Survey and feasibility
from$350
A visit to measure the headroom, look at the roof structure and find where a stair could land, followed by a written summary.
- Headroom measured at the ridge
- Stair positions sketched
- Likely approvals listed
The room you already own, one more flight up
Upstairs turns lofts into bedrooms, shower rooms and home offices. We survey the roof space first, draw the room with you, explain the permissions your area asks for, and build in stages while you carry on living in the house below.
One surveybefore any price or drawing
8 to 12 weekson site for most dormer lofts
Stairs firstplanned before the room
- The roof space surveyed first
- Drawings for every approval
- One team from scaffold to skirting
- Stage dates written into the contract
Three ways to start
Every loft is priced after a survey, because the roof shape, the joists and the stair position decide the cost. These stages can be bought on their own or together.
Design and drawings
from$3,200
Measured drawings of the house as it is and of the new loft, plus the drawings most approval offices ask to see.
- Floor plans and sections
- Structural calculations arranged
- Drawings any builder can use
Design and build
from$58,000
The whole conversion, from scaffold and steel to the stair, the shower room and the last coat of paint.
- One contract and one team
- Stage payments after each check
- Handover pack with the sign off papers
The build price is for a rear dormer with a bedroom and shower room in a typical two storey house. Hip to gable and mansard conversions cost more.
Four ways to open up a loft
The shape of your roof usually decides which one fits. We show you the options at the survey.
| Conversion | What changes | Space gained | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof light | Windows set into the existing slope; the roof shape stays the same | The least; suits lofts that are already tall | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Rear dormer | A box built out from the back slope with a flat roof and windows | Full height across most of the floor | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Hip to gable | The sloping end of the roof built up into an upright gable wall | Room for the stair to land at full height | 10 to 13 weeks |
| Mansard | The back slope rebuilt almost upright, often with small windows | The most, close to a whole new storey | 12 to 16 weeks |
Is there enough height up there?
The first figure we take is the height from the top of the ceiling joists to the underside of the ridge. Many loft guides treat about 2.2 metres as a useful starting point, but the height you need depends on the roof shape, the type of conversion and the rules where you live.
A new floor has to sit on new joists above the old ceiling, and that takes some of the height. When a loft is short, a dormer, a mansard or lowering the ceiling below can still make a room, and the survey tells you which.
- Height measured at the ridge and along the floor
- Standing area marked out on the boards
- Insulation depth counted in
- Options for low lofts explained honestly
Where the stair lands decides the room
A new stair takes floor space from the storey below, often from a bedroom or the landing, so we plan it before we draw the loft. It also needs enough height above the treads for an adult to climb without ducking.
Rules on stair steepness, headroom, handrails and escape in a fire vary between countries, and sometimes between councils. We design to the rules that apply to your house, and the building inspector or approval office signs the work off.
- Stair position sketched at the survey
- Straight, winding and space saving stairs compared
- Headroom over the stair checked on the drawings
- Fire doors and escape routes planned with it
From the hatch to the handover
Most of the work happens from the scaffold outside, so you can live in the house until the stair is cut through, late in the build.
Survey and design
We measure, draw the loft with you and agree a written price for the build.
Approvals
We prepare the drawings and explain which permissions apply; the approval offices decide and set the timing.
Shell
Scaffold goes up, steel and new floor joists go in, and the dormer or new roof is framed and made weathertight.
Inside
Insulation, wiring, plumbing and plasterboard, then the stair is cut through from the floor below.
Finish and sign off
Joinery, tiling and decorating, then the final inspection and a handover pack with the sign off papers.
Lofts we have finished, and one halfway
Bedrooms, an office and a shower room, plus a loft caught between the old ceiling and the new floor.
From households who moved upstairs (example reviews)
The survey showed the loft was just too low at the ridge, so the drawings used a dormer instead of lowering our ceilings. The stair landed where the airing cupboard was, which nobody in the family had thought of.
For the first six weeks the team worked from the scaffold and never came through the house. The stair was cut through in week nine, with dust sheets down on every floor that morning.
Drawings only, used with a builder we already knew. They went through approval first time, and the builder called them the clearest set he had worked from.
Loft questions we hear at every survey
Do we need permission for a loft conversion?
Almost always for the building work itself, and sometimes for the outside changes too. Many places treat some loft conversions as permitted work while others need planning approval, and listed buildings or protected areas add more steps. We explain what usually applies to your address at the survey, and the local approval office has the final say.
Can we stay at home during the build?
Most families do. The shell is built from the scaffold outside, and the house below is only opened up when the stair goes in, late in the build. Expect daytime noise and a few dusty weeks.
Will the loft be warm in winter and cool in summer?
New insulation goes into the roof, the dormer walls and the floor, to the levels the rules where you live ask for. Roof windows with blinds and some ventilation keep it comfortable in summer.
Do the neighbours need to agree?
That depends on the place. In some countries a shared wall means a formal notice to the neighbours before work starts; elsewhere it is a courtesy. We explain what applies and prepare any notices that are needed.
What happens to the water tank in the loft?
Old tanks usually come out, and the heating and hot water are changed to a system that does not need them. That change is priced in the quote, so it never arrives as a surprise.
When do we pay?
A deposit when the contract is signed, then a payment after each stage is checked. The last payment falls due at handover, once the sign off papers are in your hands.
Book a loft survey
Tell us about the house and the room you want up there. Within two working days we ring to arrange a survey of about an hour, and the written summary follows within a week.
- Survey fee $350, taken off a design or a build
- The drawings are yours, whoever builds
- Weekday line: +44 20 7946 0208
Talk to the loft team
Surveys and drawings are planned from the office. Once building starts, your site lead gives you a direct number.
Opening hours
| Monday to Friday | 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 13:00, survey visits |
| Sunday | Closed |
Where we convert
Anywhere in the city or its commuter belt. Outside that circle we can still survey and draw, with the travel cost named first.