Questions, answered plainly.

Often not, but it depends on your property and the design. In England, many garden rooms can be built under permitted development rights for outbuildings, without a planning application, as long as they meet a set of conditions. The main ones are:

• Single storey, and not in front of the principal elevation of the house.
• No more than 2.5 m high overall if it sits within 2 m of a boundary. Further from the boundary, up to 4 m with a dual-pitched roof or 3 m with other roofs, and eaves no higher than 2.5 m.
• Outbuildings and extensions together cover no more than half the land around the original house.
• Used for purposes incidental to the house, such as an office, gym or studio, not as separate living or sleeping accommodation.
• Any raised decking or platform no more than 30 cm above the ground.

Different rules apply to listed buildings, flats and maisonettes, and to homes in national parks (including Dartmoor and Exmoor), National Landscapes (formerly AONBs), conservation areas and World Heritage Sites. Some homes also have permitted development rights removed by an earlier planning condition or an Article 4 direction.

We check this at your site assessment. If you'd like formal certainty, you can apply to your council for a Lawful Development Certificate, or make a planning application where one is needed. We can help you with either. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Many don't, but some do. As a general guide for detached outbuildings in England with no sleeping accommodation:

• Under 15 m² internal floor area: usually exempt.
• Between 15 m² and 30 m²: usually exempt if the building is at least 1 m from any boundary, or is built substantially of non-combustible materials.
• Over 30 m²: building regulations approval is normally needed.

Separately, electrical work must always meet the building regulations, and new circuits are normally notifiable, so the electrics are installed and certified by a qualified, registered electrician. Adding a shower room, WC or sleeping space can also bring a project into building control. We confirm what applies to your design before you commit.

Using a garden building for sleeping or as self-contained living accommodation usually falls outside permitted development and needs planning permission and building regulations approval. If that's what you have in mind, tell us early and we'll plan the design and approvals around it.

We don't make promises about property value. A well-built, well-documented studio can be an attractive feature for buyers, but how much it affects value depends on your home, your area and the market. A local estate agent is the best person to ask. Keeping your paperwork together, such as any Lawful Development Certificate and the electrical certificate, helps when you come to sell.

It depends on the size of the studio, groundworks, access, the specification you choose and lead times for glazing and specialist items. Approvals, where needed, add time before work can start. We'll give you a realistic programme in your written proposal, so you know the timeline before you commit, and we'll keep you updated if anything changes.

Most studios are built on site from components carried into the garden, so we don't usually need vehicle access to the back. We'll look at the route, any steps or slopes and where materials can be stored during your site assessment. Tight or difficult access is often fine, but it can affect cost and programme, and we'll tell you how in your proposal.

We choose the base after surveying your ground. Options include ground screws, concrete pads or a concrete slab. The right choice depends on soil, slope, tree roots, drainage and the weight of what will go inside, such as gym equipment or a sauna.

Yes, on selected designs. Alongside our timber finishes, we offer architectural render as a bespoke upgrade: a crisp, seamless finish over an insulated timber frame, drawing on our experience building rendered timber-frame extensions. It suits homes that are themselves rendered, or anyone who wants the studio to feel as permanent as the house. It is quoted after consultation, and the specification, and whether any approvals are needed, is confirmed for each project.

Yes, that's what they're designed for. Floors, walls and roofs are insulated and the glazing is chosen with comfort in mind. We'll recommend heating, and cooling if you want it, based on the size of the room, how much glazing it has and how you'll use it.

A new supply is usually run from your home's consumer unit to the studio through a buried armoured cable. The work is carried out and certified by a qualified electrician, and you receive the certificate at handover. Saunas, air conditioning and hot tubs can need a higher-capacity supply, which we check at survey.

Less than an extension, because almost all the work happens in the garden rather than inside your home. We agree working hours, deliveries and storage with you before we start, protect paths and lawns where we can, and leave the site tidy at the end of each day.

The prices on this website are provisional indicative guide prices, including VAT. They are not quotations or fixed prices. Your final price depends on your chosen specification, site access, foundations, groundworks, electrical supply, installation requirements and any approvals needed. Some options, such as saunas, shower rooms and bespoke sculptural features, are quoted individually after consultation. After your site assessment we send a written, itemised quotation so you can see exactly what's included before you decide.

Payment stages are set out clearly in your written proposal before you commit, so you know what is due and when. We're always happy to talk them through.

We'll explain exactly what aftercare applies to your project in writing as part of your proposal, together with the manufacturers' guarantees on items such as glazing and equipment. At handover we walk you through your studio and give you care guidance and all certificates for your records.

We design and install across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, subject to site access and scheduling. Further afield? Ask us. Larger projects are considered case by case.

Yes. Your initial consultation is free and there's no obligation. We'll talk through your ideas, your garden and your budget, and explain the next steps.

Yes, subject to the specification and your site. A sauna room needs the right heater, ventilation, moisture control and electrical supply, and sometimes specialist suppliers. We'll set out what's suitable for your space in your proposal. Anyone with a health condition should check with their GP before using a sauna or cold plunge.

We design the floor build-up for the intended use. Tell us what you plan to install, such as a rack, platform or treadmill, and we'll design the base and floor to suit.