Loft conversion cost: what the job involves and who is registered to do it

the UK roofing register

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How extensions and lofts works

1. Settle whether it is permitted development. A great many loft conversion are permitted development, which means no planning application, but the limits on depth, height, materials and how much of the plot is already built on are specific and a designer should read them against your own house before anybody prices anything.
2. Get drawings and a structural design. Existing and proposed drawings, then a structural engineer's calculations for whatever is being opened up or carried. On a loft conversion this is a small share of the total and it is what turns an idea into something three builders can price identically.
3. Serve the party wall notices in time. Work on or near a shared wall, or excavation within three or six metres of a neighbour's foundations, engages the Party Wall etc. Act and the notice periods are set in months rather than weeks. Serving late is the commonest reason a start date slips.
4. Price it against a specification, not a sketch. Ask each builder to price the same written specification, with provisional sums shown as provisional sums. Two quotes that differ by a third almost always differ in what is included: the kitchen, the flooring, the decoration and the drainage diversion are the usual absentees.
5. Agree stages, retention and building control. A staged payment schedule against completed work, a small retention until sign-off, and a clear statement of who is notifying building control. The completion certificate is what a future buyer's solicitor will ask for.

Insurance and paperwork

Common questions

What decides whether my loft can be converted?

Usable head height under the ridge, the roof structure, and whether a staircase can land somewhere lawful. Traditional cut roofs convert more easily than trussed ones, which need structural work to open up, and that difference is often the single biggest line in a quote.

Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?

Many are permitted development within volume limits and with no extension beyond the plane of the front roof slope. Flats, maisonettes, listed buildings and designated areas are different, and a lawful development certificate is worth having even when permission is not needed.

Does it need building regulations approval?

Yes. A converted loft is a new storey and brings fire escape, stair design, insulation and structural requirements with it. The completion certificate is what a buyer's solicitor asks for later, so it belongs in the contract from the start.

Registered contractors by region

• Registered roofers in the East Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the East of England postcode area
• Registered roofers in the London postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the North West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Scotland postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South East postcode area
• Registered roofers in the South West postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Wales postcode area
• Registered roofers in the West Midlands postcode area
• Registered roofers in the Yorkshire and The Humber postcode area