Loft conversions in Bournville

Planning your loft conversion in Bournville

Before work starts on your loft conversion in Bournville, two things get checked: whether planning permission from Birmingham City Council is needed, and how Building Regulations approval will be obtained. If you share a wall with a neighbour, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply as well.

The new staircase usually needs 2 metres of headroom, with a little leeway allowed for loft conversions.
On a semi or terrace, steel beams bearing on the shared wall need two months' party wall notice.
Permitted development allows up to 40 m³ of extra roof volume on a terraced house and 50 m³ on other houses.

Postcode district: B30
Planning and building control: Birmingham City Council
From our West Bromwich base: 8 miles

Which option fits your home?

Roof-light conversion

The simplest option: the roof shape stays the same and roof windows are fitted into the slope. It works when there's already enough head height, keeps costs down, and is often permitted development because roof lights can project up to 150 mm from the roof plane. You do lose some usable floor area under the sloping ceilings.

Hip-to-gable conversion

On a semi or detached house with a sloping side roof, called a hip, the side slope is rebuilt as a vertical gable wall, making the loft much bigger. It's often combined with a rear dormer. The gable is usually brick or block to match, which adds scaffolding and masonry, but it often creates room for the stair above the existing one.

Guide prices for Bournville

For a home in Bournville, our guide range is £22,000–£72,000 depending on size and specification. A rear dormer with a double bedroom and shower room on a three-bed semi: usually £42,000–£52,000.

Guide prices for loft conversions
Option	Guide price	Good to know
Roof-light conversion	£22,000 – £32,000	One room, no change to the roof shape
Rear dormer	£38,000 – £55,000	Bedroom and shower room; a good fit for semis and terraces
Hip-to-gable with rear dormer	£48,000 – £68,000	Most usable space; semis and detached houses

Guide ranges include VAT where it applies. A free survey turns this guide into a fixed, itemised price.

Questions about loft conversions in Bournville

How much does a loft conversion cost in the West Midlands?

Guide prices run from about £22,000 for a simple roof-light conversion to around £72,000 for a large hip-to-gable or mansard, including VAT where it applies. A rear dormer with a double bedroom and shower room on a three-bed semi typically costs £42,000–£52,000. Flooring, decorating and fitted wardrobes are extra. Your fixed price for the agreed specification follows the free survey.

Do you cover Bournville?

Yes. Bournville (B30) is about 8 miles from our West Bromwich base and inside the area we cover. Call 0800 088 6248 or send the form on this page to book a free survey.

Is my loft suitable for conversion?

Measure from the top of a ceiling joist to the underside of the ridge. Around 2.2 metres or more usually means a conversion is practical; less than that may still work with a dormer or lowered ceilings but costs more. Roof structure matters too, as older cut-timber roofs are simpler to convert than modern trussed roofs, which need more steel. We check all of this at the free survey.

Does Birmingham City Council need to approve my loft conversion?

Usually building control, and sometimes planning. Birmingham City Council is the planning authority for Bournville; Building Regulations approval comes from its building control team or a registered building control approver. We'll tell you which applies after the survey.

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Ring 0800 088 6248 to talk through your loft, or send your postcode and we'll arrange a visit.