Timber & garden buildings
Timber buildings in Essex and Kent.
Ron and Andrew Ramsell build timber-frame homes, oak porches, timber car ports, workshops, garden offices and log cabins across Essex and Kent, and support self-builders. Our completed work includes a car port with an enclosed workshop and a log cabin office in Frinton-on-Sea, an office pod in Sittingbourne and a garden office built between two containers.
What we do.
Oak porches
Oak-framed entrances with a roof and base suited to the existing house.
Car ports and workshops
Open vehicle shelter or an enclosed workshop. The Frinton project combines both under one roof.
Garden rooms and offices
Insulated rooms planned around light, services, storage and regular use.
Cabins and timber rooms
Standalone cabins or rooms built between existing structures.
Other timber structures
Tell us what the structure needs to accommodate and the space available.
Our timber & garden buildings projects.
Photographs from our own work.
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Oak Frames & Porches · Frinton-on-Sea, Essex
Timber car port and workshop
An enclosed workshop and open car bay beneath one pitched clay-tile roof, built in Frinton-on-Sea.
View project -
Oak Frames & Porches · Frinton-on-Sea, Essex
Oak-framed entrance porch
An oak-framed entrance porch in Frinton-on-Sea. Brick plinths support the frame beneath a pitched tiled roof.
View project -
Log Cabins & Offices · Frinton-on-Sea, Essex
Log Cabin Office
A garden office built from its concrete base through timber frame, enclosure and finished interior.
View project -
Log Cabins & Offices · Sittingbourne, Kent
Workshop Office Pod
A compact office built inside a commercial unit, from the first stud frame to the timber-clad room and fitted interior.
View project -
Timber Buildings & External Rooms
Garden office between containers
A timber-framed room built in the gap between two steel containers, from the floor frame and boarded shell to the clad frontage and finished interior.
View project
Timber-frame homes and self-build support.
We also build timber-frame homes, and we support people building their own. That can mean putting up the timber frame and roof structure and making the building weathertight, or staying on through the fit-out. We work from your architect's or engineer's drawings, or from a timber-frame supplier's design, and we agree in writing which parts of the build are ours and which you or other trades will take on.
Ron and Andrew come from heavy industry, where work is built to drawings, measured carefully and checked before it is handed over. We bring the same approach to a frame: setting out, level and square checked as it goes up.
Before you start a self-build
- A new home needs planning permission and Building Regulations approval before work begins.
- Many councils keep a self-build and custom housebuilding register. See the government guidance.
- Self-builders can often reclaim VAT on building materials and services through HMRC. See VAT refunds for DIY housebuilders.
- Talk to us early: we can help you plan the order of work and what information each stage needs.
Timber garages, car ports and workshops.
If you are looking for a timber garage, a car port is often the simpler option: it is open on at least two sides, so it shelters a car without the cost of a fully enclosed building. Where you also need secure space, part of the building can be closed in.
Our Frinton-on-Sea car port and workshop does exactly that: an open car bay and an enclosed workshop under one pitched clay-tile roof.
Open car port
A timber frame and roof over a parking space, on a suitable base.
Enclosed workshop or store
Clad walls, a door and windows for tools, bikes or storage.
Roof to suit the house
Pitched roofs can be tiled to match or complement the existing house.
Power and lighting
Sockets and lighting can be added within the agreed scope, installed by a qualified electrician.
What we check first.
We assess the property before preparing the quotation. These points decide what needs to be included.
Purpose and level of finish
A car port, workshop and year-round office need different construction, insulation and services.
Position and access
Boundaries, levels, nearby buildings, delivery access and working space influence the proposal.
Ground and base
The structure needs an appropriate base or foundation for its size, loading and ground conditions.
Planning and restrictions
Permitted-development limits, listed status, conservation areas, covenants and previous permissions may need checking.
Structure and weathering
Frame, roof, cladding, openings, drainage and long-term exposure must work together.
Power, heating and ventilation
Regularly occupied rooms may need electrical, heating, insulation and ventilation input within the agreed scope.
How we build a timber building.
Our log cabin and office pod projects show these stages in our own photographs.
- 01
Visit and brief
We look at the site, agree what the building is for and check access, levels and boundaries.
- 02
Rules check
We check the size, height and position against the permitted development limits, and whether Building Regulations apply.
- 03
Base
A concrete base or foundation suited to the size of the building and the ground.
- 04
Frame and roof
The timber frame goes up, then the roof structure and covering.
- 05
Cladding, doors and windows
The building is clad and made weathertight, with doors and windows fitted.
- 06
Insulation, services and finish
For offices and garden rooms: insulation, electrics, lining and the interior finish. We then walk through it with you.
Planning permission and Building Regulations.
Garden buildings, offices and car ports
Outbuildings such as garages, sheds and garden rooms are permitted development, so planning permission is not needed, within limits set out by the Planning Portal. The main limits for houses are:
- Not in front of the principal elevation of the house.
- Single storey, with eaves no higher than 2.5 metres and overall height no more than 4 metres for a dual-pitched roof, or 3 metres for any other roof.
- No more than 2.5 metres high if within 2 metres of a boundary.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms over 0.3 metres.
- Buildings and extensions must not cover more than half the land around the original house.
Outbuildings within the grounds of a listed building need planning permission, and there are extra limits in conservation areas and other designated land. Permitted development does not cover use as separate, self-contained living accommodation.
Building Regulations
Under Schedule 2 of the Building Regulations, a detached single-storey building of up to 15 m² with no sleeping accommodation is normally exempt. Between 15 m² and 30 m² it is also exempt, provided it has no sleeping accommodation and is either at least 1 metre from the boundary or built substantially of non-combustible material. Electrical work still has to meet the regulations.
Porches
A porch is permitted development if its ground floor area is no more than 3 m², no part is more than 3 metres high, and no part is within 2 metres of a boundary that fronts a highway. A ground-level porch under 30 m² is normally exempt from Building Regulations, provided the front door between the house and the porch stays in place and any glazing and electrics comply.
Sources: Planning Portal guidance on outbuildings, porch planning and porch building regulations; Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 2. Rules apply to houses in England; we check them for your site.
How we work
Good building work is easier when the decisions are made in the right order and everyone knows what happens next.
- 01
Visit
At the property, we take measurements and discuss the work you want done.
- 02
Plan and agree
We set out the work and price in writing. Any drawings or specialist input needed before building are identified at this stage.
- 03
Build
We carry out the agreed work and discuss any proposed changes with you.
- 04
Handover
We walk through the completed work with you and check the finish.
Timber buildings near you.
Essex: Frinton-on-Sea, Clacton-on-Sea, Thorpe-le-Soken, Walton-on-the-Naze, Colchester, plus Holland-on-Sea, Manningtree, Harwich and Brightlingsea.
Kent: Maidstone, Sittingbourne, plus Bearsted, Aylesford, West Malling and Kings Hill.
We also work across mid Essex, including Chelmsford, Brentwood, Braintree and the surrounding areas. Send your postcode with your enquiry and we will tell you whether the job is within a practical distance for us. Related: groundwork and bases, drawings and design previews.
Timber building questions
Do I need drawings before I contact you?
No. A postcode, the type of structure, intended use and a rough location on the property are enough to start a conversation.
Do timber buildings need planning permission?
Many garden buildings, car ports and workshops are permitted development, provided they stay within the size, height and position limits: single storey, eaves no higher than 2.5 m, no more than 2.5 m high within 2 m of a boundary, and not in front of the house. Listed buildings, conservation areas and properties with restricted rights are different. We check the position for your site.
Does a garden office need Building Regulations approval?
A detached single-storey building up to 15 m² with no sleeping accommodation is normally exempt. Up to 30 m² it can also be exempt if it has no sleeping accommodation and is at least 1 m from the boundary or built substantially of non-combustible material. Electrical work must still comply.
Can a garden building be used as a bedroom or annexe?
Not under the outbuilding rules alone. Permitted development does not cover separate living accommodation, and sleeping accommodation removes the Building Regulations exemption for small detached buildings. That needs to be checked with the council and building control first.
Can you build a year-round garden office?
Yes. Regular use means insulation, ventilation, heating, power, glazing and the internal finish need to be planned in. Our log cabin office and Sittingbourne office pod are examples.
Can you combine a car port and workshop?
Yes, where the site and design allow it. The completed Frinton project shows an open car bay beside an enclosed workshop under one roof.
Do I need planning permission for an oak porch?
Not if the porch has a ground floor area of 3 m² or less, is no more than 3 m high and is at least 2 m from a boundary that fronts a highway. Larger porches need planning permission. Most ground-level porches under 30 m² are exempt from Building Regulations if the front door stays in place.
How much will it cost?
Cost depends on size, groundworks, timber specification, roof, openings, services and finish. We prepare a written quotation after reviewing the site and the work required.
How long will it take?
It depends on the agreed design, any approvals, material lead times and site conditions. We give you a written programme once those details are known.
Do you build timber-frame houses for self-builders?
Yes. We can put up the timber frame and roof structure and make the building weathertight, or carry on through the fit-out. We work from your architect's, engineer's or frame supplier's drawings, and agree in writing which parts of the build we take on.
Does a self-build home need planning permission and Building Regulations approval?
Yes. A new home needs planning permission and Building Regulations approval before work starts. Self-builders can often reclaim VAT on materials and services; see VAT refunds for DIY housebuilders on GOV.UK.
Tell us what you want to build.
Tell us what work you need and where the property is. Ron or Andrew will review your enquiry; photographs or drawings can follow.