1st Choice Additional Garden Buildings Services
1st Choice specialise in offering an extensive collection of quality buildings – in timber, concrete or metal – so you can be assured that you will find your ideal building with a minimum of fuss. There are occasions, however, when other specialists are required in order to complete your project and our years of experience in this field mean that we have built up a number of valuable connections with reliable tradespeople who we put forward here for your consideration.
Whilst the individual tradespeople are independent of us (thus keeping the pricing as low as possible) we are happy to liaise with them to make arrangements on your behalf. We will usually take a deposit on their behalf which is passed along to them with your order with them collecting the balance directly from you later; leaving you with an invoice for your records.
Prices quoted presume a suitable, accessible work site within 50 miles of our display area near Woking. If your site is further afield or access is poor then the standard prices quoted may be subject to an additional charge. Please be aware that, on occasion, the individual contractor’s availability may exceed our own lead time thus installation of the building may need to be put back to accommodate this.
This type of base is perfect when you have an existing concrete or slab base which is not suitable for a building to be installed directly atop. Examples might include the existing base being sloped, uneven or cracked (which would cause the floor of the building to spring and flex and potentially prevent the doors and windows from functioning) or the slab might be larger than the building itself (inevitably causing water damage to occur to the building itself over time).
A sturdy frame is constructed using 100mm x 47mm structurally-graded C24 spruce which is pressure-treated to protect and extend its life. There are cross members at centres between 35cm and 44cm (14” and 17”) and these are tied when the width of the base is greater than 1.5m (5’) to increase rigidity. Noggins are added to the structure in order to increase rigidity and the frame is then levelled above the existing base being supported on 100mm x 47mm treated timber posts. This system can be installed over a base with up to 150mm (6”) fall. The price is £6 per square foot (£67 per square metre).
When there is no base in situ the most cost-effective, environmentally-friendly and least disruptive solution will usually be a timber subframe base; it is also an excellent choice when access to the site is limited as there will be no need for heavy materials to be wheel-barrowed to site. The standard version is the ideal solution for garden sheds, workshops and garden rooms when the intended site is relatively level.
A sturdy frame is constructed using 100mm x 47mm structurally-graded C24 spruce which is subjected to an enhanced pressure treatment process to enhance its lifespan. There are cross members at centres between 35cm and 44cm (14” and 17”) and these are tied when the width of the base is greater than 1.5m (5’) to increase rigidity. The frame is levelled and set above surrounding ground to aid ventilation and supported on indestructible 50mm x 50mm recycled plastic ground posts which are manually driven into the ground. The price is £7 per square foot (£78 per square metre).
Whilst our standard timber subframe bases are ideal for many situations, there are occasions when something a little more robust is called upon. This may be because the building is particularly large or heavy, the plan is to store a large amount of weight within the building or simply that the ground on which the base is to be situated has more than a minor slope.
Whatever the reason, our installation team will upgrade the specification of our standard timber subframe base by increasing the size of the recycled plastic posts to a whopping 70mm x 70mm (actually doubling the cross-sectional area of the post) and, for peace of mind, these will be be bolted to the frame using M10 130mm coach bolts before being set in high-strength 40N concrete. Wherever a post sits above the ground by 40mm or more a diagonal brace will be fitted. A recommended upgrade when ordering a log cabin or other larger building; please ask our sales advisors for guidance if you are unsure. The price is £9 per square foot (£100 per square metre).
A quality base is essential for any building and subject to certain limitations – on access restrictions, a maximum fall of 100mm (4”) across the area of the slab and availability of services – our suggested concrete base contractor can offer a set price per square foot to lay a minimum of 100mm (4”) of concrete laid atop your existing ground. A damp proof membrane is standard and, when the base is over 100 square feet (9 square metres), a reinforcing mesh is integrated into the slab for added strength.
No muckaway will be included within the cost and all waste will be left on site or this can be removed at additional cost. Generally the concrete will be delivered to site by volumetric mixer – although the contractor may mix on site on smaller jobs – and the cost will be £11.50 per square foot (£128 per square metre) subject to a minimum charge of £400 presuming the work is within the scope of their usual criteria. They will generally endeavour to undertake a site survey to advise of any potential extra costs that may result from site or access difficulties or if you would prefer that the base is dug down to ground level (we usually advise against this unless the base is for a garage and you wish to keep the access as low as possible)
While timber buildings from our sectional ranges have the option of a factory-applied paint/stain finish, interlocking log cabins generally do not. For this type of building, we are pleased to offer our protective paint kits. Our years of experience have led us to recommend Demidekk Ultimate as our preferred option when you are looking for a quality, opaque coloured finish that looks great while offering your new building a superior level of protection against the elements. The choice of colour is extensive, which, we understand, can be overwhelming when choosing how to transform your new building. However, we do have colour charts, or you can view our online photo gallery. The kit will contain enough paint to allow for three coats of a single colour to be applied externally; if you wish for an accent colour (on the doors and windows, for example), then additional charges will apply. For extra protection, we can supply a good quality preserver that can be applied inside and out; however, in our experience, this isn’t usually necessary as the protective paint does such a good job.
If you would prefer, we can also arrange for a painter to come to your home to apply this for you. The price (indicated on the product specific price sheets) will include all consumables and labour but it does presume that there is a minimum space of 500mm around the perimeter of the building to ensure that he can work safely; if this is not available, then he may not be able to undertake the work.
Sometimes all it takes to finish off your project is the addition of an area of decking. It may take the form of a simple step/platform to aid access to your building from ground which slopes away from the door or perhaps a large expanse of decking extending from the front of your building to create a wonderful place for entertaining.
The price for a flat, square area of good quality pressure treated softwood decking will be £120 per square metre to include membrane. Non standard shapes, steps and balustrades can be quoted on a case by case basis.
We can arrange removal of any timber building from site presuming that you have clear access from the roadway to the site. The cost of correct disposal is often far greater than people expect due to the government’s Landfill Tax, Environment Agency registration and Public Liability insurance so there will be a lot of less scrupulous individuals who will offer a lower price however you must be careful when engaging these people as you are legally responsible for ensuring that they dispose of the materials legally and correctly. Our suggested contractor keeps prices as low as they are able by specialising solely in the removal of timber garden buildings meaning that they have encountered most issues at least once before! Ask us for your no obligation quotation today.
The price will presume that there is suitable access around the outside of the property and that the building is empty and free of vegetation, Asbestos, insulation, carpets, contents and that any electricals have been isolated or removed. Any verandas should be included when determining the size of the building.
Removal of an existing precast concrete or brick-built building can be arranged locally subject to quotation by an experienced contractor who holds the relevant Public Liability insurance and is registered with the Environment Agency as a licensed Waste Carrier.
If you have a building with an Asbestos roof (or even a building entirely clad in Asbestos) then we can offer a nationwide disposal service which is undertaken by an experienced company – registered with the Environment Agency as a Hazardous Waste Carrier – who specialise in removing and correctly disposing of buildings of this type.
All of the relevant PPE will be worn, correct procedures followed and a certification provided to confirm correct disposal of any Asbestos. Presuming that the building were empty and there was suitable access to site we can offer a fixed-price removal based on your location.
Requirements may range from a simple light in a storage shed to a fully kitted out home office with dozens of sockets, heating, lighting and full networking so our standard surface-mounted electrical package should be considered the perfect starting point for any timber building (concrete buildings can also be accommodated at extra cost). As every situation is unique there are dozens of options available to tailor the package to suit your individual requirements but if you need something completely bespoke or if you have any concerns in advance of your order then we can arrange a full site survey but please be aware that the electrician will levy a charge for this service (refundable against the price of the work presuming you proceed).
Our suggested contractor is fully qualified and test certificates will be provided in all instances. Due to the nature of this type of work, the contractor will ask you to complete an online form and send photos of your existing consumer unit & cable route so that they can assess the suitability before committing to undertake the works. Please ask us for our separate electrical package price guide.
As a major supplier of top quality interlocking log cabins we offer an unrivalled log cabin installation service operated by a team of experienced fitters who work all over the UK for us. We list their install prices on our log cabin price guide and every bespoke cabin quotation that we issue will come with a tailored installation quotation. Whilst we believe that our cabins are second to none there are occasions when people choose to source the building elsewhere and, if you require installation of a third-party log cabin, this can be arranged at the cost of £100 per square metre for a 44mm single skin cabin or £125 per square metre for a 70mm single skin cabin.
This price presumes that a suitable base is in situ; if not then consider combining this with one of our base construction services above.
