Building it yourself

Garden room builds on YouTube, stage by stage

Five builders and DIYers filmed a whole build, from the base to the cladding, and put it on YouTube for anyone to learn from. Pick the stage you're at and see how each of them did it.

  • Makers Manual
  • Ali Dymock
  • The Garden Room Guru
  • The DIY Guy
  • Create Garden Rooms

The whole builds

Start to finish, if you'd rather watch one builder all the way through.

▶ 11 videos▶ Play all on YouTube
How to Build a Garden RoomMakers Manual

A garden office on a timber base frame, flat EPDM roof, uPVC windows. 11 parts.

▶ 26 videos▶ Play all on YouTube
Garden Room WorkshopAli Dymock

A timber-frame workshop where a garage stood, warm flat roof. 21 parts and 5 extras.

The only series with a part on planning permission and building regs.

▶ 10 videos▶ Play all on YouTube
The ultimate how to build a garden room seriesThe Garden Room Guru

A fully insulated garden room from the ground up, with a full cost. 10 long parts.

▶ 9 videos▶ Play all on YouTube
The Workshop Build SeriesThe DIY Guy

A 6 × 4 m workshop on a concrete base. Plus a timber shed base on its own.

His workshop sits on a concrete slab. Nookly draws a suspended timber floor on supports.

▶ 16 videos▶ Play all on YouTube
Full 4 × 3 m garden room tutorialCreate Garden Rooms

A 4 × 3 m room on a concrete base on sloping ground, floating floor inside. 16 short parts.

Stage 1 of 9

Planning and rules

How tall you can build, how close to the boundary, and what building regs ask for.

In NooklyChecks the height of your design against the permitted-development cap in England.Try it on your garden room →
11:37Part 1 · Before you buildMakers Manual7:03Part 2 · Planning permission and building regsAli Dymock7:24Extra · The 15 cm rule and outbuilding heightsAli Dymock6:13Part 3 · DesignAli Dymock21:33Part 1 · IntroductionThe Garden Room Guru

Stage 2 of 9

Base

What the garden room stands on — screws, blocks, piles or a slab.

In NooklyChoose what stands under the floor and how far apart the supports are.Try it on your garden room →
12:39Part 2 · Foundations and timber base frameMakers Manual11:16Part 4 · Setting out and foundationsAli Dymock4:44Extra · Plinth foundationsAli Dymock46:18Part 2 · The baseThe Garden Room Guru17:16A timber shed base as strong as concreteThe DIY Guy16:35Part 2 · Laying a concrete baseThe DIY Guy2:52Part 1 · Concrete base on sloping groundCreate Garden Rooms

Stage 3 of 9

Floor

Joists, insulation and the deck, built level on the base.

In NooklySet the joist spacing and depth. Every joist is on the cut list.Try it on your garden room →
11:21Part 3 · Floor: insulation, drainage, subfloorMakers Manual19:37Part 5 · Timber floorAli Dymock11:30Part 6 · Insulation and plywood floorAli Dymock3:52Extra · Stopping mice under the floorAli Dymock10:33Part 12 · Floating floor on a concrete baseCreate Garden Rooms

Stage 4 of 9

Walls

Stud walls framed flat, stood up, braced and sheathed.

In NooklyEvery stud, plate and noggin counted, with the framing around each opening.Try it on your garden room →
22:02Part 4 · Stud walls, layout to sheathingMakers Manual14:11Part 7 · Wall framingAli Dymock10:47Part 8 · Rake wallsAli Dymock1:05:15Part 3 · The wallsThe Garden Room Guru21:31Part 3 · Timber frame wallsThe DIY Guy16:41Part 2 · Stud walls with a fallCreate Garden Rooms13:57Part 3 · Door lintelCreate Garden Rooms

Stage 5 of 9

Roof

Joists, deck, insulation and the covering that keeps the weather out.

In NooklyWarm or cold, EPDM, GRP, felt or TPO, and the fall — all set in the design.Try it on your garden room →
16:57Part 5 · Warm roof vs cold roofMakers Manual18:25Part 6 · Fascias and EPDMMakers Manual15:43Part 9 · Flat roof structureAli Dymock9:45Part 10 · Warm roofAli Dymock10:23Part 11 · EPDM and fasciasAli Dymock8:34Extra · How he would build a cold roofAli Dymock43:36Part 4 · Roof and wall insulationThe Garden Room Guru52:53Part 5 · Rubber roof, fascia and soffitThe Garden Room Guru13:49Part 4 · Flat roofThe DIY Guy10:25Part 4 · Roof deckCreate Garden Rooms6:05Part 5 · T&G roof boardsCreate Garden Rooms23:59Part 11 · EPDM, soffits, fascias, gutterCreate Garden Rooms

Stage 6 of 9

Doors and windows

Windows and doors go in once the frame is wrapped.

In NooklyPut them on any wall. The header and studs around each one are drawn and counted.Try it on your garden room →
11:34Part 7 · Fitting windows and doorMakers Manual19:04Part 12 · Tyvek, windows and doorsAli Dymock2:36:24Part 7 · Doors and windowsThe Garden Room Guru7:19Part 10 · Bi-fold doors and glassCreate Garden Rooms

Stage 7 of 9

Electrics and insulation

First fix electrics, wall insulation and the vapour control layer, before the boards go on.

In NooklyPeel the walls back a layer at a time to see where the insulation and vapour control layer sit.Try it on your garden room →
9:44Part 9 · Wiring and insulationMakers Manual22:50Part 10 · Vapour control layerMakers Manual12:17Part 13 · UtilitiesAli Dymock19:51Part 14 · First fix electrics and plumbingAli Dymock16:29Part 15 · Wall insulation and vapour barrierAli Dymock18:25Part 8 · Power and internetThe Garden Room Guru20:46Part 6 · Electrics and insulationThe DIY Guy5:53Part 7 · Insulation and first fix electricsCreate Garden Rooms

Stage 8 of 9

Inside

Plasterboard, tape and joint, flooring and paint.

20:25Part 11 · Plasterboard to paintMakers Manual21:01Part 16 · PlasterboardingAli Dymock9:26Part 17 · Tape and jointingAli Dymock16:23Part 18 · Internal finishAli Dymock37:15Part 6 · Lighting and plasterboardThe Garden Room Guru5:20Part 8 · Plasterboarding a sloped ceilingCreate Garden Rooms15:05Part 13 · Underfloor heating, laminate, skirtingCreate Garden Rooms

Stage 9 of 9

Cladding

Membrane, battens and boards — the side of the garden room everyone sees.

In NooklyChoose the cladding wall by wall, each with its own board size, colour and counter-battens.Try it on your garden room →
31:10Part 8 · Cladding with airflowMakers Manual22:20Part 20 · Soffits and battensAli Dymock3:09Part 21 · Choosing claddingAli Dymock26:56Part 9 · CladdingThe Garden Room Guru29:38Part 5 · Cladding and rubber roofThe DIY Guy2:51Part 6 · Building wrapCreate Garden Rooms6:57Part 9 · Battens for cladding and airflowCreate Garden Rooms13:30Part 16 · Cedar cladding with revealsCreate Garden Rooms

Your garden room, before the first cut

The videos show how it goes together. Nookly works out what goes into yours — every stud, joist and sheet, at your size, with your doors and windows where you want them.

Design your own

None of these channels is paid to be here, and we earn nothing from the links. Where a build differs from what Nookly draws, the series says so.