- Nation
- England
- National planning policy
- NPPF
- Planning authorities
- 4
- City
- Chester
Before you start in Cheshire
Beyond the build price, a few charges in Cheshire depend on the council. Community Infrastructure Levy is only payable where an authority has adopted a charging schedule, and anyone hoping for the self-build exemption has to apply before construction begins. Ecology can add requirements too, because biodiversity net gain rules may call for new hedges, trees or wildlife features. Planning and building control fees, the structural warranty and utility connections sit on top. We list each one separately so the written quote shows exactly where the money goes.
Planning authorities covering Cheshire include Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Halton Borough Council, Warrington Borough Council.
How it works
Free plot appraisal
We check the title plan, access, constraints and planning policy from our desk, talk the plot through with you, and visit if it looks viable. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Survey and design
A measured survey records levels, boundaries, trees and neighbouring windows. We then design a layout and house that suit the plot, the street and your budget, and decide whether pre-application advice is worth seeking.
Planning and approvals
We submit the planning application and manage it to a decision, then deal with conditions, Building Regulations approval, the structural warranty, any build-over agreement and the new utility connections.
Written quote and build
Once design and survey are complete you get a written quote. The build runs in stages — access and groundworks, foundations, frame and roof, fit-out and external works — with inspections at each key point.
Handover
You receive the completion certificate, warranty documents, Energy Performance Certificate, manuals and utility details, so the new home is ready to move into, let or put on the market.
Build in your garden in towns across Cheshire
- Warrington
- Chester
- Crewe
- Ellesmere Port
- Widnes
- Runcorn
- Macclesfield
- Northwich
- Winsford
- Congleton
- Wilmslow
- Sandbach
- Nantwich
- Neston
Questions about build in your garden in Cheshire
What does a garden design and build cost in the Cheshire area?
There’s no standard figure, because cost depends on access, foundations, services, specification and size rather than on the county. Guide price ranges are on our prices page and are guides only. You receive a written quote after design and survey, with fees, warranty, connections and any Community Infrastructure Levy listed separately.
Do you build new homes in gardens across the Cheshire area?
Yes. We offer garden design and build across Cheshire, from the first appraisal to handover. We’re a new brand within the S&K Group, so rather than pointing to past jobs we set out a clear process: a free appraisal, a measured survey and design, a planning application, and a written build quote once the plot’s real costs are known.
What fire safety rules affect a garden house in the Cheshire area?
Building control will look for fire engine access (or other measures, often sprinklers, agreed with building control and the fire service where a fire engine can’t get close enough). On plots reached by a long or narrow drive this often shapes the layout, so we settle the fire strategy during design rather than after planning. Bin storage distances, access width and turning space are checked at the same stage, because each one can move the house.
Can neighbours in Cheshire combine their gardens?
Yes. Putting two or more adjoining back gardens together can allow one shared access and a better layout than separate plots. Each owner keeps their house. The owners usually sign a collaboration agreement, with an equalisation clause so that value is shared fairly even though only one garden provides the access. Each household should take its own legal advice.

