Size Guides/4×3m Garden Room

4×3m Garden Room

The Perfect Home Office

4m × 3m
12m² floor area
3–4 weekends for the structure, 1–2 weekends for interior fit-out

Overview

The 4×3m garden room is the UK's most popular size — big enough for a comfortable home office or hobby room, small enough to fit most gardens without planning permission.

What it's great for

Home office (desk + storage)
Art or craft studio
Music practice room
Yoga or fitness space

Furniture & layout

Fits a large desk, office chair, filing cabinet, small sofa or daybed, and still has room to move around. Great for L-shaped desk setups.

DeskSofa4m3m
Floor plan (not to scale)

Planning permission

At 4×3m and a typical ridge height of 2.9m, this build falls comfortably within Permitted Development rights for most UK properties, provided it's not within 2m of a boundary.

Build timeline

3–4 weekends for the structure, 1–2 weekends for interior fit-out. Total: 5–6 weekends.

Key materials

  • ~60 linear metres of 4×2 CLS timber for the frame
  • 12m² of EPDM roofing membrane
  • 14 sheets of 18mm OSB for decking/sheathing
  • 12m² of PIR insulation board (100mm walls, 150mm roof)
  • 25 linear metres of cladding boards

For exact quantities and a full materials list, see the Build Pack.

Estimated DIY cost

Standard spec, with electrics — materials only

Your DIY Cost Estimate

Materials only — does not include your time

Foundation & base£540
Timber frame£660
Insulation£300
External cladding£480
Interior lining£240
Roofing£600
Flooring£180
Windows & doors£1,300
Electrics£650
Your DIY total£4,950
Professional quote (estimate)£13,613
You save by doing it yourself£8,663

Professional cost is an estimate based on typical UK contractor rates (approx. 2.75× materials). Actual quotes will vary.

Try the full calculator to adjust spec and extras.

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Ready to build your garden room?

Get the complete DIY build pack — full plans, materials list, and step-by-step guides for £49.