Outbuildings

If you want to put up small detached buildings such as a garden shed or summerhouse in your garden, building regulations will not normally apply if the floor area of the building is less than 15 square metres and contains NO sleeping accommodation.

If the floor area of the building is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, you will not normally be required to apply for building regulations approval providing that the building contains NO sleeping accommodation and is either at least one metre from any boundary or it is constructed substantially of non-combustible materials.

This section provides you with general information to help you comply with the Building Regulations when constructing a new outbuilding within the boundaries of an existing property, such as:

• garage or carport
• summerhouse or shed
• greenhouse

Building a new garage attached to an existing home would normally need building regulations approval.

Building a new attached carport (open on at least two sides) would not normally require building regulations approval if it is less than 30 square metres in floor area.

Building a detached garage of less than 30 square metres of floor area would not normally need building regulations approval if:

• the floor area of the detached garage is less than 15 square metres.
• the floor area of the garage is between 15 square metres and 30 square metres, provided the garage is at least one metre from any boundary, or it is constructed substantially of non-combustible materials.

If you want to convert an integral or attached garage into habitable use, building regulations will normally apply, view specific information for garage conversions¹.

In many cases, these structures will be exempt from requiring approval under the Building Regulations if they meet certain exemption criteria².

If the Building Regulations do apply to the building then it must be built to reasonable standards.

Further Information

The additional links found on the left menu give an indication of some of the elements normally required to satisfy the requirements of the Building Regulations for outbuildings.

1. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/garage-conversion/building-regulations
2. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/applications/building-control-applications/building-control/building-regulations/exemptions-from-building-regulations