What Size Are Beach Huts?

Chrissie Smuts
Coastal Homes
shutterstock 309145139

Beach huts are brilliant little boxes that offer an unforgettable beach experience! You might want to purchase one yourself or learn more about them as a potential for vacation, or perhaps you’re looking to invest. Before I got my own, I was skeptical about the size and whether it would fit my entire family.

So, what size are beach huts?

The smallest beach huts measure 6 x 6 feet, with regular-sized beach huts at 12 x 8 feet. Beach huts have strict regulations that determine their walls, doors, windows, fixings, environmental placement, roofs, walkways, and floors to avoid protruding into others’ spaces or the street.

Beach huts have a plethora of strict construction specifications, as well as other regulations that owners and tenants must follow. We’ll cover the costs and taxes involved for leasehold beach huts and limitations for freehold huts. Lastly, we’ll cover amenities and other general topics relating to staying in a beach hut.

What Size Are Beach Huts?

Beach huts fantastic little structures for enhancing a summer’s day at the beach! The rise in their popularity has led some people to build their own cozy beach structures.

As such, the government has had to lay down some build regulations to preserve the integrity of the environment and other beach-goers.

They have strict specifications for their overall size, walls, roof, windows, flooring, bearers, doors, and exterior. The typical beach hut measures 12 x 8 feet, with smaller ones measuring 6 x 6 feet.

These specifications help provide a safe space for people to change their swimming attire, store their valuables, eat lunch, and spend time in the company of friends!

They are also popular for providing shelter from the heat of the sun or the sting of the wind. Regular beach huts do not offer a restroom, electricity, gas, or running water but super beach huts provide all the above amenities and more!

Although there are general specifications for beach huts, they may vary slightly per beach hut company and according to their location. Busy beaches will have smaller beaches to cater to large crowds, while smaller, less populated beaches will have slightly larger beach huts.

For instance, a beach hut from The Leas, Frinton, may have a depth specification of 11 feet or 3.35 meters; Brightlingsea may have 10 feet and 6 inches or 3.2 meters, and West Promenade, Clacton has 8 feet or 2.44 meters.

Size Specifications For A Beach Hut

Beach huts must comply with governmental specifications to avoid occupying too much space or infringing on private property when constructed.

Consequently, the following specifications are necessary concerning the frontage, depth, and height.

  • The beach hut must be 8 feet or 2.44 meters so that it does not protrude into the street or walkway of vehicles and pedestrians.
  • The overall depth of the beach hut must be 12 feet or 3.66 meters.
  • The section of the beach hut roof that hangs over the walls, or the eaves, may not surpass 6 feet 9 inches or 2.06 meters. Additionally, the peak of the roof, or ridge, must be 7 feet 9 inches or 2.36 meters.

Front Wall Specifications For A Beach Hut

The front wall of a beach hut must have an entrance door of 2 feet six inches or 0.762 meters, divided into two sections. Most beach huts are daily-use spaces, but you can also hire them for an entire week at a time. The available times fall into off-peak and peak hours, with peak hours costing more money.

By keeping the entrance and size relatively small, they aim to discourage large social parties, preferring people to use the space for relaxation.

Further specifications demand that the door fastens on the left front wall. The remaining front must consist of a fixed dwarf screen measuring three feet or 0.914 meters high and with detachable shutters.

Internal Partitions For A Beach Hut

Despite its tiny size, a beach hut may have a veranda, but it should measure 4 feet or 1.22 meters from the front wall of the hut.

Furthermore, the internal division should consist of a glazed timber screen and glazed double doors. Otherwise, the alternative is a curtain screen whereby a truss is compulsory to strengthen the overall beach hut’s construction.

Roof Specifications For A Beach Hut

The roof composition of a beach hut has pretty strict specifications. You can choose either ¾ inch or 19mm T & G boards or chipboard on 2 x 2 inch or 50 x 50mm rafters. Furthermore, they must be mineralized felt and applied with suitable bitumen adhesive to the manufacturer’s standards.

Furthermore, the roof is not allowed to protrude past the side and rear walls of the hut by more than 4 feet or 100mm, and in front by 12 feet or 300mm.

Side Wall Specifications For A Beach Hut

The walls on the side of a beach hut may consist of horizontal shiplap boarding made from cedar or softwood on 2 x 2 inches or 50 x 50mm studwork.

Window Specifications For A Beach Hut

Beach huts are not permitted windows on the back and sides. However, to help with air ventilation, the back wall can have a wooden louvre ventilator measuring 12 x 12 inches or 0.3 x 0.3m.

Floor Specifications For A Beach Hut

The flooring of a beach hut must consist of either ¾ inch or 19mm T & G boarding or chipboard on 2 x 2 inch or 50 x 50mm joists at 16 inches or 406mm centers.

Horizontal Bearer Requirements For A Beach Hut

For spatial requisites, the beach hut must be high enough from the ground to leave a clear open space measuring at least 3 inches or 75mm. The space must exist between the ground and the underside of the floor structure of the beach hut.

Furthermore, horizontal bearers must be numerous enough to support the weight of the entire hut without having it shift because of deflection.

It’s also essential that the size of the hut take into consideration environmental slopes or uneven ground to keep the hut level. Consequently, it may not be less than 3 x 3 inches or 75 x 75mm.

Cliff Contours For A Beach Hut

It may sometimes be necessary to construct a beach house according to the contour of a cliff. In this case, the hut must be on staging and supported with six uprights of solid timber no less than 4 x 4 inches or 100 x 100mm.

Additionally, it must be driven into the ground firmly instead of placed inside a hole.

Most importantly, excavating any part of a cliff to erect a beach hut is strictly prohibited.

Construction Regulations For A Beach Hut

You may choose to construct the beach house into sections so that you can take it down in winter or when required.

If your beach hut plans to have a promenade, it must be accessible with steps, a ramp, and an appropriate balustrade that meets building regulation requirements.

External Decoration Specifications For A Beach Hut

When a beach hut is in poor condition and suffering from damage, it is highly likely due to criminal damage.

There is a common connection between the condition of beach huts and criminal damage. For this reason, public beach huts must receive proper care and maintenance to prioritize them for tourism and internal investment opportunities.

Usually, beach councils are responsible for caring for public beach huts. These councils advise owners to protect their beach huts with brighter colors rather than wood stains or preservers.

The Council would like beach hut owners to avoid the tendency to protect beach huts with wood stain or preserver and opt for brighter colored beach huts.

Fixing Specifications For Beach Hut

In some beach hut locations, anchorage points may be provided in concrete slabs and freely used for securing their beach house – although entirely at the owner’s risk.

If no anchorage points are present, but the owner wishes to bring their own solution, they may use a suitable angle iron fixed to a concrete site slab via expanding bolts. However, it is strictly prohibited to cut slots into the concrete slab to make new fixing angle irons.

In some cases, beach hut owners must provide their own means of anchorage, secured to the substructure with coach screws.

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What are Leasehold And Freehold Beach Huts?

Leasehold beach huts have numerous fees payable to the owner of the land and hut, whereas freehold beach huts give you complete control of the beach hut, and you can do as you please with the hut and property, but within local land regulations.

What Are Leasehold Beach Huts?

Leasehold beach huts have you renting a beach hut and involve hidden costs from the owner, land, legal tax, council tax, or whoever owns the beach huts.

When it comes to leasehold beach huts, you will either take a new lease from a freeholder or carry on from an existing lease by a previous property owner.

Due to the popularity of beach huts, however, waiting lists can be painfully long, with some people waiting years for their chance to lease a beach hut. The availability varies depending on the current demand and desirability of the beach hut location.

If you wanted a beach hut in a less desirable location further away, your chances would increase substantially compared to aiming for a hut nearest to the beach.

As a leasehold beach hut, you will need to pay a ground rent fee since the hut is on someone else’s land, but for the most part, this is an affordable annual fee.

Furthermore, you might have to pay an annual service fee to contribute toward the hut’s maintenance, including the garden, communal grounds, and hut repairs.

You may also pay an annual service charge and contribute towards the upkeep of the communal grounds, gardens, and beach hut repairs. These costs often rise annually, so make sure you budget for price rises.

Lastly, you will likely experience customizable limitations on the internal and external aspects of the beach house. You won’t be able to add extensions, nor can you change it from a residential to a commercial establishment.

However, you can lift some of these restrictions when you request permission from the freeholder. Once the leasehold expires, the ownership of the beach hut returns to the landlord or freeholder.

What Is A Freehold Beach Hut?

Freehold beach huts give you the freedom to do what you wish with the property while abiding by legal laws and regulations.

A freehold beach hut gives you complete ownership of the hut. You’ll have unrestricted ownership indefinitely and are free to use the hut as you see fit, subject to the current local laws. 

However, freedom always has a price tag, and in this case, a freehold beach hut is more expensive than a leasehold because you can sell it without the state’s approval and with less red tape.

Finding a freehold beach hut is even harder despite the long waiting times for leasehold beach huts. When you do, you can expect to pay an average cost of about £40,000 ($48,000) for a freehold beach hut, with a high-end beach hut at a desirable location costing around £575,000 ($685,000).

Are Beach Huts A Lucrative Investment?

Beach huts are exceptionally lucrative, with their value rising more than that of the property market since 2019. The low supply and high demand make them a highly sought-after investment.

The popularity of beach huts in Britain has exploded since travel restrictions, with huts selling for an average of £11,000 ($13,158.20) in 2019. To put it in perspective, the property website Rightmove outlines that the average selling price of beach huts soared 2.8 times higher than property values.

Despite not having amenities like running water, electricity, or toilets, their demand continues to rise, and it’s not uncommon for people to set alarms to remind them when beach huts bookings open. People report beach huts booking out within five minutes after becoming available.

Beach huts don’t stay on the market for more than four weeks, averaging two weeks. For instance, a hut in Wells-next-the-Sea on the north Norfolk coast was put up for sale in April for £83,000 ($99,284.60); at this point, the value of the beach hut had already jumped 20 cents from last year.

Ten parties were interested in purchasing the beach hut, so it sold two weeks later for £92,000 (110,050.40).

Furthermore, the value of beach huts is significantly higher when they are in the front row of a group of huts rather than in the back rows. While you can expect to pay £40,000 ($47,848) for a hut in the second row, the cost of a first-row hut will jump to £50,000 ($59,810).

Beach huts in desirable locations can cost thousands of dollars to hire for the month, so having even just one beach house, not to mention an entire row, will provide a steady income.

Rent Your Beach Hut During Tourist Season For Extra Income

The ability to rent out your beach hut to visitors during the summer is a fantastic boon. If you reside close to a well-liked holiday spot, renting a beach hut might be a terrific way to earn additional rental income.

You can often make a lot more money renting out your beach hut to visitors than if you rented it out to locals. If this piques your interest, ensure that you first review your local rental laws and pricing regulations before committing.

Are Beach Huts Always On The Beach?

Beach huts can be on the beach, on a promenade, or a small distance from the beach.

Beach huts are generally close to the beach, but not necessarily on the beach. You can find them on the beach, up on a promenade, or even among rows of beach huts. It’s normal to have up to four or five rows of huts grouped together.

How Many People Can Fit Into A Beach Hut?

Larger beach huts can accommodate more people, but they may not have more than six people inside at one time.

Since some beach huts are slightly larger, you can expect to fit more people. However, beach houses may not have more than six people inside at any given time.

Huts that do not face the beach are generally much cheaper and thus a better alternative for bigger groups. Furthermore, having a hut at the beach won’t matter when you’re going to the beach with a group of friends. As for couples, beach-facing huts may be the better alternative.

Are Pets Allowed Inside Beach Huts?

Pets are typically not allowed inside a beach hut, but some huts do cater to pets, although rarely.

It is usually prohibited to have pets inside the beach hut. However, some locations have pet-friendly beach huts that cater to pets but are in the minority. 

Of course, if you’re a freehold beach hut owner, you can make the rules and have your pet stay inside. Otherwise, if you have a leasehold beach hut, you can always ask permission from the owner regarding keeping your pets inside – it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?

Conclusion

The smaller beach huts measure 6 x 6 feet, while regular beach huts are 12 x 8 feet. According to the local construction regulations, every beach house must have the correct specifications for its roof, doors, walls, floors, and other parts. They can fit up to six people, although pets are generally prohibited. However, some beach huts do offer a pet-friendly service.

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