Frequestly Asked Questions

In most cases no you don’t.  The planning permission regulations were revised in October 2008.  As long as the building you want does not exceed 30 square meters of internal space, these buildings fall within permitted development.

SIPs stands for Structurally Insulated Panel System. The panels consist of an insulating foam core sandwiched between two structural facings, typically oriented strand board (OSB). SIPs are manufactured under factory-controlled conditions and use less timber than timber frame builds making them one of the most economical and eco-friendly forms of construction.

The high strength-to-weight ratio of SIP Panels allows large sections of your building to be fitted at once, speeding up the time required on-site for erection. 

SIPs, through their strength and ease of connection, offer the designer more versatility than other construction materials, allowing possibilities beyond the conventional and properly maximises any building plot.

The result is a building system that is extremely strong, energy-efficient and cost-effective.

This all depends on the size and finish of your building but as a guide, a fully finished 5m x 3m building takes approximately 3 working weeks. Of course, this can be subject to our Great British weather.

The most common foundation system used for our buildings are groundscrews,  galvanised steel pile foundations, usually to a depth of 1200mm depending on soil conditions.

We do, however, use Jack Pads for use on existing concrete or tarmacadamed surfaces.  We would always advise you of the best system to use once we have carried out the full site survey of your property.

Again this depends very much on the style of building you are having and what choices you make in terms of cladding, windows and doors, internal finishes etc. Speak to a member of the team to discuss your requirements and we can give you a quick indicative cost on your idea.

Absolutely!  We love taking your ideas and making them a reality, that’s our specialty and what sets us apart from the rest. Whatever your need, our team can deliver a garden room to meet your requirements.

Yes, choosing Garden Hideouts means you are not limited in your design. You will need to consider that sometimes pitched roofs mean you may need planning permission.

If we can get materials into your garden we don’t need lots of room to build. We can also build off-site and have your building craned into place. This is something we will discuss with you at the site survey.

Once your design has been finalised with you and you have accepted our fully itemised quotation we require a 25% deposit. This is then followed by a 30% staged payment due two weeks before the on-site build commences, 35% once your building is watertight and the final 10% payment due on practical completion.  Commercial and off-site builds have different terms which we will happily discuss with your team.

As well as a deposit protection certificate we also provide an insurance-backed 10-year structural warranty on all our builds.  See our information on The Confederation of Roofing Contractors Insurance. Individual warranties are also included for such things as windows and doors and roofing systems.

Our builds are built to the standard of modern house buildings and therefore the expectation is for them to last a lifetime.