Garage Conversion Cost

So you're looking to convert your garage?

But what's the cost?

Firstly, let's discuss the size of your garage conversion.

Most single garage conversions will cost between £7000 and £20,000 with the average cost being around £13,500.

A double garage conversion, depending if it's an integral, attached or detached garage, is going to cost around £15,000-£55,000.

The overall cost will vary depending on size, type of conversion, quality of fittings and even location!

Already made up your mind?

Then why not gather some quotes from our experts in your area?

To get more insight into the construction sector, be sure to check out our Construction Industry Statistics guide, which is updated daily.

If you're looking for a more detailed breakdown of garage conversion prices, continue reading below...

How Much Does a Garage Conversion Cost?

The cost of a garage conversion can vary significantly, as prices range from £7000 to £60,000.

Now, you may think this is quite a large variance, and you're right!

However, the reason the average garage conversion cost is so varied is because there are numerous factors that can affect the price.

What does make the price of a garage conversion vary so much?

When we first compared garage conversion quotes, we obtained estimates from different builders in the same area, and found that the cost of a garage conversion varied by almost £5000!

Once you throw in different materials and finishes, it's easy to see how the cost can vary by so much.

Converting your garage into a kitchen or bathroom is also considerably more costly when compared to another living room or bedroom.

The cost of a garage conversion always depends on:

• The complexity of the job.
• The size of the space.
• What type of room you will be converting it to.

How much to convert a garage is the most pertinent question for any large home improvement work, and this guide goes into great detail as to the costs of hiring the right tradespeople, the prices of different materials and finishes and the expected time frames to carry out the conversion.

Many homeowners who love the extra space a garage offers are put off because they don't want to lose their storage space.

Well, here's a thought...

A great solution to this is to carry out a partial garage conversion, leaving the garage door in place and adding a stud wall around a third of the way, leaving you with a third of a garage for storage and two thirds as part of your home.

This is ideal in a couple of ways:

• It allows you to keep storage space (a great selling feature).
• It keeps garage conversion costs down significantly, as blocking up the garage door and checking foundations can be one of the most costly elements of the job.

Is getting a garage converted worth it in the long run?

Considering that a conversion can add value to your home, the price you pay is relatively small when compared to what your house will be worth after the job is finished.

Let's talk sizes!

Garage sizes can vary but generally the two main sizes are the single garage – the average size equalling 18m² and double-sized garages that average at 36m².

Of course, these can increase in size based on land and the quality of the building, but this would be a guideline on the average size in the UK.

There are three types of garage:

• The integral; built directly into the home and the cheapest conversion option.
• The attached; either at the side or rear of the property that shares at least one wall with the main building.
• The detached; the most expensive option as these are self-contained spaces that often require additional work such as plumbing, electricity and perhaps even a reinforced frame.

So, why do you want to convert your garage?

A garage conversion can be developed into any sort of room – from a spare room, family area or even a new kitchen or bathroom.

With the latter options, prices can drastically increase as you may either have to run wires or pipes from existing installations or even pay for a tradesperson to install power supplies or new plumbing.

For example...

...Adding either a sink or toilet to your new space can easily add £1,000-£3,000 on top of the overall cost for the conversion!

How do you get started on a garage conversion?

The first stages involve identifying:

• What type of garage you currently have.
• The room you wish to build.
• The type of materials.

Can your garage be converted?

Not all garages can be converted straight away and may need extra work, or might not be an option at all, but generally speaking, anything built within the last 25 years should be sufficient.

What factors affect the cost?

• How far away the property is from the main household. A garage that is further away from the property may need an additional power supply or plumbing, plus the possible digging of trenches to supply connect to the main home.
• While a much cheaper option than a house extension, there are many jobs involved from bricklayers to glazers, plasterers to painters and decorators. If installing a bathroom or kitchen, you may need to employ a plumber and/or electrician.

Most contractors will give a quote for the overall job – some specialists will include all the jobs in the price, including structural engineers and the relevant paperwork.

However...

...To give an indication on the average cost for a garage conversion including materials and labour, the following suggests the average price it costs per m², with the average high-end prices also listed, based mostly on the location:

• Average-sized integral garage £400 per m² - £700 per m²
• Average-sized attached garage £750 per m² - £1,000 per m²
• Average-sized detached garage £1,000 per m² - £1,600 per m²

Garage Conversion Prices

There are three main types of garages for conversion.

Below are these three examples and the average price you may pay for either a single or double sized garage:

Of course, these prices can drasticallychange the more bespoke the design, as well as the location you are based – London areas being predominantly higher in both hourly rates and daily charges.

There isn’t much of a restriction on the type of rooms, and below is an example of the type of rooms you can build with your garage conversion:

• Living room.
• Utility room.
• Kitchen.
• Gym.
• Bathroom.
• Bedroom.
• Home office.
• Man cave.
• Home cinema or similar.

Additional Garage Conversion Costs

In addition to labour costs, there are other costs to consider, including:

Garage Flooring

Most modern garages will have ample flooring to begin work, but for those needing a little more attention, you may need to have concrete poured to level out any imperfections.

Some garages will also need their floor raising as they need to be above the damp course in order to meet regulations.

Usually there are two options for this:

• Floating floor

A floating floor is typically the cheapest and quickest option.

• Concrete floor

The average cost of concrete would be £65-£85 per cubic metre, with the most common single garage being approximately 18m², a double garage is twice the size at 36m².

Garage Door

Replacing a garage door with additional windows costs within the region of £1,200.

An additional door for access can cost on average at about £750, the same average cost per stud wall to insulate the garage further.

Garage Heating and Water

You will need adequate heating for the colder months so the installation of a new standard boiler will cost within the region of £1,500-£3,000 depending on the brand, i.e. Worcester, and your location; London and South East areas are known to be a premium price.

An alternative form of heating could be underfloor heating. The average cost of underfloor heating, which includes installation, would be £800 for the average-sized garage.

That's not all!

If you are planning to convert your garage into a kitchen or bathroom, you're going to need the appropriate water supply to the room.

Installing a new mains supply to your conversion can cost well up to £20,000 so an affordable option would be to wire from your existing supply, depending on the resources required.

If installing new pipes to accommodate a bathroom, shower or toilet, it can take its toll too, so expect to pay anywhere between £1,000-£3,000 for this type of work.

One way to bring down any costs is to take into account how far away the garage is from the main property as the further it is, the greater the costs for new wiring or pipework.

Also, you may be able to piggyback off existing water and soil pipes without having to factor in additional materials.

Garage Electricals

The average cost of adding additional electricity will be around the £500 mark, which includes labour and materials.

An extractor fan may also be needed for kitchen or bathrooms, expect to pay around £150 for the cost of a fan and the installation cost by an electrician.

Supply Only Costs

Considering a DIY job?

If so, you need to consider the supply costs for various garage conversion, which you can find below:

Kitchen conversions:

Bathroom Conversions:

Additional Materials:

Labour Costs and Time Scales

If you plan on hiring professionals to convert your garage, you should consider the costs of various trades which are set out in the table below.

Expect the time to increase, as well as the costs should the work be for a double garage or around London areas.

Another main factor to consider is how far away the garage is from the property. Integral garages are the most cost-effective, but the further it is away from your home, the more it costs for things such as connecting electricity and pipework for kitchen or bathroom conversions.

Planning Permission

Generally speaking, planning permission isn't required for a garage conversion - especially if the garage is integral or connected to the house.

This is often considered as Permitted Development and gives homeowners the power to make home improvements without any further applications for permission.

However, some conditions may apply, and while you don't need the planning permission as such, you may need to have these conditions removed before continuing.

What else?

Other conflicts include where you live, i.e. a conservation area. In cases like these, you would need to apply for planning permission; therefore, it is recommended to check first with your local authority before continuing.

If you are converting your garage into a living space, you will need clearance from your local authority as part of the following Buildings Regulations:

• Any time you change the purpose of a building, you need it to be authorised first.
• With smaller developments, you can apply for a building notice application which has an estimated cost of £206.
• For more significant works, a full Buildings Regulations application may be required which will mean you have to submit plans in advance. Expect the price to increase if you are extending more than one dwelling or if building in a conservation area. Prices are dependent on your local Building Control.
• With a full plan application, it can take between five weeks and two months until approval to proceed.

If you share a wall with one or more neighbours, you may have to adhere to the Party Wall Act. Unless you can get a waiver from them, expect to pay within the region of £700-£1,000 per neighbour to complete a Party Wall Agreement form.

What's Involved in Converting a Garage?

Preparation

With all conversions comes the planning, preparation and design work of the build. You can hire an architect or structural engineer to help you with the following:

• Inspecting the garage to confirm whether any structural repairs or reinforcements are necessary
• Completing and submitting paperwork with Building Control and confirming if planning permission is relevant (most likely if the property is detached or in a conservation area)
• Checking for shared walls with one or more neighbours and waivering the Party Wall Agreement

The Build

When it comes to day one of the build, your contractor will:

• Strip down the garage and remove everything surplus
• Determine if the floor will be levelled, raised and poured with new concrete, though if built within the last 25 years and good condition, this step may not be needed
• Remove the garage door
• Install any new access doors or windows and lay the appropriate brickwork to support the new installations.
• Damp proof and insulate the building
• Install any stud walls, costing £750 each on average and sectioning off the space if the area is to be split into multiple rooms
• If applicable, re-wiring and circuit boards are installed as well as plumbing, or if the existing house supply can support it, cables and pipes can be connected to the existing installations
• Flooring is installed – under flooring if required at this point.
• Plastering of the walls
• Painting and decorating, plus making good where needed

Can I Convert a Garage Myself?

It is feasible to be able to convert a garage yourself. The obvious question would be whether you have the expertise to carry out the work, but also whether you are familiar with the steps you need to take from the design stages through to having the work signed off where appropriate.

There is a high risk in terms of health and safety, as well.

• There is the physical aspect of the work - if you are doing it alone, the heavy lifting involved could have an impact on your health.
• If installing new facilities, a mistake with existing wires or plumbing could be catastrophic - worse still, fatal.
• Getting the measurements and using the right sort of materials may not become apparent until completion. Everything may appear good on the surface, but if you haven't applied the correct planning of the build, it could end up being costly in the future.
• Does the conversion have suitable acoustics, ventilation, energy efficiency and fire safety precautions?

Looking for a budget option?

A DIY conversion could save a significant amount of money due to labour costs.

You would need to consider whether you have the time to be able to do yourself as it will take much longer and you might not necessarily be able to pick up the materials for the same trade prices as the professionals.

While you have complete control over the conversion, the added time and potential costs of materials may eventually eat into the budget.

The benefits of having tradespeople completing the work include:

• Professional finish
• Guaranteed/insured to a high standard
• Knowledge and expertise
• Foresight whether additional works needs to be completed to save having it done in the future at a higher cost
• Saves your time and energy

Sometimes it is worth hiring professionals to save time and for peace of mind. An architect, for example, can save a lot of hassle by completing and submitting the paperwork required by Building Control on your behalf.

Additionally, hired professionals are insured for the work they carry out - any discrepancies can be addressed accordingly.

Will I Need an Architect?

An architect can include aspects of the design that you may not have accounted for from aesthetics to safety.

As a professional, they are not only experts in the design of your new conversion, but up-to-speed with the paperwork and potential implications if not completed correctly.

With the architect's services, they are able to deal with your local Building Control and adhere to Building Regulations where applicable - an area that could easily be overlooked if you were to complete the work yourself.

What's the cost?

Architects typically charge within the £500-£2,000 range.

As well as the architect, you may need the services of a structural engineer to sign off work.

The cost of hiring a structural engineer could start at a cost of £200 for the initial visit.

An average hourly rate would be in the region of £50-£100. They may be able to provide advice on any additional foundation work required before work commences (i.e. if removing a garage door and replacing with a window, is the structure safe?).

You can, of course, complete the planning work yourself, but at the very least would need a structural engineer to inspect the building at the very minimum.

Flooring for Converted Garage

Depending on your existing floors, you may need to have new concrete poured before you can make a start on carpets, tiles or wooden floors.

Most modern garages should be ready to go, but for older properties, a new concrete floor may be required. Concrete prices are based on the area of coverage–the average cubic metre costs within £65-£85.

The options for flooring are mostly selected based on preference and budget.

Vinyl Flooring

Looking for a cheap option?

Vinyl flooring could be viable and a good bet for kitchen or bathroom conversions.

Available in vinyl sheets that offer complete coverage or available as luxury tiles that can be replaced individually as and when required. The common price for vinyl sheets is around £18 per m².

Wooden Flooring

Available both as laminate flooring and natural wood, wooden flooring offers a natural, authentic look. Average prices are within £30 per m².

Tile Flooring

Tiled flooring is a good robust option, however you'll need a very level floor for this to be an option which sometimes isn't possible when joining a garage converison with another room.

Tile flooring can be an excellent choice for any room, and they have a sophisticated, sparkling finish. There are many different alternatives to choose from, but most tile flooring costs per square metre are around £20.

Choosing Garage Lighting

The cost of lighting up your new garage conversion will depend upon the room and the mood you would like to create in it. Conventional bathroom and kitchen lights are best suited with downlights that are integrated into the ceiling, maximising space. Alternatively, wall lights or even spotlights can either offer subtle up lighting or focal points in a room.

Downlights

Downlights are best suited where space is limited, or you require more areas to be lit, but that is cost-effective.

A typical unit costs approximately £8 and usually are LED-based meaning that they last quite long and easy to replace.

Spotlights

Spotlights are suitable for lighting any type of room. While there are dimmable options, they tend to be more suited for darker rooms or those needing focal points of light. The average cost for a unit is £40-£65.

Wall Lights

On average, wall lights cost around the £22 mark, but as they are easily accessible and don’t require any additional structural support, designs can be quite extravagant with high street prices exceeding £100 per unit.

Cost of Converting a Garage into a Bathroom

When planning for a bathroom, you need to take into account the need for additional plumbing or whether you can connect to the existing supply without too much of an increase to the overall price.

As an indication on price, plumbing alone could add £1,000-£3,000 to the bill as well as an additional 3 days.

If adding a simple toilet, the price for an average unit starts at £90 for a bathtub you could be looking at a 4-hour job with a standard bath costing £180.

Considering the average hourly rate of a plumber at approximately £40, that’s almost £350 just for setting up a bath.

But that's not all!

You may also want to consider installing an extractor fan, inclusive of the unit price, this would cost a further £150.

Cost of Converting a Garage into a Kitchen

A kitchen extension price can depend entirely on the size of the room, the quality of materials used and the appliances.

For example...

• Small kitchen garage conversion - up to £10,000.
• Large kitchen garage conversion - up to £30,000.

What about kitchen worktops?

For a kitchen on a budget, typical materials for a worktop cost approximately £18-£35 per m² to the more common higher-end granite surface that adds up to a higher price of £150 per m² and beyond.

However, the most expensive material available is Corian which typically costs £500 per m².

Take into account the low-level cost for kitchen appliances and the cost can escalate very quickly.

If your current kitchen is attached to your garage then you may be able to reduce costs by remodelling your kitchen around your extended space. You could add to your current kitchen using the same fixtures to main the room flow into the converted garage.

Where Can I Dispose of the Garage Door?

A lot of companies will recycle your garage door, and this is included in the price of installation, and not a separate job as it is usually completed at the time of the conversion.

However, for those environmentally aware, local councils will collect this type of material usually for a small fee as indicated by the local authority. This is a quick option and pending you notify them in advance and pay the fee; they will take it away for you.

Some councils offer this service for free, but some London areas can charge £25 for 1 to 3 items.

Alternatively, you may be able to sell the door on a local classified site such as Gumtree or eBay.

Bear in mind that these would need to be advertised as collection only due to the size and weight. Sale prices greatly vary as a simple metal door can go for £130 whereas an electric double-sized door can sell for as much as £1,150.

Hiring a Garage Conversion Specialist Checklist

With the number of experts required for the average garage conversion, it can be overwhelming on what to look out for when hiring a professional.

The following is a checklist that applies to each contractor needed to complete your garage conversion:

• First of all, get plenty of quotes – 2 or 3 as the bare minimum and get them in writing. There isn’t a fixed price, regardless of the room you wish to set up as there are so many elements to take into consideration.
• On that basis, have the contractor visit your property to ensure there are no added costs from the outset, and if there is likely to be any additional charges, what are they likely to be?
• Ask to see examples of previous work, review testimonials and check to see whether the tradesperson belongs to any guilds.
• Confirmation of any guarantees of craftmanship, indemnity insurance and all that applies in this area.
• Confirm a payment plan or when work will be paid in full. Do not pay all fees upfront.
• When work starts, ensure that the contractors have full access to the work area as any delays may be charged at full daily rates.
• Some companies will include all the design work and will apply to the for planning permission on your behalf, but it is your responsibility that this is honoured so make sure this is carried out before work begins.
• Ensure you are happy with the work carried out.

FAQs

Sources

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/
https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval/how-to-apply
https://www.propertypriceadvice.co.uk/home-improvements/garage-conversions-questions-answered