Turnkey Garden Rooms

Updated: 1 December 2025
Reading Time: 2 minutes 42 seconds

You may see the term ‘turnkey project’ on many garden room suppliers' websites, but what does it actually mean?

Some garden room companies will quote you for the building and its installation. These days, that price often includes the foundation, but not always. Some companies either quote separately for the foundation or ask you to arrange it with another provider.

Additionally, these packages often don’t include connecting the garden room’s electrics to your house’s mains supply, meaning you’ll need to organise that separately as well.

However, companies offering a turnkey service take care of all these aspects, and more, within the quote they provide. This means you only work with one team throughout the entire project.

The goal of a turnkey project is that you hand over responsibility for all elements of the garden room build, and they leave you with a finished building that you can simply "turn the key" and move into.

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Turnkey May Seem More Expensive at First Glance

When comparing quotes from companies offering a turnkey service with those only providing the building and installation, the turnkey option may initially seem more expensive.

However, in the budgeting section of our garden room price guide, we found that companies offering only the building and installation often charge between £1,400 and £2,500 for the final electrical connection. This example is for distances of up to 25m from the garden room to the house.

Similarly, companies that exclude the foundation from the building cost either quote for it separately or ask you to arrange it. According to our research, foundation costs vary depending on the system specified. For instance, using a 2.5m x 2.5m garden room as an example, quotes for ground screws were around £800, while a concrete base ranged from £1,500 to £2,000.

As you can see, these additional costs can quickly increase the overall price of a garden room project.

It’s important to keep this in mind when comparing your options. If one quote seems significantly lower than another, it may be because one has omitted these extra elements, while the other has accounted for them fully.

What Is Typically Included in a Turnkey Garden Room Project

Let’s examine what’s typically covered when purchasing a garden room on a turnkey basis:

Handling of Planning Permission Applications

If your project requires a planning application, a turnkey quote will often include help with the application process. However, you may still be responsible for paying the Local Authority’s fees.

If your garden room can be built under Permitted Development rights, your supplier may suggest obtaining a Lawful Development Certificate, which they will usually organise on your behalf.

If Building Regulations approval is needed, the supplier will typically handle this as part of the turnkey service.

Site Clearance and Preparation

This aspect varies between companies, but in many turnkey projects, site clearance is included before construction begins.

We’ve seen companies clear vegetation or dismantle existing structures, such as sheds, to make space for the new garden room.

Some suppliers also offer excavation and ground levelling services, including the construction of retaining walls if required.

Installation of the Foundation System

Turnkey garden room projects almost always include the installation of the foundation system.

Installation of the Garden Room

In a turnkey project, the company manages the entire installation process, including all decorative finishes. If your project includes features such as a shower room or kitchenette, the company will install these, taking care of everything down to the final details, like tiling.

Some companies even go as far as installing shelving or mounting a TV on the wall as part of their turnkey service.

Connection of Electrics to the Mains Supply

A turnkey project includes the final electrical hook-up to your house’s mains supply. The team will also carry out the necessary groundwork for the electrical cabling.