Garden Room Costs

Low Cost Garden Rooms

 

A low cost garden room does not necessarily need to look cheap.

​

The biggest savings usually come from good design and avoiding unnecessary complexity.

​

Ways to control cost include:

• use a simple rectangular footprint

• use standard door and window sizes

• reduce unnecessary glazing

• keep the roof simple

• avoid complicated structural spans

• minimise plumbing

• use readily available materials

• source finishes directly

• obtain several builder quotations

​

Simplicity can often produce a cleaner architectural result as well as a cheaper building.

​

​

Self Build Garden Room Cost

 

This is where the numbers become particularly interesting.

​

A self build garden room cost can be substantially lower than a fully installed turnkey package because you are not paying one company to provide everything.

​

A turnkey company typically has to recover:

• design costs

• sales costs

• advertising

• project management

• administration

• overheads

• installation labour

• profit margin

​

When you manage more of the process yourself, some of those layers disappear.

​

​

DIY Garden Room Cost

 

A full DIY garden room will usually be the cheapest route, but it also requires the most time and skill.

​

A DIY project may involve you arranging:

• foundations

• timber frame

• insulation

• roofing

• glazing

• cladding

• internal finishes

• electrics

• decorating

​

You do not necessarily need to physically undertake all the work yourself.

​

You can act as the project organiser and appoint individual trades.

​

That can still provide much of the financial advantage of self building.

​

​

Cost of Building a Garden Room

 

The cost of building a garden room can be broken into several main packages.

​

Foundations and Groundworks

The cost depends heavily on:

• ground conditions

• access

• building size

• chosen foundation system

​

Common systems include:

• concrete slab

• concrete pads

• ground screws

• proprietary base systems

​

Timber Frame

The structural frame is usually one of the more predictable elements.

​

Costs increase with:

• larger spans

• unusual shapes

• large areas of glazing

• complex roofs

​

Insulation

A room intended for year round use should normally include insulation to:

• floor

• walls

• roof

​

Poor insulation may reduce the initial cost but increase heating costs and reduce comfort.

​

Doors and Windows

This is an area where specification can change the price dramatically.

​

Standard French doors may cost far less than large aluminium sliding doors or bespoke glazing.

​

Electrics

Allow for:

• consumer unit

• sockets

• internal lighting

• external lighting

• heating

• data

• connection back to the house

​

Internal Finishes

These may include:

• plasterboard

• plastering

• decorating

• flooring

• skirting

• fitted furniture

​

​

Garden Room With Plumbing Cost

 

Adding plumbing can increase the cost considerably.

​

A garden room with a toilet, shower or kitchenette may require:

• water supply

• foul drainage

• hot water

• ventilation

• sanitary fittings

• waterproof finishes

• additional excavation

• ​

Current cost guides suggest adding a shower and toilet can add roughly £3,000 to £8,000, although difficult drainage routes can increase this further.

​

The distance from the house drainage system can therefore be very important.

​

​

Garden Studio Cost

 

A garden studio may cost more than a simple office if it requires specialist features.

​

Examples include:

• large glazing areas

• rooflights

• sinks

• specialist lighting

• storage

• acoustic treatment

• higher ceilings

​

An art studio, music studio and photography studio can therefore have very different costs even if the external dimensions are identical.

​

​

Brick Built Garden Room Cost

 

Brick built garden rooms generally sit towards the more expensive end of the market.

​

They may require:

• heavier foundations

• masonry walls

• additional labour

• more traditional construction

• longer build periods

​

Current market guides place many brick built rooms around £15,000 to £30,000, with more complex buildings costing substantially more.

​

For most garden rooms, timber frame construction is usually faster and lighter.

​

​

Garden Room Extension Cost

 

A garden room extension is slightly different from a detached garden room.

​

If the new space is physically attached to the house, costs generally rise because the work may involve:

• structural alterations to the house

• drainage

• Building Regulations

• thermal detailing

• foundations

• integration with existing services

​

Current UK estimates commonly put a fully finished garden room extension in the region of £20,000 to £50,000, depending on size and specification.

​

A detached garden room can therefore be considerably cheaper than creating comparable space as an extension.

​

​

Hidden Garden Room Costs

 

When setting the budget, remember to consider costs outside the building itself.

​

These can include:

• removing existing sheds

• clearing vegetation

• tree work

• ground levelling

• skips

• access

• drainage

• electrical supply

• internet connection

• patios

• decking

• paths

• landscaping

• decorating

• furniture

​

These items can easily add several thousand pounds to the overall project.

​

​

How to Reduce Garden Room Costs

 

The greatest savings are usually made before construction begins.

​

Consider:

• keeping the footprint simple

• choosing an efficient size

• using standard materials

• avoiding unnecessary glazing

• planning services early

• obtaining comparable builder quotations

• buying key products directly

• avoiding expensive last minute changes

​

A clear drawing package also makes quotations easier to compare.

​

If each builder is pricing the same information, there is less room for misunderstanding.

​

​

APN Garden Rooms: A Different Way to Build

 

APN Garden Rooms separates design from construction.

​

Instead of buying a complete turnkey package from one supplier, you can start with a professionally prepared garden room design and technical plan pack.

​

You can then:

• obtain your own builder quotations

• use local trades

• source products directly

• choose your own doors and windows

• select your own finishes

• control the specification

• control the budget

​

This puts you in charge of the project.

​

​

Could You Save 40 to 50%?

 

Potentially, yes.

​

The difference between a turnkey garden room price and the underlying construction cost can be considerable.

​

By arranging the construction yourself and using local builders and suppliers, it may be possible in some cases to reduce the overall cost by around 40 to 50% compared with an equivalent turnkey package.

​

The actual saving will depend on:

• room size

• specification

• location

• site access

• labour costs

• how much you organise yourself

​

It is not about building something inferior.

​

It is about removing layers of sales, management and supplier margin.

​

​

Spend the Money on the Garden Room

 

If your total budget is £20,000, the question is whether you want a large proportion of that budget spent on:

• sales

• project management

• company overheads

• supplier margins

​

or on:

• better glazing

• better insulation

• better cladding

• better finishes

• more usable space

​

That is the philosophy behind APN Garden Rooms.
 

​

Build More Garden Room for Your Budget

 

The price of a garden room is not only determined by the size of the building.

​

It is also determined by how you buy it.

​

A turnkey garden room company usually has to build the following into its price:

• design

• sales

• marketing

• project management

• administration

• installation

• overheads

• profit margin

​

That model is convenient, but it is not always the most cost effective route.

​

At APN Garden Rooms, we separate design from construction.

​

You start with a professionally prepared garden room design and technical plan pack, then decide how you want the project built.

​

That allows you to:

• obtain quotations from local builders

• compare labour costs

• source products directly

• choose your own doors and windows

• choose your own cladding and finishes

• control the specification

• decide how much of the project you want to manage yourself

​

​

Potential Savings of 40 to 50%

Depending on the design, location, specification and how the project is managed, it may be possible to reduce the overall cost by around 40 to 50% compared with some equivalent turnkey garden room packages.

​

The aim is not to build a cheaper room.

​

It is to spend more of your budget on the room itself and less on the layers surrounding it.

​

That could mean:

• better glazing

• better insulation

• better cladding

• better internal finishes

• a larger room

• more money left for landscaping or furniture

​

​

Start With the Design

 

The first step is choosing the right garden room.

​

From there, you can:

• use the design as shown

• adapt it to suit your garden

• obtain planning advice if required

• add Building Regulations information where needed

• request builder quotations

• source products and materials

• control the final build cost

​

Choose the design. Control the build. Keep more of the budget.

​

​

Browse Our Garden Room Designs

Explore the APN Garden Rooms collections and find the design that works for your space, your lifestyle and your budget.

​

​