Loft Conversions in Woking & Surrey

Make use of the space you already have

There is a whole floor sitting empty above most houses, full of nothing but cold water tanks and old boxes. A loft conversion turns that wasted space into a proper room, and it does it without taking a single metre off your garden. For a growing family it is often the smartest way to find an extra bedroom, a home office or a teenager's room with a bit of distance from the rest of the house.

Prince Builders have been converting lofts across Woking and Surrey since 1998. We handle the lot in-house: the steelwork, the floor, the roof changes, the new staircase, the insulation, the wiring and plumbing, the plastering and the decorating. You get one team you can trust in your home, not a revolving door of subcontractors.

Done well, a loft adds real value to your property as well as space. Done badly, it can be cramped, dark and a nightmare to sign off, so it pays to use builders who do this properly and know the rules inside out.

What a loft conversion involves

The first thing we look at is head height. There needs to be enough room to stand comfortably under the ridge, and we measure this on day one so you know straight away what is realistic. From there we work out the best layout, where the new staircase goes and how to fit it in without eating into the rooms below.

Lofts are governed by building regulations rather than full planning in most cases, since many conversions count as permitted development. The regulations cover the things that really matter: fire safety, the strength of the new floor, insulation and proper escape routes. Fire safety is a big one, so you will usually need fire doors on the new stairs, mains-powered smoke alarms and the right protection on the staircase. A building inspector checks the key stages and signs the work off at the end.

Throughout the job we keep the mess to a minimum, board out the access route and protect the rooms below. When we are finished you get a properly insulated, warm, light room that meets every regulation, with the paperwork to prove it.

Which type of loft conversion is right for you

A Velux or rooflight conversion is the simplest and cheapest. We keep the existing roof shape and fit windows into the slope, which works well when you already have good head height. A dormer conversion is the most common choice, building out a box from the roof to create proper standing height and a flat ceiling, which gives you a lot more usable floor space.

A hip-to-gable conversion suits semi-detached and end-terrace homes, changing the sloping side of the roof into a straight gable end to free up width, and it is often paired with a dormer at the back. A mansard is the biggest change of all, reshaping most of the roof to create a near full extra storey, and it tends to suit period homes and town houses. Many lofts have room for an en-suite too, and if you are weighing a loft against building out, our home extensions page is worth a read. A loft also pairs well with a wider property renovation if you are updating the whole house at once.

Why Prince Builders

Why choose Prince Builders

A loft is one of the trickier jobs to get right, so the firm you pick really matters.

A family business since 1998, with more than 25 years spent up in Surrey lofts.
Certified, qualified and fully insured, so every stage is properly covered.
We measure your head height honestly on the first visit and tell you what is realistic.
All trades under one roof, from steelwork and stairs to plastering and paint.
We get the fire safety and building regulations right, not just the look.
Careful protection of the rooms below while we work overhead.
Neat dormers and roof finishes that suit the style of your house.
Full building control sign-off and the certificate handed to you at the end.
Built on word of mouth, so we cannot afford to cut corners.
A free quote and friendly, honest advice, with no hard sell at the end of it.

Areas we cover

We fit a lot of dormer and hip-to-gable lofts on the semis and terraces around Weybridge and Camberley, which is where this kind of work suits the housing best. From our base in Woking we cover the rest of Surrey and South West London as well. We convert lofts across Woking, Camberley, Ascot, Cobham and Virginia Water as well, where head height and roof pitch decide what is possible far more than the floor area below.

The honest answer on whether a loft will work for you only comes once we have been up there with a tape measure, so let us climb up and take a proper look first.

Good To Know

Frequently asked questions

Will my loft have enough head height to convert?

As a rough guide you want around 2.2 to 2.4 metres from the floor joists to the ridge before work starts, though a dormer or mansard can create height where there is not quite enough. We always measure on the first visit so you get a clear answer rather than a guess.

Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?

Often not. Many loft conversions count as permitted development, which means you do not need a full planning application. Larger dormers, mansards and homes in conservation areas are the usual exceptions. We check this for your specific property before anything starts.

Where will the new staircase go?

Usually it runs up over the existing staircase to keep the loss of space below to a minimum. We work out the best position during planning so you keep as much usable room as possible on the floor underneath, while still meeting the regulations on stairs and escape.

Can I have an en-suite in the loft?

Yes, plenty of our loft bedrooms include an en-suite. We plan the pipework and the position early so the plumbing runs sensibly down through the house, and we make sure the new bathroom is properly waterproofed and ventilated.

How long does a loft conversion take?

Most lofts take somewhere in the region of six to ten weeks, depending on the type and whether there is an en-suite. A simple Velux conversion is quicker, a mansard takes longer. We will give you a proper timescale once we have seen the space.

Does a loft conversion add value to my home?

Generally yes. An extra bedroom, especially one with an en-suite, is one of the most reliable ways to add value, and it can lift your home into a higher bracket for buyers. The exact figure depends on your area and the quality of the finish.

Get a free quote

Thinking about converting your loft? Call Prince Builders on 01483 323512 for a free, no-obligation quote. We will come round, take a proper look at the space and give you honest advice on what is possible and what it will cost.

More Of What We Do