Draw first and the survey becomes a document that has to agree with a picture you have already fallen for. Measure first and the drawing is simply what the roof allows.
01A visit and a tape measure
An hour at the house. We measure the ridge, the stair, and the ceiling joists, and we tell you on the day whether the room you are imagining exists.
02The measured survey
Everything recorded properly and drawn up as existing. This is the drawing every later decision is checked against.
03Design and route
Two or three options drawn, and the planning route named: permitted development, prior approval or full application. The route changes the programme more than the design does.
04Structure and building control
Steel sizes calculated by our engineer, drawings submitted, the building control route agreed before anyone lifts a tile.
05Build
Eight to twelve weeks for a typical dormer conversion. One team, on your job, until it is finished.
The party wall
2 months, served early
A loft conversion almost always affects a wall you share, so notice has to be served 2 months before work starts. It is a formality in most cases and a real delay in a few, which is exactly why we serve it at the start rather than when the programme needs it.
Asked often
Will I need planning permission?
Often not. Most loft conversions fall under permitted development, which allows 40 cubic metres of additional roof volume on a terraced house and 50 on a semi or detached, provided nothing extends beyond the existing roof plane on the principal elevation. Conservation areas and previously extended houses are the common exceptions, and we establish which applies at the survey rather than at the application.
How much headroom do I actually need?
The usable rule is 2.2 metres from the top of the new floor to the underside of the ridge, measured over the position the staircase will land. Lower than that and you can still build something, but it is a store rather than a bedroom, and we would rather say so before you are emotionally committed to it.
What is a party wall notice?
If the work affects a wall you share with a neighbour, and a loft conversion almost always does, you must serve notice on them two months before work starts. It is a formality in most cases and a genuine delay in a few. We serve it as part of the job and we start the clock early for that reason.
How long does it take?
Eight to twelve weeks on site for a typical dormer conversion, plus the design and approvals before it. The approvals are the variable, which is why we name the planning route at the survey rather than guessing at it.
Can you just do the drawings?
We can, and sometimes that is the right answer. Be aware that drawings bought from one firm and built by another are where most jobs go wrong, because nobody owns the gap between what was drawn and what is buildable.
Do you work on listed buildings?
Rarely, and only with a conservation architect involved from the start. It is a different discipline and pretending otherwise would cost you time and us our reputation.