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The construction price is only one part of a loft conversion budget. Depending on your home and the design, you may also need to allow for Building Control, a planning application or Certificate of Lawfulness, party wall surveyors and your chosen finishes. Your quotation should show which of these costs are included and which you will pay separately.
The Building Control fee currently stated by Absolute Lofts is £850 plus VAT, paid by the customer directly to the nominated Building Control provider. Check the amount shown on your own quotation, as the fee may depend on the provider and scope of work.
Building Control reviews the drawings and structural information and inspects the conversion at key stages. These may include structural work, insulation and the staircase. Once the work is complete and the requirements have been met, a completion certificate is issued. Building Control approval is separate from planning permission or a Certificate of Lawfulness.
Some loft conversions require planning permission because the proposed design falls outside permitted development rules or those rights do not apply to the property. Being in a conservation area does not, by itself, mean that every loft conversion needs a planning application; the property and proposal must be checked.
For an application to alter a single house in England, the planning application fee is £548. When submitted through the Planning Portal, its £149 service charge brings the total payable to £697. This is the application and Portal cost; any separately quoted professional services should be identified in your quotation.
If your proposed loft conversion falls within permitted development, you can apply for a Certificate of Lawfulness to obtain written confirmation that the proposal is lawful for planning purposes. The certificate is optional, but it can provide useful evidence if you sell the property later. It does not replace Building Control approval.
For a proposed loft conversion to a single house in England, the certificate application fee is £274. When submitted through the Planning Portal, its £99 service charge brings the total payable to £373.
You would normally budget for either a planning application or a Certificate of Lawfulness for the same proposed work, depending on which route applies. The figures above cover applications submitted through the Planning Portal; the charge may differ if another submission route is used.
Work affecting a shared wall or structure may require notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. A surveyor is not automatically needed simply because a notice is served. If an adjoining owner does not consent and a dispute arises under the Act, one agreed surveyor or separate surveyors can prepare a Party Wall Award.
Where the work is solely for your benefit, you will usually be responsible for the reasonable costs of the Award, including the adjoining owner’s surveyor where one is appointed. The amount depends on the circumstances and should be budgeted for separately. Read more about party wall awards.
If your loft includes a bathroom, allow for the bathroom suite, taps, shower screen, wall and floor tiles, and any tiling labour that is not included in your quotation. Absolute Lofts’ standard information says that fitting the bathroom suite is included in its package, but check the specification for your own project before ordering fittings.
Decoration, new flooring and fitted wardrobes or cupboards may also be separate costs. Decide on these items early enough to compare the full finished cost of the room, rather than just the price of constructing the loft.