Summerhouses by Size at a Glance
Sizes: From compact 7x5 summerhouses to large 28x16 buildings · Metric sizes: Popular options from 2m x 2m up to 7m x 4m · Construction: Quality redwood deal timber on our main ranges · Glazing: Toughened glass as standard · Floors: Solid wooden floors and roofs.
Choosing a size: Compact models for smaller gardens through to large multi-purpose garden rooms · Styles: Apex, pent, corner and transverse designs · Installation: Free installation on our main summerhouse ranges · Insulation: Insulation options available · Finishes: Colour paint options available · Customisation: Bespoke sizes and designs available · See before you buy: Full-size summerhouses on display at our Surrey show site near Guildford and Woking.
Need help choosing the right size? Our experienced team can help with summerhouse dimensions, style, layout, insulation, base requirements and installation before you order.
How to Choose the Right Summerhouse Size
The best summerhouse size is not necessarily the largest building that will physically fit in your garden. I recommend starting with what you actually intend to do inside it and then working backwards to the dimensions you need.
A compact summerhouse might only need enough room for two comfortable chairs and a small table. A hobby room may require additional floor space for equipment or storage, while a garden office needs room for a desk, chair and comfortable movement around them. Entertaining or creating a multi-purpose room naturally requires considerably more space.
Once you know how the room will be used, consider how much of your garden you are prepared to give over to the building. If you are still comparing styles, construction and specifications as well as dimensions, our summerhouse buying guide explains the main points to consider before choosing.
Mark the Summerhouse Size Out in Your Garden
This is one of the simplest pieces of advice I can give, and I have recommended it to customers for many years: mark the proposed summerhouse dimensions out on the ground before you order.
Use string, canes, timber or anything else convenient to create the approximate footprint. Then stand inside the marked area and imagine the walls around you.
Better still, put a couple of chairs, a desk or representative furniture within the space. An 8×6 or 10×8 summerhouse is much easier to understand when you can physically see how the furniture fits than when you are simply looking at figures on a screen.
Popular Small Summerhouse Sizes
Compact summerhouses are particularly useful where garden space is limited, or you only need somewhere for one or two people to sit, read or enjoy a hobby.
An 8×6 summerhouse, for example, provides around 48 square feet of nominal floor area and can accommodate two comfortable chairs and a table while remaining relatively compact.
You can also browse our dedicated small summerhouses category if keeping the garden footprint modest is one of your main priorities.
Medium Summerhouse Sizes
Moving into sizes such as 10×8, 10×10 and 12×10 gives you considerably more flexibility. These dimensions can work well for more substantial seating arrangements, hobbies, occasional home working or entertaining a few people without moving into a particularly large garden building.
A 10×10 summerhouse gives you a square footprint of approximately 3m x 3m, which can make furniture planning particularly straightforward.
Our 10×8 summerhouses provide a rectangular alternative and are available across a wide variety of our ranges.
Large Summerhouse Sizes
Large summerhouses become much more like substantial garden rooms and can provide room for sofas, dining furniture, desks, hobby equipment or several different activity areas.
For example, a 14×12 summerhouse is approximately 4.2m x 3.6m and provides significantly more usable internal space than the compact and medium sizes.
Our ranges extend considerably beyond this, with selected summerhouses available up to around 28×16. At these dimensions, I spend much more time considering furniture layout, insulation, electrics, access, and how the room will actually be used, rather than focusing solely on external size.
Summerhouse Sizes in Feet or Metres?
You will see garden buildings described in both imperial and metric measurements. For example, a nominal 10×10 summerhouse is commonly approximately 3m x 3m, while our dedicated 2m x 2m summerhouses provide a compact metric option.
Do not assume that converting the advertised feet measurement into metres will always give you the exact manufacturing dimensions. Garden-building sizes are often nominal, and different ranges can be measured slightly differently.
Always check the actual product dimensions and base requirements before constructing the foundation. Our summer house base guide explains the main foundation options and why the precise requirements of the individual building matter.
Is an 8×6 Summerhouse Really 8ft by 6ft?
Not necessarily to the exact millimetre. Garden-building dimensions are commonly used as nominal size descriptions, which make it easier to compare models, but the actual manufactured dimensions can vary slightly.
This becomes particularly important when you are preparing a base or fitting a building into a restricted part of the garden. Never build an exact foundation based solely on the category name. Check the stated base size for the individual model you are ordering.
Which Way Around Are Summerhouse Dimensions?
Another source of confusion is whether a building described as 10×8 is the same as an 8×10. The overall area may be similar, but the orientation of the front elevation, roof, doors and windows can make the two layouts behave very differently.
A long front elevation may give you more glazing and a wider view of the garden, while a deeper building may provide a more useful layout for desks, tables or furniture.
I would therefore look at the floor plan rather than treating the two measurements as interchangeable.
Allow Space Around Your Summerhouse
The building itself is not the only space you need. You should allow suitable room around the summerhouse for installation and future maintenance, subject to the requirements of the particular model.
If the building is positioned extremely tightly between fences, walls or dense planting, maintaining the timber and reaching the roof or rear walls can become unnecessarily difficult.
Think about how the building will arrive and how the installation team will reach the site as well. A large summerhouse is of little use if the components cannot reasonably be brought through the available access.
The size, height and position of a summerhouse can also be relevant when considering whether planning permission is required. The footprint alone does not decide the issue, so read our summerhouse planning permission guide and check the requirements applying to your individual property where necessary.
What Size Summerhouse Is Best for a Garden Office?
There is no single ideal size because it depends on how many people will work inside and what equipment is required. A compact building may work perfectly well for one desk and chair, while two workstations or additional storage will require more room.
I would avoid making a home office so small that the desk fills almost the entire usable space. You need room to move around comfortably and, depending on the layout, space for shelving, drawers or occasional visitors.
If regular home working is the main purpose, consider insulation, glazing, heating, electrics, and ventilation alongside the dimensions. It is also worth comparing our dedicated garden rooms and garden offices, which are designed around more regular working and year-round use.
What Size Summerhouse Is Best for Relaxing?
For two people and a small table, a compact summerhouse may be all you need. If you want sofas, several chairs, or enough room to entertain friends, it is worth moving into one with a larger footprint.
This is where marking the dimensions out becomes so useful. A building that sounds generous as 8×6 can feel quite different once you place two large armchairs inside it.
Do Bigger Summerhouses Need Insulation?
Size itself does not determine whether a summerhouse needs insulation. What matters is how and when you intend to use it.
A large building used mainly for summer entertaining may not require insulation, while a much smaller garden office occupied throughout winter could benefit significantly from it.
If regular colder-weather use is important, compare our insulated summer houses as well as choosing the appropriate dimensions.
Bespoke Summerhouse Sizes
Standard sizes cover a huge number of gardens, but they do not suit every space. Selected Diamond and Platinum summerhouses can be made in bespoke dimensions, which is particularly useful if you are working around an unusual boundary, patio, tree or existing landscaping.
Bespoke sizing can also make sense where the standard size is almost right but wastes space. An extra foot of width or a slightly shallower building may produce a much better result.
If you need a non-standard size, speak to us before preparing the base so that the building dimensions and foundation can be planned together.
Why My Experience Matters When Choosing Summerhouse Sizes
I’m Robin Antill, founder of 1st Choice Leisure Buildings. I left school at 15 and eventually entered the timber garden building industry, starting my own business, Marina Sheds, in 1979.
Those early years manufacturing and selling sheds taught me how important size is. Customers do not experience a building as a number on a price list; they experience the space available once shelves, tools, furniture or equipment have been put inside it.
I sold Marina Sheds in 1990, although unfortunately I did not receive all the money due to me from the sale. I remained in the garden building industry and in 1992 we broadened the range to include summerhouses, garages, garden rooms and log cabins.
That wider direction led to the business becoming Titan Garden Buildings. My son Craig joined me in 1992 after studying carpentry at Guildford College from 1990, bringing practical carpentry knowledge to complement the manufacturing and sales experience I had developed.
We sold Titan Garden Buildings in 1998. Then, in 2000, Craig and I formed 1st Choice Leisure Buildings so we could retail quality garden buildings from selected manufacturers rather than being tied to the output of one factory.
Today Craig runs the day-to-day business, and I support him as required. You can read more about me, Robin Antill, and my experience with garden buildings.
Summerhouse Size FAQs
What is the most popular summerhouse size?
There is no single size that is right for every garden. However, mid-sized buildings such as 8×6, 10×8 and 10×10 are popular because they provide useful internal space without requiring an exceptionally large footprint.
What is a good size summerhouse for two people?
A compact summerhouse can be perfectly adequate for two comfortable chairs and a small table. I would mark the dimensions out and place representative furniture inside the footprint before ordering, as the size and style of the furniture can make a substantial difference.
What size summerhouse do I need for a sofa?
Measure the sofa first and allow sufficient space around it for doors to open and people to move comfortably. Larger sofas can quickly dominate compact summerhouses, so moving to a 10×8, 10×10 or larger building may be worthwhile depending on the rest of the furniture.
Are summerhouse sizes internal or external?
Size descriptions are generally nominal building dimensions and should not be assumed to represent exact usable internal floor area. Wall thickness, framing and the individual manufacturer’s measuring method can all affect internal and external dimensions. Check the detailed specification of the model you intend to buy.
Should the summerhouse base be the same size as the building?
The base should be prepared to the requirements of the specific summerhouse. Do not rely solely on nominal category dimensions, as actual base sizes can vary between models and manufacturers. Our summer house base guide explains the main foundation options in more detail.
Can I order a summerhouse in a non-standard size?
Yes, selected models can be made in bespoke dimensions. This can be useful where a standard footprint does not make the best use of the available garden space.
Does summerhouse size affect planning permission?
Size can be relevant, but the footprint alone does not determine whether planning permission is required. Building height, position, proximity to boundaries, the property, overall garden coverage and intended use can all matter. See our summerhouse planning permission guide for the main considerations.
Find the Right Summerhouse Size
The right size starts with what you want to do inside the building, not simply how much room you have outside. Decide what furniture and equipment you need, mark out the footprint in your garden, and allow suitable space for access, assembly, and maintenance.
Browse the summerhouse sizes above or return to our complete summer houses range if you are still deciding on style, construction or specification.
After working with garden buildings since 1979, my advice is simple: it is better to spend ten minutes marking a summerhouse out on the lawn before ordering than spend years wishing you had chosen one foot wider.
Robin Antill
Founder, 1st Choice Leisure Buildings
From £3825