FAQ
Choosing to build a beautiful garden room is a big decision, so it is natural to have lots of questions along the way
To help give you a better idea of what’s involved, we’ve answered all the questions we are most commonly asked below.
If you have any enquiries that aren’t answered here, don’t worry. Just get in touch with us and we will be delighted to help you.
Most garden rooms don’t need planning permission if they’re under 2.5 m high when close to a boundary and don’t take up more than 50% of the land (curtilage) around the original house.
Building regulations can apply if the building is over 30 m², or if it’s within 1 m of a boundary where fire‑resistant construction may be required. Homes in conservation areas or other special zones may have extra restrictions.
Check our Regulations Checking Tool for more details.
The simple answer is no. Our foundation preference is ground screws; galvanised steel screws that are economical and cost effective to use and environmentally friendly too. No waiting for a concrete pad to dry and as soon as the screws are in, the framework begins.
Find out more in our dedicated blog: Why ground screws are the smartest foundation choice for your garden room
We have three!
One is nestled in a garden setting 5 minutes from Bexley Village and viewable by appointment.
Planstscapes Nursery (just before Ruxley Manor Garden Centre) is home to an unmanned 5m x 3.5m garden room which you are welcome to view during opening hours.
Our newest 5.2m x 4m showroom can be found inside the grounds of Bexley Sand & Ballast in Bexley Village.
After an initial chat with the team via call or email, we provide a first estimate.
Then we always recommend visiting our showroom to see the quality of our work.
Next, one of our engineers will do a free site visit to your home to determine foundations, electrics, and discuss your ideas.
Finally, Matt will help you finalise your specs, book in a slot, then construction begins. Simple as that!
Our rooms are timber framed buildings and use a 5-layer construction – effectively they are constructed in the same way as modern homes.
We can use any foundation, though we most commonly use ground screws, and all rooms are fully insulated.
Yes — it’s legal to sleep in a garden room occasionally, such as for short‑term or guest use. Temporary use of up to 28 days a year is generally allowed without needing planning permission.
However, if the intention is to use the garden room as long‑term living accommodation (for example as a bedroom, annexe, or someone’s primary place to sleep), then it would require planning permission and will also need to meet full building‑regulation standards.
Where there is no clear access to the rear of the property, we will look at all alternative ways to gain access to your garden. As our rooms are made bespoke, there are no large, bulky items to bring through. Should we need to gain access via the main property, we will take the utmost care to ensure that the interior is thoroughly protected. Our teams are incredibly respectful and understand how precious your interior space is.
Yes — you can include a toilet, bathroom or kitchenette in a garden room, but they must meet building‑regulation requirements for drainage, ventilation and proper installation.
If the room becomes self‑contained or is intended for sleeping, planning permission will also be required.
If you’re considering adding any of these features, please get in touch and we can talk through the best options for your project.
We can install any type of door and windows as they are custom made in a UK factory. All doors and windows are double glazed and available in a variety of colours.
Our most popular doors are aluminium bifolds or UPVC sliding doors and windows – but there are so many to choose from!
Find out more about your options on our Doors & Windows page.
Our most popular cladding types are Larch and composite cladding, but we can install any cladding you desire.
This includes but is not limited to Red Cedar, UPVC, brick slips and silicone render.
For more information and to see examples of cladding, please see our dedicated cladding page.
For more information about why larch cladding is so popular, read our blog: Larch Cladding for Garden Rooms: The Durable, Low-Maintenance Timber Choice for a Modern Garden Room
Yes, our rooms are fully insulated. We use 100mm PIR in the ceilings and floor and 100mm mineral wool in the walls.
This helps our rooms retain heat in winter and keep them cooler in summer.
Yes, we include an armoured cable run, connection to the house and garden room, 3 double sockets, and between 4 and 6 downlights depending on room size in all estimates.
We can install any electrics required and provide an extras list with costs outlined.
Yes. Our most common source of heating is the infrared bar heaters – they are a great source of heat and have a low running cost.
We also provide an air conditioning installation service, which is becoming ever more popular as we get warmer summers! Our modern air conditioning units provide both cold and warm air, making them a popular addition in many of our garden room offices.
We can install any floor in a garden room. Most commonly we use laminate, of which we offer samples for you to choose from during the build, but you are not limited to this.
We’ve installed LVT, lino, carpet, gym flooring, and dance floors amongst others!
We ask for a 10% deposit upon signing the contract, 40% on day one once materials are delivered, 40% upon completion, and 10% once the cooling period is complete and any snags rectified (if any!).
We offer a 10-year warranty as standard on all rooms.
We do not provide flatpack, modular or prefabricated buildings. All our rooms are unique and made bespoke, entirely from scratch to fit each individual requirement, by professional carpenters in your back garden.
This will be entirely dependent on the exact size of the build and any additional work required but, on average typically takes 3 weeks from start to finish. Large builds can take longer and annexes can take between 5-10 weeks.
With the exception of a Christmas break, our teams work all year round in all seasons.
It makes perfect sense for us to help you realise your whole garden dream. If our BGR teams cannot undertake the work for you then we work closely with two independent contractors who are able to do any initial groundworks and/or all landscaping work on completion of the build.
Find out more on our Domestic Construction page.
The best way to do this is to give us a call on 01322 761 080.
Alternatively you can email info@bexleygardenrooms.co.uk or fill out the enquiry form on our website.
It only takes 10 minutes of your time to tailor a good estimate for your needs – a quick chat to determine the size, shape and finish of your beautiful BGR garden room!
Ready to transform your home with BGR?
If you’re considering a bespoke garden room for your home, or are interested in any of our other services, simply get in touch using the details below or the contact form, including a phone number.
We require your number to take more thorough details from you and therefore provide a more accurate estimate; we won’t use it hound you with unwarranted calls.
A member of our team will then be in touch to help you start your Bexley Garden Rooms journey.
Please note our office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5:30pm