2 May 2015 · Sharon Winson
Prefabricated garages: a buyer's guide
A prefabricated garage is built in a factory and assembled at your home in around a day. Here's how they work, the ranges available and how pricing works.
A prefabricated garage is a building manufactured in a factory as interlocking concrete sections, then delivered and assembled on a concrete base at your home — usually in around a day. Nucrete has been manufacturing prefabricated garages in Bradford for over 45 years, with every price including VAT, delivery and installation.
How is a prefabricated garage built?
The walls are cast as reinforced concrete panels in our Bradford factory, under controlled conditions rather than in a wet British garden. On installation day our own teams bolt the panels together on your prepared base, fit the roof and door, and hand you the keys — for most standard garages that's around a day's work. Factory manufacture is why prefabricated garages cost so much less than brick: the labour happens once, on a production line, instead of brick-by-brick on site.
What types of prefabricated garage can you buy?
Nucrete manufactures eight ranges, from garden stores to full double garages. Apex garages — the classic pitched roof — are the best sellers; pent roof garages (sometimes called sloping roof garages) suit sites with height limits; double garages give side-by-side parking; lean-to and battery designs work with existing walls and longer runs; Elite garages offer a more architectural look; Extra-Height garages take vans, campervans and car lifts; and sheds and workshops cover everything smaller. If you want a full brick finish rather than a brick-effect panel, we also supply brick-clad buildings.
Browse the ranges
Apex Garages
Our best-selling concrete garage — the classic pitched-roof design with storage in the eaves and around 50 size combinations.
See prices & sizes →
Pent Roof Garages
The most economical garage in our range — one simple roof slope, the same panels, doors and build quality as every Nucrete building.
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Double Garages
Double concrete garages in apex or pent roof styles — open-plan clear span or with a centre dividing wall, with two windows included.
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Elite Garages
Our flagship specification — real brick front, uPVC fascias and windows, upgraded doors and roof sheets, bundled for less than buying each upgrade separately.
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Lean-To Garages
A concrete garage that sits neatly against your house wall — secure storage with direct access, made for driveways and tight spaces.
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Battery Garages
Three or more concrete garages joined into one build — designed to your site and specification, with a dedicated project manager throughout.
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Extra-Height Garages
Concrete garages with 7'0" or 7'6" walls and taller doors — clearance for vans, 4x4s, caravans and motorhomes, or headroom for a workshop.
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Concrete Sheds & Workshops
Concrete sheds and workshops that never rot or need re-felting — secure garden storage with doors and windows positioned where you want them.
See prices & sizes →
What sizes do prefabricated garages come in?
Because the buildings are made from standard panels, sizes run in regular steps. Widths run from 8'5" up to 20'5" depending on the range, and lengths from around 6'3" for a small garden store up to 22'3" and beyond for a long workshop — with larger and bespoke combinations available. The right size is worth getting right first time: measure your car with its doors open, add your storage, and then be honest about what else will end up in there.
How much does a prefabricated garage cost?
Prices depend on the range, the size, the roof and door options — and your postcode, because delivery is part of every price. Rather than quote figures here that will date, our concrete garage prices page gives exact prices for your postcode area, with VAT, delivery and installation always included. Every building carries our 10-year structural guarantee, and we supply around 1,100 buildings a year across mainland UK.
What is a prefabricated garage?
A garage manufactured in a factory as reinforced concrete sections, then delivered and assembled on a prepared concrete base at your home — typically in around a day.
How long do prefabricated concrete garages last?
Decades. The concrete panels need minimal maintenance, and every Nucrete building comes with a 10-year structural factory guarantee.
Do prefab garages need planning permission?
Usually not — most fall under permitted development if they sit behind the front of the house and stay within size and height limits. Conservation areas and listed buildings are the main exceptions.
What base does a prefabricated garage need?
A sound, level concrete slab slightly larger than the building. Nucrete offers a concrete base laying service if you'd rather have one company handle the whole job.
What's the difference between apex and pent roof garages?
An apex garage has a pitched roof with a central ridge, giving extra storage height; a pent roof garage (formerly called sloping roof) has a single slope, keeping the profile lower for height-restricted sites.