Do I need planning to build a garden office space?
What you need to know about planning rules and whether you need permission for your dream garden room, office or log cabin.
Maybe you have found the perfect garden room, planned where to put it and are already looking forward to spending time in it. It’s important to check whether you need to get planning permission. The size of your room, where you plan to put it, what you plan to use it, and where you live all impact whether you need planning permission.
Garden room planning permission
Planning permission is not required for most garden rooms as they are classed as outbuildings, so you’re allowed to build one as long as you comply with specific rules. That’s as long as you have permitted development rights at your home or in your area. You might not have permitted development rights if: your home is a listed building, and your home is in a designated area (eg a National Park, area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), conservation area or World Heritage Site). Check with your local planning office if you’re not sure. Flats and maisonettes don’t have permitted development rights. The rules are the same whether you live in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Find out more about loft conversion planning permission and planning rules for extensions.
Permitted development - No planning required
If you want to construct your garden room under permitted development, you’ll need to make sure it meets the following rules, wherever you live in the UK:
Your garden room or log cabin isn’t in front of your home.
If you have extended it, the front refers to how it stood on 1 July 1948.
The total area of all extensions, sheds and outbuildings – including your proposed garden room – must not cover more than 50% of the total area of land around your house. Again this is the area as it was on 1 July 1948. It is single-storey and less than 3 metres high (4 metres with a dual-pitched roof).
If it’s within 2 metres of your boundary, the maximum height is 2.5 metres.
The eaves are no more than 2.5 metres above ground level.
It doesn’t have a balcony, veranda or raised platform.
It isn’t self-contained living accommodation.
If you live in a National Park, the Broads, a World Heritage Site or an AONB, the maximum area of outbuildings over 20 metres from your house is 10sq m.
In National Parks, the Broads, World Heritage Sites, AONBs and conservation areas, you’ll need to get planning permission if any part of your garden room would sit between the side of your house and the boundary of your property.
If you live in a listed building, you’ll need planning permission for any outbuilding.
Planning permission for garden offices with utilites
You may need planning permission for your proposed garden room if you intend to use it for activities you would usually do in your main home, such as showering or cooking. To have a cold water supply to your garden room, you’ll need new plumbing installed. This involves two sets of pipes – one to bring fresh water and one to remove wastewater. For freshwater will need a connection to your mains water in your house. Your waste water pipe may be able to connect to an existing drain. If this isn’t possible, you might need a pump to move the wastewater to an outside drain. Small hot-water heaters are an option if you’re hoping to have hot water. They can be installed under a sink and provide about 7-10 litres of hot water. Fitting a toilet will probably require a macerator to reduce waste to a pulp. It will also need to be connected it to a soil pipe to take waste to the main sewer.
Garden room planning rules
Permitted development rules to cover outbuildings, including garden rooms, which are ‘incidental’ to the main dwelling. Essentially this means that their use is a minor accompaniment to the main house.
Working on your own computer in your garden office is more likely to be an ‘incidental’ use than using it as a base for clients to come for meetings or appointments regularly. This would affect the neighbourhood. In the latter case, your council could retrospectively ask you to apply for planning permission. You’ll have to take down the building if it isn’t granted.
Check with your local planning office if you’re not sure how you plan to use your garden office is ‘incidental’.
Garden rooms and Building Regulations are about how a structure is designed, built and insulated. The right certificates are important, as they’ll be needed if you sell your house. However, Building Regulations don’t usually apply to outbuildings, as long as: it’s not attached to your main home, the floor area is less than 15 sq m it doesn’t include sleeping accommodation. Suppose the floor area is between 15sq m and 30sq m. In that case, you still don’t usually have to apply for Building Regulations approval, as long as there’s no sleeping accommodation and it’s more than 1 metre from your boundary and is made of non-combustible materials. It must comply with Building Regulations if you ever plan to sleep in it or use it as a guest bedroom.
Electrics in your garden room must comply with part P of the Building Regulations. For example, if you have a separate consumer unit in your garden room, you’ll need to get a qualified electrician to connect it to your mains supply. They will test the system’s safety and issue a certificate showing that it meets the relevant Building Regulations.
Garden room with bathroom
You may need planning permission for your proposed garden room if you intend to use it for activities you would usually do in your main home, such as showering or cooking. To have a cold water supply to your garden room, you’ll need new plumbing installed. This involves two sets of pipes – one to bring fresh water and one to remove wastewater. For freshwater will need a connection to your mains water in your house. Your waste water pipe may be able to connect to an existing drain. If this isn’t possible, you might need a pump to move the wastewater to an outside drain. Small hot-water heaters are an option if you’re hoping to have hot water. They can be installed under a sink and provide about 7-10 litres of hot water. Fitting a toilet will probably require a macerator to reduce waste to a pulp. It will also need to be connected it to a soil pipe to take waste to the main sewer.