topographical survey Archives - Land & Architectural Survey Blog

Do you need planning permission for a dormer loft conversion?

If you’re considering a loft conversion and want to know if you need planning permission, the answer is maybe. It depends on a few factors, such as the size and location of your property, as well as the type of conversion you’re planning. To get a better understanding of whether or not you need planning permission for a dormer loft conversion, read on. We’ll cover all the key points so you can make an informed decision about your project.

What is a dormer loft conversion?

A dormer loft conversion is a type of extension that projects vertically from the slope of a roof. It’s a popular choice for those wanting to create additional space in their home as it can add both floor space and headroom.

Dormer loft conversions are normally only suitable for properties with enough existing roof space. To be able to add a dormer, there must be enough height and width available on the sloping part of the roof. The size and position of dormers will be determined by the amount of space available and where the best light can be achieved.

As well as being an effective way to create additional living space, dormer loft conversions can also add value to your property. They are usually more expensive than other types of loft conversions but this cost is often offset by the extra value they add to your home.

Why you might need planning permission

You might need planning permission for your dormer loft conversion if the following applies:

-The dormer will protrude from the existing roof more than 15cm.

-The height of the dormer will be taller than 2m.

-The dormer will take up more than 40% of the existing roof space.

-You live in a conservation area or listed building.

How to apply for planning permission

If you are considering a dormer loft conversion, you will need to apply for planning permission from your local authority. The process can be complex, so it is important to seek professional advice before proceeding. You can take a look at a list of projects that needs planning permission.

There are a number of things to consider when applying for planning permission, including the size and location of your proposed dormer, the impact on the surrounding properties and the visual appearance of the finished conversion. You will also need to submit detailed plans and drawings of your proposal.

The planning permission process can be time-consuming, so it is important to start early. Once you have submitted your application, the decision-making process can take up to eight weeks. If your application is successful, you will be granted a planning permit that will allow you to proceed with your conversion.

What are the benefits of a dormer loft conversion?

There are many benefits to a dormer loft conversion, including:

1. Increased living space – a dormer loft conversion will add valuable extra living space to your home, which can be used for any purpose you desire, from an extra bedroom or playroom for the kids to a home office or gym.

2. Improved property value – as well as providing you with extra living space, a dormer loft conversion can also add significant value to your property, making it a great investment for the future.

3. Enhanced natural light and ventilation – compared to a standard loft conversion, a dormer loft conversion will let in more natural light and provide better ventilation, making it a much more pleasant place to spend time in.

4. Greater headroom – due to the sloped nature of most roofs, standard loft conversions can often be quite cramped and have limited headroom. A dormer loft conversion will create more headroom thanks to the addition of vertical walls, making it feel much more spacious.

5. Better energy efficiency – because they let in more natural light and air, dormer loft conversions can also help improve the energy efficiency of your home, saving you money on heating and lighting bills in the long run.

How to choose the right company for your project

When planning a dormer loft conversion, one of the most important decisions you will make is choosing the right company to carry out the work. There are a number of things to consider when making this decision, including:

– The experience and expertise of the company. Make sure they have carried out similar projects before and that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to complete your project to a high standard.

– The cost of the project. Get several quotes from different companies before making a decision. Make sure you are clear on what is included in the price and that there are no hidden costs.

– The timescale for the project. Find out how long the company will need to complete the work and whether this fits in with your own timeframe.

– The terms and conditions of the contract. Make sure you understand everything in the contract before signing it, including any warranties or guarantees that are offered.

Conclusion

If you are considering a dormer loft conversion, it is important to check with your local planning department to see if you need permission. In most cases, you will not need permission for a small dormer loft conversion, but if your plans are for a larger project, it is best to get approval before starting any work. With the right planning and permissions in place, your dormer loft conversion can be a great way to add extra space and value to your home.

What is a provisional sum?

A provisional sum is a sum of money allocated for a particular activity that is not fully defined, but it needs to be considered for a construction project.

In the context of measured building survey and topographical survey an architect may request for a provisional sum quotation to propose to their client.

What this means is that the client or architect is not entirely aware of the extent of the construction proposal and would need a ball park figure to add in their budget. This happens because of a few reasons:

The client is not decided on the extension option of their property (i.e. roof extension or ground floor extension)
The planning application may be complicated and the outcome of the planning process may determine the option to go for
The client is just looking for a budget price to get a loan

The provisional sum on its own is not part of the scope for deliverable until the client instruct it to be included. When the client instructs the architect or surveyor they will then confirm the scope and price (if there are any changes) and it will proceed.

The client does not need to pay for the provisional sum in the contract as it is not defined as a deliverable.

Important:

Make sure the provisional sum is itemised in the quotation as it will make it easier to identify only the amount due to the contractor/surveyor/designer when they apply for their fees. It is quite common for poorly managed practices to ‘hide’ the provisional sum value within a lump sum but never deliver the item.

Remember:

The contractor/surveyor/designer will not need to deliver the provisional sum until it is instructed to proceed.

You can get a quote for a measured building or topographical survey from us by contacting us at info@icelabz.co.uk.

How to get the best Prices for a Measured Building Survey or Topographical Survey?

We get over 20+ enquiries in a week, some of the time the client has no clue what they are requesting as they have been directed by their architect or a friend. Sometimes it confuses the client, and he or she ends up paying for too much or ‘quite often’ too little.

Coming from a commercial background and looking after projects in the £millions, we have to take certain steps to ensure that we get the best value for money and that we are not underserved or over-served. This is one of the reasons you engage a quantity surveyor on your project – to ensure you are purchasing the right service for the right price and the right contract.

In this article I am going to show you a few things to consider when requesting for prices (quotes) for your measured building survey and topographical survey. This will ensure you get a comparable survey which will give you the most competitive and correct quote for your job.

#1 Prepare and send the same scope of work to all the surveyors

Most of the time you would be provided with a brief scope from your architect or nothing at all. You might just be asked to get a measured building survey or topographical survey of your property, and that is it. This can be difficult for the surveyor to price and quote the job properly and cause for back and forth communication until the scope is defined. This can happen with several other surveyors and they might each price something differently.

If the scope is correctly defined, all the tenderers (surveyors) will need to have the same & correct information to price on. Most surveyors will just need the minimum of the following information:

Full address of the property (with a site plan)
Rough area per floor
How many plans and type (floor plans, sections, elevations, etc…)

To help you, we have written this very simple scope sheet that you can use to send to the surveyors in your area to get a quote.

#2 Do your due-diligence – check their insurances

Most land surveyors that you will find online or in the yellow pages do not have insurance or the wrong type of insurance. This is a must if they are working on your property and delivering work for your architect and the rest of your project. If they provided the wrong information and your architect & builder relies on it and caused you financial loss for the mistake you need to ensure that the surveyor is covered for this and compensate for the mistake. Without insurance you cannot recover the losses you have incurred.

You need to ensure their insurance covers their service; i.e. land surveying or measured building survey. You also need to ensure that they have insurance to cover damages to your property while they are within your premises or to the public.

#3 Ask for samples (if they have not provided them)

Each surveyor or surveying company have their format of producing the plans for your property. Some are cumbersome, and some have too little details. This is also another way to check the skills of the surveying company – you get to see what they can produce.

If most of their plans look ‘squared up’ then the method they are using are not accurate. Most buildings are not straight and have certain deviations on the floors and walls. This may cause issues and additional costs when designing your property for construction. The materials for the internal parts of your building might not fit in.

Just to recap; If the plans are too ‘squared’ then it may not be wise to choose that particular surveyor for the survey as they may not measure the true angle of your property.

#4 Review everything with your architect

If you have an architect, it is best you run through the quotes in detail with your architect to ensure that what they are going to survey captures everything he needs for your planning application as well as for the construction. For example, some features such as sockets and lights are not standard features to measure in a measured building survey.

You can also ask your architect to review the scope that you have to produce to ensure that you are sending the right information to the surveyors.

To summarise, just make sure that you send as much and the same information to surveyors to get the right price. Use our Scope Sheet for Surveying to help you get started.

What is a Plan, is this a drawing?

A plan is a drawing; in the context of measured building survey and topographical surveys it represents the features on your property on a PDF or DWG drawing. These are used for your planning application and for your architect to produce your construction (proposed) drawings. There are several types of plans. They are:

Floor Plans
Section Plans
Roof Plans
Loft Plans
Elevation Plans (there are also internal and external plans, most of the requests are just external plans. The only time you need an internal plan is when you have detail artwork or ornate walls that needs to be represented on your measured building survey)
Topographical Plans (or also called Land Survey Plans)
Ceiling Plans

You should not confuse it with a site plan. A site plan is a drawing/illustration that shows your property in context to other properties. It is based on an Ordnance map and can be purchased online (for roughly £8-10; depending on the scale https://www.buyaplan.co.uk/ ). You need one for all planning application.

A site plan looks like this:

Here are some examples of the plans mentioned above:

Floor Plans

Section

Topographical planLoft Plan

Elevation