Save yourself a bucket load of money by doing this yourself. My brother was quoted over £2000 for a veranda a similar size to mine. I built my DIY veranda for £431.96. So if you want a veranda, canopy, patio cover, pergola or simple lean-to, why not try it yourself and save well over £1000? With in this post I’ve shown examples of how I built this veranda, as well as another one in my new house that will give you some great ideas and easy to follow instructions.
Most competent DIYers can achieve this structure with a few basic tools, including the best track saw, circular saw or jigsaw for cutting the timber. The main structure uses the house and good ground supports for strength and the canopy for weather protection. The materials I’ve used can be found in most DIY stores like B&Q or Wickes but I’d recommend buying the corrugated sheeting online if you can’t find the correct thickness (1.1mm) locally. (B&Q don’t stock the thicker sheets.)
We added some decking & guttering afterwards which cost an additional £450.
Click here to see how I built the decking area.
Update June 2022 – Check out my latest project where I built this veranda with solid polycarbonate sheets. It cost a bit more but the results are amazing.
Table of Contents
- Planning
- Materials list for DIY veranda
- Tool list
- How to build a veranda – Step by step guide
- Readers DIY veranda
- A new house and a new veranda (June 2022)
- My top posts
- How to build your own shed from scratch – on a budget
- How to build a garden office from scratch – on a budget
- How to build your own decking area on a budget
- DIY wooden frame veranda with polycarbonate roof
- BillyOh Kent Log Cabin review and step by step build guide
- How to insulate your BillyOh garden office log cabin
- Pin me and save for later!
Planning
Before you get started on your veranda, one important question that many people have asked me is – Does my DIY veranda require planning permission? More often than not you won’t need planning permission but check the below list and keep your construction within the guidelines. You can also check the UK Planning Portal for more information and it’s always worth checking with your local planning department before you get started.
Veranda planning permission requirements:
- Must not be wider than the existing building.
- The maximum depth for a single storey building must not exceed 3000mm for an attached building and 4000mm for a detached building.
- The maximum height must not exceed 4000mm.
- The maximum height of the eaves within 2000mm of a boundary shall not be greater than 3000mm.
- Raised platforms must not exceed 300mm.
- No extension in front of the main elevation or side elevation fronting a public highway.
- The total area of ground covered by the veranda must not exceed 50% of the land around the original house.
Hopefully you now have a good idea of the size and shape of your veranda but if you want to try this yourself then you’re going to need a few basic tools. Essentials will including a good drill with a mix of different size wood and masonry bits, circular saw, handsaw, jigsaw, hammer, chisel, tape measure, protractor, set square and pencil.
Background and detail
After deciding the size of the veranda I needed to check if it would actually fit under the eaves of our roof. We live in a chalet bungalow, therefore the roof comes down quite low, so I had to decide whether the top edge of the veranda would go over the roof eave or under. Luckily the eave was just high enough to go under and allow enough run off to the end of the veranda without going too low. The measurements are:
- Top edge height (under eave)- 2400mm
- Bottom edge height – 2150mm
- Length – 2400mm
- Width – 6900mm
I was initially concerned with the run off angle of the roof (the pitch) to avoid water becoming stagnant. In the end I ended up with a 4 degree pitch which was just enough. Water tends to sit much easier on plastic than with glass so bear this in mind when planning your own.
With this being nearly 7m wide I knew two support posts weren’t going to be enough, but three post would be fine. We considered protruding 3 meters into the garden but decided that 2.4 meters was enough. The 3m length would have cost about an additional £120.
Finding the correct materials
I used building grade wood for the structure and some basic 2×1 pine for the purlins. If you want a chunky, stable build then look for C16 building certified wood. I shopped around and struggled to find a reasonable priced merchant with good delivery prices. In the end I found a great merchant on eBay with great prices and free next day delivery. See below for sourcing timber. You can also use sites like ArchiPro to find building and hardware supplies.
I also purchased all the other items from various sellers on eBay including the 100 x 100 support posts, galvanised steel support post fixings, Vistalux corrugated heavyweight (1.1mm) plastic roofing sheets and Vistalux roofing sheet fixings. Try and avoid the thinner 0.8mm Vistalux sheets (from B&Q) as they don’t tend to last as long and will be noisy in the rain. The thicker the better. Make sure they are 1.1mm or 1.3mm.
I like shopping on eBay as the prices are generally much better than anywhere else and you can read seller ratings and feedback before you buy. My other items were purchased at a local B&Q who also offer delivery on bulky items if you don’t have suitable transport. Check it out here.
Materials list for DIY veranda
- 150 x Vistalux fixings
- 10 x 2440mm corrugated PVC sheets (1.1mm) (weather proof roofing)
- 3 x galvanised 100 x 100mm post supports (for fixing the support posts to the floor)
- 12 x 2.4m 6×2 (47x150mm) C16 treated timber (for the rafters)
- 2 x 3.6m 4×2 (47x100mm) C16 treated timber (rear wall fixed supports)
- 2 x 3.6m 6×2 (47x150mm) C24 treated timber (outer supports that fit onto the support posts)
- 16 x 1.8m (9x18mm) pine wood (for the purlins)
- 3 x 2.4m 100x100mm treated timber (support posts)
- 12 x 120mm hex drew bolts M10 and wall plugs (for fixing the 4×2 to the house wall)
- 12 x 60mm hex bolts M10 and plugs (for securing the post supports to the floor)
- 6 x 110mm M10 bolts and nuts (including washers)
- Assortment of screws
Tool list
To complete this job consider investing in a few essential tools. This are what I recommend but you can compromise where your budget won’t allow:
- Drill driver and impact driver – It’s always cheaper to by the set – Dewalt combi set
- A circular saw – Dewalt cordless Circular Saw
- A jigsaw – Dewalt cordless Jigsaw
- Socket and drill set – Makita 50 piece set
- Handsaw – 22″ 8TPi saw
- Tape measure – 8m is ideal for this job
- A protractor – try this one
- Set square – or roofers square
- Pencil – carpenters pencil
- Metal ruler – or aluminium
Save money on tools and materials
Save money on you tool and material purchases with a cash back account like TopCashback. I’ve been using this site now for a few years and generated over £1000 on all my everyday purchases.
Here’s a snapshot of my current earnings
How to build a veranda – Step by step guide
Step 1. Support post fixings
Measure everything up and find the equal distance for the 3 posts to be placed. Don’t go right up to the edges of the veranda. Come in about 300mm each end and 200mm towards the house along the rafter. Place the support on the floor and mark where the four holes will go. Drill the four holes with a masonry bit and insert the plugs. Make sure you have a good drill with hammer action for this or you will be there all day. This was one of the most difficult parts of the build even with a good drill. Bolt each corner down and repeat with the other two support posts.
Step 2. Support posts
Prepare the support posts. Your two 6×2 timbers will sit on these so you will need to cut a section out the top. (47x150mm) Measure the total height, in my case it was 2000mm plus the 150mm for the cross beams so 2150mm total. Cut 250mm off the top with the circular saw then mark up the insert for the cross beams and cut this section out. Once complete insert the posts into the supports. They should be a tight fit and stand on their own.
Step 3. Cross beam supports
Attach the cross beams (3600x47x150mm). To ensure I had good support all the way along the two beams I cut both at an angle and attached and bolted together on the centre support post. To do this just clamp or tie the two posts together and cut one end of both beams with the circular saw at an angle. As I did this bit on my own I used a couple of the other pieces to help me steady everything whilst I drilled and attached the M10 bolts.
Step 4. House support beams
Fitting the 3.6m (47x100mm) beams to the house was next, and a rather tough job. Drilling into brick again was not easy as I had to go into the wall by about 80mm. I selected a total of 10 points along the wall, drilled, plugged and fastened the beams whilst tightening with a ratchet spanner.
Step 5. The rafters
The rafters. This was relatively easy once I worked out the angles to cut. To ensure the rafters fit under the eaves of the house I had to cut an indent into the wood and again at the other end to ensure I kept the 4 degree run off. To calculate the rafter cut angles I used this online triangle calculator. The below image might help you understand how I achieved this.
Please note: I did make a mistake at this point. I measured and cut the wood from each end. What I hadn’t realised is that each bit of wood was slightly different in length which meant the cuts on each one were slightly out. Luckily I noticed my mistake early on and marked all the rafters from one piece and one end to ensure they were all the same. I also cut each piece to the same length.
After cutting all the notches with the circular saw and jigsaw I marked up 12 equal points along the DIY veranda and slotted each one into place. Then I fastened each one into place with screws along the top at the front and edges along the wall. That was the structural part done. Now on to the roofing.
Step 6. The purlins
The roofing on the DIY veranda had to be supported by purlins which are the smaller lengths of wood that fit crossways along the rafters. These are to ensure you get good support and fixing points along the veranda for the roofing sheets. I went for quite a small purlin (9x18mm) but in hindsight I should have gone for something a little bigger. These felt a little flimsy and were warped in places.
The final job was to fix the roofing sheets to the purlins. This meant climbing up a ladder and screwing pilot holes along the sheets. I placed 3 rows of purlins and a total of 15 screws per sheet. It’s important that you use the correct roof fixings to secure the sheets in place. These capped screws will protect from water leaking through the sheets. Just ensure the screw points are at the top of the corrugated curve, not in the dip.
Make sure you use enough to secure each piece in place. You don’t want your sail like sheets flying off in a strong wind. I’ve heard you can get fixings with drill like ends (self taping) which you can screw straight into the PVC and wood without having to pre-drill pilot holes.
Step 7. Finishing the DIY veranda
This takes us up to the finished DIY veranda project. Now all we need is some nice decking and furniture to enjoy our new outdoor space and maybe an electric patio heater for cooler afternoons to comfortably enjoy a cup of tea! But that’s for another time. Please feel free to comment below and share your experiences.
Update March 2020. I’ve recently added some decking and guttering which cost an additional £450. It’s also had a lick of paint. Click here to read how to install the decking.
If you’re not up for the challenge then why not consider one of these alternatives:
Before and after pictures for this DIY veranda. Read about the DIY decking here.
April 2015
Feb 2020
Mar 2020
April 2020
As you can see we’ve recently renewed the patio. Read all about this DIY porcelain patio here. The DIY veranda, decking and patio make the perfect combination.
Update August 2020. I’ve recently added a reclaimed wood boardwalk and another decking area to the garden to tidy things up.
Readers DIY veranda
Here are a few pictures from one of my readers, Jon. He’s done an amazing job with added trellis walls and railings to add some privacy and divide between this and the rest of the outdoor space. Proper job!
Save more money on your DIY veranda
If you are interested in saving a bit of money for all your DIY projects why not take advantage of a cash back site like ‘TopCashBack‘. I used this site for all my online purchases and accumulated well over £1000 in just 3 years. A nice little bonus for some new tools! My wife has also been using TopCashback and together we’ve generated over £2800. Here’s a screenshot of my current earnings.
I’ve also installed the TopCashback browser plugin to ensure I never miss out of cash back again.
A new house and a new veranda (June 2022)
Take a look at my latest veranda build. We loved the last one so much that I decided to build another one in our new house. This time I used a glass-like material for the roof and sealed it against the house. The solid polycarbonate sheets dfo cost more than 4 times the amount of the corrugated stuff but they look far nicer. They could easily be mistaken for glass.
You are going to save a reasonable amount of money doing this yourself but you will need to ensure the structure is safe and secure to withstand strong winds and heavy snow fall. If you don’t feel confident managing this yourself then consider hiring some professionals like these guys for some help.
My top posts
How to build your own shed from scratch – on a budget
A question I’d asked myself for some time was, can you build your own shed cheaper than you can buy…
How to build a garden office from scratch – on a budget
With many of us now working from home there’s an increasing need find a suitable space in which to work…
How to build your own decking area on a budget
In this post, I’m going to show you how to build a DIY wooden decking area in your garden. I’ll…
DIY wooden frame veranda with polycarbonate roof
Welcome to my DIY veranda build guide. In this step by step guide I’m going to show you how to…
BillyOh Kent Log Cabin review and step by step build guide
I recently purchased my own BillyOh log cabin / garden office for our garden and I’d like to document the…
How to insulate your BillyOh garden office log cabin
In my previous post, I described in detail how to build a BillyOh Kent garden office log cabin. Now I’ve…
Take a look at some more of my projects for inspiration:
- How to build a garden office from scratch – on a budget
- Under stair drawers
- How to build your own decking area
- How to build your own shed from scratch
- How to build your own radiator cover
- How to restore weathered wooden furniture
- How to build a raised planter with seating
- How to replace architrave and update your doors
Pin me and save for later!
hi.
nice project. do you need planning permission for this?
Many thanks
No. This one didn’t. Always best to check the planning portal to double check if you’re unsure.
I’m building a simple lean to 2.8m x 5m. 2.5m high. more or less same design with polycarbonate roof. it will be open on all sides. the structure will be anchored to the ground exactly like yours.
the house is terraced is not in a reservation area. we will use it just as a dry place in the garden to hang clothes or have a meal in the summer. 2 builders told me that I don’t need planning permission for this.
Many thanks for your reply.
Sounds great! Send me the post when your done 🙂
[…] sturdy and relatively heavy weight. As I looked around the workshop I spotted an off-cut from my veranda build and thought it would be perfect. It was juts a piece of 100x100mm fence post but it would do the […]
Hi, Firstly thank you for posting such an in depth instructional post. This is exactly what i want to do, i have a 5.0 width. I leveled my garden in the winter and built a deck so you step out the back of the patio doors straight onto the deck. I have a few questions.
1: I don’t think i have as much room above my door, 1 brick height before it stick out for the gutter, is this okay, can i reduce the wood size from 47×100 to 47×75? If not how would it work with it above? can i attach to the fascia, i was dubious on this?
2: Can i attach to the deck?
3: Can i get away with a post at each end with a 5m span? have to be 4.8 i think as no timber long enough.
i can post a picture of my back garden to help you see what i mean?
Thanks again for the great post!
Hi Paddy, thanks for you’re note. I’m afraid I’m not able to advise you on your questions. You should seek professional advise if you are unsure on your project. I did my own research and spoke to professionals which were only specific to my build. All the best with you’re build. Ben
[…] to read next How to upgrade your own kitchen on a budget How to build your own veranda for under £500 How to fit laminate flooring Bathroom Sink Refit for Under […]
Hi Ben,
thanks for the instructional post, I want to do something similar in my garden soon!
Would you mind explaining how you figured out the cutting angles for the rafters (point #5) to maintain the 4% slope please?
Thanks!
Hi Daniele.
My maths isn’t great so I used a triangle calculator. Simply put in the lengths and the calculator will do the rest for you. This is the one I used: https://www.calculator.net/triangle-calculator.html
Hope this helps, Ben
Hi Ben,
thanks for the quick reply, neat tool!
Unfortunately, my maths is probably worse than yours, so I’m not sure I understand how you used it 😛
Hi Daniele
It’s difficult to explain without drawing a picture.
I’ll update my post later today with a diagram which should help.
Regards
Ben
Thanks for the drawing, that’s much clearer! You were certainly right about that.
Cheers,
Daniele
[…] favourite post also happens to be my most popular. How to build your own veranda. I get lots of views and interaction from this post which is very rewarding to know that people are […]
Hello, Terrific post, i really liked this and helped me out a lot, many
thanks.
Thanks, I have been looking for details about this topic for ages and yours is the best I’ve discovered so far.
Hi,
Thanks for this, really useful. Can I ask how you dealt with your home drain pipe? Did you make a hole in the veranda roof?
Thanks
Pretty much, yes. Just cut through the corrugated sheets with a small hacksaw. It’s not water right but it didn’t need to be for this section.
Hi – This looks so good.
I am renovating a similar set up on my dormer bungalow. Not as refined as yours but a great addition to the house. Current set up had upvc fascia board up to join the guttering. Did you join the guttering to the joists? .
Yes
Hi Ben. This is a tremendous account of your project and exactly the type of veranda I had visualised for my back garden. I searched to get an idea of wood sizes before I start my own one and found your detailed account. Brilliant and thanks very much!
Hi, great article, I’m going to build my own carport so I found all your tips and tricks very useful as this can be easily adapted into my ideas
Great write up thanks for doing this. Richard
Hey Ben
Great work! I’ve been looking at building something very similar, but I’ve always worried about the corrugated plastic roof as it would be right underneath our bedroom window. Do you find the roofing noisy when it rains? Might be a weird question, but I hope you can help 🙂
Not a weird question at all as lots of people think about this. We haven’t had any issues with it. It’s right next to our living room and our daughters bedroom and it’s never been an issue. You have to make sure you buy the thicker stuff as the thin will sound much louder. Try at least the 1.1mm thick or 1.3mm thick for better sound deadening. Don’t buy 0.9mm thickness.
Brilliant! Thanks for this!
Thank for the answer, good info
Hi, general question please. What are the noise levels like on the roof when it rains?
Not too bad but make sure you go for the thicker 1.1 or 1.3mm sheets as they won’t be so noisy.
Hi Ben,
With regards to planning permission, I want to build a veranda like yours but I want it to be 19ft X 13ft. will I need planning permission for this? as it is not a building just a glorified shed roof.
I don’t know Joe. There are many different factors that only you can answer. I would suggest contacting your local council to find out.
HI, great instructional post. One question, is the roof really noisy when it rains? Don’t want to anger the neighbours by installing it and then driving them mad when it rains. Juts a rough idea would be great
Hi Si
The roof is fine, you can barely hear it. Just make sure you go for the thicker 1.1mm PVC sheets. You can always go for the even thicker sheets to reduce any noise further.
Hiya, really nice job. Can i just ask, how did you seal it to the neighbours extension? I’m simply making a lean to roof in a small yard, the roof will be between our small extension and the neighbour’s,l extension and I’m just wondering how I will seal the side edges of my roof to the brick. flashing is obvious I know but my pitch won’t allow for nice “stair/stepped” flashing. the pitch won’t be steep enough! Thanks.
I’ve not sealed any part to the walls. You’ll need to research this separately.
Great instructions ben i have all the materials in and will be starting this today mine is roughly 6.5m wide and 3.5m out from the house as i got the 3660mm long plastic sheets, i am also using 5 posts on mine as at later stage i want to add some nice rails etc wish me luck and thanks again…..
Best of luck Jonathon. Post a pic when you finish! 😁👍🏼
All finished would love to share a pic but not sure how to upload one
That’s great Jonathon. Feel free to email me the pic and I can upload it to the post. Ben@wood-create.com
Hey, really great guide. Was hoping you could shed some light on exactly what type/size of screw and plug you used for securing the beam to the wall of the house? It only says:
12 x and wall plugs (for fixing the 4×2 to the house wall)
Hi Dave, the materials list in the post covers this. They are 120mm (or 100mm is fine) hex bolts and 50mm x 10mm wall plug. I’ve just updated the post so that links are now available.
Hi Ben and Jon I found your post/thread when trying to research how to put a veranda along the front of my 50s bungalow in a Somerset seaside village! now, even without going any further, I know that I can’t ‘build’ anything on the front or side elevations as they both ‘front a main highway’ (well, quiet cul de sac!) But I still wanted to comment as I think this is a fantastic post and am really interested to see how well someone else did the job following your instructions etc. I’m also commenting because (being a 63 year old single nearly-retiree) I didn’t fancy doing this myself but in my tiny rear courtyard I got a mate to erect something very similar that I bought off the peg for around 600GBP 3 years ago from a Scandinavian company (TUIN DECO) that usually make log cabins – it’s a car port 3m deep by 4m wide and the price included the polycarbonate panels but I haven’t used those (except for my chicken coop!) and still have some left that I’m thinking I might now use for a couple of the panels where it could do with being a bit more waterproof … This was because when I bought the house it had an old grapevine that was still living but had nowhere to climb/thrive! now it is trained up and over the open struts and is coming on nicely. doesn’t keep the area underneath dry but does provide shade!!! I’m going to read your decking post now as my courtyard is all old concrete plus the old base of a shed that was in it when I bought it – demolished that but it makes a nice raised platform just needs some cosmetic TLC!!! fantastic guys, I’ll read your posts again and follow you now I’ve found you! Best wishes, Christina
Thanks for your comments and feedback Christina. Always good to hear people are finding this post useful.
Hi Ben,
Amazing build and writeup. And so nice of you to still answer questions years after the original article was posted.
I have a question about the stability of the structure.
I see you only anchored front posts to the concrete slabs which is my plan as well, and there are not 45 degree braces anywhere in the structure of the veranda. Which I would like to avoid as well purely for aesthetic reasons.
I assume veranda can’t move back and forth because it’s attached to the house. But what about sideways?
I see it’s leaning to the wall on the left hand side. Do you thing that wall is helping the structure’s rigidity or it would work just as well without it?
I have read a lot about digging holes for the posts and pouring concrete to help the stability of the structure but would like to avoid it if possible. What was the advice you were given regarding stability of your veranda?
Thanks,
Dusan
Hi Dusan, I’ve not had any issues with stability. The structure has been secure and solid since installation due to cut outs on the posts and number of rafters. If you’re worried then digging holes with Postcrete is a good way to add strength and if you feel additional stability is required afterwards then 45 degree braces will surely help.
Good luck with your build.
Thanks for the reply Ben.
Just one more quick question.
I see yo have two swings hanging from your rafters. I’ve read a lot of forums (mostly american) and they are recommending rafter sizes almost double of what you have used if you want to have swing chairs.
I was just wondering how are your swing chairs holding? Do you have any concern about the weight you put on them (let’s say big 260lbs man).
My plan is to have a bit longer rafters than you, 2.7m, but that’s not much of a difference. Also I plan to use rafter hangers (people seem to be saying that they are structurally even better than notching the wood?)
Kind regards,
Dusan
Hi Dule. We don’t have any issues with our swing chairs but please do your own calculations to make sure.
Hi Ben. Very nice veranda. I have build similar veranda on my house.
Do you know from where (you or someone else) bought timber for partition next to the fence on second veranda ?
It’s not mine sorry Alex so I can’t help answer this question.
Hi Alex i got those timbers from B&Q that are spaced apart, they are fencing timbers
Great build. Where are you based?! Just wondering if you would like to come and build similar to my house in Bristol! So hard to find someone to build for the costs you are talking about. Had a company quote nearly £30,000 for something similar but with glass! 😱
Thanks for the invite Natasha but it’s not a service I offer sorry. Hope you find someone who can do this for a reasonable price. (not £30k :o) Ben
Thanks for the inspiration. I added the decking and lighting too. Furniture on the way. Was a big project (for me anyway) but it looks fantastic. I’m a software developer so stuff like this isn’t remotely what I do. But I really enjoyed it – and wouldn’t have started it if I hadn’t stumbled across this guide. Photos here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/3pAtUtpdB6mKU3FD6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gSPDraW8it9t7tqi6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/R6QjvR2URCcvesK6A
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nw8KCtLTVVpyipDR8
Nice work Gabhan! Looks like you have a good level of skills for the work. I worked in IT when I completed mine so in a similar boat. You have a lovely garden. Ben
I have been reading about the benefits of having a veranda for years. I was so excited to find this guide! It gives great tips on how to build your own veranda and what you can do with it once built. The guide is very detailed and has lots of pictures which are easy to understand. I love that it provides details on different types of wood, materials needed and the step by step instructions. Thank you for this wonderful article.
Thank you very much for this guide. After reading and check everything i build my own veranda.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qfkCJEbTZsmrCzFa7
Thanks for reading. Enjoy your build.