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.
Thinking about a loft conversion in Melksham? We take charge of the whole project, co-ordinating every trade involved, and one person keeps you updated. Guide prices for the South West sit at £30,500–£66,000 including VAT, and a typical job takes 6–10 weeks on site. Your own figure depends on what the survey finds and the specification you settle on.
- Guide price
- £30,500–£66,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 6–10 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- SN12
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Wiltshire
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does a loft conversion cost in Melksham?
Prices for a loft conversion vary from house to house, but in Melksham most projects fall within £30,500–£66,000 including VAT. That reflects costs in the South West, about 2% above the national guide. Treat the table as a budgeting aid; the written figure follows a survey we carry out for free.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Melksham |
|---|---|---|
| Rooflight conversion | Rooflights in the existing slope, a new floor, staircase and insulation, where head height already works. | £20,500–£35,500 |
| Dormer conversion | A rear dormer adding headroom and floor space, often with a bedroom and shower room. | £32,500–£61,000 |
| Hip-to-gable or mansard | Larger structural changes to the roof for the maximum usable space. | £51,000–£87,000 |
What moves the price up or down:
- 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’s included?
- 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
- Staircase designed to fit your landing and meet regulations
- Fire doors, mains-linked smoke alarms and a protected escape route
- Electrics, heating and plumbing by qualified trades, with certificates
Homes in Wiltshire
Salisbury has medieval and Georgian streets, the north-west around Corsham and Bradford on Avon uses Bath stone, and chalk and flint appear on the downland. Swindon has railway-village terraces and very large post-war and modern estates, and many Wiltshire villages have thatched cottages, some with chalk cob walls.
Salisbury Plain and the downs are exposed to wind and frost, while river valleys around Salisbury and the Avon can flood.
In Melksham, as elsewhere in Wiltshire, we take the building's age and construction into account before recommending anything, because both can change what is involved in a loft conversion.
Do you need permission in Melksham?
Homes in Melksham come under the regulations for England, summarised below. We don't rely on general rules alone: we confirm the position for your address with the council before a quote goes out.
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.
What happens after you get in touch?
A visit to your home
We arrange a free site survey on a date convenient to you. We measure up, look at the existing structure and access, and discuss your plans for a loft conversion so the price reflects your home.
Your fixed price
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Plan and prepare
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
On site to finish
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
What you can expect from us
Questions about a loft conversion in Melksham
Where will the new staircase go?
The new staircase usually sits above the existing stairs, rising from the landing so it uses space that is already circulation. Sometimes it needs to come from a small bedroom or box room, which reduces that room's size. Building regulations set rules on headroom, step size and handrails, with some flexibility for lofts. We look at options at the survey and show you how each affects the floor below.
Does the Party Wall Act apply to a loft conversion?
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales only, and loft conversions on terraced and semi-detached houses often fall within it, because steel beams are usually set into the shared wall. You must serve notice on the neighbour before work starts, and they can agree or appoint a surveyor. Scotland and Northern Ireland have no equivalent Act. We tell you during the survey whether notices are likely.
Do I need planning permission in Melksham?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Melksham 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.
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
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.
Nearby towns
If your address falls within SN12, we cover it. The same goes for neighbouring Trowbridge, Chippenham and Bath, which we include alongside Melksham when arranging surveys and quotes.