Garage to side of house questions

Grey123

We have an inside corner house semi-d, our site is a little like a pizza slice, wide at the front, narrow at the back, although not to a single point. That means we also have a lot of room at the side, almost as much as the back.

Our utility is small especially with an air to water tank in there, a door from the kitchen and a door out, washer, dryer. Not much room for anything else.

I was thinking an extension to the side could be an option. As far as I can see an extension to side needs planning but a garage or shed doesn't but it can't be lived in.

What constitutes lived in? I'd like to plug it for sink, washer and dryer, much of what would be in there would be stuff you could keep in an outdoor shed. It certainly wouldn't be a bedroom.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/planning-permission/planning-permission-for-altering-a-house/

Garages and sheds

You can convert a garage attached to the back or side of your house to domestic use as long as it has a floor area of less than 40 square metres. If you want to convert a garage for business use, see ‘Planning permission for a material change of use' below.

You can build a garage, shed, greenhouse or similar structure at the back or side of your house as long as it:

• Does not extend out in front of the building line of the house
• Is 4 metres or lower in height if it has a tiled or slated pitched roof, or 3 metres in height if it has any other roof type

You do not need planning permission for this type of garage or shed as long as the floor area on its own or together with any similar structures isn't more than 25 square metres.

The new garage or shed should not reduce the open space at the back or side of the house to less than 25 square metres.

Garages or sheds to the side of the house must match the finish of the house.

There are certain rules you must follow when building a garage or shed. They must not be:

• Lived in
• Used for commercial purposes
• Used for keeping pigs, poultry, pigeons, ponies or horses

muffler

It's one of the grey areas of planning whereby you can build a garage or shed and then convert it habitable accommodation without planning yet you can't build the finished product without planning. I'll post you a link to the actual regs later and if you stick to those you'll be fine.

Penn

I would say that if it's attached to the main house, accessible from the main house, and it's used for amenities which would normally be in the main house, that wouldn't constitute a shed/garage. That's an extension to the house. If it was built on to the side of the house but must be accessed externally, then yeah you could justify it as being a shed.

As muffler said, kind of a grey area because it's so undefined, but the proposed use in your post is more closely related to a Utility room than a shed, particularly if it's attached and accessible from the main house.

Grey123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122895138#Comment_122895138

Ya. I think that is a fair enough definition.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122896332#Comment_122896332

Yeah. "Lived in" as it relates to garage/shed would more likely mean a separate structure or one with only external access, because it's not part of the main house and so can't be "lived in". Whereas if it's joined to and accessed from the house, it's just more floor space for the house overall.

muffler

Have a look at Class 3 of the Exemptions here. See the conditions and limitations attached to same.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122895138#Comment_122895138

A garage would usually be accessible from the main how. A garage is fir parking a car, bikes, potentially laundry facilities.

The line between garage and house is hard to quality’s but I think we all know which is which when we see them.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122900214#Comment_122900214

I agree, but I'd say that's usually the case where the garage was constructed as part of the original house or with planning permission. I think if trying to do it under exempted development it would be a very flimsy justification to call it a garage rather than a Utility Room and therefore an extension to the house.

Grey123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122900214#Comment_122900214

A lawnmower is the giveaway imo.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122900235#Comment_122900235

There’s no reason that a garage built with exempt development should have a different form to one constructed with PP.

I’ve never seen a utility room that was big enough to park a car in. If it was only a small utility with no garage/shad space then it’s just a utility.

Grey123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122903542#Comment_122903542

It begs the question why a utility say 2m wide requires planning but say a garage perhaps 4m wide is exempt (can store a car).

Surly the main issue is potential impact on others for which the garage would have more.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122907137#Comment_122907137

Because the exemption classes are generalisations. See key poitns below.

CLASS 1

The extension of a house, by the construction or erection of an extension to the rear of the house…:

1. Where the house has not been extended previously, the floor area of any such extension shall not exceed 40 square metres.

(b)/(c) …the floor area of any extension above ground level…

CLASS 3

The construction, erection or placing within the curtilage of a house of any tent, awning, shade or other object, greenhouse, garage, shed, store, or other similar structure.

2. The total area of such structures constructed, erected or placed within the curtilage of a house shall not, taken together with any other such structures previously constructed, erected or placed within the said curtilage, exceed 25 square metres.

4. The external finishes of any garage … to the side of a house … shall conform with those of the house.

A utility extension might be small and low impact but it falls under a class that permits up to 40sqm to be built over multiple levels. A 3 story extension to the side could have a huge impact on the street - as such its limited to the tear only.

Where as class 3, it limited to single story structures, up to 25m. That has a much lower potential for impact, even if to the side (where a garage typical goes). As such it's allowed.

SC024

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122895092#Comment_122895092

Hello Muffler,

Is this grey area specific to attached shed's garages or does it apply to those that detached from the main house? If so is does it only apply to sheds/garages that are below the planning exemption or would a garage that has received planning for such also be included in this grey area? Ie. be acceptable to be converted after construction is completed?

muffler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123027268#Comment_123027268

Detached and attached garages have different exemptions. If the garage is attached it can be (subject to conditions) converted without permission. A detached garage will require permission to do so.

SC024

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123027391#Comment_123027391

not the answer I was hoping for but thanks all the4 same. what exemptions are there for detached garages?

muffler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123030823#Comment_123030823

Building the detached garage can be exempt subject to the usual conditions….size, height etc. once built there are no exemptions.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123030823#Comment_123030823

A detached garage/shed can't be converted without planning.

Only attached, and up to the 40sqm limit