Garage Conversions: 2024 Full Guide

Can I Convert My Garage? 

The first question you need to ask is, can I actually convert my garage? The answer is almost always yes however, it might come with added complications if you live within a conservation area, area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) or your property is listed. 

Another consideration is parking - by removing your garage you’re removing a parking spot which will need to be accommodated elsewhere. If there is nowhere else for this parking in a congested area, the council may refuse your conversion for this reason. 

It is also not always possible to convert the garage within new builds that are built on housing estates. This can be one of the terms included in the building permissions so it is important to check this before getting any further. 

Do I Need Planning Permission? 

Garage conversions are such a tempting renovation because in the majority of instances, they do not require planning permission as they fall within Permitted Development Rights. Permitted Development is a set of rules that determine what renovations can be made to a property without planning permission, learn more about permitted development here. Even if you do not need planning permission, we do always recommend that you apply for a Lawful Development Certificate, which is a certificate from the council that authorises the renovations you have made to your property are lawful. This is especially important when selling a property. 

Detached garages are more likely to require planning permission, especially if you are hoping to connect the garage to your property. Learn more about applying for planning permission here. Planning permission will also be required if your property is listed, or situated in a conservation area or an area of outstanding natural beauty. 

For personalised advice, speak to an architect today at Space That Inspires with no strings attached. 

Assessing the Foundations 

It is very important to understand the foundations of your existing garage so that you can begin to understand the scope of the works required. Garages are built like shells with no insulation, usually without windows or the need to uphold any internal walls. There are four main areas that need to be assed: 

• The Existing Structure 
• Insulation 
• Fire Safety 
• Electrics, Plumbing and Heating 

Existing Structure 

When it comes to assessing the existing structure, it is best to consult with a structural engineer - don’t be put off by this, it is a much easier process than you might imagine. Structural engineers are always assessing peoples garages in your area for this exact reason. 

You need to be sure that the existing floor and walls can take the impact of your planned renovations which might include, new internal walls, the addition of windows, possibly a new roof (so your garage conversion looks more like part of the property than a flat roof garage on the side). 

If you do need to reinforce the foundations, it can be done one of two ways: 

1. Excavate 1m into the floor as a ‘footing wall’ which can then be filled with concrete
2. Add a concrete lintel 140mm x 100mm to the new wall, from below ground level on either side of your garage 

If you’re planning on doing a double storey garage conversion, your structural engineer might suggest a further way to enhance the foundations of the building. 

Insulation 

Unfortunately, garages are very cold spaces that are not insulated when built as they are not a living space however, when you convert your garage into a living space, it must then comply with Building Regulations and their thermal regulations. 

When it comes to insulation, there are many different ways to insulate a building. If you’re wanting to explore sustainable / energy efficient insulation solutions, learn more about this here. However, if you’re wanting an easy solution, using insulated plasterboard fixed to timber battens with a damp proof course (DPC) set between the wall and the batten OR insulating between the battens and covering with fireproof plasterboard are some of the easier ways to insulate your garage. 

Depending on your garage conversion and what you are wanting to achieve, you may also need to consider floor insulation or loft insulation. Again there are a range of options on how to insulate your property - I would take on the advice of an architect or builder that better understands the scope of your renovation. 

Fire Safety 

Fire safety is an integral part of all renovations, extensions or modifications to a property. There are specific fire safety regulations which can be found under Building Regulations Part B, however we have summarised some of the most commonly used points: 

• If your garage conversion is attached to your home, and the garage conversion is accessed through a hallway - this is OK as there is a fire route to the outside
• If your garage conversion is attached to your home and accessed through a living space which does not have access to the outside, you will need to create an external fire route
• If you’re planning to convert PART of your garage, the wall separating the living space to the garage space must be fire-rated to 30 minutes. 

Electrics, Plumbing and Heating 

Most likely your garage has electrics, however the amount of electrics and the accessibility is most likely going to need to be improved for you to make your garage conversion a functional and valuable space. While this could work maintaining a connection to the mains consumer unit, it could also mean upgrading or replacing the current consumer unit to handle the additional demand. Or if your garage is detached from your property, that might require a new connection separate to the main building.

How you connect the additional electricity requirements to your garage is going to depend on each property and the existing set up of the electrics across your property. In this instance, your electrician is going to be the best advisor on how to create the right power supply for your conversion. 

Plumbing 

The main considerations when it comes to plumbing are going to be transporting the water to the new location, removing the waste water and also creating a way for waste to be taken away. You will need to use a plumber or builder that is experienced in this to advise you on how best to move forward, adding bathroom facilities. 

Heating 

A popular way to heat a garage conversion is underfloor heating - depending on what you’re doing with the space. This is because it is a good way of heating a space which has many external walls and the large coverage of underfloor heating is better at heating a space for a longer period of time. However, radiators connected to your existing boiler would also work well, if your garage is attached to your property. 

For detached garages and larger conversions, it might be best to install a small boiler or heating system separate to the main building - especially for a two storey garage conversion. 

Building Regulations 

Converting your garage space into a living space means that you’re converting what is likely to be a ‘shell’ type building into a building that must comply with current building regulations. Although you will need to go through this properly with your architect or builder, the below list is a summary of the building regulations your garage conversion must comply with (some which have already been covered above): 

• The Building Structure: Ensuring strong foundations 
• Fire Safety: Ensuring escape routes and fireproofing throughout 
• Electrical: Ensuring a professional finish by a qualified electrician
• Thermal Performance: Ensuring wall, floor and loft insulation
• Ventilation: Ensuring good ventilation and moisture proofing throughout
• Acoustics: Ensuring sound-proofing where necessary

You are required to submit a building notice or your full planning application to your local building control who will instruct a building control officer to inspect your project throughout its build, to completion. 

Hiring Professionals

When taking on a project, it is hard to know what professionals to use. There are a few options of professionals you can use for your project, each with their own benefit. 

Architects 

Architects look at projects as a whole. Not only are they the most likely to design a conversion that works the best when it comes to what you want to achieve, they also understand the full process - from planning to completion and can help you through your project. Architects are especially beneficial for properties that are listed or sat within a conservation area or area of outstanding national beauty as they will have knowledge on how to get through the planning application process. 

Architects are also well connected and are likely to have a network of trusted trade professionals that they can recommend to their clients. Why not discuss your project with an architect today with no strings attached at Space That Inspires.

Design and Build Companies 

Design and build companies charge a premium to take the stress away. They are a package company, where you explain what you’re hoping to achieve and they will arrange everything from the planning, through to completion leaving you with nothing to worry about. The only downsides are that they can charge a premium and you can end up with a conversion that lacks your personality. 

Builders 

If you’re choosing to work with a builder from the offset, here are a few top tips: 

• Use a recommended builder with experience in garage conversations some text
  • (ideally a builder that has done a conversion similar to what you’re trying to achieve!)
• Be very clear on what you want your conversion to look like from the offset 
• Determine an accurate quote and timeframe from the very beginning of a project to avoid complications after the project has begun 

DIY

If you’re looking to DIY your garage conversion, this can be a great way to save money however, it is crucial you use specialists throughout your project. For example: 

• A Structural Engineer to understand the foundations of your garage 
• Building Control Officer to be sure your building meets building regulations 
• A Qualified Electrician to wire your conversion properly
• A Qualified Plumber if you’re adding plumbing into your garage conversion 

How Much is a Garage Conversion? 

Although it is impossible to outline the cost of a garage conversion as there is so much variation for each property, what is being done and to what finish - we can outline the various factors affecting the price of your garage conversion and outline what quotes you should collect from the offset. 

Cost Outline: 

• Design Fees 
• Foundations
• Planning Applications / Other Applicable Applications 
• Structural Engineer Fees
• Insulation, Heating Systems and Electrics 
• Other features you might be including such as: some text
  • Internal Walls 
  • Plumbing 
  • New Windows and Doors 
  • New Roof 
• Connecting the Garage to the Main Property 

Fee Outline: 

• Design Fees 
• Expert Fees eg. Structural Engineer & Building Control Officer 
• Planning Application / Lawful Development Certificate
• Building Regulations Fees 
• Qualified Trades eg. Electrician & Plumber 
• Build Costs eg. Walls & Floors 
• Decoration Costs eg. Paint, Finishes and Furnishings
• Builder & Decorator 

Always remember: VAT - this will be factored into the end of each quote, not the original price of labour or materials. 

Our top tip: Make sure you’re on top of your costs at all times during your project, it is very easy for costs to creep up across lots of different areas and before you know it, you’re very over budget. 

We also recommend you always have a contingency fund of at least 10% of your budget because as we just stated, costs will always increase once the project has begun - no matter how cautious you are with your planning. 

Garage Conversion Time Frame 

While it would be impossible to advise you on how long your garage conversion might take to build as every garage conversion is completely different and the time taken for a small attached room conversion vs a double storey, detached garage are not going to be comparable, we can split your conversion into the different stages for you to work through and therefore create your own garage conversion timeline. 

Pre Build: 

• Understanding Your Project some text
  • Understanding the foundations with a structural engineer
• Designing Your Conversion some text
  • This could be using an architect, design & build company or you could design the conversion yourself with the help of an online plan drawer 
• Applying for Certificates / Permissions some text
  • Planning Application if necessary 
  • If not, Lawful Development Certificate

Build: 

• Foundationssome text
  • This could be a as simple as supporting existing walls or it could mean excavating into the ground 
• Structural Works some text
  • This could be anything to replacing the garage door adding on another floor 
• Insulation & Heating 
• Installation of Internal Walls & Doors 
• First Fix electrics & plumbing 

Post Build: 

• Plasterboarding & plastering 
• Floor coverings, lighting & fixtures, architraves & skirting boards
• Decorating: Painting, curtains etc. 
• Furnishing 

At the beginning of your project, speak to the professionals required to complete each of these sections and use their experience to put together a timeline of how long they would expect each part of each section to take, so you can create a timeline that is relevant to your project. 

Insurance

Our final point: don’t forget to inform your insurance company of your garage conversion project! 

Not only do you need to make sure your property is insured throughout the project and afterwards, you need to also have insurance on the build. 

By employing professionals for each task, you are taking the benefit of their professional insurance. If you’re planning on DIYing parts of the project, it would be worthwhile insuring yourself for the tasks you will be undertaking as part of your build. 

Conclusion 

Garage conversions cover a huge scale of different projects from single room, attached garage conversions to double storey detached garage conversions. However, no matter what size, our framework goes through all of the necessary topics you should consider before undertaking a garage conversion project. 

If you would like to discuss your property and its potential with an experienced architect, book a consultation at Space That Inspires today, with no strings attached - just great advice! 

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