Loft Conversion Cost

Loft conversion costs are more reasonable than you might think.

In considering whether to go ahead with a loft conversion, there are two important factors that must be examined.  Firstly, your loft conversion plans must take into consideration the height of the loft from floor to ridge, which must be at least 2.1 metres (about 7 feet) otherwise it is unlikely that permission will be granted to go ahead.  Secondly, the question of access must also be carefully considered.  There must be enough space on the floor below to install a staircase wide enough to allow furniture to be moved into the loft.

Planning permission is not usually required for loft conversions but this should be checked with the local planning office.  Building regulation approval is essential so an architect or a package firm of loft converters will probably need to be appointed.  A loft conversion can add up to 20% to the value of a house and can be completed in a relatively quick time - say four to six weeks, depending upon the size of the project.

One aspect of loft conversion work usually comes as a pleasant surprise to householders.  This is the realisation that normal family life and routine will hardly be disturbed during the construction period except for the last stages of work when the staircase will be fitted and access between the new loft and the existing house will be made.  This is because access to the roof space will usually be gained through the roof and not through the house.

The square metre cost of lost conversions depends upon the floor area involved.  In this type of work, the floor area is regarded as the visible expanse of floor that can be seen so it excludes the dead area behind the new vertical wall and the junction with the roof.  The cost also depends upon the quality of the specification that is required but in general terms a square metre price of between £600 and £700 could be used for a project in a two storey house.  This would decrease slightly in a bungalow and increase in a three storey property.

This table shows the loft conversion costs for five varying sizes of conversion:

These figures are approximate and may need adjusting for the location of the project.  VAT and any bathroom fittings are excluded.

The table below shows an elemental cost breakdown for a typical loft conversion project expressed in percentage terms and these can be applied to any of the above total conversion costs to produce an approximate guide to individual elements or trades.