Loft Conversions · Reading & Berkshire
Loft Conversions —
Unlock a Whole New Floor
Without Leaving Home
A loft conversion is the cheapest extra bedroom in Berkshire — usually a fraction of what it costs to move. We design, build and sign off the whole conversion: structure, stairs, dormers, ensuite, finishes.
5.0 average from verified Google reviews Fully insured · 18 years building in Berkshire
Recent work
A look at projects across Berkshire.
What we do
Loft Conversions done properly — the first time.
Full-spec loft conversions across all four common types: roof-light (Velux only), dormer (rear or side), hip-to-gable (chip the hip off to gain a vertical gable), and mansard (full roof reconstruction). Includes structure, stairs, dormer windows, insulation, plumbing for ensuites, electrics, plastering and decoration.
Growing families needing another bedroom, parents creating a teenager's room with privacy, homeworkers wanting a permanent office out of the family flow, and homeowners adding value before selling.
When a new baby means the office becomes a nursery, when a teenager needs their own space, when working from home permanently has outlasted the kitchen-table phase, or when buyers' surveyors say the house is right but the bedroom count is short.
Loft conversions look simple from the outside and aren't. Get the head height wrong and the stair fails Building Control. Get the steel sizing wrong and the ceiling below cracks. Get the fire-safety detailing wrong and you can't legally call it a bedroom. We do the whole stack — structure, fire, stairs, escape, insulation, finishes — to current Building Regs.
The cost of waiting
A loft conversion done badly is the most expensive bedroom in your house.
What happens if it's ignored
- Inadequate head height (under 1.8m at the top of the staircase) means it can never legally be called a bedroom — and never adds full market value.
- Missing fire-rated stair and escape detailing means the conversion fails Building Control sign-off — and the room is unsellable as habitable space.
- Undersized structural steels deflect and crack the ceiling below within 18 months.
- Cold roof rather than warm roof construction causes condensation, rot and mould in the rafters within five winters.
Mistakes we fix every month
- Hiring a 'conversion specialist' who skips Building Regs and offers a 'no paperwork' price — an almost certain problem when you come to sell.
- Cheap Velux-only conversion in a house that needs a dormer for usable head height — the room is unusable as a bedroom.
- DIY staircase without proper rise/going calculations — fails inspection and has to come out.
- Missing fire doors and protected stair — the conversion is illegal as a habitable room until added.
Our process
A clear five-step system from first call to final handover.
- Step 1
Site Visit & Inspection
We come to you, measure up, photograph the site and listen properly to what you want from the loft conversion.
- Step 2
Written Quote & Diagnosis
You get an itemised, fixed-price quote within 48 hours — labour, materials, timings and what's specifically excluded.
- Step 3
Schedule & Prepare
We agree a start date, order materials in advance and protect your home — dust sheets, walkways, skip placement.
- Step 4
Build & Communicate
Daily progress updates from your dedicated foreman. No subcontractor merry-go-round — you see the same faces every day.
- Step 5
Sign-Off & Handover
Final walk-around with you, snags fixed on the spot — we don't leave until you're happy with the finish.
What you get
Specific outcomes — not vague promises.
Cheapest space you'll ever add
Loft floor area typically costs a fraction of a ground-floor extension and usually adds 15–20% to property value in Reading.
Live in throughout
All works above ceiling level until very late stage — most disruption is contained to the loft. The new staircase goes in over a single day.
Full Building Regs sign-off
Fire-rated doors, protected stair, structural calcs, escape window detailing — all to current Part B and Part K. Signed off in writing.
Warm roof, properly insulated
Insulation between and over rafters, breathable membrane, ventilated cold space above — no condensation, no mould, no rotten timbers.
8–14 weeks on site
Typical full dormer conversion: 10–12 weeks from scaffold up to handover. We give you a Gantt-style schedule with the quote.
One contract, end-to-end
Architect's drawings, structural engineer calcs, Building Control, build, finish, ensuite, decoration — one contract, one price, one foreman.
The detail
Materials, methods and variations for loft conversions in Reading.
Loft conversions in Reading, Caversham and Newbury divide neatly by house type: Victorian and Edwardian terraces usually need rear dormers, 1930s semis benefit from hip-to-gable plus rear dormer, and post-war detached often suit a full mansard. The right type depends on existing roof structure, head height, and what you want from the new room.
Materials we work with
- Structural steels
- RSJ/UB steels to engineer's spec, supported off existing party walls or new padstones. Sized to carry the new floor and any dormer above.
- Floor joists
- Engineered I-joists or solid timber, sized to span without bounce, hung off the new steels with proper joist hangers.
- Insulation (warm roof)
- PIR (Celotex/Kingspan) between rafters plus 50mm over — eliminates cold bridging and gives a 'warm roof' that doesn't condense.
- Dormer construction
- Timber-framed dormer cheeks insulated to current Part L, finished externally in matching tile-hang, render, or zinc/lead cladding.
- Velux roof windows
- Centre-pivot or top-hung Velux windows sized as escape windows (minimum 0.33m² openable area, minimum 450mm clear) to Part B.
- Staircase
- Bespoke timber staircase designed to current Part K (max 42° pitch, max 220mm rise, min 220mm going), 1.9m head height clear at all points.
- Fire-rated doors & detailing
- FD30 doors to all habitable rooms off the new stair, automatic closers where required, protected stair enclosure.
Methods & techniques
- Loft survey & feasibility
- We measure head height, check existing roof structure, identify chimneys and obstacles, and tell you which conversion type your house can actually take.
- Structural design
- Structural engineer designs the steel layout, floor joist sizing, and dormer structure. Drawings submitted for Building Regs approval.
- Steel install
- Steels craned or hand-walked into position through the new dormer opening or via the existing loft hatch on smaller jobs.
- Dormer construction
- Roof stripped back over the dormer area, dormer frame assembled in place, breathable membrane and battens, then clad externally. Whole process weatherproofed within a single day.
- Fire safety detailing
- Protected stair enclosure with 30-minute fire-rated walls, FD30 doors, mains-wired interlinked smoke alarms on every floor — all to Part B.
Common variations & situations
- Roof-light (Velux-only) loft conversions
- Rear dormer conversions for additional head height
- Hip-to-gable conversions on 1930s semis and detached
- Hip-to-gable plus rear dormer (most common high-value combo)
- Mansard conversions on terraced and end-of-terrace
- L-shaped dormer conversions on Victorian/Edwardian terraces
- Ensuite installations within the loft
- Home-office loft conversions with bespoke desk and storage
- Master suite loft conversions with dressing room and ensuite
- Storage and games room loft conversions (not habitable)
Residential vs commercial
Loft conversions are almost entirely a residential service. We occasionally take on small commercial loft conversions in Reading where the spec, fire compliance and structural standards are appropriate.
Common questions
What homeowners in Reading ask before booking.
Related services
Often booked alongside loft conversions
- Extensions — Single & double-storey extensions designed and built end-to-end.
- Roofing — New roofs, re-roofs and repairs — pitched and flat.
- Brickwork — Specialist brickwork and pointing — the craft we built our name on.
Ready when you are
Get a fixed written quote for your loft conversions — within 48 hours.
No high-pressure sales. No vague day rates. Just an itemised quote from a builder who's been on the tools for 18 years.
Fully insured 18 years on the tools Quote within 48 hours