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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

When we have completed the construction details and they have been conditionally approved, or approved in full, you can contact local builders and ask them to provide quotes for the work based on these plans. We have a list of reputable builders we have worked with in the past which cover all the areas we work in, so we can provide with their details. We recommend getting three quotes unless you already have a known builder lined up to do the work. Prior to commencement, you will need to inform Building Control that you are starting, usually 1 week beforehand and you will be able to pay for the on-site inspections, as quoted in their original quote we obtained for you. Although it is usually the builders who liaise with Building Control, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure inspections are being carried out at the appropriate stages. For larger projects, we offer a construction management programme, where we visit the site at regular intervals to assess the progress and quality of works where the owner may require additional assurance or is unable to manage the build themselves.

This is usually permitted development and planning permission isn't generally required, unless the work involves enlarging the building or altering the roof structure - for example changing it from a flat roof to a pitched.

A new housing development or in a conservation area may have permitted development rights removed from some properties with regard outbuilding and garage conversions and therefore you should contact your local planning authority before proceeding.

Whenever work is proposed to a listed building, listed building consent may be required.

For more information on Listed building consent, please read news section:

You will need to obtain Building Regulations approval for the work, however to ensure the conversion meets the current building regulations in particular, fire safety/means of escape in the event of a fire, thermal efficiency, and ventilation

 

1) Is there enough head height?
People are often disappointed by how much space they have to actually stand up in, whilst there may seem a lot of room in the loft space to walk around, the joists that you are walking on are technically only for very light loads usually only around 75mm deep and to support the ceiling plasterboards. A second set of joists needs to be placed next to the ceiling joists to support the floor loads and they may raise the deck by at least 150mm more so if there is a no load bearing walls below.

The roof needs to be upgraded with insulation to become a habitable room, which will amount to around at least 125mm thick, some of which may be fitted between the rafters, but there needs to be an air gap of 50mm left between the insulation and the felt to prevent moisture building up.

So you may find that you lose around 250mm of head height when the loft conversion is carried out.

Don’t forget you’ll have to accommodate a staircase leading up into the loft – to make the best use of space the new staircase should rise above the old one and not from within an existing bedroom, but this is not always practical, because you need to maintain a 2.0m head height above the existing and new staircase and to achieve this, the bottom of the stairs needs to start directly above the existing stair, and this is usually inside and existing bedroom.

Also consider whether there are water tanks and plumbing in the loft, because the heating and hot water system may have to be replaced with a sealed system.

 

Trees can play a crucial role in the design of buildings. Not only are they an important factor in the consideration of planning application, but they can also influence the construction too. Some trees can have Tree Preservation Orders (TPO) on them which means a planning application is required to conduct any work on or around the tree, but even unprotected trees can require the same level of attention when considering how you want to develop land with trees on. We can conduct tree surveys and produce tree reports to accompany planning applications which will satisfy the constraints sets by existing trees on a site. This could include temporary protection measures during the construction, or permeant protection measures if you are wanting to construct a building or driveway within the designated root protection zone of a tree. The proximity of a tree to any proposed development could influence the construction methods of a building, whether that be the foundations or the floor construction. Depending on the size and type of tree, and its relative position to a structure, deeper foundations may be required, even specialist designs may be necessary to account for the ground heave caused by a tree roots influence on the soil. Local authorities are driving to create greener environments which now means that a net gain in biodiversity is required across a site where the ecological environment is being altered. This will be a planning requirement on most larger applications and not only means new trees and planting must be introduced, but also any trees that are lost due to the proposed development need to be replaced with significant alternatives. We can produce landscaping plans which set out specifications for new tree planting, hedgerows and alike.

A U value is a measure of how effective a material or a collection of materials is an insulator for example the combined components that make the outside wall. It is expressed in W/m2k, and shows the amount of heat lost in watts (W) per square metre of material (for example wall, roof, floor etc.) when the temperature (k) outside is at least one degree lower. The lower the u value, the better the insulation provided by the material.

So when it is cold outside and warm inside, U-value is the measurement of how quickly the heat from the inside leaks to the outside.

 The build up of component materials in each element will dictate the overall U value. There are minimum u values set by the government which have to be met for each element of a building. These can vary if it is an extension being construction when compared to a new dwelling.