How Long Do Loft Conversions Take? The Stages of Conversion

Since a loft conversion can be a large job, you may understandably be anxious about the disruption this can cause and how long the work will be going on. The good news is that, since the loft is separate from a lot of the house, the work will not be as noisy as you might expect. The length of time will depend upon your specific conversion requirements, though there are several stages involved.

The Type Of Conversion

Planning the type of conversion will be the first step, which means determining the type of roof you have and what kind of space you need. Roofs are now becoming much easier to convert, meaning ‘W’ shaped roofs that were once impossible can now be converted due to newer techniques. However, it is still best to get professional advice at this planning stage.

Planning Permission

Though you may have decided exactly which type of loft conversion will work for your house it is still possible that you will need to obtain planning permission to start the work. These days it is most likely that planning permission will be required for dormer extensions, though it is not required for most others. New regulations make it much easier to make changes to the home, though there is a 21-day period on which neighbours may object to your plans.

Final Stages of Planning

You have probably already consulted the professionals regarding your conversion options, though at this stage this is completely necessary. Either contract a specialist or use a loft conversion company. This makes the planning and regulations much easier to deal with, as well as ensuring top quality in your loft conversion. At this stage you will probably take some time shopping around for quotes before deciding on your contractor.

All of these planning stages may take a couple of weeks to around three or four months, depending on your circumstances. The process will be a lot quicker if you do not need to apply for planning permission.

Construction of the Loft Conversion

By this time you will be ready to get started on the actual conversion process. This will vary, but takes anything from around one to two months to complete.

The building process will include setting up the scaffolding, adding steel joints to the roof, making other structural changes, and moving on to installation of a staircase, electricity, plumbing and so on. Plastering and decorating will be done in the final stages of conversion, after which work should be complete.