A loft conversion turns the unused space under your roof into a proper room with a fixed staircase, a structural floor, insulation and a safe escape route. It suits Nottingham homeowners who need another bedroom, a bathroom or a quiet place to work, and would rather stay put than move.
We carry out rooflight, rear dormer, hip-to-gable, L-shaped dormer and mansard conversions, and manage the job from the first survey through design, approvals, structural work and finishing.
Converting a loft means making the roof space fit to live in, not just boarding it for storage. That usually needs new floor joists strong enough to carry a room, steel beams where roof supports are removed, a permanent staircase, insulation to the roof and walls, windows, and fire safety measures that protect the route down and out of the house.
How much space you gain depends on the shape of your roof. Some lofts already have enough height and only need rooflights. Others need the roof itself altered, with a dormer at the back or the sloping side rebuilt as a gable, to give enough standing room for a bedroom or bathroom.
This page covers the options side by side so you can see which one fits your house. If you already know you want a dormer or a hip-to-gable, our dedicated pages go into the detail of each.
Measure from the top of a ceiling joist to the underside of the ridge at the highest point of the loft. Around 2.2m or more is a commonly quoted starting guide. It is only a first check: the new floor and roof insulation both take up height, so we confirm what is achievable at the survey.
An extra bedroom, a main bedroom with en-suite, a home office, a guest room, a teenager’s room or a dressing room.
The roof shape, the house type and how much floor area you need usually narrow the choice to one or two options.
Keeps the existing roof shape and adds roof windows set into the slope. It involves the least change to the outside of the house, but only works where the loft already has good height across a usable area.
Ask about a rooflight conversionA box structure built out from the rear roof slope with vertical walls and a flat roof. It turns sloping ceiling into full-height floor space and is a common choice on terraced and semi-detached houses.
Dormer loft conversion guideFor houses with a hipped roof, where the side slopes in towards the ridge. The sloping side is rebuilt as a vertical gable wall, widening the loft, and is often paired with a rear dormer.
Hip-to-gable conversion guideTwo dormer sections joined together, one over the main roof and one over the rear outrigger. It is often considered for Victorian and Edwardian terraces with a back addition.
L-shaped dormer optionsA bigger alteration where a roof slope is rebuilt at a much steeper angle, giving a large amount of internal space. Mansards often need a full planning application, so this is checked early.
Ask about a mansard conversionAny of the types above can include a shower room if there is enough standing height for it and a workable route for the waste pipe to the existing soil stack.
Ask about a loft en-suiteThe commonly quoted guide is around 2.2m at the highest point. If the loft is lower, a dormer or hip-to-gable can create height where a rooflight conversion cannot. Lowering ceilings below is occasionally an option, but it is disruptive.
Older houses often have a traditional cut roof with rafters and purlins. Many newer homes have trussed rafters, with diagonal timbers across the loft. Both can usually be converted, but trusses normally need more steelwork to open up the space.
The new staircase usually rises above the existing one. It needs enough headroom where it arrives in the loft, and it can take space from a landing or small bedroom, so its position often shapes the whole layout.
Turning a loft into a bedroom or office needs Building Regulations approval even when planning permission is not required. These are the areas building control will look at.
Existing ceiling joists are not designed to carry a room. New floor joists are installed alongside or above them, and steel beams take the load wherever purlins, struts or trusses are removed. A structural engineer’s calculations support the design.
The regulations set limits for rise, going, pitch, handrails and headroom. The usual headroom over a stair is 2m, and where space is tight in a loft conversion a reduced headroom can be accepted, measured at the centre and the side of the stair.
A typical two-storey house becomes three storeys, so the stair must form a protected route to an exit. That normally means fire doors to the habitable rooms off the stair and mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarms on each level. The exact approach depends on the layout.
The roof, dormer walls and any new gable must meet current thermal standards. Insulation thickness affects the final head height, and the roof needs ventilating correctly to avoid condensation.
The new floor usually needs sound insulation between the loft room and the bedrooms below. This is built into the floor at the structural stage.
Building control inspects the work at key stages and issues a completion certificate at the end. Keep it with your house documents, because a buyer’s solicitor will ask for it.
Each stage has to be signed off before the next one starts, so the order matters.
We measure the loft, check the roof structure, head height and stair position, and talk through what you want the room for.
Drawings show the layout, conversion type, staircase, windows and any en-suite.
You receive a written, itemised quotation based on the agreed specification.
Planning or permitted development checks, Building Regulations and any party wall notices are dealt with before work starts.
Scaffolding goes up, then the floor, steels, roof alterations and dormer or gable are built and made watertight.
Staircase, electrics, plumbing, insulation, plasterboard, fire doors and finishes follow.
Final building control inspection, clean-up and handover of the finished room.
The ranges below are indicative guides only, not quotes. The price for your home depends on the survey, the structural design and the specification you choose.
| Conversion type | Typical scope | Guide price |
|---|---|---|
| Rooflight (Velux) | Existing roof shape with rooflights and internal conversion | £25,000 to £40,000 |
| Rear dormer | Dormer structure creating additional headroom and floor space | £40,000 to £60,000 |
| Hip-to-gable | Roof extension combined with internal loft conversion | £50,000 to £70,000 |
| L-shaped dormer | Larger dormer layout for substantial additional living space | £60,000 to £80,000 |
| Mansard | Major roof alteration creating extensive usable space | £65,000 to £90,000+ |
What moves the price: the amount of steelwork, whether the roof is trussed or a traditional cut roof, the size of the dormer or gable, adding an en-suite, the staircase design, window and cladding choices, scaffold access, and any party wall costs. A site survey is needed before we can give you a written quotation.
It helps to think of the project in stages rather than as one number. Survey and design come first. If the work falls under permitted development, many homeowners apply for a Lawful Development Certificate for peace of mind; if it needs planning permission, that application has its own decision period.
Building Regulations drawings and structural calculations are prepared alongside. On terraced and semi-detached houses, party wall notices have to be served, and the notice period needs to run before the work it covers can start.
A straightforward conversion can take several weeks on site. Dormer, hip-to-gable and mansard projects take longer because the roof is altered. We give you a programme for your project once the design is agreed, but weather, structural surprises and changes to the specification can all affect it.
Usually, yes. Most of the early work happens in the roof, with access from the scaffold. The noisiest and messiest period is when the staircase opening is formed and the new stair is fitted.
Many loft conversions on houses in England may fall under permitted development (Class B of the General Permitted Development Order), depending on the property and any restrictions that apply. Permitted development is not automatic, and your property needs to be checked.
Under Class B, the extra roof volume is limited to 40 cubic metres for terraced houses (including end-of-terrace) and 50 cubic metres for semi-detached and detached houses. Earlier roof additions count towards that allowance. The work cannot go higher than the existing ridge, cannot extend beyond the front roof slope where it faces a road, and cannot include a balcony or raised platform.
Permitted development does not apply in conservation areas and other designated land, and it can be removed by an Article 4 direction or by a condition on an earlier planning approval. Listed buildings need listed building consent. Flats and maisonettes do not have householder permitted development rights, so they need a full application.
Planning and Building Regulations are separate. A loft can be allowed under permitted development and still need full Building Regulations approval.
If your house is joined to a neighbour’s, work such as cutting steels into the party wall or building up on it is likely to fall under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Notices must be served on the neighbours before that work starts.
Examples of the layouts and finishes a converted loft can have. Our completed projects are in the gallery linked below.
A loft conversion is a big decision, so look at real work first.
Our gallery shows completed extensions and conversions so you can judge the finish for yourself.
View the project galleryWe only publish reviews once they have been matched to a real job.
Read our customer reviewsAt the survey, ask us for a past customer you can speak to about a similar loft project.
Book your free surveyOur indicative guide ranges start at around £25,000 for a rooflight conversion and rise to £60,000 to £90,000+ for L-shaped dormer and mansard projects. The real figure depends on the structure, size and specification, so we give a written quotation after a free survey.
It depends on the property. Many house loft conversions may fall under permitted development if they stay within 40 cubic metres (terraced) or 50 cubic metres (semi-detached and detached) and meet the other conditions. Conservation areas, listed buildings, flats, Article 4 areas and homes with removed permitted development rights need a planning check first.
Around 2.2m, measured from the top of the ceiling joists to the underside of the ridge at the highest point, is a commonly quoted guide. Treat it as a starting point: the new floor and insulation reduce the height, and a dormer or hip-to-gable can add height where the existing roof is too low.
Yes. A loft used as a bedroom, office or bathroom needs Building Regulations approval covering the structure, staircase, fire safety and escape, insulation, ventilation and sound insulation. This applies even when planning permission is not needed.
A straightforward conversion can take several weeks on site, and dormer, hip-to-gable and mansard projects take longer. Design, any planning or Lawful Development Certificate application, Building Regulations and party wall notices all come before the build, so allow time for those too.
In most cases, yes. Early work is done from the scaffold and inside the roof. Expect more dust and noise when the staircase opening is formed and the new stair goes in.
If you live in a terraced or semi-detached house and the work involves the shared wall, such as bearing steels into it or building it up, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is likely to apply. Notices are served on the neighbours, who can agree or appoint a surveyor.
Yes. Terraced houses are often converted with a rooflight, rear dormer or L-shaped dormer, subject to the roof structure, head height and planning position. The permitted development allowance for terraced houses is the lower figure of 40 cubic metres.
We work across Nottingham and nearby towns. Your local council handles any planning application, so we check which one covers your address at the survey.
Not listed? Contact us to check whether we cover your postcode.
Some lofts are too low or have a roof structure that makes conversion impractical. An extension may give you the space instead.
Extend into the garden for a larger kitchen, dining area or open-plan living space.
Rear extensionsUse the space at the side of the house for an extra room, storage or a utility area.
Side extensionsAdd space on two floors at once, including bedrooms, where the property and planning position allow.
Double storey extensionsRequest a free survey. We will measure the head height, check the roof structure and stair position, and tell you which conversion types are realistic for your house before you spend anything on drawings.