Question 1

Do I require Planning Permission?

Accepted Answer

There are planning rules governing all outbuildings which does indeed include garden rooms. However, in the majority of cases you are allowed to have a garden room built on your property without seeking Planning Permission, under Permitted Development rules. We normally begin our designs with these parameters in mind. Most houses, even in conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), have Permitted Development rights. Flats and listed buildings have no Permitted Development rights, so will always need planning permission.

Additionally, whether a building requires Planning Permission largely revolves around its intended use, size and its exact location on your property.

The good news is that even if your Local Authority does require Planning Permission for your dream garden room, this usually doesn’t pose much of a stumbling block in most cases.

Here at Bridges Modular, we will endeavour to assist you with the planning process however we can.

Question 2

Do I need to remove trees and shrubs before my design consultation?

Accepted Answer

Generally speaking no, as long as your design consultant can see and get to the boundaries to measure the area then there is no need to remove any trees or shrubs before your design consultation.

If the trees and shrubs are located on the site of your garden room then they will need to be removed before construction starts. Depending on the type of trees and shrubs, you may need to discuss the situation with a specialist prior to arranging for their removal.

Question 3

Are you able to carry out perform all of the ground works and site preparation?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in the majority of cases we are able to provide comprehensive services that include all ground works and site preparation necessary for installing your garden room.

Our team of experienced professionals can handle every aspect of the process, from initial site assessment and leveling to foundation laying and drainage solutions.

Question 4

What foundations do you use?

Accepted Answer

Our garden rooms are designed to work with a number of foundations systems, which means that we can choose the most appropriate method for each individual installation. The three main options are a concrete base, ground screws, or pad/pile foundations systems.

After our initial surveys and discussions with you, we will recommend the most suitable method for your garden room project given the ground conditions and your requirements.

Question 5

What areas of the country do you cover?

Accepted Answer

Our Head Office is based in Bromley, Greater London. We cover the South East of England, and our main areas of business include Kent, Essex, Surrey, London and the surrounding areas.

However, our work does take us all over the country and we are happy to quote for garden rooms anywhere in mainland UK, so do get in touch to see whether we can supply a new garden room in your area.

Question 6

What construction methods do you use?

Accepted Answer

As a company Bridges Modular Construction specialises in Modern Methods of Construction and are well versed in a variety of building systems. For our garden rooms a Light Gauge Steel Frame system is what we recommend.

These systems provide an excellent basis for your garden room, offering strength, flexibility and longevity.

Question 7

Can I have a bespoke garden room?

Accepted Answer

We have pre-designed a range of garden rooms in several sizes,  all with a number of material and styling options allowing you to customise their final look to ensure that you  can really make your garden room unique. These rooms are all intended to be constructed under Permitted Development rules so are normally straight forward to construct for you.

Should you have other requirements - whether that simply be in terms of size, or in terms of features and facilities in your garden room - we can certainly work with you to realise your dream. We can build a garden room to any specific size and incorporate virtually any specific design ideas you have to suit your individual tastes and requirements.

If you have any particular features or requirements that you would like to incorporate into your garden room just discuss it with us during our initial discussion and we'll do our best to make your dreams a reality.

Question 8

Can I have internal walls inside?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we often construct internal partition walls inside the garden rooms to divide the internal space. Or, perhaps, you may want to combine your garden room with a separate storage area to maximise your garden room's practicality.

Any ideas you have just let us know and we'll be happy to work on building them into your design. The likelihood is we would have come across something similar in the past - and if not, well, we like a new challenge!

Question 9

Are your garden rooms warm enough to use in winter? What heating options do you recommend?

Accepted Answer

Our garden rooms are built to be extremely thermally efficient, with a fully insulated floor, walls and roof. In addition, each garden room is supplied with double glazed doors and windows. The excellent heat retention properties of our garden rooms means they are useable all year round, and you will not normally require any heating for the majority of the year.

Most packages include an free-standing oil filled radiator, but there are other options should they be required, such as wall mounted panel heaters.

Question 10

What about the electricity supply?

Accepted Answer

Each garden room price includes a complete electrics package including: consumer unit, electrical sockets, lighting and light switch. As with much of our range, there are also a number of upgrade options available to tailor your garden room to perfectly suit your needs.

On completion of the build a qualified electrician will visit you to test the internal electrics and provide an electrical certificate in readiness for the mains connection.

To connect mains electricity from your house to the garden room, you can either use your own electrician or we can supply you with a quote to carry out the works for you.

Question 11

How long does it take?

Accepted Answer

Once the site is ready to accept your garden room most of our buildings are fully built on site within 5 working days. We allow two weeks given that we can sometimes face some challenging weather!

Obviously, larger and more complex garden rooms or annexes will likely take a few days more.

Question 12

What guarantee do you provide?

Accepted Answer

We offer a 10 year guarantee against any structural defects. The 10 year structural guarantee is available to all our customers as standard policy subject to our terms and conditions.

Other parts of the garden room parts are usually covered for 1 year. Such parts would include, for example, the external fascias, internal linings and trim, floor covering, electrical installations, electrical and network connections (if applicable).

Question 13

What are the payment terms?

Accepted Answer

We offer staged payments on our garden rooms. To place an order we require a 50% deposit of the total order value. Before work begins, we ask for the next 30%.

On completion we require the remaining balance to be paid, which will comprise of the outstanding 20% of the order value, along with any extras that may have been specified after originally placing the order.

Finance options are available, and one of our team would be happy to discuss these options with you.

Question 14

What kind of options are there to customise my garden room?

Accepted Answer

There are a number of ways in which you can customise your garden room. These include, but are not limited to:

• A choice of cladding material, profile and orientation (horizontal or vertical installation)

• The glazing can be configured to suit, and you have a choice of uPVC or aluminium frames

• There is a choice of flooring colour and style, including specialist flooring such as gym matting and acoustic flooring systems.

• Lighting and network/power sockets (both internal and external) can be planned to best meet your needs. This includes dimmable and PIR lighting, and brushed chrome fittings.

• Insulation upgrades are available, including soundproofing options

• Audio-visual equipment can be installed, with cabling hidden away.

Question 15

I want to know more. What are the first steps?

Accepted Answer

If you are interested in one of our garden rooms, contact us for further technical and pricing information. We'd also be happy to answer any additional queries you may have.

We provide an initial on-site consultation service (free for all visits within 75 miles of our offices) which allows us to have a comprehensive look at the site and it's access, and is the first step in understanding what your exact requirements are.