The average loft conversion cost in Birmingham costs between £25,000 & £40,000 for a size of 20m2 (or 10m2 with full standing height). This cost includes everything from beginning to end and all the fees that may be included. It’s of course different for everyone depending on the exact setup that you want for your finished project, but as a general figure, this should be about on track.

The biggest variables for the cost of a loft conversion in Birmingham come from the type of loft conversion you choose, the size of the converted space, the size of your property and the facilities, materials and decoration that you choose to put in it.

A rough breakdown of that should roughly look like this:

ServicePrice
Architectural & Engineer Costs Breakdown:£1500-£2500
Design£300-£400
Planning£100-200 + £100 fee
Building Regulations£400-£600 + £400-£600
Engineer£300-£500
Build costs Break Down:£20,000 – £40,000
Windows£300-£500
Stairs£1000-£1500
Insulation£15-£20 pM2
Flooring£15-£40 pM2
Facilities£4000-£6000+
Electrics£400-£500
Beam£500-£1000
Labour & Tools/Equipment£10,000-£20,000
Dormer (based on full width box dormer flat roof)£5000-£7000
Hip to Gable£10,000

Architectural Costs – £1000-£1500

The first costs that come into play for a loft conversion in Birmingham come from the architectural services that you’ll need to have the drawings, designs and permissions that you need to bring it to life. That is generally broken down into 4 areas:

Design – £300-£400

The design of the loft conversion is typically the first place to start. This is where a designer or architect will survey your property, draw up the existing space and relevant areas, and then draw the space as it would look when completed. This gives you the chance to create the layout that will work for you and make sure it’s how you want it, as well as making sure it’s possible.

Planning – £100-200 + £100-£250 fee

After the designs are created, the next step is with the local planning authority. Loft conversions in Birmingham can usually be done under your Permitted Development Rights, meaning that you don’t need planning permission, but this isn’t always the case It depends on multiple factors. You’ll need to pay for the relevant enquiries to be made and pay for the fees from the planning office. That usually comes to about £200 all in all with the whole process being completed and you having permission or a certificate of lawful development, proving you don’t need it, should you ever need to prove it (i.e. with a sale or home insurance).

Building Regulations – £400-£600 + £400-£600

The building regulations are the most important and most complex part of the architectural drawings. This is where the architect or designer will draw the converted loft space as it will be built (or very nearly), and this is used by the Building Control Authority to determine if your project will be up to the legal requirements and that it’s safe. When you have this permission, you can give these drawings to builders to quote a price from, as it shows what they will need to do on the job and how big a project it will be before they make their own resources to actually build from.

Engineer – £300-£500

In many cases, the cost of a loft conversion in Birmingham will also need to include a structural engineer. The new loft space will need to be able to support more weight than previously required, so to be up to legal standard, it is common for a steel beam to be needed to be added. That normally costs around £300-£500 but may be more or less depending on your specific situation.

Build costs – £20,000-£40,000

After all of the architectural work is completed the rest of the costs of the loft conversion in Birmingham comes from the building work itself. That comprises a lot of different materials, labour, services and resources, so it really does become more varied depending on what you want from your loft. We’ve broken this down in much more depth here:

Windows – £300-£500

In practically every situation, a loft conversion will have a window involved for natural light, ventilation, and to meet building regulations requirements. Windows are typically around £150 to £300 each depending on the size (from 50cm to 150cm) and will of course also need to be fitted. That goes for both typical window usage as well as skylights.

Stairs – £1000-£1500

Stairs are of course essential for a loft conversion. Although a laddered approach with a banister is possible in cases where not making a habitable room for a few hundred pounds, typical staircase use will cost around the £1000 to £1500 mark to be up to the legal standard, It may be more than that for additional features like spiralling or for high-quality materials.

Insulation – £15-£20 pM2

Insulation is another very important and sometimes forgotten aspect of a loft conversion. It makes the rooms much warmer and increases the overall efficiency of the home after renovations have been carried out making it a very worthwhile investment. Again, there are different materials that you can choose from that impacts the pricing like sheet insulation, blown insulation, loose fit, and blanket too.

Flooring – £15-£40 pM2

Flooring is something that is often very different from project to project. Like a room, you have the options of hardwood, carpet, tiles, laminate, or anything else that you’d rather and that your budget allows for. As a rough ballpark figure to get a cost for the whole thing, it’s best to work on the assumption that it will be between £25 and £30 per square metre, and it can be more or less depending on what you go for.

Facilities – £4000-£6000+

Facilities sounds like a generic term, but really, the general meaning is a bathroom or ensuite addition to the conversion. That’s mostly for the creation of a new bedroom too, but whatever the circumstance, adding one typically costs around the £5000 mark depending on what you choose to add to it. This price includes a fairly standard setup, as well as the plumbing work that goes along with it.

Electrics – £400-£500

Having the electricals all taken care of to provide power and light generally costs very close to £5000 for the whole job. That might be more if you want very complex things added like ceiling speakers or particular lighting, as a couple of examples, but it’s a good starting point to stick with this figure.

Beam – £500-£1000

In the likely situation that you do need a structural engineer for your loft conversion project in Birmingham, the cost of a steel beam is generally around the £500-£1000 mark. That includes the purchase and the installation too and it’s massively important to the overall safety and quality of your project, especially if it is being used as a habitable room.

Labour & Tools/Equipment – £10,000-£20,000

Finally, the total costs for labour as a whole which includes the whole conversion and installation process and any tools or equipment needed will typically cost around £15,000. That could go either way and is increasing as time goes on in the current climate. It is of course higher for larger or more complex projects and varies from business to business, but it’s a good idea to use this kind of figure. As a whole, that’s the process.

Costs for Different Types of Loft Conversions in Birmingham

Although we have looked at the costs that go into the typical loft conversion that you’ll see in Birmingham, there are different types. While they change the project massively, many of the components remain the same. The only differences generally come from the total size and the work that needs to be done to the roof to make them come to life.

These are the typical differences in costs:

Dormer (full width) – £5000-£7000

A dormer loft conversion is one of the most popular types of loft conversion across the country. The main difference is the dormer on the roof which can of course be different sizes, different shapes and has different features but on average, for a full-width box dormer that has a flat roof to it, the general cost is around the £6,000 mark. For a smaller dormer, this may be anywhere from half of this upwards, again depending.

Hip to Gable – £10-000

In some cases, a hipped roof may need to be converted to a gable in order to provide more usable full-height space inside the converted space. For this to happen, it generally costs around £10,000. That includes the new brickwork, the ridge beam that needs to be installed, and the new roof of course too.

Some Average Cost Examples for Loft Conversions In Birmingham

Rooflight/Velux Loft Conversion Cost in Birmingham

10m2£20,000
20m2£27,500
30m2£30,000

Dormer Loft Conversion Cost in Birmingham

10m2£27,000
20m2£38,000
30m2£41,500

Hip to gable Loft conversion in Birmingham

10m2£35,000
20m2£42,000
30m2£45,000
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