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Loft conversions in Leeds, explained type by type

What each type of loft conversion involves, which houses it suits, and the extras that finish it off. Not sure which fits your house? That’s what the home visit is for.

Dormer loft conversions in Leeds

A dormer is a box-shaped extension built out from the roof slope, usually at the back of the house. It replaces sloping ceiling with full-height walls, so you gain proper standing room and usable floor space right to the back wall.

It’s the most common loft conversion on Leeds terraces and semis because it gives the best balance of space, cost and approvals. A full-width rear dormer often has room for a double bedroom and an ensuite, with a window or Juliet balcony overlooking the garden.

Good fit for

  • Terraced and semi-detached houses
  • Adding a bedroom with an ensuite
  • Lofts with limited head height under a pitched roof
  • Garden views through French doors or a Juliet balcony

What’s involved

  • Floor strengthened and the rear slope opened up
  • Dormer framed, roofed and made watertight
  • Dormer cheeks tile-hung or clad to suit the house
  • Windows, rooflights and any Juliet balcony fitted
  • Insulation, electrics, plastering and finishing
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Rooflight (Velux) loft conversions

A rooflight conversion keeps your roof exactly the shape it is. We strengthen the floor, insulate the roof and fit rooflight windows into the slope to bring in daylight and ventilation.

Because the roofline doesn’t change, it’s usually the quickest and least disruptive loft conversion, and it rarely needs planning permission. It works best where the loft already has good height under the ridge.

Good fit for

  • Lofts with good existing head height
  • Home offices, kids’ rooms and guest rooms
  • Keeping the outside of the house unchanged
  • Front roof slopes where a dormer wouldn’t be allowed

What’s involved

  • Floor joists strengthened to take a habitable room
  • Rooflights fitted into the existing slope
  • Roof insulated between and under the rafters
  • Eaves storage built into the low sides
  • Staircase, electrics, plastering and finishing
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Hip-to-gable loft conversions

Many semi-detached and detached houses have a hipped roof, where the side slopes inwards as well as the front and back. That sloping side eats into the loft and often leaves no room for a staircase.

A hip-to-gable conversion builds the side up into a vertical gable wall, extending the ridge to the end of the house. It opens up the space for a proper staircase and a much bigger room, and is often paired with a rear dormer for maximum floor area.

Good fit for

  • Semis and detached houses with a hipped roof
  • Lofts where the staircase has nowhere to land
  • Families who need the largest possible room
  • Combining with a rear dormer (an L-shaped or full conversion)

What’s involved

  • Hipped end removed and gable wall built up
  • Ridge extended and roof re-covered to match
  • Rear dormer added if required
  • Staircase continued up in line with the existing stairs
  • Insulation, electrics, plastering and finishing
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Mansard loft conversions

A mansard conversion rebuilds the rear roof slope at a steep, almost vertical angle with a flatter roof on top. The result is close to a full extra storey inside, with windows set into the steep slope.

It gives the most usable space of any loft conversion. Because it changes the shape of the roof significantly, it usually needs planning permission, and we’ll talk you through that at the home visit.

Good fit for

  • Getting the maximum floor area
  • Terraces where neighbours have similar roofs
  • Two rooms, or a bedroom suite with ensuite
  • Homeowners happy to go through planning

What’s involved

  • Planning route agreed before work starts
  • Rear roof slope rebuilt at a steep angle
  • Flat roof section built and waterproofed
  • Windows set into the new slope
  • Insulation, electrics, plastering and finishing
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New loft staircase with white spindles, oak handrail and newel caps leading up from a first floor landing

Loft staircases

The staircase decides whether a loft feels like part of the house or an afterthought. We measure up, design the stairs to suit your landing and fit them complete with spindles, handrail and balustrade, moving electrics and making good the plastering around them.

If you’ve bought a house with an existing loft conversion and the stairs are awkward, steep or unsafe, a new staircase can transform how you use the room. One customer told us they didn’t think there was space for a full-sized staircase until we measured up.

Good fit for

  • Existing lofts with steep or awkward stairs
  • Replacing a loft ladder with permanent stairs
  • Tight landings that need a clever layout
  • Matching the style of your main staircase

What’s involved

  • Measure up and design around your landing
  • Headroom checked against Building Regulations
  • Staircase, spindles, handrail and balustrade fitted
  • Electrics moved where needed
  • Plastering and making good around the new stairs
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Loft ensuite shower room with green vertical tiles, brushed brass rainfall shower, marble-effect floor and rooflight

Loft ensuites and shower rooms

A loft bedroom with its own ensuite is the upgrade most families ask for. We plan it into the conversion from the start, so the waste run, head height over the shower and position of the rooflight all work together.

Dormers are ideal for ensuites because they give standing height where you need it. We finish the room with tiling and fittings so it looks as good as any bathroom in the house.

Good fit for

  • Turning the loft into a main bedroom suite
  • Taking pressure off a busy family bathroom
  • Dormer conversions with room for a shower
  • Guest suites and teenagers’ rooms

What’s involved

  • Layout planned around head height and drainage
  • Plumbing and waste run in during first fix
  • Extraction and lighting wired in
  • Tiling, shower enclosure and fittings
  • Finished and sealed ready to use
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Loft bedroom with sage green walls, black French doors onto a Juliet balcony and a wall-mounted air conditioning unit

Juliet balconies and French doors

French doors with a Juliet balcony turn a rear dormer into something special. You can throw the doors open for fresh air and the view, with a glass or metal balustrade fixed across the opening.

Because there’s no platform to stand on, a Juliet balcony is generally allowed under permitted development, unlike a raised balcony or terrace.

Good fit for

  • Rear dormers overlooking the garden
  • Loft bedrooms that need more light and air
  • A modern finish with frameless glass
  • Classic finish with black metal rails

What’s involved

  • Opening framed into the dormer face
  • French doors fitted and sealed
  • Glass or metal balustrade fixed across
  • Finished inside with the rest of the room
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Painted loft stairs with a herringbone runner leading up to a bright loft room with rooflight and built-in drawers

Upgrading an existing loft conversion

Plenty of Leeds houses come with a loft room that was built cheaply, years ago, or without the right approvals. It might have a ladder instead of stairs, poor insulation, or just feel tired.

We can strip it out and rebuild it properly, or tackle just the parts that aren’t working, such as the staircase, insulation, rooflights, electrics or plastering.

Good fit for

  • Houses bought with a dated or badly built loft
  • Loft rooms that are cold in winter or hot in summer
  • Replacing a ladder with a staircase
  • Adding an ensuite to an existing loft

What’s involved

  • Survey of what’s there and what needs doing
  • Strip-out of the old loft where needed
  • Structure, insulation and rooflights brought up to standard
  • New staircase, electrics and plastering
  • Finishing so it feels like part of the house
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The four types side by side

A quick comparison. Planning depends on your house, its location and the size of the conversion.

TypeRoof shapeExtra spacePlanning permission needed?Typically suits
Rooflight (Velux)Stays the sameUses existing heightRarelyLofts with good height already
DormerRear slope built out as a boxLarge gain at the backOften not, if within limitsTerraces and semis
Hip-to-gableHipped side built up into a gableLarge, plus room for stairsOften not, if within limitsSemis and detached with hipped roofs
MansardRear slope rebuilt near-verticalLargest gainUsually yesTerraces, maximum space

Questions about conversion types

More answers on the home page, or call 0113 490 0744.

What’s the difference between a dormer and a mansard loft conversion?

A dormer is a box built out from the existing roof slope, and the rest of the roof stays as it is. A mansard rebuilds the whole rear slope at a steep angle with a flatter top, giving more space but usually needing planning permission.

Do Velux loft conversions need planning permission?

Usually not. Rooflights normally fall under permitted development as long as they don’t stick out more than 150mm from the roof slope and the house isn’t a flat or in a conservation area. Building Regulations approval is still needed for the conversion itself.

Where will the loft staircase go?

Ideally above the existing staircase, so the new flight continues up in line. Where that isn’t possible, we look at the landing and bedrooms below to find the layout that loses the least space. It’s one of the main things Mark checks at the home visit.

Can I have a shower in a loft ensuite?

Yes, as long as there’s enough head height where you stand. A dormer usually gives that. We plan the shower position, drainage and rooflight together so it works from day one.

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