Loft conversion progress stalling! Can we compare timelinesv

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I’m panicking. Baby is due in 7.5 weeks. We are doing an L-shaped loft conversion on Victorian Terrace NW London (so 2 beds, & en suite). We still have no roof and haven’t got to 1st fix yet. Our roof has been exposed for six weeks while they fix something. Builder says they will start to felt and baton it next week. But bear in mind we have no electrics, no plasterboard walls, it’s still very much a building site. I have no hope for finishing in 7.5 weeks do I? Can you remember when progress seemed to accelerate for your loft conversion?
Builder says he will do us a timeline on Saturday, but that’s two more days for me to just worry. Would love to compare notes.

Goodness! Ours was finished in 5 weeks, but it was only a hip to gable & dormer. Bathroom took a week after that then it was only painting & carpeting

Depending on how many people there are on site it shouldn't take more than a couple of days, maybe a week to felt baton and tile the roof. Once the felt it in they can also be working internally am straight away to put in the studwork and do the first fix. 7.5 weeks sounds very achievable for a finished job to me. Could maybe be done in 3 or 4?

Same conversion in London - 14 weeks from start to finish (carpets down and painted). Shell was up and watertight in 5 weeks, including new roof. Electrics and plumbing points quickly after that, maybe 2 weeks, then plasterboarding. A week for plastering to dry out where nothing else happens. Then bathroom and you're on the home straight with carpentry and putting the rads on last after painting.

You need to be on them every day at 8am if they are not on site - and make sure have everything bought and delivered (eg shower, switches, doors, tiles, rads, fitted lights, extractor fan) otherwise you’ll lose time as they’ll drift off to other jobs if they’re not at yours every day with stuff to do.

@Sarah84848484 thank you so much. Yes, two labourers arrive every day at 8am and they work until it’s too dark around 3.45 pm. Our main Builder is also in contact and comes about once a week. Should we be expecting more blokes up there? It’s just two of them. They’re currently insulating the walls and I can hear them all day long. I just don’t know why it’s taking so long.

I think you need to ask more specific questions. "fix something"? what exactly? and is it now complete? you can ask them how long the fix took and therefore how long it delayed them/when they might now finish? Also is the fix going to cost anything extra? I suggest you start asking the builder for a "site meeting" weekly to discuss progress, hitches and any decisions he needs from you to progress. You will hopefully get a feel for how things are going - it may have been a problem that is now sorted and they will be watertight very soon which seems likely if they are insulating. In addition, asking for a weekly meeting will focus their minds on making progress. Good luck

I found it suddenly seemed to speed up. They were up there for ages then they broke through the ceiling to make the access for the new staircase and suddenly the house was full of people - electrician, plumber, plasterer etc. So maybe you’ll find the same thing soon.

So sorry to hear this. Last year, we moved into our new place one week before our daughter arrived. I can only imagine what it must be like for you with the build.
Try not to panic just yet. Loft conversions on Victorian terraces are genuinely complex. Six weeks exposed does sound stressful, but once they're felted and battened, internal work can begin almost immediately and that's when things feel like they're finally moving along.
The advice about weekly site meetings is spot on. I'd add: ask your builder for a simple programme showing each trade in sequence (electrics, plumbing, plasterboard, plastering, second fix, flooring). Even a handwritten list with dates helps. It keeps everyone honest and means you're not just hearing "soon."
Two labourers full-time is fairly normal for this stage, but you should expect different trades cycling through once first fix starts. That's when it accelerates.
One thing worth doing now: make sure every fixture, tile, and fitting is ordered and on site before they need it, so they don't have to wait and you lose a week to nothing.

I write about managing builds and timelines in The Extension Survival Guide (extensionsurvivalguide.co.uk) if useful.