A loft conversion turns unused roof space into a habitable room such as a bedroom, bathroom or office, with a proper staircase, insulation, fire protection and natural light from rooflights or a dormer.
Gillingham sits within our coverage for a loft conversion, as do neighbouring Chatham, Rochester and Strood. Before giving a price we want to see the property: the condition of what's there now, the access, and anything that might need extra work. The guide range for the South East is £33,500–£73,000 including VAT, and your written quote will spell out exactly what that covers.
- Guide price
- £33,500–£73,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 6–10 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- ME7 and ME8
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Medway
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Loft conversions prices in Gillingham
What should you budget for a loft conversion in Gillingham? Use the figures below as a starting point. Prices in the South East sit about 12% above the national guide, so the range here is £33,500–£73,000 including VAT. Your fixed price comes in writing once we've surveyed the property, at no charge.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Gillingham |
|---|---|---|
| Rooflight conversion | Rooflights in the existing slope, a new floor, staircase and insulation, where head height already works. | £22,500–£39,000 |
| Dormer conversion | A rear dormer adding headroom and floor space, often with a bedroom and shower room. | £36,000–£67,000 |
| Hip-to-gable or mansard | Larger structural changes to the roof for the maximum usable space. | £56,000–£95,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Conversion type: rooflight, dormer, hip-to-gable or mansard
- Steelwork and any strengthening of walls below
- Adding a shower room or en-suite in the roof
- Staircase layout, fire doors and the level of finishes
What do you get?
- Structural calculations and steel beams where needed
- New floor joists strong enough for a habitable room
- Dormer, hip-to-gable or rooflight structure as agreed
- Insulation to walls, roof slope and floor
- Fire doors, mains-linked smoke alarms and a protected escape route
- Electrics, heating and plumbing by qualified trades, with certificates
Building in Gillingham
Kent's older buildings include oast houses, weatherboarded cottages, Wealden timber-framed houses and Kentish ragstone walls. Medway towns have long rows of Victorian terraces, Margate and Ramsgate have Regency and Victorian seafronts, and Ashford, Maidstone and Dartford have seen large new estates alongside interwar and post-war housing.
One of England's sunnier, drier counties, but Thanet and the coast are windy, and Weald and London Clay soils can shrink in summer.
In Gillingham, as elsewhere in Kent, we take the building's age and construction into account before recommending anything, because both can change what is involved in a loft conversion.
Planning and building rules in Gillingham
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each handle planning a little differently. Gillingham comes under England, covered below, and we raise any questions with the council before your quote is finalised.
In England, many loft conversions are permitted development: up to 40 m³ of extra roof space on a terraced house and 50 m³ on a semi-detached or detached house, no dormer on the front roof slope facing a road, nothing higher than the existing roof, and similar-looking materials. Conservation areas, listed buildings and flats need planning permission.
Building Regulations approval is always needed for a loft conversion: floor strength, a proper staircase, insulation, fire-protected escape route and smoke alarms. The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 usually applies on attached houses.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
From survey to handover
Free site survey
First, someone visits your home in Gillingham to see the space, take measurements and note anything that could affect the work, such as access or the condition of what is there. There is no charge for this visit.
Quote in writing
After the survey we send a quote for a loft conversion that fixes the price for the scope we've agreed. If you want to change materials or scope, we revise it in writing before anything is booked.
Booking the work
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Gillingham property.
Finish and handover
The job proceeds in the order set out in the programme, with dust and debris kept under control. Finally we tidy away, inspect the work together and pass the finished project over to you with its paperwork.
How we work
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission in Gillingham?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Gillingham is in England, so England's rules apply. Many smaller jobs need no planning application, but some still need building control approval. We check what applies to your address before quoting.
Can we stay at home during a loft conversion?
Most people stay at home during a loft conversion, because much of the work happens from scaffolding outside and the roof is opened up from above. The most disruptive point is near the end, when we break through the ceiling to fit the new staircase, which usually takes a few days. We put up dust screens on the landing and plan noisy work for reasonable hours.
Can I stay at home during the work?
In most cases, yes. Most people can live at home throughout, and we plan the work to keep disruption down by protecting floors, agreeing working hours and keeping access routes clear. Bigger jobs affecting kitchens, bathrooms or heating may mean a short spell with reduced facilities, and we talk this through with you at the survey.
What fire safety measures does a loft conversion need?
A loft conversion needs a safe way out in a fire, because the new room is high above the ground. This usually means a protected stair route down to an exit, with fire doors onto the stairway, mains-linked smoke alarms on each floor and sometimes an escape window. The exact approach depends on your house layout. Building control checks these measures before signing off the work.
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?
Whether a loft conversion needs planning permission depends on its size and design, your home's location, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you live in. In England, many conversions fall under permitted development if the added volume is within 40m³ for terraced houses or 50m³ for other houses and nothing extends beyond the front roof slope. We check what applies before quoting.
Nearby towns
Gillingham and its ME7 and ME8 postcodes are part of our coverage. Homeowners in Chatham, Rochester and Strood can also book a free survey with us and receive a written price for their job.