Tell me the process for a loft conversion...

[icravecheese]

Sorry, probably totally simple, but I called up a builder yesterday who specialises in loft conversions - done loads in my area. He was totally helpful and chatted to me for over half an hour about the process, but said that he essentially needs detailed drawings done before he can price it all up (but did give me ball-park figure of £30k).

Do I go head and get some proper plans drawn up then take them to other builders for quotes, or do I get builders round first to give me a rough idea, then do detailed plans?

I've no idea - never done ANY building work to our house! Help!

We had one done several years ago. We had to get an architect to do drawings, and he got it through the planning permission stage which was a separate cost. When you have agreed plans you can get more accurate quotes for the work (e.g. we had to have a couple of lintels strengthened downstairs in the house, all new fire doors etc because of regs, so they had to be factored into builders costs). Our house is an Edwardian mid-terrace, so depending on the kind of house you have you may not need that, the lintels may be strong enough already. I'm sorry i can't remember anything more useful than that!

we are in the middle of a renovation now (dh is)
and cant afford the loft we are planning now but are getting it set up for next summer to start, so already opening the ceiling.
you don't need planning now if you follow the guidelines on the link below, If you do go planning you tend to be allowed less than the guidelines.
You will need 2 or 3 steels for the floor but worth while having a structural engineer to tell you what you do need.

We are turning a hip end to gable, adding a room with bathroom.
Price wise will always depend where you live and who you use.
Our builder has done a few jobs with dh so far like knowing walls out and drive way and we are looking at 6k for material and his labour - 2k for the labour, then whatever we spend on the bathroom and finishing touches

www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/loftconversion/

Make sure you use someone who specialises in loft conversions. Go to a company they can quote prior to plans being drawn. Talk through your options for example where the staircase will be fitted. Also existing plumbing will need to be looked at if you have tanks in the loft or want to add a bathroom. Get 3 or 4 quotes together. A lot of lift companies do the drawings in the price.

We are doing ours under permitted development - it's a reconversion of a shite loft conversion, so basically starting from scratch. We are doing hip to gable, back dormer and big room with ensuite and it's costing about £35k, plus £1k for plans and then it was about £600 for fees to council. We also need to replace all the fecking doors, which looks like costing close to two grand. So £40k all in? We're in greater London though. I've seen some nice looking companies that do loft conversions for fixed prices, including plans and permissions, but we've come to this by way of a long drawn out process (were originally just extending on the ground floor, but can't get planning permission unless we sort out the giant barnacle that is our current loft conversion) so we're just getting our builder to do it who we had contracted for the ground floor. The nice thing about doing the loft first is that is should be pretty quick - builder reckons six weeks from now it will all be done.

Thanks all....just spoken to another builder who is happy to come round and look. He is the brother of a friend of mine, so not sure if thats a good thing or not! But he was very helpful and had lots of ideas.

My main concern is that we live in a detached Edwardian house - and the roof pitch goes in such a way that any dormers would be to the side (can't do the preferable back dormer thing), and have had people talk about flat dormers, which would, IMO, look minging on the side of a roof of an edwardian house (not that i'm precious about it, but would just look odd I think). So have started asking about pitch gable dormers...lots of teeth sucking ensues whenever I ask the question!

But thanks for advice nonetheless, all useful.