How tall can a shed be within 2 metres of the fence?

In England, if the building is within 2 metres of a boundary, the maximum overall height is 2.5 metres. That includes the roof. Pent roofs and low-ridge apex cabins are designed for this limit.

How tall can a log cabin be away from the boundary?

More than 2 metres from the boundary, an apex roof can be up to 4.0 metres high and a pent or flat roof up to 3.0 metres. Eaves must not exceed 2.5 metres. The 50% curtilage rule and the principal-elevation rule still apply.

When does a garden office need Building Regulations approval?

Under 15m² with no sleeping accommodation it is generally exempt. Between 15m² and 30m² it is exempt only if it is at least 1 metre from any boundary or built substantially of non-combustible materials, and still has no sleeping accommodation. Over 30m² it needs Building Control.

Guides · 2026-10-26

Do You Need Planning Permission for a Log Cabin or Garden Office in the UK?

A 2026 permitted-development checklist for UK sheds, log cabins, summerhouses and garden offices, including the 2.5m boundary rule and Building Regulations floor-area thresholds.

Most garden sheds, summerhouses, log cabins and garden offices in England go up under permitted development (Class E, outbuildings incidental to the enjoyment of the house). That is a set of limits, not a promise. If you breach one, you need an application. This is a buyer's checklist, not legal advice — confirm the current rules for your nation and your address before you order.

The 2.5 metre boundary rule

If any part of the building sits within 2 metres of a boundary, the maximum overall height is 2.5 metres. That is why pent-roof sheds and ridge-restricted apex cabins exist. A standard apex 8x6 is often about 2.3–2.5m at the ridge and is fine on the boundary only if the whole building, including the roof, stays at or under 2.5m. Measure to the highest point, not the eaves.

Beyond 2 metres from every boundary, a dual-pitched (apex) roof can rise to 4.0 metres and a pent or flat roof to 3.0 metres. Eaves height is still capped at 2.5 metres in both cases.

England height and floor-area limits at a glance

These are the figures buyers use in England in 2026. They sit in two different regimes. Height and curtilage are permitted development. Floor area decides whether Building Regulations apply.

England outbuilding limits commonly checked before ordering a shed, cabin or garden office.
Check	Limit	What it applies to
Within 2m of a boundary	2.5m overall height	Permitted development, Class E
More than 2m from boundaries, apex roof	4.0m ridge, 2.5m eaves	Permitted development, Class E
More than 2m from boundaries, pent or flat roof	3.0m overall, 2.5m eaves	Permitted development, Class E
Curtilage	No more than 50% of the garden	Permitted development, Class E
Internal floor under 15m²	Generally exempt	Building Regulations, no sleeping
Internal floor 15m² to 30m²	Exempt if 1m from a boundary or non-combustible	Building Regulations, no sleeping
Internal floor over 30m², or any sleeping use	Approval required	Building Regulations

The rest of the Class E checklist

The building must not cover more than 50% of the curtilage, excluding the original house. Sheds, cabins, greenhouses and extensions already there all count.
It must not sit forward of the principal elevation — the wall of the original house that faces a highway.
It must be a single storey. A mezzanine playhouse or a cabin with a sleeping loft can fall outside the allowance.
Verandas, balconies and raised platforms above 0.3 metres are not covered.
In a National Park, the Broads, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or a World Heritage Site, the outbuilding is limited further: no more than 20 square metres of footprint if it is more than 20 metres from the house.
Listed buildings, and land within the curtilage of a listed building, do not get this freedom. Conservation areas restrict buildings to the side of the house as well.

Building Regulations, which are not planning permission

Planning permission and Building Regulations are separate. You can be allowed to build something that still needs Building Control.

Under 15m² internal floor area: generally exempt, provided there is no sleeping accommodation.
From 15m² to 30m²: exempt only if the building is either at least 1 metre from any boundary, or constructed substantially of non-combustible materials, and there is still no sleeping accommodation.
Over 30m²: Building Control approval is required.
Anything used for sleeping — a bedroom annexe, a garden room with a bed — is outside these exemptions.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The 2.5m / 4.0m / 3.0m figures above are the England rules buyers quote. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own permitted-development orders. The ideas are similar and the numbers are not always identical. A cabin that is lawful in Leeds is not automatically lawful in Glasgow or Belfast. Check the devolved guidance, and check the title for covenants that can ban outbuildings even when the council cannot.

Questions buyers ask

How tall can a shed be within 2 metres of the fence?: In England, if the building is within 2 metres of a boundary, the maximum overall height is 2.5 metres. That includes the roof. Pent roofs and low-ridge apex cabins are designed for this limit.
How tall can a log cabin be away from the boundary?: More than 2 metres from the boundary, an apex roof can be up to 4.0 metres high and a pent or flat roof up to 3.0 metres. Eaves must not exceed 2.5 metres. The 50% curtilage rule and the principal-elevation rule still apply.
When does a garden office need Building Regulations approval?: Under 15m² with no sleeping accommodation it is generally exempt. Between 15m² and 30m² it is exempt only if it is at least 1 metre from any boundary or built substantially of non-combustible materials, and still has no sleeping accommodation. Over 30m² it needs Building Control.