The right timber garage will depend on your property, available space and how you plan to use the building. Your home’s character and location can also influence which materials, roof shape and overall design work best.
The county is shaped by a mix of rural countryside and affluent towns. Much of Surrey lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt, while the Surrey Hills National Landscape covers part of the county. Additional planning considerations may apply in these protected areas.
Some garages may qualify as permitted development, including those in towns such as Weybridge, Cobham and Oxshott, but this will depend on the property and proposed building. Many historic towns and villages, including Guildford, Farnham and Godalming, also have conservation areas. Waverley alone contains 44.
In this article, we look at the planning restrictions in different areas of Surrey and what type of garage designs fit urban and rural areas.
Planning regulations in Surrey vary based on where you live.
If your home is in or close to a large town, such as Weybridge, Woking or Cobham, your garage may qualify as permitted development.
A garage built under permitted development must meet certain conditions. These include rules covering its height, position and use. It must be a detached, single-storey outbuilding, and extensions and outbuildings together must not cover more than 50% of the land around the original house.
If you live in a protected area, such as the Surrey Hills National Landscape or a conservation area in Guildford, additional restrictions may apply. This does not mean that every garage automatically requires planning permission. If your home is a Listed Building, you might also need to apply for listed building consent.
Check what rules apply to your property on the Surrey County Council website.
Below, we share your top tips for building a garage that perfectly blends with its Surrey setting - whether you live in a designated area or near a big urban centre.
While there are limitations to the type of garage you can build in such designated areas, you can increase your chances of success with a well-thought-out planning application. Submit a plan for a traditional-looking garage that mirrors the area around your home.
Historic towns and villages across Surrey feature tile-hung cottages, medieval churches, Tudor and Elizabethan manor houses, Georgian townhouses and historic castles.
The typical historic architecture of the region features:
Because the building tradition spans different styles and materials in Surrey, you will need to observe the area around your home to identify which of these features is prevalent.
Wood looks timeless, so whether you live near a timber-framed pub or a red-brick Georgian home, a wooden garage will look fitting. Opt for thick and sustainable timber.
Over time, the wood will turn silver, giving that perfect timeless look to your garage.
Choose between an oak-framed garage or a carriage house (also known as timber car barn or cart lodge) for the structure.
A detached oak-framed garage with enclosed bays would fit particularly well in the countryside, especially in areas encompassing agricultural land. You can finish the traditional look of a wooden garage with weatherboard cladding, which is often found in rural barns, cottages, and farmhouses in Surrey.
A carriage house, also called a car barn or barn-style garage, is a timber-framed garage with one or more open bays and an optional enclosed bay. This design, dating back to the 18th century, is even more traditional than a walled garage. The open bay served as storage for horse-drawn carriages and carts while the driver slept in the enclosed bay. This structure would blend seamlessly with conservation area settings and fit in nicely with buildings featuring porticos.
The roof should mirror the structures around your home.
If nearby historic buildings feature steep-hipped roofs, opt for a steeper angle (even going up to 25° can make a difference) and match the colour of the tiles as best as you can with either shaded red or shaded brown Onduvilla tiles or clay and slate tiles.
The angle is not as crucial as matching the covering material if the buildings nearby feature gabled roofs. Opt for cedar shingles, shaded red Onduvilla tiles, or clay tiles.
If your street features a rare thatched roof, choose a similar-pitch option to the traditional building and cover your roof with natural-looking cedar shingles.
If you want to let some natural light into your garage, add UPVC windows to your plan. These resemble the leaded and sash windows you see in traditional buildings.
If your home isn’t within a designated area, you will likely not need to apply for planning permission and can choose the garage design that best suits your needs.
Even though you live in an urban area, a timber garage is the most cost-effective, flexible, and fast option. It also looks at home in any setting and is sustainable.
If you have plenty of room on your property, choose a detached, enclosed wooden garage. You can dedicate part of the building to storage or a hobby room. Opt for shiplap cladding for a clean town look.
If you have space restraints, opt for a wooden carport. This has a minimalistic design that takes up less space while efficiently sheltering your vehicle from the elements. Timber carports with curved bracing can look as elegant as carriage houses.
When it comes to the roof, choose the pitch and covering that mirrors your home’s best.
Popular options include:
To allow natural light into your garage, add some openings. Choose between single, double, and triple timber framed or UPVC windows.
Size and materials are only part of the design. Read our guide to making a detached garage look like part of your property for advice on position, proportions and appearance.
You can buy a made-to-order timber garage for your Surrey property from Chart Garages. We manufacture our buildings at our workshop in Kent and supply traditional and contemporary designs for rural, historic and town settings.
Our enclosed wooden garages come in three options: the Clipper, Chart, and Chester ranges. Our carriage houses are available in the Chart and Chester ranges. While our carports come in the Chester range as standard.
The Chester range can be supported by an oak frame and installed with a steeper pitched roof (up to 35°) to complement a historic home. All other buildings have either a 17° or 22.5° roof pitch.
If you like the look of a carriage house but prefer to store your vehicle securely, you can add doors to all bays.
Our timber outbuildings are built to order, so you can tailor them to suit any size and configuration. Change the number of enclosed and open bays and add windows, personal doors, insulation, internal partitions, or an external log store.
For the roof covering, choose between:
Our UPVC-framed windows suit traditional properties, while our streamlined timber windows complement more contemporary homes. Timber windows are available with single or double glazing.
Finally, we offer shiplap and weatherboard cladding.
