Family-run loft conversions across the whole of Kent, designed and built by our own in-house team. More than 25 years of experience, one fixed price, a ten-year guarantee, and a free design survey on your doorstep.
Kent has a wide mix of housing, and the right conversion depends on the age and roof shape of your home. The Medway towns of Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham have rows of Victorian and Edwardian terraces, which often suit an L-shape conversion or a rear dormer. Dartford, Gravesend and the commuter belt around Sevenoaks and Tonbridge have a lot of 1930s semis and detached homes with hipped roofs, ideal for a hip-to-gable that squares off the sloping side.
Maidstone, Ashford and the villages beyond have newer estates and period homes, where a dormer or a full new-build-style conversion works well. Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks also have conservation areas, where the design needs more care and planning permission is more likely. We have spent more than 25 years working on exactly these kinds of property across Kent, so we know what your roof allows before we get the tape measure out.
Whether you need an extra bedroom, an en-suite or a home office, a loft conversion adds the space without the cost and upheaval of moving, and it adds real value to your home.
What sets our Kent work apart is that the people who survey your roof are the people who build it. We do not quote widely and then hand the job to a subcontractor once it is signed, which is usually where the problems start. Our own team carries the project from the first visit to the final sign-off, with one named project manager you can call throughout.
You also know the price before anyone lifts a tool. After the free survey we give you one fixed written quote, itemised, with no hidden extras, and you pay in stages as the work is done. Every build carries a ten-year guarantee, and we handle the drawings, the structural calculations, any planning application and building control for you.
The right type depends on your roof. On your free survey we confirm exactly which one your Kent home allows, rather than selling you the most expensive option. If you are weighing two options, our dormer versus Velux comparison is a good place to start.
The most popular type. A dormer extends out from your sloping roof to add full head height and real floor space, ideal for a terrace or a semi.
Explore dormer conversions →The answer for homes with a sloping, hipped side roof. We build the hip up into a vertical gable wall, squaring off the roof and unlocking a full-size room.
Explore hip to gable conversions →Building the end wall of your home straight up to the roof ridge gives you a tall, square room with real presence, and the height for a striking window.
Explore gable conversions →Where a standard loft falls short on height, reshaping the roofline itself unlocks the headroom and floor space a plain conversion cannot reach.
Explore roofline conversions →Where your roof already has the height, a Velux conversion is the most cost-effective way to gain a bright new room, with roof windows set neatly into the existing slope.
Explore velux conversions →The largest conversion we build. Two dormers combined over the main roof and the rear addition, giving you the space for more than one room.
Explore l-shape conversions →Planning a new build, or want the loft designed in from day one? We build the space in from the start, or convert an existing new-build roof into a proper room.
Explore new build conversions →Costs depend on the type and the size. As an indicative guide, a Velux conversion runs from around £35,000, a dormer between about £50,000 and £65,000, a hip-to-gable around £58,000 to £75,000, a new-build-style conversion around £45,000 to £70,000, and an L-shape that adds a whole floor can reach £90,000. You can pick your type on the estimator on our costs page for the live range. Whatever the type, the figure that matters is the one we give you in writing after the survey, which is fixed with no hidden extras. See how payments work.
The good news first: most Kent loft conversions do not need full planning permission, because they fall under permitted development. Under permitted development you can add up to 40 cubic metres of roof space on a terraced house, or 50 cubic metres on a semi or detached house, according to the Planning Portal. Flats, listed buildings, homes in conservation areas and larger designs do need full permission, and some streets carry an Article 4 direction.
Each Kent council applies the rules slightly differently. Applications go to Maidstone Borough Council, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Medway Council for Chatham and Rochester, Ashford Borough Council, Canterbury City Council, Sevenoaks District Council, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, Dartford Borough Council, or Gravesham Borough Council for Gravesend. One point that catches people out: every loft conversion needs building regulations approval, even when it does not need planning permission. We handle both the planning check and the building control sign-off for you. Our planning permission guide explains the rules in full.
Five stages, one named project manager, and a written price before anyone lifts a tool. Most conversions take around six to eight weeks on site.
We visit your Kent home, measure up, and tell you honestly what your roof allows.
Drawings, structural calcs and any planning, all handled in-house.
One clear written quote, itemised, with no hidden extras.
Our own team on site and one named project manager, start to finish.
Building control sign-off and your ten-year guarantee in hand.
Real projects by our own team across Kent and south east London. See more on our gallery.
A hipped roof squared off into a gable for a bright master bedroom and en-suite.
See this project →
A hip to gable adding two double bedrooms, a family bathroom and built-in storage.
See this project →
A rear box dormer suite with a double bedroom, a walk-in wardrobe and an en-suite.
See this project →“I have spent more than 20 years doing this, all of it at Loft Life, and the thing I care about most is that the customer feels at ease the whole way through. We keep you informed, we turn up when we say we will, and we leave you with a room you are proud of.” Dave, owner, Loft Life
Everything shaded is somewhere our own team travels to, and each town has its own page covering the local housing, the council and what gets approved there. Go straight to yours below.
Swipe the map sideways to see the whole patch.
In Kent, a loft conversion typically costs between around £35,000 for a Velux conversion and up to £90,000 for a large L-shape, with dormers in the middle. We give you one fixed written price after a free survey, so there are no surprises.
Often not. Many loft conversions in Kent are allowed under permitted development, which lets you add up to 40 cubic metres of roof space on a terrace or 50 on a semi or detached home. Flats, listed buildings, conservation areas and larger designs need full permission. We check what applies and handle any application for you.
Yes, always. Every loft conversion needs building regulations approval even when it does not need planning permission. The regulations cover the structure, the stairs, fire safety and insulation, and we handle the sign-off for you.
Expect around six to eight weeks on site, depending on the type and size. The design and any planning happen before the build starts.
Most can, but it depends on the head height, the roof structure and the space for a staircase. You usually need around 2.2 metres of head height at the highest point. On the free survey we measure up and tell you honestly whether yours will work.
For most Kent families, yes. It adds the space you need without stamp duty, agent fees and the upheaval of moving, and it can add around 20 percent to your home's value according to Nationwide Building Society research.
Book a free, no-obligation design visit. We will tell you what your roof allows, show you what it could look like, and give you a fixed price. No pressure, no jargon.
A short conversation about the house and what you are hoping to do. No sales pitch.
We measure up and tell you honestly what your roof allows, what it would look like, and what it involves.
Itemised, with no hidden extras, and a ten-year written guarantee on the finished work.
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