Basement garages and car galleries in London.
Car gallery · a private basement car gallery, as we would design itVisualisation
Private parking and car galleries below London houses. A car lift from the street, built by one team.
A basement garage starts at the street.
A basement garage is private parking below the house, reached by a car lift. We are NU Projects, design and build in Fulham SW6 since 2010. A basement runs £450 to £780 a sq ft, construction only. Call 020 7731 6841, and a budget estimate typically follows within seven days.
In much of prime London a parking space is worth more than a room. A basement can give you both.
Most London plots have no room for a ramp. A car lift takes the car down from the street instead.
The lift needs a pit, power and a clear route from the road. We plan all three before the dig.
A garage below a house must be kept apart from it for fire. It also needs fresh air for fumes.
Done well, it is a gallery, not a car park. Glass, lighting and joinery let you sit beside the cars.
One team designs, prices and builds it. We work with the car lift maker you choose.
A country estate with land? Our sister studio BELOW builds private underground car galleries below the grounds.
What the work includes
- Car lift from the street, planned at design stage
- Fire separation between garage and house
- Ventilation for fumes, with quiet fans
- Charging for electric cars
- Gallery lighting, glass and joinery
- Council and highway consents handled
- What it costs
- See a range in a minute. Then send us the address for a proper number. Open the calculator
- Where we work
- Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Mayfair, Notting Hill and Holland Park, Chiswick, Wandsworth, Putney and Barnes, Hampstead and St John’s Wood, Weybridge, Cobham and Oxshott, South Kensington, Marylebone, Bayswater and Maida Vale, Pimlico and Westminster, Battersea and Clapham, Richmond, Twickenham and East Sheen, Islington, Highgate and Primrose Hill, Greenwich, Dulwich, Camden, Wimbledon, Bermondsey, Brixton, Ealing, Acton, Hammersmith and Brook Green, Earl’s Court, Queen’s Park and Kensal Rise, Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury
The lift sets the plan. We draw it before the dig.
From the street to the gallery.
- 01
Your cars and your street
How many cars, which sizes, and the route from the road.
- 02
The lift and the pit
The lift chosen and drawn into the structure.
- 03
Fire and fresh air
Separation from the house and ventilation, on the plans.
- 04
Consents
Planning, highway, building control and party wall notices handled.
- 05
The cost plan, then one contract
A price built line by line. Provisional sums named.
- 06
Build, commission, hand over
The lift tested and certified, then aftercare.
Ten checks before you appoint a basement garage builder.
- 01
The street
Ask whether the highway authority will allow the access.
- 02
The lift
Ask which lift, and who services it after handover.
- 03
The pit
Ask where the lift pit sits on the structural drawings.
- 04
Car sizes
Ask for the largest car the lift and the room will take.
- 05
Fire
Ask how the garage is separated from the house.
- 06
Fumes
Ask how the air is changed, and how loud the fans are.
- 07
Water
Ask how water off the cars is drained and kept out.
- 08
Charging
Ask for the power supply for electric cars.
- 09
Security
Ask how the lift and the door are locked and watched.
- 10
One contract
Ask whether structure, lift and fit-out sit with one team.
What owners ask before building a basement garage.
Further reading, from the journal
Can I build a basement garage under a London house?
Sometimes. It turns on the plot, the street and the local rule.
We check all three before you spend on design.
How does a car get into a basement garage?
Usually by a car lift from the street or the drive.
Most London plots are too small for a ramp.
Does a basement garage need planning permission?
Yes, in almost every case. The access to the road is often consented too.
We prepare and run the applications.
Can I see the cars from inside the house?
Yes. A glass wall can open the gallery to a lounge or bar.
The fire rules shape how that glass is built.
What about a car gallery on a country estate?
Our sister studio BELOW builds underground car galleries on estates.
It works below the grounds, not the house.
Tell us about the garage.
Your name and one way to reply are enough. It goes straight to the studio.