Permitted Development Overview

The majority of garden rooms built each year are constructed under Permitted Development rules, which refer to garden room-type buildings as outbuildings. These rules clearly outline where different height garden rooms can be positioned and how much of your garden they can occupy.

Many garden room designs you’ll come across are built to a maximum height of 2.5m. This is because a garden room up to 2.5m in height allows for the greatest flexibility in terms of positioning within your garden.

The Permitted Development rules also specify the height and positioning of dual-pitched and mono-pitched garden rooms, as well as the maximum height for decked verandas, which are often used to extend a garden room.

However, not all properties benefit from Permitted Development rights. For example, if you live in a flat, maisonette, or Listed Building, or if your home is within a protected area like a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, additional considerations apply. In these cases, it may still be possible to build a garden room, but you’ll need to check the specific rules to ensure compliance.

Explore the Permitted Development rules for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to find out how these regulations apply to your garden room project.