From first call to handover

Usually not. Most garden rooms in England are built under permitted development, which generally means single storey, a maximum overall height of 2.5m if it sits within two metres of a boundary, not forward of the front of the house, and not covering more than half the garden. It also can't be used as self-contained living accommodation. Listed buildings, conservation areas, National Parks and AONBs have tighter rules. We'll tell you where we think you stand on the site visit, but the final word is always your local planning department — and it's free to ask them.

Generally no. In England, an outbuilding under 15m² of floor area with no sleeping accommodation doesn't need building regulations approval. Between 15m² and 30m² it's normally still exempt provided there's no sleeping accommodation and it either sits at least a metre from any boundary or is built from substantially non-combustible material. If you want somewhere anyone will sleep, that's a different conversation and different rules.

We don't publish prices, because the honest answer depends on size, spec, glazing, access and what the ground is like. A room on a flat lawn with a gate wide enough for a barrow is a very different job to one behind a terrace with everything carried through the house. You'll get a written, itemised quote after a free site visit, and it won't move afterwards unless you change something.

Most rooms are on site for a matter of weeks rather than months, though it depends on size, spec and weather. We'll give you a realistic window with the quote and tell you straight away if anything changes.

Very common and rarely a problem. We check access on the site visit and plan the build around it. Where there's no side gate, materials go through the house with everything protected, or the build is broken down into sections that fit.