Working from home
Dunster House garden office installation in Colchester
We build Dunster House garden offices for people in Colchester, Witham and Chelmsford who want a room they can work in, from the base to the roof. If you have not ordered yet, we can talk through the choices first.
- Based in Colchester, covering North Essex and South Suffolk
- Base, build and finishing from one local team
- Built to Dunster House's published instructions
- Free, no-obligation quotes
Choices to make before you order your garden office
Some decisions are easier at the checkout than after delivery. Dunster House's garden office range page lists 45mm walls and insulated walls from 62mm up to 202mm. Working out there in winter? Compare the insulated options before you buy.
Think about these before you order:
- Wall thickness, and whether you want insulated walls
- Roof covering, and whether your model offers an upgrade
- Floor area, because it affects building regulations
- Which way the windows face, so the sun is not on your screen
- How close it will sit to your boundaries
- Whether you will want power
A level base for an office you use every day
Dunster House's generic assembly instructions for its WarmaLog cabins ask for "a completely flat, level, square and stable load bearing base", at least 200mm larger in width and depth than the bearer plan, and warn that "Failure to follow this advice may lead to serious issues later on."
Concrete, paving slabs or a Dunster House RapidGrid base you have already bought can all work, and we can lay any of them. Concrete goes in ahead of the build date so it has time to dry.
Garden office size and building regulations
The Planning Portal says building regulations "will not normally apply" to an outbuilding under 15 square metres with no sleeping accommodation. Between 15 and 30 square metres, you will not normally need building regulations approval if there is no sleeping accommodation and the building is at least one metre from any boundary or built substantially of non-combustible materials.
Dunster House's help centre says "Dunster House buildings are not designed to meet building regulations".
This is general guidance only. Before you build, check with your local council, for example Colchester City Council, Tendring District Council or Ipswich Borough Council.
Roof, treatment and a dry path to your desk
We fit the roof covering that came with your kit, or the one you bought as an upgrade, as part of the build.
Dunster House's help centre says its pressure-treated products do not need timber treatment, while its log cabins come untreated apart from the floor bearers. Check which applies to your office. If the timber is untreated, we can apply a treatment after the build.
A paved path or small deck to the door saves crossing wet grass, and landscaping is one of our existing services.
How it works
- Talk to us before you order Tell us the model you are considering and where it would go.
- Survey and quote We check the position, access and distance to your boundaries, then give you a free, no-obligation quote.
- Delivery and kit check When the packs arrive, go through them with the component list. We can do this with you before we fix a build date.
- Base Groundwork and base, sized to the bearer plan in your model's manual.
- Build Your office goes up following Dunster House's instructions, roof covering included.
- Finish and hand over Treatment, a path or decking if you asked for them, then a walk round.
Garden buildings, bases and timber work we have built
Real photos from our own jobs around Colchester. See more in the project gallery.
-
Garden building, Coggeshall -
Base preparation, Lexden -
Timber canopy with trellis, Lexden -
Raised deck with balustrade, Witham
Questions we are often asked
Will you wire the office for power?
Power is not part of this service. The Planning Portal explains that a new circuit is notifiable under Part P, so it must be done by an electrician registered with a competent person scheme or notified to building control. Tell us if you plan power so it can be planned with the base.
How close to the fence can the office go?
Dunster House's base guide says that to comply with building regulations you will need to install the base "at least 1.1m away from a boundary". The Planning Portal's permitted development limits also cap an outbuilding within two metres of a boundary at 2.5 metres high. Your local council can confirm what applies to your garden.
Can the office double as a guest bedroom?
Sleeping in it changes the rules. The Planning Portal's building regulations exemptions for outbuildings apply only where there is no sleeping accommodation, and its planning rules cover outbuildings that are "incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse". Check with your local council before planning any use beyond an office.
When should I book the build?
Ideally when you order, so the base can be ready before the kit arrives. Dunster House's terms say to check that "all parts are present and correct before confirming an assembly date", so we fix the build date once the kit has been checked.
Does it matter who builds it for Dunster House's guarantee?
Dunster House's guarantees page says its products must have been installed correctly and only subject to normal domestic use. Its terms also say it is "not party to" agreements between you and a third party you hire. We follow the published instructions for your model, and any claim about the product itself stays between you and Dunster House.
I haven't chosen a model yet. Can you help?
We don't sell garden buildings, so the choice is yours. If you are comparing, say, a Dominator Classic and a Dominator Composite, we can look at your garden and tell you what each would need for the base and access.
Other garden buildings we build
Tell us what you have bought
Send us the model name and size, your delivery date and a photo of where it will go. We will come back to you with a free, no-obligation quote for Colchester, North Essex & South Suffolk.
Independent installer. McKenzie Property Renovations Limited is an independent building contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of Dunster House Ltd. "Dunster House" and product names are used only to describe the products we build and remain the property of their owner.
Information about Dunster House is quoted from its own help centre and terms, and planning guidance from the Planning Portal, checked 27 September 2026.
