Attaching Your Garden Room to Your Home
Back to news / blogOne of the most popular questions asked by people is, can I attach my garden room to the side of my house? The simple answer is, no, this is unfortunately not possible. We’ll break down the rules behind why not below.
What’s the Deal with Planning Permission?
The beauty of working with The Garden Office is the fact that our buildings very rarely require planning permission. This is because our buildings fall under permitted development rights. All our buildings are built to 2.5m high externally, as standard. Even houses which lie in conservation areas or areas of outstanding natural beauty, simply abbreviated to AONB, generally have permitted development rights. Permitted development rights differ ever so slightly from area to area.
Smashing the Rumours
It is a popular misunderstanding that garden rooms must be built 1m from any boundary for planning purposes. This rule relates to building regulations. If your garden room does not meet building regulations, then you must build 1m from a boundary when your internal floor area exceeds 15sq metres. This is due to fire safety regulations and the fact that garden rooms are not built entirely from non-combustible materials. For the building to meet building regulations, and to be able to build closer than 1m from boundaries, the entire building including its foundations will need to meet regulations. Our buildings can be built as close as 400mm to any solid obstacle, providing your garden room measures 15sqm or less.
Free Site Surveys
If you’re still not sure if your garden room can be built as close as 400mm or whether you’ll require planning permission, we offer free site surveys with a knowledgeable member of our site survey team. Our site surveyor will assess your plot and also provide a design consultation which is a great opportunity for you to discuss your vision for your garden building. All options will be discussed and you will also be provided with samples to help create your ideal garden room.
