Homeowner project guide
The information to establish before seeking firm prices, appointing designers or starting work.
Start with the existing building
A garage was not normally constructed to the same comfort, thermal and moisture standards as a habitable room. The existing slab, walls, roof, openings and services therefore need to be understood before a reliable scope can be agreed.
The intended use matters. A home office, bedroom, utility room and shower room can create different requirements for heating, ventilation, drainage, fire safety and finishes.
Scottish Government guidance identifies converting a loft or garage into a room as work requiring a Building Warrant. The standards in force at the time of application and the verifier's requirements must be considered by the project designer.
Read the official Building Warrant guidancePlanning permission and Building Warrant approval are separate matters. External alterations, the property's location, title conditions and any listed or conservation status should be checked with the planning authority or project designer.
Read the official planning guidanceRecord internal dimensions, headroom, floor-level differences, wall and roof construction, garage-door opening size and the connection to the main house. Photograph the garage internally and externally before design or pricing begins.
Identify meters, consumer units, boilers, radiators, incoming water, drainage and existing cables or pipework. A proposed bathroom or utility area may make drainage position and falls commercially significant.
Define the room use, windows and doors, heating, power, lighting, flooring, decoration, storage and external appearance. State whether the requirement is a completed room or a more limited construction package.
Compare quotations against the same drawings and written scope. Check preliminaries, protection, waste, structural work, insulation, services, plastering, decoration, flooring, certification and making good rather than comparing headline totals alone.
Information checklist
Send the available drawings, photographs and property information. We will establish whether the project is sufficiently defined for a budget assessment or site visit.