Residential Loft Conversions, Extensions, Internal Alterations and Refurbishment Works

Consul are fully qualified and accredited as RICS surveyors to carry out all types of building surveying, which naturally includes a full, professional residential service. Our experienced building surveyors will be able to advise you on:

• Suitability of your roof space for conversion or extension.
• Work required for all types of proposed internal alterations and refurbishment works.

We can also assess whether land can be safely and properly used for an extension to your property.

At the outset, it is important to be aware that if you are planning to carry out a loft extension, you will require building regulations approval to:

• Extend or alter the roof space
• Exceed specified limits and conditions

However, the conversion of a roof space does not require planning consent.

Secondly, certain conditions must be met. Any additional roof space to be created must not exceed:

• Terraced houses – a volume allowance of 40 cubic metres additional roof space
• Detached and semi-detached houses – a volume allowance of 50 cubic metres additional roof space.

Any additional space must include any previous roof space a previous owner may have created.

There are restrictions on the height of the roof extensions and windows, particularly whether they are side facing, and opening or non-opening.

Key regulations to note include, no extension:

• Beyond the plane of the existing roof slope of the principal elevation facing the highway.
• Above the highest part of the roof

You should also be aware of:

• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms
• Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house

The THREE main considerations are:

Head Height: the useable part of the roof should be greater than 2.2m / 86.5in from the bottom of the ridge timber to the top of the ceiling joist.

Pitch Angle: the higher the pitch angle – how steep the vertical plane is – the higher the central head height is likely to be.

Type of Structure: Traditional Frame or Truss Section

• Traditional Frame – typically found in pre-1960s houses where the roof timbers were constructed and installed on site, and is often the most suitable type for attic conversions.
• Truss Section – post 1960s, factory-made roof trusses with additional braced diagonal timbers, which may not have load-bearing structures beneath, so would require additional structural support.

Further items to be aware of are obstacles such as, water tanks or chimney stacks.

The four main types of loft conversion are:

• Roof Light
• Dormer
• Hip-to-Gable
• Mansard

Roof Light

Considered the most economical and least disruptive option, without any changes required to the shape or pitch of the roof. The alterations usually include:

• Skylight windows
• Laying down of a proper floor
• Addition of a staircase

There must be enough roof space available without the necessity for an extension.

Dormer

An extension that protrudes from the slope of the roof, which adds significant extra headroom and floor space. Flat-roof dormers, in particular, are the most popular type of conversion, suitable for most houses with a sloping roof.

Hip-to-Gable

An extension of the sloping ‘hip’ roof at the side of your property outwards to create a vertical ‘gable’ wall and more internal loft space. This type of conversion is only suitable for detached or semi-detached houses, as a free sloping side roof is required.

A detached house can be built upon using both sloping roofs on either side to create an even more spacious double hip-to-gable extension.

Mansard

This type of extension runs along the whole length of your house roof. The angle of the roof slope is altered, making it almost vertical, resulting in a significant amount of extra space.

If the statutory limitations are complied with your loft conversion will not need planning permission but will still have to meet building regulations approval.

The aim of the regulations is to ensure that the converted space is:

• Structurally sound
• Fire safe
• Reasonably insulated between the loft and the rooms below

The specific regulations that will apply depend on the type of conversion planned. However, it is important to note the initial requirements of the building regulations, which include:

• Fire Safety: Fire-resistant doors plus mains-powered smoke alarms will be required to make the new room fire-safe.
• Floor and Beams: New floor joists are likely to be installed to support the weight of the new room.
• Sound Insulation: Noise between rooms must be sufficiently insulated.
• Stairs: New stairs will be needed to provide escape in the event of a fire (retractable staircases and ladders are insufficient).
• Walls: Any new walls will need to support any existing or new roofs where existing supports have been removed.