# Better Lofts — Full Reference

> Guides and typical costs for loft conversions, loft insulation and loft boarding, with a free enquiry service for homeowners in West Sussex, East Sussex & Hampshire.

Better Lofts is run by Better Home Hub Ltd (company number 16605946, registered office Unit A, 82 James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmunds, England, IP28 7DE). It is an introduction service. It does not carry out, survey, design, supervise, guarantee, vet or insure any work, and it does not make planning, building control, party wall or grant applications. When a homeowner sends an enquiry, it goes to Better Home Hub, which may introduce them to a loft specialist. Specialists it introduces may pay Better Home Hub a fee for the introduction. Using the site is free for homeowners and there is no obligation. Any contract for work is between the homeowner and the specialist.

Website: https://betterlofts.uk
Email: info@betterhomehub.co.uk
Enquiry form: https://betterlofts.uk/get-a-quote

Prices below are typical UK ranges from published cost guides, last reviewed September 2026. They are guides, not quotes. Sources: Checkatrade loft conversion cost guide (March 2026), loft boarding cost guide (June 2026) and loft insulation cost guide (July 2026); HomeBuilding & Renovating loft conversion costs (July 2026); Energy Saving Trust roof and loft insulation advice (May 2026).


## Topic 1: Loft Conversions

A loft conversion turns an unused loft into a usable room. It normally involves design drawings, structural calculations, building regulations approval and a builder who manages the work.

### Velux / Rooflight Conversion (typically £22,500–£45,000)
Works within the existing roof shape and adds roof windows. Usually the least expensive type and often does not need planning permission, but building regulations approval is always required. Only suits lofts with enough head height — commonly quoted as around 2.2m or more from the top of the ceiling joists to the underside of the ridge. Checkatrade suggests around 4–6 weeks on site for a typical 30m² loft.

### Dormer Conversion (typically £40,000–£75,000)
Builds out from the roof slope to add headroom and floor space. The most common type in the UK. Rear dormers can often be built under permitted development if they meet the limits. Checkatrade suggests around 10–12 weeks on site for a typical 30m² dormer.

### Hip-to-Gable Conversion (typically £50,000–£85,000)
Extends the sloping end of a hipped roof into a vertical gable wall, often with a rear dormer. Suits detached, semi-detached and end-of-terrace houses with hipped roofs.

### Mansard Conversion (typically £50,000–£120,000)
Rebuilds one or both roof slopes almost vertically. Creates the most space, usually costs the most, and normally needs planning permission.

### Extra costs (HomeBuilding & Renovating, July 2026)
Architectural drawings £1,500–£4,000; structural engineer £750–£2,500; party wall surveyor £1,000–£2,500+; skip hire £300–£600 per skip; fixtures and fittings £2,000–£15,000+. A householder planning application in England costs £548 (Planning Portal, 2026).


## Topic 2: Loft Insulation

The Energy Saving Trust says an uninsulated home loses around 25% of its heat through the roof.

### Mineral Wool / Loft Roll (typically £600–£1,300)
The most common loft insulation, laid between and over the ceiling joists. The Energy Saving Trust gives 270mm as the recommended minimum depth for mineral wool, estimates professional installation at about £750 from scratch or £600 as a top-up from 120mm, and estimates that topping up from 120mm to 270mm saves about £17 a year in Great Britain (May 2026). Checkatrade (July 2026) puts 270mm quilt insulation at about £654 for a terraced house, £825 for a semi-detached and £1,206 for a detached house. Installing insulation in roof spaces does not need building regulations approval (GOV.UK).

### Multifoil, e.g. SuperFOIL (materials from about £14/m²)
Thin layers of reflective foil and wadding. The manufacturer quotes a tested R-value of 2.49 m²K/W for SuperFOIL SF19+ in roofs, so it is usually combined with other insulation in a loft conversion to meet building regulations. The manufacturer says its products hold BBA approval and LABC registration; homeowners should ask building control to confirm the product and method for their roof.

### Rigid Insulation Board (PIR/phenolic; materials from about £35/m²)
Commonly fitted between and below rafters in converted lofts, with plasterboard over. The thickness needed depends on the product, rafter depth and the U-value required under Part L.

### Spray Foam (materials from about £37/m²)
The Energy Saving Trust warns that spraying foam onto the underside of a roof can trap moisture and cause timber rot, makes roof repairs harder and is effectively permanent, and that some buyers have had mortgage difficulties with spray-foamed homes. It points homeowners to RICS guidance and says mineral wool at joist level is usually the lower-risk option.

### Grants and funding
ECO4, delivered through energy suppliers for low-income and vulnerable households, runs until 31 December 2026 after a nine-month extension (Ofgem). The Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026 (Ofgem). The Energy Saving Trust says the government's Warm Homes Plan is due to bring fully funded insulation for people on low incomes and low or zero-interest loans for other homeowners, with details still to be confirmed. Eligibility is never guaranteed. Better Lofts does not assess eligibility or make grant applications.


## Topic 3: Loft Boarding & Storage

### Full Loft Boarding (typically £1,000–£3,600)
Raised boarding systems covering roughly 20–40m² (Checkatrade, June 2026). Raised legs keep boards above the insulation; the Energy Saving Trust advises not squashing mineral wool and leaving a small ventilation gap.

### Partial Loft Boarding (typically £750–£1,350)
A raised boarding system of about 15m² (Checkatrade, June 2026), often a walkway plus a storage area.

### Loft Ladders & Hatches (typically £185–£570)
Checkatrade (June 2026) puts a pull-down aluminium loft ladder at about £185–£570 installed and relocating a loft hatch at about £260–£550.

The Planning Portal says loft joists are not normally designed to take significant weight, so boarding a loft for storage may need building regulations approval; the local council can advise.


## England Loft Conversion Rules (general information, not legal advice)

### Permitted development (Planning Portal, Class B)
Roof enlargements such as dormers can be permitted development on houses (not flats) that are not on designated land (conservation areas, National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage Sites, the Broads), subject to these conditions:
- Volume added to the original roof space no more than 40 cubic metres for terraced houses, 50 cubic metres otherwise (including previous enlargements).
- Not higher than the highest part of the existing roof.
- Not beyond the existing roof slope on the principal elevation facing a highway.
- Materials similar in appearance to the existing house.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms; no installing, altering or replacing chimneys, flues or soil and vent pipes.
- Side-facing windows obscure-glazed, and any opening part at least 1.7m above the floor.
- Set back, so far as practicable, at least 20cm from the original eaves.
Councils can remove permitted development rights with Article 4 directions. Listed buildings normally need listed building consent for alterations that affect their character. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

### Building regulations (Planning Portal)
Building regulations approval is required to convert a loft into a liveable space. It covers the strength of the new floor, stability of the structure, safe escape from fire (typically fire-resisting doors protecting the stairway and mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarms in the stairway at each level), safely designed stairs (retractable ladders are not normally acceptable), sound insulation, and energy efficiency. Approval can come from the local council or a registered building control approver (GOV.UK).

### Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (GOV.UK)
Work on a party wall needs notice to the neighbour between 2 months and a year before starting. The neighbour should respond in writing within 14 days; no response starts the dispute process. If the owners cannot agree, surveyors prepare a party wall award.

### Lawful Development Certificate (GOV.UK)
Optional written confirmation that proposed work is lawful. The fee for proposed work is half the fee for the equivalent planning application.


## Enquiry Area

Better Lofts takes enquiries from homeowners in West Sussex, East Sussex and Hampshire. A specialist is not guaranteed to be available for every enquiry.

**Hampshire:** Southampton, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Waterlooville, Havant, Emsworth, Petersfield, Liss
**West Sussex:** Chichester, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Arundel, Worthing, Shoreham-by-Sea, Steyning, Henfield, Midhurst, Horsham, Crawley, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath
**East Sussex:** Brighton, Hove, Lewes


## Frequently Asked Questions

**How much does a loft conversion cost?**
Typical 2026 UK ranges are about £22,500–£45,000 for a rooflight (Velux) conversion, £40,000–£75,000 for a dormer, £50,000–£85,000 for a hip-to-gable and £50,000–£120,000 for a mansard (Checkatrade; HomeBuilding & Renovating). Only a specialist who has seen the home can quote.

**Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?**
Many loft conversions on houses in England are permitted development if they meet the limits above. They are not permitted development on flats or designated land, or where rights have been removed. Mansards normally need planning permission. Every loft conversion needs building regulations approval.

**How long does a loft conversion take?**
Checkatrade (March 2026) suggests around 4–6 weeks on site for a typical rooflight conversion, 10–12 weeks for a dormer or hip-to-gable and 8–10 weeks for a mansard, once any planning permission is in place.

**Will a loft conversion add value to my home?**
Checkatrade says a well-designed loft conversion can add up to around 20% to a property's value, depending on location and type. This is not guaranteed.

**Can I stay at home during a loft conversion?**
Checkatrade says most homeowners stay in their home during the work, although there may be some disruption.

**How much can I save with loft insulation?**
It depends on the home. As one example, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that topping up from about 120mm to 270mm saves about £17 a year in Great Britain (May 2026). Savings are estimates.

**Are there grants for loft insulation?**
ECO4 runs until 31 December 2026 for eligible low-income and vulnerable households; the Great British Insulation Scheme closed on 31 March 2026 (Ofgem). Eligibility is not guaranteed.

**Does spray foam insulation affect a mortgage or sale?**
It can. See the Energy Saving Trust's spray foam guidance and the RICS guidance for homeowners.


## Company Information

- **Site name:** Better Lofts
- **Run by:** Better Home Hub Ltd, company number 16605946
- **Registered office:** Unit A, 82 James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmunds, England, IP28 7DE
- **What it is:** an introduction service; it does not carry out work, and specialists it introduces may pay Better Home Hub a fee
- **Parent website:** https://betterhomehub.co.uk
- **Website:** https://betterlofts.uk
- **Email:** info@betterhomehub.co.uk
- **Enquiry form:** https://betterlofts.uk/get-a-quote
- **Blog:** https://betterlofts.uk/blog