Garden room questions, answered

Many don't, under permitted development, but it depends on the size, height, position and use, and on your property. Flats, listed buildings, conservation areas and some new-build homes are treated differently. Check with your council. Our general guide.

Small detached outbuildings without sleeping accommodation are often exempt, but size, distance to the boundary, materials and plumbing can change that. Electrical work has its own rules and should be certified.

Using a garden room as a bedroom or separate home generally needs planning permission and building regulations approval. Speak to your council first.

It isn't always required, but a friendly word before work starts is usually appreciated, especially if materials pass their way.

An insulated floor, walls and roof with double glazing and a heater make a room usable year round. Ask how each part is insulated.

Usually by an armoured cable laid in a trench from the house to a small consumer unit in the room, installed and certified by a qualified electrician.

House Wi-Fi often fades across a garden. A data cable alongside the power cable, or a wireless bridge, gives a dependable connection.

Often, if water and drainage can reach the room. It adds groundwork and may bring building regulations into play.

A concrete slab, ground screws or a timber base on pads, depending on the ground, slope, roots and access. It should be level and keep the floor clear of damp.

Slopes are common in the North East. The base can be built up or stepped, and sometimes the slope becomes a deck or steps in front of the room.

Through a side gate, a back lane or, occasionally, over a fence or through the house with care. Measure your access and mention it on the form.

It can go close, but height limits under permitted development are lower near a boundary, and you need room to maintain the walls and gutters.

No. The consultation leads to a design and a written quote, and you decide whether to go ahead.

Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Northumberland and County Durham, including Gosforth, Jesmond, Ponteland, Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Morpeth and Durham. See areas.

Consultations, designs and builds are carried out by a garden room installer working in your area. Your enquiry is shared with them so they can contact you, as explained in our privacy notice.