How much does a garden room cost?

A garden room is a very popular and affordable option when it comes to expanding your living space and enhancing your garden. If you’ve decided you want to add a garden room to your home, your next question is likely ‘how much does a garden room cost?’

Given that most buyers have never made this kind of high ticket purchase before their expectations can vary wildly. The reality is the price will also vary wildly depending on a wide range of factors, such as the following:

• Overall size
• Structural materials
• Insulation standard
• Foundation type
• Electrical supply
• Electrical specification
• Technology specification
• Roof style
• Interior finishing
• Design complexity
• Location and accessibility

The average cost of a garden room is £24,224, but there is a wide range of prices of less than £8000 to near £40,000. We have garden office rooms starting from £6000 for example.

Costs can vary depending on these factors, but the monetary and lifestyle benefits of a garden room tend to far outweigh the negatives. The addition of a garden room to your home will usually increase the total value of your property too, making it a sound investment.

Read on as we break down exactly what impacts the cost of a garden room to help you budget and plan yours.

Garden room prices

The cost of a garden room can vary depending upon a number of factors. Size, materials, interior and so on. As you can see from the table above, prices can vary massively from £7,124 for a small basic storage/workspace to £39,301 for a large all year round multi-functional space.

What factors affect the price of a garden room

If we take a deep dive into the factors that influence the cost of a garden room it will help when we talk about specific uses further into this article.

Overall size

It may seem obvious but it’s important to note that the bigger the footprint of a garden building, the more it will cost. But it’s not just the size of the building that makes it bigger, building height is going to be a key factor if it is going to be used as something like a golf simulator where a minimum height of 3.3m is needed to accommodate a golf swing.

Structural materials

The material used to build your garden room will impact its price. Garden rooms, sheds or garden pods can be made out of brick, steel, wood… or, with an OGEL garden room, recycled plastic.

The cost of these materials can vary hugely depending on geographical location and scarcity, but another factor is the labour skills to build in a particular medium. A skilled bricklayer takes five years to learn his trade, so if you think of constructing a brick garden room that way then it’s probably not going to be a DIY project.

Insulation standard

A garden shed is normally going to be a single-skin softwood structure with a perspex panel to let in light and a basic door, similar to the walls, to enter and exit. This is not going to be of use as a garden office in the middle of February.

To be of all year round use as a habitable space the floors, walls and, most importantly, roofs need adequate rockwool or EPS (expanded polystyrene) to prevent warm air escaping.

At OGEL, we have actually developed a twin wall system that doesn’t, in the main, require insulation as air is trapped within the hollow interior of the walls and can’t escape.

Windows and doors

For all year use, good quality wooden or uPVC windows and doors are a must. As are double glazed, argon filled window and door panes that minimise the loss of heat.

For a high end finish, good quality bi-fold doors add a touch of class and provide a great connection between the garden room and the outdoor space.

Foundation type

Remember the maxim ‘a house is only as good as its foundations’? Well, the same applies to garden rooms. There are a variety of options, each with different financial and ecological costs:

Concrete plinth

A six to eight inch thick raised pad. If laid well it will last fifty years, but the cost of materials plus the time to lay and dry can be a factor. Also, cement based products do have an environmental cost.

Ground screws

As the name suggests these are 1m long galvanised screws that are put into the ground onto which the garden building sits. They are normally ready to use in a day – rather than the drying time of concrete – and are great for uneven ground. The disadvantages are that they are relatively expensive and are not suitable where there are underground pipes or cables.

Paving slabs

If the building is not too big or heavy then paving slabs are a relatively cheap and quick alternative. There is no drying time but if they’re not laid correctly, any movement can affect the garden room that sits upon them.

Compacted earth and gravel

The cheapest option… but one that is only suitable for the smallest and lightest of garden buildings. Subject to land slippage and can be seriously affected by drying out in summer and waterlogging in winter. Whilst this movement may not be visible, it causes deflection in the room structure which means that doors and windows stick and cannot be opened or closed.

Longevity

How long would you like the building to last? The simple answer is, in the main, you get what you pay for.

If it’s a potting shed then you might be happy with five years as it’s a cheap and cheerful self-assembly purchase from the local garden centre.

If it’s a state-of-the-art granny annex that runs into the thousands then you’re going to want 25+ years of extensive usage.

Electrical supply

This will normally mean running an armoured cable with adequate amperage from elsewhere in the property.

If it’s a garden shed where only an overhead light is required then a battery based timer system might be fine and this avoids running cables completely.

If it’s a garden music studio then it needs to be a 32amp electrical feed into a dedicated consumer unit to handle the different lighting and power socket requirements.

Electrical specification

The final electrical specification falls into three areas: lighting, power sockets and heating.

Lighting

Most garden rooms have a lower ceiling height, generally less than 2.5 metres, so large ceiling pendants are not normally going to be an option. Assuming that’s the case then the choice is normally between striplights and downlights, then how many are required to adequately illuminate the area.

Power sockets

The specifications of your garden building can be at least the same standard as your main home with the OGEL system, as sockets and switches are recessed into the walls so sockets with USB ports, chrome fittings, etc can all be accommodated.

With a bit of forward thinking, sockets can also be placed midway up the wall to accommodate power to wall-mounted TV’s without seeing trailing power leads.

Heating

Whilst it is unlikely that you’ll want to run the plumbing for conventional radiators into the garden, there are a whole host of other options, including air conditioning.

Convection heaters

These heaters work by heating the air around them. They typically have a heating element and a fan to circulate warm air around the room. Convection heaters can be portable or wall-mounted.

Radiant heaters

Radiant heaters emit infrared radiation that directly heats objects and people in their vicinity rather than heating the air. They are often used for spot heating and can be found in various forms such as panels, reflectors or quartz tubes. Can be portable or wall-mounted.

Fan heaters

Also known as forced-air heaters, these units blow air over a heating element and distribute the warmed air throughout the space. They are efficient for quickly heating up a room, but can make noise due to the fan. Can be portable or wall-mounted.

Oil-filled heaters

Oil-filled heaters consist of heating elements immersed in oil, which retains heat and provides a steady, even warmth. They are often portable and retain heat well, even after being turned off. Can be portable or wall-mounted..

Ceramic heaters

Ceramic heaters use ceramic heating elements to generate heat, which is then dispersed into the room by a fan. They are known for their quick heating capabilities and energy efficiency. Can be portable or wall-mounted.

Underfloor heating

This type of heating system involves installing electric heating elements or electrically conductive materials beneath the floor surface. It provides radiant heat that warms the room from the ground up, offering a comfortable and efficient heating solution.

Each type of electrical heater has its own advantages and considerations, so the choice depends on factors such as the size of the space, energy efficiency, noise level and personal preference.

Internet connectivity

If you are putting in a garden storage room then the internet is not really a consideration, but for most other garden building applications it’s a must-have. The degree of connectivity falls into two options: hardwired and wireless.

If you have good line of sight to the internet router or extender in the main dwelling then plugging an additional router into the garden room will normally suffice. This wireless option is cheaper and less expensive but if the signal is weak or a high broadband connection is required then hardwiring is the only option.

A hardwired system will require an armoured Cat 5/Cat 6 cable to be run from the main router in the house to an RS232 socket within the building, and an extension router plugged into that. This will give maximum broadband speed but, as with most electrical installations, it will come at a cost.

Roof style

To allow for the considerations of ceiling height, light and heat loss, there are a number of different roof styles to choose from: single pitch, double pitch, solid roof, solid roof with roof lantern.

Additionally, roof height is a key consideration when it comes to assessing if a garden room falls within permitted development.

Interior finishing

To use the garden shed analogy again, it probably doesn’t matter what you put on the floor and all you’ll probably want to hang on the wall is a spade, so the cost of this sort of internal finishing is minimal.

But if it’s a pride and joy garden bar then you’ll want shelving, possibly a wall-mounted TV, as well as it being white and easy to clean, so it’ll probably cost substantially more.

Flooring could be anything from bare floorboards to top-quality hardwood flooring. Likewise, the quality of furnishings can vary from cheap free-standing shelving units to a top spec sofa.

As with the other factors, the quality and quantity of the interior finishes can have a huge impact on the overall price… but as this is the most visual part of the garden room, cutting corners is a false economy.

Design complexity

The vast majority of garden rooms are four sided – generally either square or rectangular – but other shapes can be accommodated. For example, octagonal summerhouses or L-shaped buildings to fit into an awkward area.

The knock on effect of this complexity is that all other elements become more difficult which leads to greater cost due to increased wastage in manufacturing and greater time required in the assembly.

Location and accessibility

You’ve identified a brilliant secluded spot in the garden for your home gym and you get an indicative quote for the building. The installer then comes to the site and increases the price.

Why?

There are a number of key considerations you need to make rather than just the end result:

• How suitable is the ground where you want the garden room?
• Does it interfere with your neighbours’ privacy?
• Is there anything that could interfere with the building when it is at full height, such as overhanging trees?
• How hard is it to get building materials from the nearest access point to their final destination?
• If cabling is required where will it run? Does it require burying?

If you want a high-spec garden space in a distant part of your garden then remember there will probably be a cost premium to factor into the overall price.

As you can appreciate, the considerations are many and all have an impact on price. But with careful planning, these costs can be made manageable, ensuring that the best value for money is achieved.

Important garden room considerations by building type

Basic garden building

For example, a garden shed or storage room…

Overall size: Small – 1.8m x 1m
Structural materials: Wood/plastic
Insulation standard: Very low
Windows and doors: Wood/plastic/perspex
Foundation type: Compacted earth/gravel/paving slabs
Longevity/maintenance: 5 years/yearly treatment if wood
Electrical supply: Possibly
Lighting: Possibly
Power sockets: Possibly
Heating: No
Internet connectivity: No
Roof style: Double pitch
Interior finishing: Low/none
complexity: Rectangle
Location and accessibility: Low cost impact

Mid range options

For example, tongue and groove garden bars, summerhouses…

Overall size: Medium
Structural materials: Wood
Insulation standard: Low… though can be lined internally to improve
Windows and doors: Wood with single pane glass
Foundation type: Paving slabs as a minimum
Longevity/maintenance: 8 years/yearly treatment if wood
Electrical supply: Possibly
Lighting: Possibly
Power sockets: Possibly
Heating: Possibly, if for year round use
Internet connectivity: Use dependent
Roof style: Single or double pitch
Interior finishing: Low to minimal
Design complexity: Rectangle/hexagonal/octagonal
Location and accessibility: Medium cost impact

High end luxury

We will look at this on a use by use basis as the specifications can change according to its intended purpose.

Garden studio (for example, a crafting studio)…

Overall size: Medium to large
Structural materials: Wood/composite polymer
Insulation standard: High for year round use
Windows and doors: uPVC and double glazed units
Foundation type: Concrete, well laid block work or ground screws
Longevity/maintenance: 10 years wood/20 years composite polymer
Electrical supply: Yes
Lighting: Yes
Power sockets: Yes
Heating: Yes
Internet connectivity: Use dependent
Roof style: Single or double pitch
Interior finishing: Medium to high
Design complexity: Rectangle
Location and accessibility: Medium cost impact

Garden games room (a billiards room)…

Overall size: Large
Structural materials: Wood/composite polymer
Insulation standard: High for year round use
Windows and doors: uPVC and double glazed units
Foundation type: Concrete or ground screws
Longevity/maintenance: 10 years wood/20 years composite polymer
Electrical supply: Yes
Lighting: Yes
Power sockets: Yes
Heating: Yes
Internet connectivity: Yes
Roof style: Single or double pitch
Interior finishing: High
Design complexity: Rectangle
Location and accessibility: High cost impact

Garden music studio…

Overall size: Medium to large
Structural materials: Wood/composite polymer
Insulation standard: High for year round use
Windows and doors: uPVC and double glazed units
Foundation type: Concrete or ground screws
Longevity/maintenance: 10 years wood/20 years composite polymer
Electrical supply: Yes
Lighting: Yes
Power sockets: Yes
Heating: Yes
Internet connectivity: Yes
Roof style: Single or double pitch
Interior finishing: High… will require additional acoustic insulation and possibly an acoustic screen for the door
Design complexity: Rectangle
Location and accessibility: High cost impact

Garden/home gym…

Overall size: Medium to large
Structural materials: Wood/composite polymer/reinforced floor
Insulation standard: High for year round use
Windows and doors: uPVC and double glazed units
Foundation type: Concrete or ground screws
Longevity/maintenance: 10 years wood/20 years composite polymer
Electrical supply: Yes
Lighting: Yes
Power sockets: Yes
Heating: Yes
Internet connectivity: Possibly
Roof style: Single or double pitch
Interior finishing: High… laminate flooring
Design complexity: Rectangle
Location and accessibility: High cost impact

Garden/home office room…

Overall size: Small to medium
Structural materials: Wood/composite polymer
Insulation standard: High for year round use
Windows and doors: uPVC and double glazed units
Foundation type: Concrete, or ground screws
Longevity/maintenance: 10 years wood/20 years composite polymer
Electrical supply: Yes
Lighting: Yes
Power sockets: Yes
Heating: Yes
Internet connectivity: Yes… high spec
Roof style: Single
Interior finishing: High… laminate flooring
Design complexity: Rectangle
Location and accessibility: Medium cost impact

Garden Bar…

Overall size: Large
Structural materials: Wood
Insulation standard: High for year round use
Windows and doors: uPVC and double glazed units
Foundation type: Concrete or ground screws
Longevity/maintenance: 10 years
Electrical supply: Yes
Lighting: Yes
Power sockets: Yes
Heating: Possibly
Internet connectivity: Possibly
Roof style: Single
Interior finishing: High… laminate flooring
Design complexity: Rectangle
Location and accessibility: High cost impact

What’s included in the price?

Here at OGEL we realise that the key is to have specialists in each area of the build. And while we are happy to construct the buildings using our state-of-the-art patented building system – as well as ensuring they are fitted out to the highest standards – we are not experts in groundworks etc.

Therefore we use reputable third party contractors who handle certain aspects of the build, such as the concrete base or ground screws. But we act as project managers to ensure a turnkey hassle-free solution to you… the homeowner.

Please read some of our testimonials.

Additional costs to consider

Planning permission

In many instances planning permission is not required and falls within permitted development. We have covered planning permission in a separate article, but feel free to drop use a line with your questions.

Maintenance and upkeep

There is no such thing as a ‘maintenance free’ garden room… in much the same way as there is no such thing as a repair free home. The trick is to keep costs – in terms of time and money – to a minimum.

Wooden garden rooms require some form of treatment – ideally every two years – so this needs to be factored in when making a purchasing decision.

By contrast, OGEL garden rooms are designed to be as maintenance-free as possible, only needing the windows cleaned, the occasional leaf debris in the guttering and a damp cloth running over the outer profiles when they get dusty.

In summary

As you can see, there are a wide range of factors that will affect the price of a garden room… from footprint size to quality of finish to year round usability.

As with most construction work, it pays to know what you want and plan your budget accordingly, paying strict attention to the structure of the building as mistakes in these key elements can be very costly later.

The average cost of a garden room is £24,224 but there are a wide range of prices… from less than £8,000 to near £40,000, so consider the following before proceeding with any work:

• Overall size
• Structural materials
• Insulation standard
• Foundation type
• Electrical supply
• Electrical specification
• Technology specification
• Roof style
• Interior finishing
• Design complexity
• Location and accessibility

Here at OGEL, we like to think we have a fair bit of knowledge – especially with regard to our specialist garden buildings – and we’re always happy to help. You can contact us on 0800 056 0078 or email us by clicking here.