Room guide
Air conditioning for garden rooms
A garden room or garden office is only worth having if you can use it all year. Without climate control, many turn into a sweatbox in summer and a room you avoid in winter. One wall-mounted air conditioning unit cools it on a hot day and heats it on a cold one.
What size do you need?
Garden rooms vary a lot in size and build quality, so we treat them the same way as any other room: a small garden room or office is usually our 2.5kW size, the same as a standard bedroom, and a larger one is closer to 3.5kW, our large bedroom or standard living room size. Insulation makes a real difference here, since some garden rooms are built to a much higher standard than others, so we always check the size on survey.
Price by package
| Package | System | Price (2.5kW) | Parts warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Haier Revive Plus | £1,585 | 3-year parts warranty |
| Bronze | Samsung WindFree Comfort | £1,805 | 7-year parts warranty |
| Silver | Fujitsu Standard KM White | £1,855 | 5-year parts warranty |
| Gold (recommended) | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Premium ZS White | £2,040 | 10-year parts warranty |
| Platinum | Daikin Perfera White | £2,145 | 3-year parts warranty |
| Elite | Daikin Stylish White | £2,505 | 3-year parts warranty |
For a larger garden room at 3.5kW, fitted prices run from £1,605 (Budget) to £2,705 (Elite), with the recommended Gold package at £2,185. The Budget package's smallest Haier Revive Plus is rated 2.7kW. All prices are fully supplied, installed, tested and commissioned, including VAT.
If you are planning a new garden room rather than adding air conditioning to an existing one, our sister company Essex Home Garden Rooms (opens in a new tab) builds the room itself, and we can fit the air conditioning as part of the same project.
Running costs
A garden room's running cost depends heavily on how well it is insulated, along with its size and how often you use it. A well-built, well-insulated garden room on a moderate thermostat setting costs far less to heat and cool than a thin-walled, single-glazed one left running all day, so we cannot give one figure that covers every garden room. Electricity is charged at the same Ofgem price cap rate as the rest of your home.
Planning permission for a garden room
The government's Planning Portal explains that adding air conditioning may be permitted development, provided the system also heats the room (every package we fit does) and the legal limits on size, placement and number of units are met. Rules can be different if the garden room sits close to a boundary, in a conservation area, or if your home is listed, so it is worth checking the Planning Portal or your council before booking. Note that the garden room building itself may have its own separate planning considerations; our sister company Essex Home Garden Rooms can advise on that side.
Which package suits a garden room?
Budget (Haier Revive Plus) is a solid, affordable choice for most garden offices. Silver (Fujitsu Standard KM White) comes with a 5-year parts warranty. Gold, our recommended package, is the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Premium ZS White with a 10-year parts warranty, a good fit for a space you work in every day. Bronze, Platinum and Elite are available too, if Samsung's WindFree no-draught cooling or a Daikin system matters to you.
Get your garden room price
Get your garden room price, or call 01268 264002 for a same-day reply.
Best for a garden room
The packages we suggest for a garden room
Every price is fully fitted. Pick one to open the price tool.
Budget
Haier Revive Plus
3-year parts warranty
- 2.7kW
- £1,585
- 3.5kW
- £1,605
- 4.8kW
- £1,825
Silver
Fujitsu Standard KM White
5-year parts warranty
- 2.5kW
- £1,855
- 3.5kW
- £1,945
- 5kW
- £2,285
RECOMMENDED
Gold
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Premium ZS White
10-year parts warranty
- 2.5kW
- £2,040
- 3.5kW
- £2,185
- 5kW
- £2,320
Fully supplied, installed, tested and commissioned, including VAT. This is the fully installed price, inc VAT. Add £200 for a condensate pump if your indoor unit is not on or next to an external wall.
Questions about garden room air conditioning
Short answers to what people ask us most.
All questions answeredWhat size air conditioner does a garden room need?
Most garden rooms and garden offices are a similar size to a bedroom, so our 2.5kW size usually covers a small one and 3.5kW covers a larger one. We check the size at your free survey, because insulation varies a lot between garden rooms.
Do garden rooms need a separate power supply for air conditioning?
Most garden rooms already have a power supply run out for lighting and sockets, and the air conditioning can usually run from the same circuit if it is rated for it. Our engineer checks the electrics at survey; if the existing supply is not enough, you may need an electrician to upgrade it first.
Is air conditioning cheaper than an electric heater for a garden room?
We cannot give a single answer for every garden room, because it depends on the room's insulation, its size and how you currently heat it. What we can say is that every system we fit is a heat pump, so the same unit also cools the room in summer, which a plug-in electric heater cannot do.
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning on a garden room?
Often not for the air conditioning unit itself, because a system that also heats the room can count as permitted development if the legal limits are met. Check the government's Planning Portal, since rules can differ if your garden room is near a boundary or in a conservation area.
Real installs by our own team
A real install by our own team. The price on our list is the fully installed price, inc VAT.
Related guides
- Home office guideSize, placement and noise for a home office
- Loft conversion guideSize, placement and noise for a loft conversion
- SamsungThe Samsung systems we fit, with fixed prices
- Mitsubishi ElectricThe Mitsubishi Electric systems we fit, with fixed prices
- Air conditioning for loft conversions and garden roomsLoft conversions and garden rooms both need a bit of extra planning for air conditioning. Here is when to bring it in, and what each space needs.
Get your fixed price
Send the room, the floor area if you know it, and a photo of the wall. You will hear back the same day with the fully installed price from our list.
- Call 01268 264002Speak to the team directly
- Message us on WhatsAppSend a photo of the wall from your phone
- info@
essexhomeairconditioning.co.ukFor plans, drawings or anything long
