THE UK GARDEN ROOM GUIDE
Do I need planning permission?
A first check for your garden room. Start with where you live, then work through the details that matter.
Where is your garden?
1. Is this a house with a private garden, rather than a flat or maisonette?
2. Is the room for incidental domestic use only, without sleeping, separate accommodation or customer visits?
3. Will the whole building be behind the principal elevation of the house?
4. Will it be single storey, with eaves at or below 2.5m and overall height within the limits below?
Within 2m of a boundary: 2.5m overall. Elsewhere: 4m for a dual-pitched roof or 3m for other roofs. Measure from the applicable ground level; sloping sites need advice.
5. Will additions and other buildings cover no more than half the land around the original house?
6. Is the proposal free from balconies, verandas and platforms higher than 0.3m?
7. Have you confirmed there is no listed status, designated-land restriction, Article 4 direction, planning condition or other limit affecting this proposal?
PLANNING STARTING POINT
A few checks before you build.
Answer each question to identify your next step. This checker does not issue planning approval.
Planning permission and building regulations are separate. This tool does not assess building regulations, covenants, party-wall matters or site-specific structural safety.
Read official England guidance Sources checked 9 September 2026. Read our planning guide →