Garage Conversion Costs in Brighton and Hove: 2026 Budget Guide
How much does a garage conversion cost in Brighton and Hove?
For a relatively straightforward single-garage conversion, current 2026 UK cost guides commonly put the market around £10,000 to £20,000.
The Federation of Master Builders gives a wider typical range of approximately £7,000 to £32,000, with an average of around £13,500 for a standard 16m² garage.
Those figures are useful for early budgeting.
They are not a quotation.
A garage that already has suitable walls, roof, floor and internal access can cost considerably less to convert than one requiring:
A garage that already has suitable walls, roof, floor and internal access can cost considerably less to convert than one requiring:
- Structural alterations
- New foundations
- Major floor reconstruction
- Roof repairs
- Drainage
- A bathroom
- Extensive electrical work
- Traditional masonry repairs
- Significant moisture remediation
In Brighton and Hove, older garages can also form part of properties containing bungaroosh, flint, lime mortar or other traditional solid-wall construction.
That can materially change the work required.
The correct garage conversion price therefore comes from the actual scope, not simply multiplying the floor area by an online square-metre rate.
Garage Conversion Cost: Quick Answer
As a broad 2026 market benchmark:
Straightforward Single Garage Conversion
Current national guides commonly suggest approximately £10,000–£20,000 for a conventional conversion into usable living accommodation.
Wider Garage Conversion Range
The Federation of Master Builders currently gives a broader typical range of £7,000–£32,000, with approximately £13,500 quoted as an average for a standard 16m² garage.
Higher-Spec or More Complicated Conversions
Projects can move beyond those figures where they include:
- Bathrooms
- Significant plumbing
- Structural wall removal
- Extensive drainage
- High-specification glazing
- Bespoke joinery
- Significant roof work
- Detached-garage upgrading
- Extensive traditional masonry repair
A garage conversion should therefore be priced from a defined specification rather than selected from a generic online price band.
Garage Conversion Cost Per Square Metre
Some cost guides use a square-metre figure.
Checkatrade's current 2026 guide gives approximately £625–£1,250 per m² based on its £10,000–£20,000 average garage-conversion range.
This can be useful for very early feasibility.
But Safe-Bricks does not recommend relying on a square-metre figure for an actual construction budget.
Why Cost Per Square Metre Can Be Misleading
Many garage-conversion costs do not increase evenly with floor area.
A small garage may still require:
- Garage-door removal
- New façade
- New window
- Electrical work
- Heating
- Insulation
- Building Control
- Decoration
Whether the garage is 14m² or 18m², many of those operations still need to happen.
A small but technically difficult garage can therefore cost more per square metre than a larger straightforward one.
What Is Included in a Garage Conversion Cost?
A complete conversion may include:
- 1Initial inspection
- 2Protection
- 3Strip-out
- 4Garage-door removal
- 5New foundations where required
- 6Masonry infill
- 7New window or door
- 8Structural alterations
- 9Floor upgrading
- 10Damp protection
- 11Insulation
- 12Roof or ceiling upgrading
- 13First-fix electrical work
- 14Heating
- 15Ventilation
- 16Plumbing where required
- 17Plasterboard or appropriate wall finishes
- 18Plastering
- 19Second-fix electrical work
- 20Flooring
- 21Joinery
- 22Decoration
- 23Final testing
- 24Making good
Two contractors can both quote for a \u201cgarage conversion\u201d while including substantially different amounts of this work.
Compare Scope Before Comparing Price
Suppose one quotation is £12,000 and another is £18,000.
That does not automatically mean the £12,000 contractor is cheaper for the same job.
The first quote might exclude:
- Building Control
- Heating
- Electrical alterations
- Flooring
- Decoration
- Window
- Structural work
while the second includes them. Compare the specification line by line.
What Makes a Garage Conversion More Expensive?
The major cost drivers are usually not decorative.
They are the parts of the project required to turn the existing garage into a technically suitable room.
These can include:
- Existing building condition
- Structure
- Floor
- Walls
- Roof
- Insulation
- Garage-door infill
- Windows
- Plumbing
- Drainage
- Electrical work
- Heating
- Ventilation
- Final specification
Understanding those elements makes a garage-conversion budget much easier to control.
Existing Garage Condition
A garage in good condition provides a much better starting point.
Costs can increase if inspection reveals:
- Roof leaks
- Structural cracking
- Rotten timber
- Failed render
- Defective masonry
- Damp
- Poor drainage
- Previous unsuitable alterations
The existing shell should therefore be inspected before a fixed construction scope is agreed.
Garage-Door Infill
Replacing the garage door normally requires more than simply building a few courses of brick.
The new elevation may include:
- Foundation or suitable structural support
- Masonry
- Insulation
- Damp protection
- Window
- Sill
- External finish
- Internal plastering
The design should integrate with both the existing building and the new floor construction.
Foundations Under the Garage Door
Do not automatically assume that a suitable wall foundation exists beneath the original garage opening.
Where a new masonry infill is being constructed, support beneath the opening may need investigation and potentially new foundation work.
That can increase the cost compared with a project where suitable support already exists.
Window Specification
The new front window can range from a relatively simple standard unit to:
- Large bespoke glazing
- Timber window
- Aluminium system
- Heritage-style window
Price is affected by:
Price is affected by:
- Material
- Dimensions
- Opening configuration
- Glazing
- Finish
- Installation detail
A bespoke façade treatment can therefore increase the cost substantially compared with a standard infill.
Matching Brickwork
Where the garage forms part of a brick house, matching the original masonry may require additional care.
Consider:
- Brick dimensions
- Colour
- Texture
- Mortar
- Bond
The cheapest available brick may make the former garage opening permanently obvious.
Matching matters particularly where the conversion affects the principal elevation.
Rendered Garage Conversions
Where the existing house is rendered, the new infill may require:
- Base preparation
- Compatible render
- Appropriate detailing
- Decoration
An older property may also have traditional render that needs a different repair specification from the new masonry.
The new and old parts do not automatically require identical construction simply because the finished colour matches.
Floor Costs
Garage floors frequently need upgrading.
Possible work can include:
- Existing-floor preparation
- Damp protection
- Insulation
- New floor structure
- Screed
- Underfloor heating
- Finished floor
The amount of available height between the existing garage slab and house floor can strongly influence the design.
Raising the Garage Floor
Many garages sit lower than the adjoining house.
Raising the floor can help create:
- Insulated construction
- Better transition into the house
- Improved comfort
But it also consumes internal height.
The complete floor build-up should therefore be designed before work starts.
Floor Repairs
Costs increase where the existing floor is:
- Cracked
- Uneven
- Moisture affected
- Structurally unsuitable
The contractor should establish whether it can be retained as part of the new build-up or whether more extensive work is required.
Wall Insulation
A habitable garage will generally require more thermal performance than the original vehicle-storage space.
The cost depends heavily on what walls already exist.
They might be:
- Insulated cavity walls
- Uninsulated cavity walls
- Single-skin brick
- Block
- Traditional solid masonry
- Bungaroosh
The correct insulation approach should follow the construction.
Losing Internal Floor Area
Internal insulation also has a spatial cost.
Adding wall build-up can reduce:
- Room width
- Furniture space
- Storage
This is particularly relevant in narrow garages.
Do not select an insulation system purely from the material price.
Its effect on the usable room also matters.
Roof and Ceiling Costs
The garage roof might require:
- Insulation only
- New ceiling
- Structural repair
- Complete roof repair
- New waterproof covering
A sound roof requiring only a designed thermal upgrade represents a very different budget from a leaking flat roof that needs substantial rebuilding.
Fix the Roof Before Finishing the Room
If water is already entering through the garage roof, resolve that first.
Installing:
- Insulation
- Plasterboard
- Decoration
underneath an unresolved roof leak simply hides the defect temporarily. The cost of repairing the envelope should be included in the real conversion budget.
Structural Alterations
Structural work is one of the areas capable of moving a garage conversion well beyond a basic conversion price.
Examples include:
- Enlarging the opening into the house
- Removing part of a load-bearing wall
- Installing steel
- Creating new external openings
- Repairing unstable masonry
These operations may require:
These operations may require:
- Structural engineer
- Temporary support
- Steel fabrication
- New bearings
- Local rebuilding
The resulting cost depends on the particular building.
Creating an Open-Plan Room
Some conversions incorporate the garage into an adjacent kitchen, living room or dining room rather than retaining it as a separate room.
This can create a better final layout.
But if a substantial wall needs removing, the project is no longer simply a garage fit-out.
The structural alteration can become a major part of the cost.
Bungaroosh
In Brighton, the existing house or garage may contain bungaroosh.
Bungaroosh does not automatically make the conversion prohibitively expensive.
It does mean the contractor should understand what is being altered.
Additional work might involve:
- Controlled opening-up
- Traditional masonry repair
- Local rebuilding
- Suitable structural bearings
- Lime-based repair
If defective masonry is discovered, it should be repaired before being permanently hidden behind the new room.
Do Not Budget for Bungaroosh Based on Appearance Alone
A plastered garage wall does not reveal its internal construction.
Equally, an old Brighton property does not automatically mean every wall is bungaroosh.
Where the construction materially affects the scope, inspect or carefully open up the relevant area rather than automatically pricing for the worst-case scenario.
Damp and Moisture Repairs
An existing garage may show:
- Damp staining
- Mould
- Salts
- Wet floors
- Failed paint
This does not automatically mean expensive damp-proofing treatment is required. First investigate possible causes such as:
First investigate possible causes such as:
- Roof leaks
- High ground levels
- Rainwater
- Cracked render
- Water beneath the garage door
- Condensation
The cost should follow the actual defect.
Moisture-Meter Readings Are Not a Price Item
A high moisture-meter reading should not automatically generate:
- Chemical injection
- Tanking
- Complete plaster removal
within the quotation. The source of the moisture should be established first. Otherwise the homeowner can spend money treating the wrong problem.
Electrical Costs
The electrical scope may include:
- Consumer-unit alterations
- New circuit
- Sockets
- Lighting
- Data
- Heating controls
- Smoke detection
- External lighting
A simple playroom and a heavily equipped home office may therefore require very different electrical installations. Plan the room before the first fix.
Home Office Conversion
An office may need additional:
- Sockets
- Data
- Lighting
- Heating
- Acoustic improvements
compared with a simple general-purpose room. These requirements should be included in the budget before construction.
Heating Costs
The garage needs an appropriate heating strategy if it is becoming normal living accommodation.
Possible options can include:
- Radiator
- Underfloor heating
- Other suitable systems
Cost depends on:
Cost depends on:
- Existing heating system
- Distance from services
- Floor build-up
- Controls
Underfloor Heating
Underfloor heating can be attractive where wall space is limited.
But it needs to be integrated with the floor construction.
That means deciding on it before:
- Screed
- Flooring
- Electrical or plumbing finalisation
Adding it after the floor specification has already been agreed can create unnecessary redesign.
Plumbing Costs
A garage converted into an office, bedroom or playroom may require very little plumbing.
A garage containing:
- WC
- Shower
- Utility
- Sink
requires considerably more. The distance to suitable water and drainage connections is often more important than the price of the visible fittings.
Adding a Bathroom
A bathroom can significantly increase the conversion scope.
It may require:
- Hot and cold water
- Waste
- Soil connection
- Ventilation
- Electrical work
- Waterproofing
- Tiling
- Sanitaryware
The garage should therefore be priced as a conversion plus bathroom construction, not as though the bathroom is a small decorative addition.
Drainage
Drainage can be a significant hidden cost.
Before positioning:
- WC
- Shower
- Utility sink
establish where suitable drainage actually exists. Opening finished floors later because the drainage route was not planned is an avoidable expense.
Ventilation
Ventilation should be part of the initial budget.
The exact strategy depends on the room use.
Costs may arise through:
- Opening windows
- Background ventilation
- Mechanical extraction
- Ducting
Properly managing ventilation is considerably cheaper than repeatedly repairing mould and decoration afterwards.
Plastering
Internal finishing costs depend on the wall build-up.
Work may include:
- New plasterboard
- Skimming
- Local lime repair
- Making good around openings
A completely new lined garage is different from one where existing walls can sensibly remain.
Flooring
Floor finish can range considerably in specification.
Examples include:
- Carpet
- Vinyl
- Laminate
- Engineered flooring
- Tile
Do not confuse the cost of the decorative flooring with the cost of constructing the insulated habitable floor beneath it. They are separate parts of the project.
Joinery
Additional joinery can include:
- Skirting
- Architraves
- Internal doors
- Cupboards
- Storage
- Bespoke desks
A basic conversion and a fully fitted home office can therefore have similar building shells but very different final totals.
Decoration
Decoration commonly includes:
- Preparation
- Primer
- Paint
- Woodwork
It should be clearly identified in the quotation. Some conversion prices online may represent a basic build rather than a fully decorated ready-to-use room.
Building Regulations Fees in Brighton & Hove
For the 2026/27 financial year, Brighton & Hove's published fee schedule lists the following charges specifically for conversion of a garage to a habitable room:
- Plan Check: £189.25
- Inspection: £313.25
- Building Notice: £512.50
- Regularisation: £641.50
The council's published schedule shows these as its proposed/current 2026/27 garage-conversion charges.
Fees can change, and more complex work can attract additional charges, so the current figure should always be checked when the application is made.
Building Control Is Not the Main Cost of the Conversion
The Building Regulations fee is normally a relatively small part of the complete project.
Most of the budget is spent physically upgrading the:
- Structure
- Floor
- Walls
- Roof
- Services
- Finishes
Cutting technical construction to save the Building Control fee makes little sense.
Planning Costs
A straightforward garage conversion may not require full planning permission.
However, planning-related costs can arise where the project requires:
- Drawings
- Planning application
- Lawful Development Certificate
- Heritage input
The planning position should be established before those costs are added to the budget.
Structural Engineer Costs
If the project requires significant structural alteration, allow separately for engineering input.
The engineer may need to design:
- Beams
- Columns
- Bearings
- Foundations
- Structural openings
Do not allow a contractor to remove load-bearing construction merely because structural design was not included in the initial budget.
Who Supplies the Finishes?
Establish whether the contractor or client will supply:
- Flooring
- Lights
- Radiators
- Windows
- Internal doors
- Bathroom fittings
- Tiles
Client-supplied products can make the headline contractor price lower while leaving a considerable purchasing budget outside it.
VAT
When comparing garage conversion prices, establish whether VAT is:
- Included
- Excluded
- Not applicable to that particular supplier
Do not compare one VAT-inclusive quotation directly with another figure quoted before VAT. Safe-Bricks quotations clearly separate the project subtotal and VAT so that the actual amount payable is visible.
Waste
Strip-out and construction create waste including:
- Garage door
- Existing boards
- Floor material
- Packaging
- Masonry
- Timber
Check whether:
Check whether:
- Waste removal
- Skip
- Disposal
are included in the quotation. A cheap price that leaves all waste removal to the homeowner is not directly comparable with a complete construction price.
Access
Access can influence cost considerably.
A garage directly accessible from the road is easier to service than a structure requiring materials to be moved through:
- House
- Shared passage
- Narrow access
The contractor should understand the access arrangements before pricing.
Material Deliveries
Restricted sites can also require smaller or more frequent deliveries.
Good logistics reduce:
- Congestion
- Double handling
- Material damage
This is part of the real cost of managing a project even though it does not become a visible feature of the finished room.
Detached Garages Can Cost More
A detached garage can require more upgrading because it may have:
- More exposed external walls
- No existing heating connection
- Greater distance to electrics
- Greater distance to drainage
- Less developed insulation
It should therefore not automatically be priced using an average figure based on simple integral-garage conversions.
Partial Garage Conversions
A partial conversion can sometimes reduce cost while retaining useful storage.
For example, a front bike and tool store and a rear office or utility room.
This can be particularly useful where the homeowner does not need the full garage as living accommodation.
The habitable section still needs to be designed and built appropriately.
What Is the Cheapest Useful Garage Conversion?
The lower-cost projects tend to be those where:
- Structure is sound
- Roof is sound
- Walls require straightforward upgrading
- Existing floor level is convenient
- No plumbing is required
- Garage-door opening is straightforward
- No major structural wall removal is required
A home office or general-purpose room can therefore sometimes be considerably simpler than a conversion containing a full bathroom.
What Makes a Conversion Expensive?
The budget tends to rise where several difficult elements occur together.
For example:
- Older traditional property
- Defective masonry
- New structural opening
- New bathroom
- Difficult drainage
- High-specification glazing
- Roof replacement
- Bespoke finishes
At that point, generic \u201cgarage conversion from £X\u201d advertising becomes increasingly irrelevant.
Do Not Budget Only for the Visible Room
A large proportion of a proper conversion disappears behind the finished surfaces.
That can include:
- Foundation
- Damp membrane
- Insulation
- Structure
- Electrical cables
- Heating
- Ventilation
These are usually the least exciting parts to purchase.
They are also the reason the finished garage performs like a room rather than a decorated outbuilding.
Where Not to Cut the Budget
Avoid reducing cost by compromising:
- Structural work
- Moisture repairs
- Insulation continuity
- Ventilation
- Electrical safety
- Waterproofing where required
Decorative choices can often be changed later.
A defective hidden floor or wall build-up is considerably harder to correct.
Where You Can Control the Budget
Potential areas for sensible cost control can include:
- Keeping plumbing out of the conversion
- Retaining the existing layout
- Avoiding unnecessary structural openings
- Selecting standard window sizes
- Choosing straightforward flooring
- Limiting bespoke joinery
- Retaining sound existing construction
The most cost-effective design is often the one that works with the garage rather than fighting it.
Should You Keep the Existing Garage Door?
Some partial conversions retain the external garage door with storage behind it.
This can:
- Preserve storage
- Reduce the visible façade change
- Avoid rebuilding the entire front opening
However, the new habitable room still needs suitable:
However, the new habitable room still needs suitable:
- Thermal separation
- Moisture protection
- Structure
- Fire considerations where relevant
Whether it saves money depends on the overall design.
Allow for Concealed Defects
No contractor can see through every finished wall before construction begins.
A sensible budget should allow some capacity for genuinely concealed conditions such as:
- Rotten timber
- Hidden leaks
- Defective masonry
- Unexpected drainage
- Poor previous alterations
That does not mean every quotation should contain vague uncontrolled extras. Unexpected work should be:
Unexpected work should be:
- 1Identified.
- 2Explained.
- 3Priced.
- 4Approved.
before substantial additional work proceeds.
Avoid "While You're Here" Budget Creep
Garage conversions often expand during construction.
The project begins as converting the garage into an office.
It then gains:
- New hallway
- Downstairs WC
- Built-in storage
- New flooring throughout
- Additional decorating
- Kitchen alterations
Those may all be worthwhile.
But they should be recognised as additional scope rather than evidence that the original garage-conversion budget was inaccurate.
Decide the Specification Early
Late design decisions cost money.
Before construction, try to resolve:
- Room use
- Window
- Flooring
- Heating
- Electrical layout
- Bathroom if applicable
- Storage
This makes the quotation more accurate and reduces changes after first fix.
A £10,000 Conversion and a £25,000 Conversion May Both Be Correct
The important question is: what is being built?
A relatively simple integral-garage office with limited alterations is not comparable with a conversion containing:
- Structural steel
- New drainage
- Shower room
- Underfloor heating
- Bespoke joinery
- Extensive traditional masonry repairs
Both are called garage conversions.
Their specifications are completely different.
2026 Garage Conversion Budget Benchmarks
For early budgeting, current published guidance provides a useful framework:
Many conventional UK garage conversions: approximately £10,000–£20,000.
Wider typical range identified by the Federation of Master Builders: approximately £7,000–£32,000.
FMB standard 16m² average: approximately £13,500.
These should be treated as market indicators only. Your actual Brighton or Hove garage conversion should be priced after the building and scope have been assessed.
How Safe-Bricks Prices a Garage Conversion
Safe-Bricks does not produce a final conversion price simply by measuring the garage floor area.
We assess:
- Existing construction
- Floor
- Walls
- Roof
- Moisture
- Garage-door opening
- Structural work
- Insulation
- Heating
- Electrical work
- Plumbing
- Finishes
For older properties, we also consider whether the garage interfaces with:
For older properties, we also consider whether the garage interfaces with:
- Bungaroosh
- Flint
- Lime-bound masonry
- Traditional render or plaster
The resulting quotation can then be broken down into defined construction items rather than one unexplained lump sum.
Compare Quotes Using the Same Specification
When comparing garage conversion quotations, ask whether each contains:
- Strip-out
- Waste
- Garage-door infill
- Window
- Foundation work
- Floor
- Damp protection
- Insulation
- Structural work
- Electrics
- Heating
- Ventilation
- Plastering
- Flooring
- Decoration
- Building Regulations coordination
- VAT
Only then are you comparing approximately like with like.
Is a Garage Conversion Worth the Cost?
That is ultimately a property and lifestyle decision.
A garage conversion can be particularly useful where the homeowner gains a room they genuinely need without losing valuable garden space.
But consider what is being sacrificed.
If the garage currently provides important:
- Parking
- Storage
- Workshop space
the value of losing that function should also form part of the decision. The cheapest conversion is not worthwhile if the resulting room does not solve the homeowner's actual problem.
Safe-Bricks Garage Conversions in Brighton and Hove
Safe-Bricks undertakes complete garage conversions across Brighton and Hove.
Our work can include:
- Strip-out
- Garage-door infill
- Masonry
- Traditional masonry repair
- Bungaroosh repairs
- Structural alteration
- Floor upgrading
- Insulation
- Heating and services
- Electrical coordination
- Plumbing
- Plastering
- Bathrooms and utility spaces
- Flooring
- Decoration
Read the Complete Garage Conversion Guide
For the full technical process, read our Ultimate Guide to Garage Conversions in Brighton and Hove. For approval requirements, see our Garage Conversion Building Regulations Checklist. For planning, see our Planning Permission for Garage Conversions in Brighton and Hove. For traditional Brighton construction, see our Bungaroosh Pitfalls in Brighton Garage Conversions guide.
Get a Garage Conversion Quote in Brighton or Hove
For an initial assessment, send Safe-Bricks:
- Property address
- Photographs of the garage exterior
- Full internal photographs
- Photograph of the garage door
- Floor and threshold
- Walls
- Roof or ceiling
- Existing doorway into the house
- Any damp, cracking or exposed masonry
- Intended use of the finished room
If you already have:
If you already have:
- Drawings
- Structural information
- Building Regulations details
- Planning documentation
include those too. We can then establish the actual scope required and prepare a quotation based on the building rather than relying on a generic garage-conversion cost.
Not sure where to start?
Send us photographs of the area of concern. It is the most straightforward first step — we will look at what you can see and advise on the appropriate next steps.