Can I Have a Garden Office or Garden Room With a Toilet and Kitchen?

27th July 2023

This is a very common question in the world of garden room construction; can I have a garden office or Garden Room with a toilet and kitchen? The simple answer is usually yes. The main aspects involved are running power to the garden room for lighting, water heating and ventilation, the supply of fresh water from the mains and the removal of wastewater. 

Electricity

Electricity to your garden office is something that is completed with every build. All buildings require this in order to be functional and is usually connected via the mains from the house. Cables are run via a trench under the garden back up to your home. Alternatively, you could opt for the eco-friendly choice of solar panels which can be applied to the roof of the garden building or as panels set up in your garden. This would be something you would need to research and fully consider prior to starting your build. 

Ventilation

If you are thinking about adding a shower or bath into your garden office or garden room because you will also want to use it as a guest house at particular times of the year, you will most certainly need ventilation. Windows will provide a certain amount but in order to prevent mould, mildew and condensation you will need to install an extractor fan.

Water / Drainage Connection

In order to be able to build your garden office with a toilet, shower and kitchen, we will need to be able to have easy access to connect the drainage. This process would, of course, involve digging a deeper trench then normal through your garden so you will need to be prepared for a little more disruption than normal it is important that all water pipes run below the ground freezing level. The waste will need to be carried away by the sewer which will involve connecting up to the nearest available one. This will all require a check of the lay of the land, be able to run sufficiently and will be signed off by building regulations. 

Installing Hot Water

In order to get your water hot, you will need to install a hot water tank just as you have in your home– just on a much smaller scale. There are a variety of sizes available on the market but it is probably best to seek a plumbers advice and recommendations.

Other Garden Room Toilet Options

If you do not have the funds, the access or if your home is very far away from your garden office or garden room and you don’t want that much disruption to your beloved garden, you could opt for more eco answers. By collecting your own rainwater you could actually provide your own water supply for no money and little hassle. This could be collected above or underground in either large tanks or water butts. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t be drinkable but it is an option for your toilet and/or shower system. You will require a pump to get the water in and to also allow this to be flushed away.

Another toilet option would be to choose a compost system which works by absorbing the waste. The urine is filtered to become an odourless liquid which you can use as a fertiliser and then the faeces are composted down into a separate section. At the touch of a button, you can ‘flush’ your toilet which works on electricity. 

A septic tank is another choice for you, but it can be expensive, and really only worth considering if you really can’t connect to the mains and you want to plumb in a bathroom. Soakaways are another drainage option to consider but this will all depend on your type of soil, so you will need to do research into this. It will also depend on the surrounding area, how much land you have and any risk to others’ land. 

Get In Contact

To discuss your new garden room with a toilet get in touch with us today.