Loft conversion drawings in Redbridge

A borough of houses with a loft to use

At the last Census 66.2 per cent of Redbridge households lived in a house or bungalow. Semi-detached and terraced homes of this kind are the ones most likely to qualify for the permitted route, because the national right is written for houses.

The right has limits. 40 m³ (terrace house) / 50 m³ (any other house) additional roof volume. The new roof also may not rise above the existing ridge, and the front slope that faces a highway is excluded. A hip-to-gable conversion on a semi can use up much of the allowance, which is why we calculate the volume before choosing a form.

When a Redbridge loft needs an application

Permitted development does not apply on conservation area land, and Redbridge has 16 conservation areas. Historic England lists 134 entries in the borough, and listed houses need their own consent. Redbridge also has an Article 4 direction for houses in multiple occupation, relevant if the loft is meant to add a letting room.

Part of the borough is Green Belt, about 34 per cent of its area by the published polygons. Green Belt does not remove the loft right on its own, but it can weigh on any larger extension planned alongside the loft, so we check the address for it.

If the house is free of those limits, a Lawful Development Certificate confirms the loft in writing before work starts. Otherwise the scheme goes in as a householder application, drawn to the design guide's test of subordination.

Redbridge's recent householder decisions

In its latest published year Redbridge decided 991 householder applications. It granted 82.8 per cent, and 94.7 per cent were decided within eight weeks or an agreed extension.

These figures describe the whole borough and all kinds of householder work. They do not predict how your loft will fare, and we use them only to plan the programme.

Staircase, headroom and fire safety for a Redbridge loft

Whatever the planning route, building control judges the stair and the escape. Where full headroom cannot be reached, the guidance allows a concession: Loft conversions where 2.0 m cannot be achieved: 1.9 m at the centre of the stair, 1.8 m at the side (half width).

A new storey above a set height also needs a protected route. In short, New storey above 4.5 m by loft conversion: protect the full escape route with fire-resisting doors (min E 20) and partitions (min REI 30). These rules often decide where the stair lands, and so they are settled on the survey, before the dormer is drawn.

The loft drawing set and its price

A Redbridge set includes existing and proposed plans, the new stair, the roof in section and every elevation, plus the location and block plans for the application. Loft conversion drawings start at £695, VAT included, fixed before you commit. Drawings are normally ready about a week after the survey.

A second MCIAT chartered technologist checks every sheet. If the council asks for changes, we redraw at no charge until approval.

Because the design guide turns on how large a dormer looks, we put a dimensioned rear elevation at the front of the set, with the dormer width, the margin below the ridge and the margin from each party wall written beside it. Officers can check the proportions at a glance, and so can you before anything is submitted.

Related drawings in Redbridge and next door

A loft often goes with work below it: house extension drawings in Redbridge and rear extension drawings in Redbridge cover that, and dormer loft conversion drawings in Redbridge look at the dormer in detail.

For the whole borough see architectural drawings in Redbridge. Neighbouring councils apply their own guidance: compare Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest and Havering.