Looking to get my loft converted. Looking for some advice as don't want to get stung on unnecessary costs. Do I need an architect or a structural engineer for drawings and what are typical costs? Thanks
Looking to get my loft converted. Looking for some advice as don't want to get stung on unnecessary costs. Do I need an architect or a structural engineer for drawings and what are typical costs? Thanks
Not done a loft but plenty of other extensions.
I would suggest you use an architect to survey what you want to do and produce professional drawings for you to submit to the planning office with your application. You may also be pleasantly surprised because a good architect will make suggestions to your plans that you may not have considered.
If you are playing around with load bearing walls or timbers you may need a structural engineer but not always. I would say £1,500 would get your plans and application sorted then from there you need the money for the build.
My daughter has just had a quote for a loft extension and it was £42k however it will all depend on what you want and what the finished spec is like. Get several quotes and use a reputable builder because there are plenty of horror stories out there.
I had an architect make suggestions and my mate who’s a structural engineer do the settl work. They both do loads of loft conversions but mostly west London.
Then, after planning permission was granted I asked a few local companies round to quote for the building.
most of these specialist loft companies offer a full service and actually it may well be cheaper to do that because they use what they’ve done before in your area and what local planning have accepted.
also the builders quoting had some better ideas than the architect.
I haven’t had it built yet but I’d definitely recommend getting a few pure loft conversion companies out to quote and give you ideas of what they’ve done around in your area
Looking to get my loft converted. Looking for some advice as don't want to get stung on unnecessary costs. Do I need an architect or a structural engineer for drawings and what are typical costs? Thanks
Not done a loft but plenty of other extensions.
I would suggest you use an architect to survey what you want to do and produce professional drawings for you to submit to the planning office with your application. You may also be pleasantly surprised because a good architect will make suggestions to your plans that you may not have considered.
If you are playing around with load bearing walls or timbers you may need a structural engineer but not always. I would say £1,500 would get your plans and application sorted then from there you need the money for the build.
My daughter has just had a quote for a loft extension and it was £42k however it will all depend on what you want and what the finished spec is like. Get several quotes and use a reputable builder because there are plenty of horror stories out there.
Good luck
All sound advice.
Don’t go anywhere near a builder who doesn’t want an architect involved.
Don’t pay anything to the builder up front but agree a schedule to pay for things as they’re completed. The architect would probably project manage this for a few hundred.
Comments
I would suggest you use an architect to survey what you want to do and produce professional drawings for you to submit to the planning office with your application. You may also be pleasantly surprised because a good architect will make suggestions to your plans that you may not have considered.
If you are playing around with load bearing walls or timbers you may need a structural engineer but not always. I would say £1,500 would get your plans and application sorted then from there you need the money for the build.
My daughter has just had a quote for a loft extension and it was £42k however it will all depend on what you want and what the finished spec is like. Get several quotes and use a reputable builder because there are plenty of horror stories out there.
Good luck
Good luck.
most of these specialist loft companies offer a full service and actually it may well be cheaper to do that because they use what they’ve done before in your area and what local planning have accepted.
also the builders quoting had some better ideas than the architect.
I haven’t had it built yet but I’d definitely recommend getting a few pure loft conversion companies out to quote and give you ideas of what they’ve done around in your area
Don’t go anywhere near a builder who doesn’t want an architect involved.