Hi all,

Hoping people can help me ponder my workshop build a bit. Basically my issue is that I need to build it to be under 2.5m high so it’s permitted development – I’m building it on an old concrete pad that isn’t particularly level (although is stable) – this has eaten up some of my height.

I got a pvc door off ebay for 100 quid, so I’m keen to use that, but it does make fitting it all in a bit tough.

In order to accommodate a 1:40 flat roof and a bit of eves overhang, I need to keep the total height under approx. 2.47m. Even this is a little squeaky bum, as if a planning officer did decide to come around, I guess he could measure the height from a different part of the ground (the regs say the highest part of the ground immediately adjacent to the building, but this is somewhat open to interpretation).

The building is 2.4m x 4.8m. The rafters are going to be 2.4m 2x4s – ideally I’d use 2×6, but given the roof isn’t going to take much load (maybe an inch of snow once a year)… I’m hoping I’ll be ok with 2x4s.

So far my ideas are:
1. Set the sill into the base (not in picture), this would get upto 30mm (the height of the sill) back in space, at the cost of somewhat weakening that part of the base structure. The base is supported fairly regularly on adjustable decking legs and I could put a support directly under the door frame if needed.
2. Normally you’d have a lintel above the door of a couple of 2x4s on their short edge (so it’s 4 inches high / 94mm high). I was thinking I could replace this with a piece of alu box section – I’d guess 40mm alu box section would be stronger than a 2×4 on its side.
3. I could get rid of the lintel entirely – it’s still have two 2x4s above it to take the weight of the roof (18mm osb, with edpm on top of that, and 2×4 rafters) – saving me 40mm
4. At the moment I’m constructing frames out of 2x4s that will then sit on the base. I was then going to put a top plate on top of those – do I even need this? Or can I just sit the rafters straight onto the top of the frame? (thus saving me 44mm)

Any other bright ideas? Any of the ideas above doable / a terrible idea?

What i mean by frames:

How likely are your neighbours to complain? A planning officer won’t just turn up. They’ll only come if a neighbour flags it. Even then they are highly unlikely to enforce for a few inches over. And even then you can apply for retrospective permission.

Or just apply for planning. You could have an easier build and a bigger, more usable shed for a few hundred quid

Unlikely to complain i’d say, but we might sell in the next year or so, so i don’t want any problems with an over zelous surveyor getting his tape measure out.

Don’t want to do planning. This is my autumn to over xmas project and planning would put a big delay on it (and i’d not get it finished over xmas). I could indeed get a bigger one if I went through planning, but at the moment I do my wood work in the back garden dodging the rain so it’ll be better than that. I’m sure i’ll want a bigger workshop when it’s finished, but that’s always the case no matter how big it is…

Build your shed to the height you want. But make sure you incorporate a removable section between the top of the door and beneath the roofline whose dimension is max height – 2.5m.

If anybody objects, prop up the roof and remove it. As soon as they’ve gone, put it back.

Interesting idea, not sure how i’d do that tho! The roof will be heavy ish (2x4s and osb), so lifting it up and removing a bit would be very hard!

Put a pitched roof on it at 1:40. It’ll buy you a bit of space if the pitch is the same over half the distance.

Why not use the concrete base as the floor? Lay a floating floor over PIR insulation board with a DPM underneath.

Set⁰ the roof out so that one of your roof joists sits centrally over the door then use a meter box lintel in reverse directly over the door that bears on to the uprights either side of the door. Job jobbed.

At 4×2 they want to be in at 400 centres also, so the two either side of the centre joist will be bearing very close to the end bearing over your meter box lintel.

Base is already constructed. The slab is too wonky (it broke in two some time between 1936 and 2010). I’ve built the base on adjustable decking mounts so I can adjust should it move when i’ve built it.

Pitching the roof at 1:40 might work. I will take a look – would mean moving the door to the end rather than the side tho.

Drew it up – pitching the roof doesn’t help 🙁

Wrightyson – not heard of a meter box lintel before. Is it one of these: https://www.lintels.co.uk/ig-lintel-for-meter-box-g76e-10104-2135648

Assuming this is a meter box lintel (https://www.turnbullsonline.co.uk/building/building-materials/steel-lintels/catnic-light-duty-single-leaf-meter-box-lintel-mba-102mm.html) then do you mean ditch the 40mm box section of alu completely, and replace it with the metal lintel?

That’d then basically give me back 40mm and I can still have my top plate….

That sounds like it’ll work!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Catnic-Lintel-ANG-MBL-Steel-Angled-Single-Leaf-Wall-Lintel-MULTIPLE-LENGTHS/401951146375?var=671801837183&hash=item5d9627c187:m:mPIOCrn7Scy8Ob4MF0pebVA

The above looks perfect I think – it’s 88mm too, which is conveniently the height of the top of the frame + top plate. I’d have to get it in 1200mm length and then angle grind it down, but that’s not the end of the world.

HTH, set out as I said and you’ll be sound.

I haven’t read the thread yet, gotta dash, but you do realise the height is measured from the highest ground surrounding the plot, not the lowest.

For full belt and braces double your timber up either side of the door so it at least bears on 100mm either side.

Wrightyson – great thanks

Goldfish – yep that’s where I’m measuring from unfortunately

Build it to 3 meters and add a half meter bank of earth around the shed?

Basically use the regs to your advantage and don’t see them as a hindrance.

That suggestion about a removable section, is that a joke or possible?

And is raising the ground level legit way to meet permitted dev? My garden is already about a foot higher than next doors so I was assuming I’d hav3 to work with a lower level.

I assume if you do that, the planning officer would decide you’re taking the piss and then you’re screwed I imagine.

2.5 million for a shed?
It’s a while since I checked prices, but I’m surprised they’ve gone up that much – even Davey Cameron didn’t spend that much.

Impact of brexit.

Offer to pay for one of these when ypou sell the house. https://gcs-title.co.uk/instant-issue/policies-glance/planning-permission/

Good idea Woody74

Hi,
Not read all of your thread. Had built by my BIL few years ago, I can email some pics of the different stages of the build if it helps you?
Cheers
Andy

Yes please Granny_ring – will ping you my email address on a PM.

I saw these while I was in Oz. Sounds like it would make a shed dead easy to build (and unbuild).

https://www.kwiktech.com.au/the-ultimate-diy-shed-kit/

Anything similar available in the UK?