slopes and in tight access spaces, and removed cleanly if you ever move house. On gardens with specific ground conditions or access limitations, we also use concrete pedestal systems. More on our foundations →

Yes — this is one of the advantages of ground screw foundations. Screws can be installed at different depths on a slope without significant excavation or retaining work, creating a level base for the build. We'll assess your garden during the free site visit to confirm the best approach.

Most garden rooms are completed within 2–3 weeks from the first day on site. The timeline varies depending on the size, complexity and specification of the build. We'll give you a specific timeline in your quote, and our team works continuously from start to handover. See the full build process →

We mainly work across Surrey, Berkshire and West London. We regularly build in Hampshire, parts of Kent, and other areas of the South East — get in touch and we'll confirm whether we cover your area.

Yes. While Surrey is our home base, we regularly build across Berkshire, Hampshire, West London and parts of Kent. If you're outside these areas, get in touch — we don't turn down good projects on the basis of distance alone. We'll confirm coverage when you make contact.

Yes. Every Green Rooms quote is fully turnkey: ground screw foundations, SIPs structure, cladding, doors, windows, full electrical installation (mains connection, consumer unit, lighting, sockets), plastered interior, fitted flooring, and site clean-up. The price you agree is the price you pay. Painting is not included as standard — walls are handed over plastered and ready — but we work with a trusted decorator who we can arrange and price in if you want us to. Furniture is not included. See our pricing →

We use a four-stage payment schedule: a £500 booking deposit to secure your build slot; 30% on day one when materials are delivered to site; 30% once the interior is plastered; and the final 40% on sign-off when you're happy with everything. We don't offer third-party finance, but many of our clients fund their build through remortgage, equity release or savings.

Our garden pod is our entry-level range — no frills, solid quality, honest price. It has no canopy, and it's the only product in our range where we use UPVC sliding doors as standard (we always recommend upgrading to aluminium if the budget allows, but UPVC does the job). A garden office is designed around how you actually work: window placement for natural light and monitor glare, acoustic performance for video calls, WiFi infrastructure, view from the desk. Same SIPs construction underneath — different design thinking on top. See our garden offices →

Yes — our showroom in Lyne lets you walk through a finished, full-size garden room in person. You can also browse our project portfolio on the Our Work page and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for regular build updates. We're also happy to put you in touch with previous clients on request.

We provide a 10-year structural guarantee covering the integrity of the build, 3 years on windows, doors and glazing, and 1 year on interior finishes and electrical components. Full details are on our Guarantee page.

Very little. The EPDM rubber roof is virtually maintenance-free — just keep it clear of debris. Timber cladding (cedar, thermowood) benefits from an oil or treatment every 2–3 years to keep it looking its best; charred spruce and Hardie Plank need nothing. Aluminium doors and windows just need wiping down — no painting, no treating. The SIPs structure requires no maintenance at all.

Garden pods start from around £12,750 and garden offices and rooms from £15,450, fully turnkey. A 5×3m garden office typically comes out at £22,000–£27,000 depending on cladding, glazing and interior finish. Bespoke or larger builds — extended height, unusual footprints, premium cladding — typically range from £35,000 to £60,000 or more. Every quote is fixed-price with no hidden extras. See our full price guide →

You can sleep in your garden room under Permitted Development provided it does not become a self-contained residential unit. The rule is that a garden room cannot be used as a separate dwelling — meaning it must not have all the facilities to live in independently (bathroom, kitchen, bedroom with sole occupancy). Many clients use their garden rooms as occasional guest accommodation with a sofa bed, which is fine. If you want a full annexe with its own facilities and permanent sleeping accommodation, that typically requires a separate planning application. We'll be honest about this at the site visit.

These are two separate things. Planning permission (or Permitted Development) relates to whether you're allowed to build in that location. Building regulations approval relates to structural safety, fire, and energy performance standards. Most garden rooms under 15m² with no sleeping accommodation are exempt from building regulations. Buildings between 15m² and 30m² are exempt provided the building is either positioned more than 1m from the boundary, or the boundary-facing walls are built predominantly from non-combustible materials. We design our builds to fall within these exemptions wherever possible, and we'll advise you on your specific situation at the site visit.

Yes, though it adds cost and planning complexity. Adding plumbing requires running a foul drainage connection back to the main soil stack (or installing a macerator pump with a pumped run). It also affects whether the building is treated as a separate dwelling under planning rules. We don't do the plumbing directly, but we work with plumbers and can build to a specification that accommodates a cloakroom or wetroom. If you want a WC, flag it at the outset so we can design accordingly.

Most home insurance policies include cover for outbuildings up to a certain value — typically £10,000–£15,000 — as standard. A premium garden room will usually exceed that limit, so you'll need to notify your insurer and extend your policy accordingly. The building itself is a permanent structure, so it typically falls under buildings insurance rather than contents. We recommend contacting your insurer before or shortly after your build is complete. The EIC certificate we provide on every build is useful documentation for insurance purposes.

We can work with most cladding materials, but the ones we specify, recommend and trust are: Western Red Cedar, Thermo Ayous, Charred Spruce (Shou Sugi Ban), Hardie Plank, and Millboard composite. Each has different maintenance requirements, aesthetics and lifespans. We don't use larch any more. The right choice depends on your budget, your aesthetic and how much upkeep you want. You can see samples at our showroom. Explore our cladding options →

We can advise on whether your proposed build falls within Permitted Development and flag anything that might require a Lawful Development Certificate (LDC). The LDC application itself is submitted to your local planning authority by you (or a planning consultant). Some clients choose to apply for one as written confirmation that their build is lawful — particularly if they plan to sell the property in future. We'll give you our honest assessment at the site visit, and if you do need to apply, we can provide the technical drawings and specification details that the council will need. More on planning and LDCs →

A well-built garden room should last 30–50 years. The SIPs structure is inherently stable and does not move or shrink like a timber frame over time. The EPDM rubber roof carries a 20-year guarantee and typically lasts considerably longer. Cladding lifespans depend on the material: cedar and thermo ayous last 30+ years with periodic treatment; charred spruce 40+ years; Hardie Plank and Millboard composite 50+ years with no maintenance required. Aluminium doors and windows are effectively lifetime fixtures. Our 10-year structural guarantee is the formal commitment — but the building is designed to last well beyond that.