Garden Office Buildings and Granny Flats - Building Information.

Planning permission and Building Regulations are two different things: - 

• Building regulations are about the quality and technical design of a structure.
• Planning permission is about the positioning and external appearance of a structure.

We voluntarily choose to meet building regulation standards of construction for all our buildings however small, because we believe that any lesser standard of insulation, construction and foundations is inadequate for an permanent outdoor room used as an extra living space.

Understanding Building regulations.                                                Buildings of less than 30sq metres, if they are positioned more than a metre from a boundary and are not going to be used for sleeping accomodation do not need to meet building regulations. This leads some companies that sell insulated summerhouses and sheds of less than 30sq metres to claim that their buildings 'meet building regulations.' when in reality what they mean is 'our buildings don't have to comply with building regulations'.

At InsideOut we believe that garden office buildings should be designed and built to the same quality as a timber frame house that you would choose to live in all year round. It is, after all, an extension of your home that you and your family will use for many years to come.

To achieve this we pursue a realistic balance between eco-friendly materials and traditional building methods. We specify construction materials, interior and exterior finishes, and doors and windows that we would personally use if we were building our own house.  

Foundations.                                                                                      Permanent buildings needs solidly constructed foundations to stop them subsiding when ground conditions vary and to stop them blowing away in storms. Our buildings stand on discreet concrete pile foundations, allowing air to circulate under the building.

Permanent buildings should not be laid directly onto the ground as subsidence and slipage may occur. However if you have an existing garage base or other substantial support we can design a building to fit. We survey your garden to assess it's suitability and then supply detailed foundation plans, with full technical instructions to your groundworks builder. We can find a suitable groundworks builder in your area for you as part of our service.

Building specification.                                                                       A full building specification is available when you request or download a brochure. Garden office buildings brochure

Guarantee.                                                                                         There is a 10 year structural warranty on all InsideOut buildings. Fixtures and fittings are guaranteed for 12 months or for the manufacturers warranty - if longer.  Properly cared for garden offices and accomodation buildings should last a lifetime.

You will find information on planning permission at Garden office buildings planning