Loft Maker London
Loft Conversions in London and Essex
Turn unused roof space into a bedroom, bathroom or home office. We handle design, consents, structure and the build.
Most houses in London and Essex have a roof that already holds a floor's worth of space and nothing else: cold, awkward, and useless as it stands. A loft conversion turns that volume into a room you can genuinely live in, without extending the footprint of your home or moving a foot of the boundary.
There are three ways we normally do it, and the right one depends on your roof rather than on fashion. A dormer pushes the roof outwards to create headroom. A hip-to-gable turns the slope into a vertical gable end. A mansard changes the whole roof profile. Most homes we work on need one of the first two, and the third is usually a rebuild rather than a conversion.
Choosing the right conversion for your roof
Before we draw anything, we look at the roof itself. A low pitch with no headroom needs a dormer to make the space usable. A roof with a generous pitch and a hip end can often be turned into a gable instead, which gives you a cleaner internal shape and better headroom across the whole floor. Where the height available is limited but the span is wide, a mansard or a raised flat roof may be the honest answer.
We will tell you early if your roof is not suitable. Sometimes the headroom is simply not there, the span is too wide to beam across economically, or a first-floor extension below changes the options. A conversion that is technically possible but produces a room with a 1.4m ceiling at the edges is not a conversion anybody is happy living with.
Planning permission or permitted development?
Adding to a roof can often be done under permitted development rights, which means no planning application and a much shorter process. Under Class B of Schedule 2, Part 1 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, a roof enlargement is permitted development provided that:
- the extra volume does not exceed 40 cubic metres for a terraced house, or 50 cubic metres for a semi-detached or detached house, including any earlier roof additions;
- no part of the enlarged house rises above the highest part of the existing roof;
- the enlargement does not extend beyond the plane of an existing roof slope on the principal elevation, where the principal elevation fronts a highway;
- it stays set back at least 0.2m from the original eaves where practicable, and does not overhang the outer face of an external wall;
- materials are of similar appearance to the existing house;
- windows in a side elevation are obscure glazed, and any opening parts sit at least 1.7m above the finished floor;
- it does not include a veranda, balcony, raised platform, or any change to a chimney, flue or soil vent.
Those rights do not apply everywhere. If your home is in a conservation area or on other designated land, or an Article 4 direction has removed permitted development in your street, the same work needs a householder planning application. We check this before we tell you the process, because it changes the timescale more than anything else.
Where permitted development applies and you want certainty for a future sale, we can also apply for a Lawful Development Certificate. It is a council decision rather than an application for consent, but it puts the position in writing.
Building regulations and the structure
A loft conversion always needs building regulations approval, whether or not it needed planning permission. That covers thermal performance, fire safety, sound insulation between rooms, ventilation, sanitation and the structure itself. You can submit either a Building Notice or Full Plans, and for a conversion with dormers we normally recommend Full Plans, because the details get checked properly before work starts and there are fewer surprises on site.
The floor and roof structure has to carry the new load and the new walls, and any trusses that are cut or altered have to be designed to do that. We work with a structural engineer on the calculations and submit them with the building regulations application. The work is completed with a completion certificate, and the final handover pack includes the approvals, the warranties and the maintenance information for anything you will need to look after.
What is included
As a rule, the whole job runs through us: initial consultation and site visit, measured survey, design and drawings, planning or permitted development submission, structural engineering, building regulations, all building work, roofing, glazing, plastering, electrical, plumbing, heating, decorating, and the final completion certificate. One team, one point of contact, one programme.
Every completed project carries a 10-year structural warranty.
How long it takes
The on-site build for a single dormer conversion is typically six to ten weeks once consents are in place. Hip-to-gable work usually runs eight to twelve weeks, and a side or rear extension is longer because of the groundworks. We will give you a programme with your quotation, and we will tell you which parts of it depend on the council rather than on us.
In this service
Related services
- Side Extensions London & Essex — The side return is usually the most under-used space on a London plot. Filling it with a well-designed extension is the cheapest way to add a proper room.
- Structural Steel Installation London — Beams, posts and frames that let you take out a load-bearing wall or open up a plan, calculated by an engineer, fabricated and installed by us.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?
Often not. A roof enlargement can be permitted development if it stays inside the Class B limits, but those rights do not apply in conservation areas or where an Article 4 direction is in force. We check your address before telling you which route applies, and we can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate if you want the position confirmed in writing.
Do I need planning permission as well as building regulations?
Building regulations approval and planning permission are separate things. A loft conversion always needs building regulations approval, even where no planning application is required. It covers structure, fire safety, insulation, ventilation and sound separation between the new room and the floor below.
Will a loft conversion add value to my home?
Extra usable living space in a good location is consistently the sort of thing buyers pay for, and a well-detailed conversion that suits the house usually supports a better price than the cost of doing it. We are not able to promise a specific uplift, and we will not invent a figure, but we will design the room so it works for the people living in it rather than chasing a headline number.
Can you work with my own drawings or architect?
Yes. We are happy to build from a design produced by your own architect or designer, and we will review it for buildability, structure and consents before quoting. If you would rather we produced the design, we can do that too.
How disruptive is the work?
Scaffolding goes up, there is noise during the structural and roofing phase, and the first floor is out of use while it is being converted. Most homeowners stay in the property throughout, and we keep the site tidy, fenced and safe throughout the build.
What does the 10-year structural warranty cover?
It covers the structural elements of the work we carry out. The full policy wording, its exclusions and the schedule of cover are issued at handover.
Is my loft suitable for a conversion?
Most loft spaces are, but it depends on the roof span, the headroom under the ridge and how the space is currently used. We assess the structure and the available height before recommending a design, and we will tell you if the space will not work without major alteration.
Will a conversion add value to my home?
Well-executed additional living space generally increases a home's value and its usable floor area. The extent depends on the quality of the finish and how well the new space works with the existing layout, which is why we focus on usable height, natural light and a proper finish rather than simply adding floor area.
What does Loft Maker London do?
We are a London and Essex construction company specialising in loft conversions, dormer and mansard roof construction, side extensions, GRP flat roofing and structural steelwork. We handle design, planning, structural engineering, groundworks, roofing and finishing in-house, so you deal with one team from first drawings to handover.
Which areas do you cover?
We work across London and Essex, including Chingford and South Woodford. We are a mobile, service-area business, so we come to you rather than asking you to visit an office.
How much does a loft conversion cost?
It depends on the property, the specification and how much of the work is structural. A straightforward conversion in an existing roof space costs less than one that needs a new structural opening, steelwork or extensive roof construction. We price every project individually and give you a clear written quote before work starts, so there is no ambiguity about what you are paying for.
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?
Not always, but it depends on the property and the work. Many loft conversions fall within permitted development, while mansard roofs, dormer windows in conservation areas, and work that changes the volume of a dwelling often need planning permission. Building Regulations approval is a separate requirement and applies to most structural work. We assess your specific property, tell you exactly which permissions are needed, and handle the applications.
How long does a loft conversion take?
A conversion that does not require planning permission is often built in two to three weeks on site, but the full project - surveys, designs, approvals, build and finishing - takes considerably longer. Projects involving a mansard roof, an extension or steelwork take longer again. We give you a realistic programme with the quote, and we keep you informed if anything changes.
Is my project covered by a warranty?
Every project we complete is backed by a 10-year structural warranty. The full policy wording and schedule of cover are issued to you at handover, so you know exactly what is covered and what to do if you need to make a claim.
Do you handle Party Wall notices?
Yes. Where your project affects a neighbouring property, Party Wall notices or an award may be required before work starts. We prepare the necessary paperwork, serve the notices and coordinate with the adjoining owner's surveyor where one is appointed.
Can you work from drawings we already have?
Yes. If you have planning approval, architectural drawings or structural calculations, we can price and build from them. If you would rather we took the design and planning on as well, we can do that instead - just tell us which stage you have reached.
Can you match an existing roof or extension?
Yes. We work with a range of roof tiles and finishes, and we match existing materials where we are extending or building alongside original fabric, so the finished work reads as part of the house rather than an addition to it.
What happens after I get in touch?
We arrange a free, no-obligation consultation at your property. We look at the space, discuss what you want to achieve and any constraints, and then come back to you with options and a clear written quote. There is no obligation to proceed.
Tell us about your project
Send a few details and we'll come back to you with honest advice on what is possible, what it involves and how long it takes.