Bungalow Loft Conversion

Converting the loft of a bungalow can effectively double the amount of living space in the house, since you are adding a whole extra floor rather than just a room. That said, bungalow conversions usually involve more structural work than a conversion in a two storey house. The roof sits lower to begin with, the existing timbers were rarely built to carry the weight of a proper room, and because the roof is more visible from the street, planning considerations tend to matter more than they would on a taller house tucked behind neighbouring rooflines.

Most bungalow conversions involve a dormer, and quite often a partial or full re-roof, to get enough head height and floor space to make the new room worthwhile. Because the whole roof structure is doing more visible work here than on a typical house extension, it is worth involving a structural engineer early and being realistic with the homeowner about the scale of the job from the outset.

Who this for

This service applies to bungalows of most ages, though it comes up most often with the 1930s to 1960s bungalows that are common across many outer London suburbs. Semi detached and detached bungalows both suit this approach, though semi detached versions will need a party wall agreement with the neighbour.

Bungalow Loft Conversion Cost

A bungalow loft conversion typically costs more per square metre than a loft conversion in a two storey house. This comes down to the extra structural work most bungalow roofs need. The existing timbers were rarely built to carry a proper room, so the roof structure often has to be strengthened or partly rebuilt before any of the usual fit out work can start. Across the UK, current prices for a bungalow loft conversion sit somewhere between £1,600 and £2,500 per square metre. For a smaller project, around 20 square metres, you are usually looking at £25,000 to £28,000 for a basic finish, or £30,000 to £35,000 if you want a higher specification. For a larger conversion of around 40 square metres, basic finishes tend to run from £45,000 to £55,000, while a premium finish with a bigger budget can reach £70,000 to £90,000. Put together, most bungalow loft conversions in the UK now fall somewhere between £45,000 and £75,000 from start to finish. There is one extra cost to budget for that some homeowners miss. Almost every bungalow loft conversion needs full planning permission rather than permitted development. This is because most bungalows already sit close to the volume allowance that permitted development rules give you, and adding enough room for a proper bedroom or bathroom nearly always goes over that limit. Planning and design fees for this usually add somewhere between £1,200 and £3,500 on top of the build cost. If you are in London, it is worth knowing that prices here tend to run higher than the UK average, often by somewhere between 18 and 30 percent, largely down to labour and material costs in the capital. These figures give you a realistic starting point, not a fixed price. The only way to know what your bungalow will actually cost is a proper survey of your roof and a detailed quote, since every bungalow carries its roof differently. Get in touch for a free survey and a quote built around your own house, not a general guide.

Project Process Steps