Do I need planning permission for a shed?

Generally, you don’t need planning permission for a shed if you live in England or Wales. This applies whether it’s a wooden, metal, plastic or brick shed. However, there are a few conditions your shed will have to meet to not require planning permission: The shed doesn’t cover more than 50% of the garden It’s not in front of your house The shed is single-storey with eaves no higher than 2.5m and the overall height is no taller than 4m for a dual-pitched roof, or 3m for any other type. If it’s located within 2 metres of your property’s boundary, it mustn't be more than 2.5m high There’s no veranda or balcony The floor area is no bigger than 15m2 - up to 30m2 may be covered under Permitted Development if other conditions are met The shed is for domestic use only by those who live in the property and there’s no sleeping accommodation – that means you can’t run a business from the shed unless you apply for planning permission Exceptions Of course, there are always exceptions: If you live in a listed building, you’ll need Listed Building Consent before you can build a shed in your garden If you live in a conservation area or similar, the maximum area of ground covered by outbuildings, pools and enclosures situated more than 20m from any wall of the house mustn’t exceed 10m2 if they’re to be considered as a permitted development If you own a piece of woodland, you must seek planning permission for any permanent structure In Scotland, you’ll need planning permission if any part of the shed comes within 1m of a neighbouring property or is more than 2.5m high In Northern Ireland, there are rules about how close your shed can be from a road that passes by the back of your house. It’s best to check for clarification So if you live in a straightforward house in England or Wales, you shouldn’t need planning permission for your shed. If you’re in any doubt, make sure you check with your local planning office.

How to dismantle a shed?

It can seem daunting to dismantle a shed when you want to get a new one or just get rid of it for good. Every shed is different and is likely to have been put together in a different way, but there are some general rules that you can follow to make dismantling a shed a simple task. Remove fascias and trims Unscrew or prise off the screws and nails fixing the trims and fascias to your shed. Take off doors and remove windows Unscrew hinges from doors and take them off. Remove all metalwork once the door is off. If you’ve got frames on your windows, unscrew these, and remove the panes. Be extra careful if your windows are made of glass. Take off the roof Prise off the tacks from the roofing felt and take the felt off – you can’t reuse it, so you’ll need to throw it away. Unscrew the screws on the roof boards and slide them off the shed’s frame – you might need a friend to help you do this. Take out the roof brace (optional) If your roof has a brace, unscrew the brackets that hold it to the side of the shed. Remember not to lean on anything once you’ve taken the brace off as the walls might be wobbly. Unscrew the frame from the floor Remove all the screws that are holding the shed to the base, remembering not to lean on the walls. Unscrew the frame corners Starting at the corner of the front gable, remove the screws where the panels meet. Once a panel is free, lift it carefully out of the way so you can carry on with the others. Tidy up all your tools and debris, clearing the area to make it safe, and you’re done!

How to build a shed base on uneven ground?

Building a shed base on uneven ground can be as easy as digging out a sub-base and checking that it’s level. You can dig down until the soil is light brown and rather compact, then work out where the ground is uneven and move soil around to compensate. Add a weed-blocking membrane down then put plastic grids in to act as your shed base or continue to make a sub-base for paving slabs or concrete. However, you could also build a timber shed base on uneven ground using concrete blocks to level it out. Mark out the area and dig the top layer of soil, trying to get the ground as flat as possible. Build a timber frame to size. Measure out 4 rows of 3 blocks to create good weight distribution and lay in place. Underneath each block, dig around 50mm wider than the blocks and about 150mm deep. Fill the hole with pea gravel until it’s flat. Place timber planks along the rows of blocks and see how level it is. Add or remove blocks where necessary. If it’s only a small difference, use shingle underneath the timber until it’s level. Nail your timber shed base to the timber planks to create a sturdy base for your shed. If you’ve got any questions about building a shed base on uneven ground, it’s best leaving it to the pros. Get in touch with a range of builders who will be able to offer you a quote.

Garden Sheds in Cardiff

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Garden Sheds in Cardiff

Garden sheds are a crucial factor of any useful garden space. They can provide storage for heavy garden tools, as well as for other tools. A large garden shed could even offer enough space for plant potting or a general workshop. Additionally, a big shed could be utilised as an indoor seating area. Garden sheds are available in a large array of sizes and can be specified to your exact requirements, providing you total control over the number and placement of windows, type, size and location of door, and style of roof. Garden sheds commonly are available in one of three materials. Wooden sheds are the common design and can be integrated well into any garden creating a natural look, particularly if the wood used for the shed is matched to adjacent fences. Wooden sheds remain extremely popular, although they will require maintenance by retreating or staining the wood to protect the life of the shed. Garden sheds are also manufactured from metal, which is very durable and therefore great for storage of tools and other equipment. Metal sheds additionally require very little maintenance. The final material for garden sheds is plastic, which in modern examples is far more durable than might be expected. When considering a garden shed, it's vital to ensure that you choose one which will fit in your garden space. Garden sheds should be placed on a level area, and will need a base to be built as a foundation. This base could be made from either concrete, paving, gravel or a floating wooden base, but will need to be the right size for your shed and capable of supporting the weight of your shed when loaded.

Average Garden shed cost in Cardiff

The typical cost of Garden shed is £600. Costs vary based on the materials and the organisation selected. The upper price range can be as high as £690. The material costs are typically around £150

Average price per Garden shed job in 2025

Avg. price low	Avg. price low £475
Avg. price	Avg. price £1,050
Avg. price high	Avg. price high £1,595

£1700

£1275

£850

£425

£0

Prices based on actual Garden shed costs for Cardiff, as reported by local LeadsDoWork members.

Garden shed installation cost in Cardiff 2025

	Labour cost	£420
	Material cost	£150
	Waste removal	£30

Time frame: 1-2 days

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Garden shed Projects in Cardiff in January 2025

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Requests for Garden shed quotations in Cardiff in January 2025. 0% change from December 2024.

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The capital and greatest city of Wales is situated in the historical county of Glamorgan, with a population of virtually 350,000. The city is still a considerable tourist destination with over 18 million visitors in 2010. As a capital city, Cardiff's home price levels will most certainly be higher than the majority of Wales, which means that it's significant to maintain this value by by making use of vetted professionals for your home improvement work.

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FAQs

Yes, your shed does need a base. This is to give it a solid, level foundation. Open soil will not help with the longevity of the shed itself or the contents within. The best materials to use to make your shed base are concrete, natural stone or wood.

Generally, you don’t need planning permission for a shed if you live in England or Wales. This applies whether it’s a wooden, metal, plastic or brick shed. However, there are a few conditions your shed will have to meet to not require planning permission:

The shed doesn’t cover more than 50% of the garden
It’s not in front of your house
The shed is single-storey with eaves no higher than 2.5m and the overall height is no taller than 4m for a dual-pitched roof, or 3m for any other type. If it’s located within 2 metres of your property’s boundary, it mustn't be more than 2.5m high
There’s no veranda or balcony
The floor area is no bigger than 15m² - up to 30m² may be covered under Permitted Development if other conditions are met
The shed is for domestic use only by those who live in the property and there’s no sleeping accommodation – that means you can’t run a business from the shed unless you apply for planning permission

Exceptions Of course, there are always exceptions:

If you live in a listed building, you’ll need Listed Building Consent before you can build a shed in your garden
If you live in a conservation area or similar, the maximum area of ground covered by outbuildings, pools and enclosures situated more than 20m from any wall of the house mustn’t exceed 10m² if they’re to be considered as a permitted development
If you own a piece of woodland, you must seek planning permission for any permanent structure
In Scotland, you’ll need planning permission if any part of the shed comes within 1m of a neighbouring property or is more than 2.5m high
In Northern Ireland, there are rules about how close your shed can be from a road that passes by the back of your house. It’s best to check for clarification

So if you live in a straightforward house in England or Wales, you shouldn’t need planning permission for your shed. If you’re in any doubt, make sure you check with your local planning office.

It can seem daunting to dismantle a shed when you want to get a new one or just get rid of it for good. Every shed is different and is likely to have been put together in a different way, but there are some general rules that you can follow to make dismantling a shed a simple task.

Remove fascias and trims Unscrew or prise off the screws and nails fixing the trims and fascias to your shed.
Take off doors and remove windows Unscrew hinges from doors and take them off. Remove all metalwork once the door is off. If you’ve got frames on your windows, unscrew these, and remove the panes. Be extra careful if your windows are made of glass.
Take off the roof Prise off the tacks from the roofing felt and take the felt off – you can’t reuse it, so you’ll need to throw it away. Unscrew the screws on the roof boards and slide them off the shed’s frame – you might need a friend to help you do this.
Take out the roof brace (optional) If your roof has a brace, unscrew the brackets that hold it to the side of the shed. Remember not to lean on anything once you’ve taken the brace off as the walls might be wobbly.
Unscrew the frame from the floor Remove all the screws that are holding the shed to the base, remembering not to lean on the walls.
Unscrew the frame corners Starting at the corner of the front gable, remove the screws where the panels meet. Once a panel is free, lift it carefully out of the way so you can carry on with the others.

Tidy up all your tools and debris, clearing the area to make it safe, and you’re done!

Building a shed base on uneven ground can be as easy as digging out a sub-base and checking that it’s level. You can dig down until the soil is light brown and rather compact, then work out where the ground is uneven and move soil around to compensate. Add a weed-blocking membrane down then put plastic grids in to act as your shed base or continue to make a sub-base for paving slabs or concrete. However, you could also build a timber shed base on uneven ground using concrete blocks to level it out.

Mark out the area and dig the top layer of soil, trying to get the ground as flat as possible.
Build a timber frame to size.
Measure out 4 rows of 3 blocks to create good weight distribution and lay in place.
Underneath each block, dig around 50mm wider than the blocks and about 150mm deep. Fill the hole with pea gravel until it’s flat.
Place timber planks along the rows of blocks and see how level it is. Add or remove blocks where necessary. If it’s only a small difference, use shingle underneath the timber until it’s level.
Nail your timber shed base to the timber planks to create a sturdy base for your shed.

If you’ve got any questions about building a shed base on uneven ground, it’s best leaving it to the pros. Get in touch with a range of builders who will be able to offer you a quote.

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Overall rating:

Cardiff Garden shed installers are rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 4 reviews of 74 pros.

The LeadsDoWork rating and review is an overall rating based on verified reviews and feedback from the customers with Garden shed projects that have been connected with Garden shed pros to help them. All Garden shed contractors All Cardiff Garden shed contractors

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