Garage Build Cost Calculator UK
Get a 2026 cost estimate for building a new garage in 30 seconds. Concrete sectional, timber, block or brick — by size, door and electrics, with real UK supply-and-fit rates including the base and VAT. No email required.
Estimate Your Garage Build Cost in 30 Seconds
5 steps. Covers the concrete base, structure, roof, standard door, labour and VAT — with upgrades for electric doors and power.
How This Calculator Works
Our garage build calculator combines construction type, footprint, door and electrics with real 2026 UK supply-and-fit pricing from vetted builders across our 519-town database.
Construction Rates (per m², incl. base)
- Concrete sectional (prefab) — £400–£600/m²
- Timber frame — £550–£800/m²
- Block + render — £900–£1,250/m²
- Brick built — £1,100–£1,550/m²
- Electric roller door +£1,200 · insulated sectional door +£1,800 · power & lighting +£900
Rates include the concrete base, structure, roof, a standard up-and-over door, labour and VAT.
Assumptions & Adjustments
- Permitted development: outbuildings max 2.5m eaves within 2m of a boundary, max half the garden, not forward of the house
- A detached garage under 30m² of non-habitable use is usually exempt from building regulations
- Driveway, dropped kerb and planning (where needed) priced separately
- Region multipliers: London +27% … Northern Ireland −12% (Midlands baseline)
- Estimate only — a firm quote always follows a site survey
A single garage is ~18m² (3×6m); a double ~36m² (6×6m).
What's Included in Your Garage Build Price
The per-square-metre rates in the calculator are supply-and-fit figures that cover the parts of a garage build most homeowners forget to budget for. Knowing what sits inside the headline number makes it far easier to compare builder quotes on a like-for-like basis.
A typical fixed-price garage build includes the following:
- Groundworks and foundations — clearing the plot, then digging and pouring a reinforced concrete base or trench-fill footings sized for the wall load.
- Structure and roof — the walls (concrete panels, timber frame, blockwork or brick) plus a pitched or flat roof with membrane, felt or tiles and guttering.
- A standard door — a manual up-and-over steel door; electric roller and insulated sectional doors are priced as upgrades.
- Labour and VAT — a new detached garage is standard-rated for VAT at 20%, which the rates already include.
Priced separately: a new or widened driveway and dropped kerb, drainage connections, insulation and plaster for a heated workshop, and any planning application fee where permitted development does not apply. If you are weighing a new build against reusing existing space, compare it with garage conversion costs before you commit.
If the drive itself is part of the job, you can put a figure on it with our driveway cost calculator, and for the full method behind the build rates above — including how each construction type is costed — read our detailed garage build cost guide.
Typical Garage Build Costs (2026)
Complete build incl. concrete base, structure, roof, standard door, labour & VAT, Midlands baseline. Driveway and planning priced separately.
| Construction / scenario | Size | Cost range |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete sectional (single) | 18 m² | £7,200–£10,800 |
| Timber frame (single) | 18 m² | £9,900–£14,400 |
| Block + render (single) | 18 m² | £16,200–£22,500 |
| Brick built (single) | 18 m² | £19,800–£27,900 |
| Brick built (double) | 36 m² | £39,600–£55,800 |
Want the full method and per-material detail? Read the complete 2026 roof replacement cost guide.
Planning Permission and Building Regulations for a New Garage
Most detached garages are built under permitted development rather than a full planning application, but the allowances are specific. An outbuilding is generally permitted development only when it is single storey, sits behind the principal elevation of the house, covers no more than half the total garden area, and stays within height limits — 2.5m to the eaves where it is within 2m of a boundary, or up to 4m to the ridge of a dual-pitched roof further in.
These rights are reduced or removed on listed buildings, in conservation areas, and on some new-build estates carrying restrictive covenants, so confirm your own position with the Planning Portal guidance on outbuildings or your local authority before ordering materials.
Building regulations are a separate approval from planning. A detached garage under 30m² of floor area that is not used for sleeping is normally exempt, but the electrical work must still be certified under Part P by a registered electrician. Attached garages, larger footprints, and any garage intended as a habitable room need full building-regs approval covering foundations, fire separation and structure. If your project is really about extra living space, a single-storey extension calculator will give a more realistic budget, and where the garden cannot spare the footprint our loft conversion cost guide is the natural alternative to weigh up before you build outwards.
How Long a Garage Takes to Build and How to Choose a Builder
Build time depends almost entirely on construction type. A concrete sectional garage is craned onto a prepared base in a day or two once the groundworks have cured. A timber-frame garage typically takes one to two weeks, while a block or brick garage runs to three or four weeks including foundations, the roof and drying-out time. Bad weather, sloping plots and awkward access all add days.
When you compare quotes, look past the headline figure and check that each builder has priced the same specification — the same foundation depth, roof covering, door type and electrical work. A vetted builder should be happy to itemise groundworks separately, confirm who arranges the Part P certificate, and give a realistic start date rather than an open-ended promise.
Treat the calculator above as an independent sense-check, then get itemised written quotes from two or three local builders so you can see exactly where the numbers differ before you sign anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to build a garage in 2026?
Do I need planning permission to build a garage?
Do building regulations apply to a new garage?
Is a prefab concrete garage worth it?
What does the concrete base cost on its own?
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