Garden Bar GuideYour local, at the end of the garden
The plan it shelf · 11 guides

Budgets, checklists and the long view

Planners, reference pages and the routine jobs that keep a garden bar in good order once the first party is over.

Illustration: a sketchbook bar plan, tape measure, paint swatches and checklist on a timber counter
Where to begin

Read these first

New to the plan it side of a garden bar? These pages set up everything else on the shelf.

Start here
  1. Garden bar cost calculator: build your own budget
  2. Garden bar project checklist: every decision in the right order
  3. Garden bar layout checker: will the stools fit?
  4. Garden bar FAQ: short answers to the questions everyone asks
Interactive planner

Garden bar cost calculator: build your own budget

Enter your own quotes for a garden bar, including the base, power, cooling and fit-out. No invented average prices.

Use it nowOpen the planner →Interactive planner

Garden bar layout checker: will the stools fit?

Drag the counter length, stool spacing and end clearances and watch a live plan show how many people your garden bar can seat.

Use it nowOpen the planner →Plan it

Garden bar maintenance calendar: what to check each season

A season-by-season checklist for a garden bar building, its electrics, fridge, timber and furniture, so small jobs never become big ones.

3 min readRead the guide →Plan it

Build vs buy a garden bar: compare time, skill, risk and control

A practical comparison of buying a ready-made bar building, converting an existing one and building your own, without invented price figures.

3 min readRead the guide →Plan it

Hosting safely at a garden bar: a host’s checklist

How to host friends at a garden bar safely, with no-alcohol options, lit routes, children, hot equipment and getting everyone home.

3 min readRead the guide →Plan it

Garden bar glossary: building, planning and fit-out terms explained

Plain-English definitions of the terms you meet when buying, building and fitting out a garden bar, from apex roofs to RCDs.

3 min readRead the guide →Plan it

Garden bar FAQ: short answers to the questions everyone asks

Quick answers about garden bar planning, licences, power, costs, fridges and neighbours, each linking to the full guide.

4 min readRead the guide →Plan it

Garden bar project checklist: every decision in the right order

A step-by-step checklist for planning a garden bar, from the first idea and the rules through the base, power and fit-out to the first evening.

3 min readRead the guide →Plan it

Accessible garden bar design: room for everyone

How to plan a garden bar that works for guests with mobility needs, from level routes and counter heights to seating and lighting.

3 min readRead the guide →Plan it

Garden bars for renters: portable, no-fix ideas you can take with you

How tenants can set up a garden bar without drilling, digging or losing their deposit, plus when to ask the landlord and what to put in writing.

4 min readRead the guide →Plan it

Garden bar cleaning routine: after a party, weekly and by season

A practical cleaning routine for a garden bar: after-party tidy, weekly jobs, fridge and glass care, beer line cleaning per the maker and seasonal deep cleans.

4 min readRead the guide →