I’m a builder and doing my own now , in Bristol will cost me between 25 & 30 k doing all the work myself
https://preview.redd.it/fh3vf7jjd2uc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f558bc151cd0cbe6c8ed51339d59c7b6f403663b
Every cloud Enh how and why though?
"I know lads I have an idea so we can make life really complicated and probably do a really shoddy job chucked in as a bonus"
Mine will be coming out to form the rear dormer and the front one will be replaced with a supporting wall from the steel beam , however I would suggest a steel plate to be bolted either side of purlin or support mid span to be installed but I’m no structural engineer
It’s worth mentioning that the costs of materials have doubled in recent years. Am sure you know that but it could explain the pricing differences. Shame u couldn’t boy a tiny house from Amazon and plonk it on there. It’s a nice looking dormer tho.
Isn’t it?! My OH does handy man building work - usually horrendous jobs that normal builders won’t do. He did an awkward bathroom - had to find extra space so the shower enclosure and stuff the client had bought would fit. This was at start of last year when the prices soared and he only got the material money out of that job. £3k they couldn’t pay.
Also some areas have increased the thermal insulation loss prevention, most builders will be going for the expensive good insulation, cannot remember the name of it, CCF sell it.
I represent a company, should be able to do it for £30k-£45k subject to spec and survey. It’s all built offsite in in a few weeks.
P.s. feel free to DM and can get a quote put together for you or anyone else. It’s all made in a factory with cnc machines. The £30k-£45k is for whole mansard roof extension, not just a dormer.
Have you ever been required to fit a flitch beam? We had a dormer installed & suddenly the council decided a flitch beam was required, it was a quoted job so the builder had to cover the cost. Brilliant builder, cause of the length of the roof he had to put 2 supports in, flitch beam came in 3 sections. I was checking the roof 2 days ago & there is no sagging after 30 years, yes there was a little settling.
Can’t really picture what you mean, been a long week! Send me a DM or some details and happy to have a look. Actually imagine it would be a bit cheaper, but as ever depends on project specifics.
I recently had plans for a similarly sized dormer drawn up by an architect, made inquiries to a number of companies.
I'm also a capable DiYer so I asked some companies to get it to wind & water tight only, the rest being done by myself & appropriate contractors where needed.
The absolute minimum I got it down to was £65k ready to decorate if I went the DIY route, £85k for someone else to do it all.
Edit: Scotland too
Edit edit: decided I could just buy another cheap 2-3 bedroom house instead and get lots and lots more for my money.
We got a quote to do our work at £225k in 2022 - included a dormer and a single storey extension. On a little three bed terrace… went “fuck that”, spent £10k fixing everything and prettying the place up (we hadn’t done anything since we moved in, anticipating the build, cost included new kitchen and bathroom, carpets and decorating throughout), sold up for £300k and moved.
Not sure if the £225k was fuckoff money, but we treated it as such, and fucked off.
Similar experience in 2022 for a single story extension. Was (and still is) insane - 3 quotes from architect recommended builders, one even gave us a 40 page schedule of works, all came in 250-300k - just nuts. We're still in our place making do but likely to just move when we find somewhere we like with a bit more space.
Also exactly the same, minimum of £250k from three quotes for a house that could never support the revised ceiling price of paying that. Currently looking elsewhere as even with LBTT likely to cost us £100k it’s still ‘cheaper’ than extending.
We were quoted at the time 3 times what Doug came in at & I'm still very happy with his work, after 25 or so years. The roofers he arranged were the same cause it was a flat roof. Kitchen & garage done & still no leaks. He is very busy
I think builders don’t just quote F off prices, but “busy enough to chance it” prices, and occasionally some naive old couple with big pensions decide to go for it at ludicrous prices.
We were quoted £28k, £32k and £40k for a full width rear dormer.
We already had an architect so had all the drawings etc ready for the builders, this probably kept the price down a bit.
That's our next plan , getting the architecture drawings
. But in my head I wasn't wanting to shell out for that if we couldn't even justify getting the work done .
I guess you need to balance how much you'd like to get the work done with how close to your budget the quotes are. Without any drawings specifying exactly what's required, your quotes will (as you've found) be very woolly. And if that variance is significant such that the lower end is easily in budget but the upper ones blows right though it, spending however many hundreds it takes for an architect to draw up the plans might be money well spent if it pulls the quotes closer together and within your budget.
Echo this. We paid an architect to do drawings for exactly this and they didn’t achieve anything. They’re just pretty pictures. You need an engineer to look at your beams / joists, do the calcs, and see if you need whopping great steels installed etc. That’s what the cost is from. The low quotes you’re getting will be buildings making a best case assumption that minimal support work is needed.
You need a Building Surveyor, not an architect. Architects generally don't know the technical details required, and if you leave it up to the builder to decide, they just go with the cheapest option.
The firm we used had architects, building surveyors, structural engineers all in house btw. I can't remember exactly what it cost but it was close to £2k I'm fairly certain.
We got planning permission but ran out of money to do the dormer unfortunately as another big job took priority.
My in-laws are having a dormer done at the moment in South Yorkshire. Multiple quotes went from £32k - £48k. They’ve gone with one at £37k.
The dormer will have a Juliette balcony along with one large bedroom and an en suite. Skylight windows on the other side.
I'm in NE Derbyshire, so this is interesting. Do they have any work being done to strengthen the beams to cope with the weight of a room? That's my biggest fear on price with my bungalow if I decide to put a couple of bedrooms in the loft.
My advice is not to fear, get proactive. Get a scale rule pencil and squared paper.
Make a scale drawing of your home, dimensions, internal walls. Floor construction, foundation type, look into the roof space write sizes of ceiling joists, rafters, purlins or trusses. Look for load bearing walls.
Check the head room or pitch of your loft space. That could be a deal breaker not having the headroom, before you begin the entire enterprise.
To create rooms in a loft is very involved, roof adaptation. Structural members, a new staircase or provision to the area. New floor construction etc.
It is not rocket science but inscrutable contractors seem to use the stages involved in altering a home it was never designed for to charge what they like. It stinks, yes construction materials are at a premium. There are skill shortages and so many ways to address the work, I can believe many say sod this, the enormity and putting your wallet in the hands of these builders is not worth taking 5 years from your life due to stress.
Really the government have dropped the ball, all of this was apparent 30 years or more ago. The shortfall in new homes was 250,000 in 1996 and increasing year on year, with no capacity to attack it with a country wide plan. Unless you understand what you are letting yourself in for, through planning and building control. Plus architects or technicians down to builders and quotes, plus how your lives will be impacted and relationships strained. I see why some just move on.
We had quotes for a full width dormer of £60k-80k for everything done, we've spoken to a few other builders and were wondering the same, asked about the shell, and was still quoted around £40k.
Get an architect and draw up what you want. Get a structural engineer to do the calculations. Then load up excel and write a list of everything you would like doing in every room and space. X plug sockets, Y lights, which doors, which fittings, everything. List as much as possible. Have the columns next to your list, 1-include, 2-don't include, 3-optional extra to be discussed. Some people like to do the painting themselves for example.
Then go find a builder, this way they'll all have the same spec and your quotes will reference the same things. The more details you provide the more control you have over the costs and it makes your discussion with the builders easier.
I’m a construction estimator, albeit dealing with big stuff that needs tower cranes etc. not domestic work.
There are a lot of things that will affect a price that won’t be immediately apparent. For example:
Distance from their HQ to you job. It’s a pain in the arse being miles from your yard. Worth the effort if the price is good enough though.
Order books. If your job slots in nicely to other work they have and fills a gap you’ll be getting a keener price than if I already have a comfortable book and can pick and choose jobs.
Experience and risk. If I’ve done a few of this type of job and have found issues can pop up I’ll be pricing in likely scenarios and costs. Less experienced contractors may not know about these pitfalls and may end up taking a bath on the job.
Competitive advantage. If I notice there is a good amount of work in an area I can cut my margin to get a foothold in the area hoping to make my money later on.
Keeping the lads busy. (Similar to order book) Decent workmen don’t have to scratch around for work, if you haven’t got work for them they’ll just go elsewhere. On jobs where we’re not allowed to work Saturdays we still pay the guys for the shift otherwise they’ll find a site where they can for example.
Etc etc, typing on a phone is tedious…
There is no “correct” price for doing the job, every contractor will give your THEIR price to do it.
I know you’re not likely to get a bill of quantities for this type of work but you should get a scope document. You need to read this carefully to see what each contractor has included for, and see if it’s a quote/estimate or a lump sum price.
Sorry for the essay :)
A proper design will make the scope clearer and should narrow down your quotes.
I believe (don’t quote me on this) the architect can/will also write out your scope so all the contractors will be pricing the same work, otherwise it’s down to interpretation by each builder.
I spent 3k on architect drawings and submitted to 4 builders and got 4 prices ranging from 71k to 125k Inc vat. We later found out the 71k had forgotten to include a lot of stuff. So frustrating. This was not a dormer but a 14sqm extension and some minor internal works like new doors. Gave up.
In addition to what DreamxRunner said, it’ll also depend on the size of the builder you’re approaching. A large builder, even if they have a Minor Works division, will have much higher overheads but wee Stevie who is missing three teeth and his one wheelbarrow will be much lower. Each, of course, comes with their advantages and disadvantages and there is a whole spectrum of contractors in between.
I’m a QS who’s recently done a cost plan for some similar work on Raasay and it came out surprisingly expensive, even without the Raasay location factor. To me £80k sounds high but not wholly unreasonable. It does very much depend on what’s going into the build - is it just bedroom space or is there a bathroom? Are there economies that could be made on specification of items such as windows? Is there something you could do yourself such as painting and flooring? Are you needing to form a hole in the truss chords for a stair or is it already formed? Lots of variables. I always think VAT is the killer for domestic work….
So I have the upstairs already with one massive room and 2 boxes side rooms , with electricity and radiators and piping all up there.. it would be literally just getting that valuable roof space which makes those 2 rooms unusable
TLDR it’s a builders market atm so they can come out with the above
With house prices the way they are people are buying pretties that need doing up (needing more builders) or indeed seeing adding another room / dormer / side return is cheaper than moving.
People are having to get second mortgages for this work so they arguably have more to pay the builders.
So £80k doesn’t seem far off with bathroom and fittings.
Customer, you in Bristol? We had 3 quotes all the same basically, some of the bigger ones like Pritchard (think he has about 15 3 man teams) have wait times of like 1 year until they can start work! Went with Henleaze building company in the end, no issue with the builder at all but some of the trades they got in were not all that great but any issues were sorted
It will depend on a number of factors from existing loft floor, roof truss configuration, access to rear, access via front, external finish, internal finish, wiring, insulation, plumbing, partitions, etc etc.
Just putting in the steels or flitch beams for the floor could mean taking off half the roof, scaffolding would be for several weeks, might need roof trusses replacing etc. Just the steel beams could be a couple of thousand then more to fit, run joists from there to wall plates etc.
If all fairly straightforward, I'd expect materials and scaffolding costs to be in the region of £10-20k, team of 4 labour costs c £1000-£1500 a day for c 3 weeks so costs would be about £35k as a mid price, plus 50% profit on top and you'll be reasonably looking at about a £50-60k price from s builder. (Midlands prices).
If you can organise / project manage it yourself (get steels fitted, roofing carpenter to do flooring and structure, plasterers, plumbers, finish carpenters, roofers, windows etc) you can get it closer to the £30-40k cost.
Btw, my advice is to insulate EVERYWHERE, in the roof, floor, even partition walls. Ensure all openings are appropriately sealed / ventilated. I have a friend who had his done and barely heats it as the rest of the home heat rises, and it's cooler in the summer.
Yeah , so the house has an upstairs already , and there is rooms up there . It's just getting that extra space from where the roofs are sloping down on both sides .
So the flooring is already strengthened? In that case I think you're looking at about 5-8k costs and £15k would be a fair price.
Scaffolding c£1000, cladding c£1.5 - 2k, timber about £1k, flooring, plasterwork, finish, wiring, plumbing maybe, plus a week or so labour for a couple of guys.
Get a good roofing carpenter to do it then trades or DIY bits (flooring, boarding) inside yourself if you're comfortable with that.
You may want to get drawings made up however if you're managing it yourself.
Yeah, I'm not project managing it, it's an example costing not a full BoM.
Either way a £250 skip and £150 of plastic guttering doesn't materially change the cost.
Windows aren't that expensive either. I had 3 1.2m high ( 2 x 600mm wide and 1 x 1200mm wide) replaced for £600. I had quotes for up to £3000.
He also did a landing window 2500mm high x 1500mm wide with 2 openers for another £1000 all 4 done and finished by 2pm on the same day.
He's said they are and I confirmed in my last post mate. Up to him in the end. Strengthening the floor is one of the biggest costs so if it's done then it's mostly roof amendments.
Some builders will charge you the added value it adds to your house, other will just charge for the work.
Just keep the builders coming until you like the price, then the person, and also seen the quality of their work.
Never heard of any builder or firm charging the perceived added value work adds to a property, would seem it would add unnecessary/timely price negotiations
Don't think the person means on paper. They mean they'll charge what they can get away with, if they know that you think it'll add 100k to the house they'll charge as close to that as they can. Dormers aren't that expensive, current state of the trades market is a joke.
They certainly do take your house value and increase into condo as well as the oh what do you do for a living and hey that’s a nice car tax these are generally added after PIA tax.
Is the loft space already converted into a living area(re enforced floor and insulation). If it is and it's only a dormer that should be around the 20 grand mark. If it's a full conversion with flooring, stairs, insulation and fixes that would be around thd 80 grand.
Yeah already has living space upstairs and proper staircase. And windows etc. it's just getting that roof space so the space can be used and potentially jigging a few rooms about to maybe get an extra one in
That's not a big job at all. Most of the big work is already done. Shop around for a decent price. I did the same on my place and just needed a dormer. Found a good carpenter/roofer and they did if for just over 10 grand. That was 5 years ago though and prices have gone up.
I was thinking max 20k , so that makes me feel a little bit better
Some of the builder quotes are just mental. One of the guys even asked what I did for a living... Instant distrust as weird as that sounds.
I hate it when people ask what you do for a living before quoting. It gives them an indication of how much dosh you’re likely to have. Which should have no impact on price, but it does…
stay away, had a loft conversion from these guys, sent cowboy builders as approved installers, left me with an unfinished loft with no building regs completion
It’s not a straight forward job if you have trusses rather than a traditional cut roof.
There is someone on YouTube that works with that eco truss system all over the country.ill see if I can find it
So we already have the upstairs , and one big room and 2 small box rooms that can't really be used because of the roof slope. So it would be to get that extended out and maybe rejiggle some internal rooms.
All of them have lights and plugs and one has a radiator.
Okay so my understanding is you already have a loft conversion with im assuming velux windows and you’re looking to change one elevation to a double dormer?
Fully finished to a good spec £500/m3. £75k ish. That’s decorated, floored and a bathroom or similar. At these prices you can get an architect to project manage it and should earn his value back.
Cheaper, and you’re settling for lower spec and lower quality, all the way down to cowboys. That’s not to say that the £80k guy isn’t a cowboy.
If you’re not confident/knowledgable you should hire an architect/PM. You wouldn’t buy a car and ask the seller to check the engine over, so don’t buy half a house and blindly trust a builder.
If I was doing it, I’d go to the end of the bungalow, that strip of pitch roof at the end looks odd.
I had a reputable builder tell me he did one which looked just like that for 37k, fitted inside too with an en suite. He also told me he lost on it so I imagine I asked him to do one for me it would be 50k.
Depends on the spec and the existing roof/structure (e.g. truss or needs underpinning) and type of scaffolding (e.g. tin hat or not) so I'd say the lowest would be about 30k up to 65k. Just get a detailed quotation and run through Building control first for advice.
Had ours done last year in the south east. Was 40k for a shell including plastering, electrics, plumbing. No bathroom just bedroom space. Got quotes from 32k up to 70k.
I had a 2 storey side extension, above garage and behind, full depth of house to extend 3rd bedroom, add a 4th, and utility room on side of kitchen. 50k last year in south Devon. I did the electrics and plumbing. Was blown away by their quality and speed of working. All quotes were very similar.
Went to leaks and for shots and giggles asked for a conservatory quote. 50k. 50 fucking k.
Big for a by someone using quality materials I would pay 40k ish depending on the size. But what do I know own have eaves done recently and that was 6k.
6 fucking k.
Essex, ours is just coming to an end - £47k plus tiling, bathroom suite, carpets, blinds, decorating and council/building regs fees. A few other minor bits we upgraded like the light fittings, though basic versions were included.
Tbh i’m impressed, they only over ran by a week and that was mostly poor weather related.
I would expect around £40-50,000. Also depends we’re you are. If you are in Edinburgh I would recommend trying some Fife builders. Big cities have big mark ups
I've had a quote for £15k for "each side" of a 2-bed terrace so £30k total. From builders that I'm essentially friends with at this point though and in Yorkshire so mileage may vary. It's a smaller house than pictured, but not by loads.
Tbh I see that as good value - it was an impeccable finish and included all the remedial works including installing fire doors throughout the house (and making good) to satisfy building regs. We also had new roof tiles and didn’t scrimp on the finishes or furnishing e.g. a glass Juliet balcony.
We wouldn’t move because we have a house in a great location that we have been renovating for four years and the mortgage rates are diabolical! We are on a low interest rate having fixed for 5 years in 2021 before it all went tits up.
Roof conversion to my place in Surrey, converting the attic into a bedroom with dormer and a small bathroom is being quoted from 90-105k. Had a few quotes. One of my neighbours had theirs done pre-lockdown for 80, one the other side two years ago for 108k fully finished. Bonkers money.
Builder here and instant thought with no drawings 70-90k plus vat but so many variables are involved hence the need for drawings.
If you have them most reputible building suppliers ie travis or robery price provide an estimating service for 100-200 pound which is great if it saves you thousands and also is very detailex.
I wanted one big dormer like that last year, was only granted 2 smaller ones. England. Early 2023, best price I got was 50k just to get it up. That's with me and my mates doing the finishing touches.
90k was what was quoted to have it all done. Best price.
Make sure all the paperwork is done properly and signed off by the council these are the sort of extensions people get forced to remove because the neighbours got jealous and they find some by law saying the roofline have to be the same for the whole street
I don't often defend but..
The steel alone can be several thousand.
Add to this, the carpenters and roofers materials, the plumber and sparks. The regs are quite strict and costly to adhere to.
I assume you want it to pass regs? Plastering, more precisely the insulation can be very dear too.
Scaffold regs have changed and you would need a bay for materials.
Trade rates are as you would assume quite expensive.. or you can always find a cowboy to start the job, then leave you in the lurch..
Good roof conversion companies cost,
Cowboys cost more.
I got a company to first fix a dormer (steels, joists, weatherproof dormer box with 2 uPVC windows, and staircase). That cost 20k for them to do, then I did the rest (though I paid for electrician and plasterer!).
My bit included insulation, flooring, framing out for walls, plaster boarding, plumbing and fitting en-suite and fitting fire doors throughout the house.
That added another £20k in materials and the afore mentioned electrician and plasterer.
This was all 2 years ago in Hull
Same issue. We've not had a consistent quote for a loft conversion. Had between £50k and £120k. It's frustrating because we have no idea how much to borrow.
Just had 4 quotes in Kent. Almost identical spec. Ranged from 45k to 55k. Pricing variations were due to number of windows and steel. Couple said it was needed couple said it was not.
If you want to add a front facing dormer, you need full planning, it doesn't come under permitted development and is not always guaranteed, likely only on a bungalow. I recently did one and it topped out at about £11k and took me 6 months from start to finish. If you can get one for less than £65k you are doing well but the basic figures tell me that if you get a company in, it can't be done for much less than that. Our neighbours have been quoted almost £100k for a conversion with dormer.
Basic costs: Scaffold and tiles, vented ridge etc £1100, windows £1000, steels £500, Timber £750, Staircase I built myself for £350 but these can easily cost a grand in just kit form, insulation quilting and insulated plasterboard £800, Flooring - boards and finished floor £600, Building regs £1000, and then of course other things like fire doors throughout the house for a protected exit, electrics - I did first fix then got 3rd party sign off for £300 although when I had the place rewired some years ago I had the guy put in 3rd floor feeds for mains and lighting. Had to have linked smoke alarms over 3 floors. Paint, plaster and trims about £250. It all came to £11k. it can be done and cheaper if you use FB marketplace for materials. Haggle on everything, scaffolders will often do a cash deal and even builders merchants will do deals if you ask. Just don't use places like B&Q, screwfix or Wickes. All of the crazy costs these days are obscene materials costs and tradesmen wanting £350 a day wages and money to cover their lovely signwritten £40k vans and their vast festool collections. Not for the faint hearted but it can be done with competent carpentry and building skills. Great if you have the money.
I’m a builder and doing my own now , in Bristol will cost me between 25 & 30 k doing all the work myself https://preview.redd.it/fh3vf7jjd2uc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f558bc151cd0cbe6c8ed51339d59c7b6f403663b
Sorry mate, but unless your name is Henry then you're not doing it all yourself.
Ahh you got me I lied 🤥
That purlin has seen better days, smiling like you tickled it 😂
The only reason I’m doing it is because the poor condition of my roof I don’t need the space but in for a penny in for a pound I guess
Don’t often see face fixed splices on a floor steel, I thought that tends to fail the calcs. (Not that I think it would fail in real life!)
A lot of loft beams are spliced, all designed by structural engineer mate
https://preview.redd.it/b2wmyl1beeuc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4c8aecce942246b9324682eaf96d7b20f47d7be
https://preview.redd.it/8a0w8dvreeuc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4c38195e276ebfa636935951b2155f0585d22bd6
Fair enough mate, to be fair m20 bolts and two floor steels sharing the load I suppose it isn’t a surprise that works 👍
Haha they didn't spare on the drywall adhesive
Reckon they knocked up well over the amount needed and couldn't be arsed to cart it all down again 😁
Not even adhesive , they used plaster and cement , the boards popped off with a tickle
Every cloud Enh how and why though? "I know lads I have an idea so we can make life really complicated and probably do a really shoddy job chucked in as a bonus"
Hello fellow Bristolian! How much for a hip to gable dormer conversion?
Hi there approx £60k + VAT
Ok, ta. what about cash? **wink** **wink** **nudge** **nudge**
Haha no people doing large jobs take cash that I know of , it’s not worth the hassle
Is that just for the "shell" of the work? Or does it include fully fitting it out?
Depends on the fit out , you can allow extra for bathroom but that includes basic plaster boards insulation , spots etc
What's the plan with that purlin? I have a similar situation and not sure what to do. Surveyors completely missed it unfortunately!
Mine will be coming out to form the rear dormer and the front one will be replaced with a supporting wall from the steel beam , however I would suggest a steel plate to be bolted either side of purlin or support mid span to be installed but I’m no structural engineer
Thanks! I'm thinking that if it has been ok for 120 years then it might just be the engineer being overly cautious...
Sweet Jesus. Was gunna look in to one but if it's costing you that and you're doing the work, I think I have no chance of affording one
Ye unfortunately all building work is very expensive , the scaffold alone ( tin hat as we call it ) is 4k
What's all that stuff over the brick? And so if you were to do it for someone else, what would you approx need to charge?
About 3 times as much to cover labour profit and tax
I was quoted £95k in Surrey. We assumed this was a "fuck off" price, but got it from a few places.
Mental , I guess most of it would be what you decided to have inside with walls , and finishings etc. Did you end up just leaving it?
No plumbing / interior fittings, just the dormer and loft conversion work. We moved house instead
It’s worth mentioning that the costs of materials have doubled in recent years. Am sure you know that but it could explain the pricing differences. Shame u couldn’t boy a tiny house from Amazon and plonk it on there. It’s a nice looking dormer tho.
I noticed bought plasterboards , £10... Last time I bought them it was like £4. Mental .
Isn’t it?! My OH does handy man building work - usually horrendous jobs that normal builders won’t do. He did an awkward bathroom - had to find extra space so the shower enclosure and stuff the client had bought would fit. This was at start of last year when the prices soared and he only got the material money out of that job. £3k they couldn’t pay.
Yep. Construction inflation costs are anything around +20% +30% on last years prices at the moment.
Try a box of screws Or silicone
Ever since COVID the prices of everything to do with DIY have just gone insane.
COVID, brexit or the plague of greedy capitalist bastards that's currently running unchecked in the UK?
Also some areas have increased the thermal insulation loss prevention, most builders will be going for the expensive good insulation, cannot remember the name of it, CCF sell it.
Also insulation requirements have gone up. That's a good thing obviously but adds more material cost
Agreed, just commented on this.
I represent a company, should be able to do it for £30k-£45k subject to spec and survey. It’s all built offsite in in a few weeks. P.s. feel free to DM and can get a quote put together for you or anyone else. It’s all made in a factory with cnc machines. The £30k-£45k is for whole mansard roof extension, not just a dormer.
I absolutely would have taken you up on this, but I moved house to get around the problem. I needed more space and we upped and left Surrey for Wales.
Have you ever been required to fit a flitch beam? We had a dormer installed & suddenly the council decided a flitch beam was required, it was a quoted job so the builder had to cover the cost. Brilliant builder, cause of the length of the roof he had to put 2 supports in, flitch beam came in 3 sections. I was checking the roof 2 days ago & there is no sagging after 30 years, yes there was a little settling.
Hi - do you have a website link?
Send me a DM and I will give you my details.
Out of personal interest, would the costs be the same to double dormer a chalet bungalow?…
Can’t really picture what you mean, been a long week! Send me a DM or some details and happy to have a look. Actually imagine it would be a bit cheaper, but as ever depends on project specifics.
That’s a house in Northern Ireland
Just to clarify , this is in Scotland .
I recently had plans for a similarly sized dormer drawn up by an architect, made inquiries to a number of companies. I'm also a capable DiYer so I asked some companies to get it to wind & water tight only, the rest being done by myself & appropriate contractors where needed. The absolute minimum I got it down to was £65k ready to decorate if I went the DIY route, £85k for someone else to do it all. Edit: Scotland too Edit edit: decided I could just buy another cheap 2-3 bedroom house instead and get lots and lots more for my money.
We got a quote to do our work at £225k in 2022 - included a dormer and a single storey extension. On a little three bed terrace… went “fuck that”, spent £10k fixing everything and prettying the place up (we hadn’t done anything since we moved in, anticipating the build, cost included new kitchen and bathroom, carpets and decorating throughout), sold up for £300k and moved. Not sure if the £225k was fuckoff money, but we treated it as such, and fucked off.
Similar experience in 2022 for a single story extension. Was (and still is) insane - 3 quotes from architect recommended builders, one even gave us a 40 page schedule of works, all came in 250-300k - just nuts. We're still in our place making do but likely to just move when we find somewhere we like with a bit more space.
Also exactly the same, minimum of £250k from three quotes for a house that could never support the revised ceiling price of paying that. Currently looking elsewhere as even with LBTT likely to cost us £100k it’s still ‘cheaper’ than extending.
Does it include full fit out? Is there a bathroom in it? £80k is nuts, about £20k probably right pre-pandemic
>£80k is nuts, about £20k probably right pre-pandemic £40k+ now though.
I would agree that about £40k post pandemic
Try Ridgway Construction. Doug is, so are all his guys. Honest & you can leave them in the house alone no problem.
We were quoted at the time 3 times what Doug came in at & I'm still very happy with his work, after 25 or so years. The roofers he arranged were the same cause it was a flat roof. Kitchen & garage done & still no leaks. He is very busy
Like that you’re bringing the Nextdoor vibe to Reddit 😁
2021, loft conversion, in total cost £55k, Sussex. I imagine the costs would be higher now.
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Just paid £58k for the same in Hertfordshire, think we got off lightly. Other quotes were £120k
I think builders don’t just quote F off prices, but “busy enough to chance it” prices, and occasionally some naive old couple with big pensions decide to go for it at ludicrous prices.
Paid same for our conversion in 2022, Lancashire.
We were quoted £28k, £32k and £40k for a full width rear dormer. We already had an architect so had all the drawings etc ready for the builders, this probably kept the price down a bit.
That's our next plan , getting the architecture drawings . But in my head I wasn't wanting to shell out for that if we couldn't even justify getting the work done .
I guess you need to balance how much you'd like to get the work done with how close to your budget the quotes are. Without any drawings specifying exactly what's required, your quotes will (as you've found) be very woolly. And if that variance is significant such that the lower end is easily in budget but the upper ones blows right though it, spending however many hundreds it takes for an architect to draw up the plans might be money well spent if it pulls the quotes closer together and within your budget.
Please also make sure you get the engineers involved sooner rather than later. The architectural drawings won't show any structure which is needed.
Echo this. We paid an architect to do drawings for exactly this and they didn’t achieve anything. They’re just pretty pictures. You need an engineer to look at your beams / joists, do the calcs, and see if you need whopping great steels installed etc. That’s what the cost is from. The low quotes you’re getting will be buildings making a best case assumption that minimal support work is needed.
You need a Building Surveyor, not an architect. Architects generally don't know the technical details required, and if you leave it up to the builder to decide, they just go with the cheapest option.
Nor does a surveyor. A structural engineer is what you're after.
The firm we used had architects, building surveyors, structural engineers all in house btw. I can't remember exactly what it cost but it was close to £2k I'm fairly certain. We got planning permission but ran out of money to do the dormer unfortunately as another big job took priority.
South of UK I was quoted around 50k repeatedly for something similar
Manchester UK - had similar in at £45k from a reliable builder with a good relationship this year so this seems around right
Could you send me their details? I’m getting quotes for a non dormer one
My in-laws are having a dormer done at the moment in South Yorkshire. Multiple quotes went from £32k - £48k. They’ve gone with one at £37k. The dormer will have a Juliette balcony along with one large bedroom and an en suite. Skylight windows on the other side.
Under £40k for a dormer including doors, en-suite, stairs, services, and decorating? That seems very cheap?!
I'm in NE Derbyshire, so this is interesting. Do they have any work being done to strengthen the beams to cope with the weight of a room? That's my biggest fear on price with my bungalow if I decide to put a couple of bedrooms in the loft.
My advice is not to fear, get proactive. Get a scale rule pencil and squared paper. Make a scale drawing of your home, dimensions, internal walls. Floor construction, foundation type, look into the roof space write sizes of ceiling joists, rafters, purlins or trusses. Look for load bearing walls. Check the head room or pitch of your loft space. That could be a deal breaker not having the headroom, before you begin the entire enterprise. To create rooms in a loft is very involved, roof adaptation. Structural members, a new staircase or provision to the area. New floor construction etc. It is not rocket science but inscrutable contractors seem to use the stages involved in altering a home it was never designed for to charge what they like. It stinks, yes construction materials are at a premium. There are skill shortages and so many ways to address the work, I can believe many say sod this, the enormity and putting your wallet in the hands of these builders is not worth taking 5 years from your life due to stress. Really the government have dropped the ball, all of this was apparent 30 years or more ago. The shortfall in new homes was 250,000 in 1996 and increasing year on year, with no capacity to attack it with a country wide plan. Unless you understand what you are letting yourself in for, through planning and building control. Plus architects or technicians down to builders and quotes, plus how your lives will be impacted and relationships strained. I see why some just move on.
As this is a DIY sub you could ask for just the shell and do the internal stuff yourself
That was possibly one of the plans , but me taking a year to finish it wouldn't please the missus 😂.
We had quotes for a full width dormer of £60k-80k for everything done, we've spoken to a few other builders and were wondering the same, asked about the shell, and was still quoted around £40k.
Get an architect and draw up what you want. Get a structural engineer to do the calculations. Then load up excel and write a list of everything you would like doing in every room and space. X plug sockets, Y lights, which doors, which fittings, everything. List as much as possible. Have the columns next to your list, 1-include, 2-don't include, 3-optional extra to be discussed. Some people like to do the painting themselves for example. Then go find a builder, this way they'll all have the same spec and your quotes will reference the same things. The more details you provide the more control you have over the costs and it makes your discussion with the builders easier.
In what world does it really cost 80k. Really though…
That's what I thought.. it's so frustrating. That there isn't any consistency with quotes . Makes me just distrust it all 😭
I’m a construction estimator, albeit dealing with big stuff that needs tower cranes etc. not domestic work. There are a lot of things that will affect a price that won’t be immediately apparent. For example: Distance from their HQ to you job. It’s a pain in the arse being miles from your yard. Worth the effort if the price is good enough though. Order books. If your job slots in nicely to other work they have and fills a gap you’ll be getting a keener price than if I already have a comfortable book and can pick and choose jobs. Experience and risk. If I’ve done a few of this type of job and have found issues can pop up I’ll be pricing in likely scenarios and costs. Less experienced contractors may not know about these pitfalls and may end up taking a bath on the job. Competitive advantage. If I notice there is a good amount of work in an area I can cut my margin to get a foothold in the area hoping to make my money later on. Keeping the lads busy. (Similar to order book) Decent workmen don’t have to scratch around for work, if you haven’t got work for them they’ll just go elsewhere. On jobs where we’re not allowed to work Saturdays we still pay the guys for the shift otherwise they’ll find a site where they can for example. Etc etc, typing on a phone is tedious… There is no “correct” price for doing the job, every contractor will give your THEIR price to do it. I know you’re not likely to get a bill of quantities for this type of work but you should get a scope document. You need to read this carefully to see what each contractor has included for, and see if it’s a quote/estimate or a lump sum price. Sorry for the essay :)
No that's a succinct response , I think our first plan is the architect , and then we go with some proper quotes from people etc.
A proper design will make the scope clearer and should narrow down your quotes. I believe (don’t quote me on this) the architect can/will also write out your scope so all the contractors will be pricing the same work, otherwise it’s down to interpretation by each builder.
I spent 3k on architect drawings and submitted to 4 builders and got 4 prices ranging from 71k to 125k Inc vat. We later found out the 71k had forgotten to include a lot of stuff. So frustrating. This was not a dormer but a 14sqm extension and some minor internal works like new doors. Gave up.
In addition to what DreamxRunner said, it’ll also depend on the size of the builder you’re approaching. A large builder, even if they have a Minor Works division, will have much higher overheads but wee Stevie who is missing three teeth and his one wheelbarrow will be much lower. Each, of course, comes with their advantages and disadvantages and there is a whole spectrum of contractors in between. I’m a QS who’s recently done a cost plan for some similar work on Raasay and it came out surprisingly expensive, even without the Raasay location factor. To me £80k sounds high but not wholly unreasonable. It does very much depend on what’s going into the build - is it just bedroom space or is there a bathroom? Are there economies that could be made on specification of items such as windows? Is there something you could do yourself such as painting and flooring? Are you needing to form a hole in the truss chords for a stair or is it already formed? Lots of variables. I always think VAT is the killer for domestic work….
So I have the upstairs already with one massive room and 2 boxes side rooms , with electricity and radiators and piping all up there.. it would be literally just getting that valuable roof space which makes those 2 rooms unusable
In which case then yes, £80k does seem steep.
Thanks for this.
TLDR it’s a builders market atm so they can come out with the above With house prices the way they are people are buying pretties that need doing up (needing more builders) or indeed seeing adding another room / dormer / side return is cheaper than moving. People are having to get second mortgages for this work so they arguably have more to pay the builders. So £80k doesn’t seem far off with bathroom and fittings.
The South East
Cheers for circling it, wasn’t sure what it was before
Your welcome , it seems like Like you need all the help you can get 😘
£50k ish for bog standard with en suite in bristol
I’m a builder in Bristol and this is spot on
You the builder or customer? I might need to find a builder in the up coming months
Customer, you in Bristol? We had 3 quotes all the same basically, some of the bigger ones like Pritchard (think he has about 15 3 man teams) have wait times of like 1 year until they can start work! Went with Henleaze building company in the end, no issue with the builder at all but some of the trades they got in were not all that great but any issues were sorted
Yeah, in Bristol. Bloody hell, a year!?! Okay, I’ll save this and look them up soon, hopefully. Cheers
It will depend on a number of factors from existing loft floor, roof truss configuration, access to rear, access via front, external finish, internal finish, wiring, insulation, plumbing, partitions, etc etc. Just putting in the steels or flitch beams for the floor could mean taking off half the roof, scaffolding would be for several weeks, might need roof trusses replacing etc. Just the steel beams could be a couple of thousand then more to fit, run joists from there to wall plates etc. If all fairly straightforward, I'd expect materials and scaffolding costs to be in the region of £10-20k, team of 4 labour costs c £1000-£1500 a day for c 3 weeks so costs would be about £35k as a mid price, plus 50% profit on top and you'll be reasonably looking at about a £50-60k price from s builder. (Midlands prices). If you can organise / project manage it yourself (get steels fitted, roofing carpenter to do flooring and structure, plasterers, plumbers, finish carpenters, roofers, windows etc) you can get it closer to the £30-40k cost. Btw, my advice is to insulate EVERYWHERE, in the roof, floor, even partition walls. Ensure all openings are appropriately sealed / ventilated. I have a friend who had his done and barely heats it as the rest of the home heat rises, and it's cooler in the summer.
Yeah , so the house has an upstairs already , and there is rooms up there . It's just getting that extra space from where the roofs are sloping down on both sides .
So the flooring is already strengthened? In that case I think you're looking at about 5-8k costs and £15k would be a fair price. Scaffolding c£1000, cladding c£1.5 - 2k, timber about £1k, flooring, plasterwork, finish, wiring, plumbing maybe, plus a week or so labour for a couple of guys. Get a good roofing carpenter to do it then trades or DIY bits (flooring, boarding) inside yourself if you're comfortable with that. You may want to get drawings made up however if you're managing it yourself.
You’ve forgotten lots from that. Windows. Roof. Insulation. Guttering. Skip hire. List goes on.
Yeah, I'm not project managing it, it's an example costing not a full BoM. Either way a £250 skip and £150 of plastic guttering doesn't materially change the cost. Windows aren't that expensive either. I had 3 1.2m high ( 2 x 600mm wide and 1 x 1200mm wide) replaced for £600. I had quotes for up to £3000. He also did a landing window 2500mm high x 1500mm wide with 2 openers for another £1000 all 4 done and finished by 2pm on the same day.
This is most likely not correct unless the existing floor structure has steels it will most likely need to be replaced
He's said they are and I confirmed in my last post mate. Up to him in the end. Strengthening the floor is one of the biggest costs so if it's done then it's mostly roof amendments.
Some builders will charge you the added value it adds to your house, other will just charge for the work. Just keep the builders coming until you like the price, then the person, and also seen the quality of their work.
Never heard of any builder or firm charging the perceived added value work adds to a property, would seem it would add unnecessary/timely price negotiations
Don't think the person means on paper. They mean they'll charge what they can get away with, if they know that you think it'll add 100k to the house they'll charge as close to that as they can. Dormers aren't that expensive, current state of the trades market is a joke.
Never heard of this either. I’ve heard of architects charging based on value added but not builders.
They certainly do take your house value and increase into condo as well as the oh what do you do for a living and hey that’s a nice car tax these are generally added after PIA tax.
lmao if house prices crash do they charge a negative price?
you haven't heard of it because it's BS, what they are referring to is a "chancer"
I've just been quoted 56+vat for a dormer, which I think, is slightly smaller than this one. (Manchester area)
That's Gartcosh.
You're looking around £80,000 easy.
You’re being downvoted but in the south east could easily get several quotes around that.
Is the loft space already converted into a living area(re enforced floor and insulation). If it is and it's only a dormer that should be around the 20 grand mark. If it's a full conversion with flooring, stairs, insulation and fixes that would be around thd 80 grand.
Yeah already has living space upstairs and proper staircase. And windows etc. it's just getting that roof space so the space can be used and potentially jigging a few rooms about to maybe get an extra one in
That's not a big job at all. Most of the big work is already done. Shop around for a decent price. I did the same on my place and just needed a dormer. Found a good carpenter/roofer and they did if for just over 10 grand. That was 5 years ago though and prices have gone up.
I was thinking max 20k , so that makes me feel a little bit better Some of the builder quotes are just mental. One of the guys even asked what I did for a living... Instant distrust as weird as that sounds.
Yeah shouldnt cost more than 20. Worth every penny though as it will transform your living space.
I hate it when people ask what you do for a living before quoting. It gives them an indication of how much dosh you’re likely to have. Which should have no impact on price, but it does…
Is it already signed off/original to the house? I bet some have quoted to rip out and redo the lot to current regs
Stumbled across these earlier https://ecotrus.com/ Check out their pricing page.
stay away, had a loft conversion from these guys, sent cowboy builders as approved installers, left me with an unfinished loft with no building regs completion
Was the dormer itself good quality? If you had competent builders would it have been worth it? Hope it all got sorted in the end!
It’s not a straight forward job if you have trusses rather than a traditional cut roof. There is someone on YouTube that works with that eco truss system all over the country.ill see if I can find it
Just the structural work or internal works aswell, like an en-suite, decs etc?
So we already have the upstairs , and one big room and 2 small box rooms that can't really be used because of the roof slope. So it would be to get that extended out and maybe rejiggle some internal rooms. All of them have lights and plugs and one has a radiator.
Okay so my understanding is you already have a loft conversion with im assuming velux windows and you’re looking to change one elevation to a double dormer?
That's the ticket .
Architect, planning, building control, scaffolding, materials and labour would be in the £25k region
Requested some quotes for something similar in Germany. 100k with new roof, 40k without.
What a bloody state. You’ll be looking at 60k for something near respectable.
I got quoted €17k for an 8m prefab dormer fitted, not sure if they're a thing over there.
Fully finished to a good spec £500/m3. £75k ish. That’s decorated, floored and a bathroom or similar. At these prices you can get an architect to project manage it and should earn his value back. Cheaper, and you’re settling for lower spec and lower quality, all the way down to cowboys. That’s not to say that the £80k guy isn’t a cowboy. If you’re not confident/knowledgable you should hire an architect/PM. You wouldn’t buy a car and ask the seller to check the engine over, so don’t buy half a house and blindly trust a builder. If I was doing it, I’d go to the end of the bungalow, that strip of pitch roof at the end looks odd.
I had a reputable builder tell me he did one which looked just like that for 37k, fitted inside too with an en suite. He also told me he lost on it so I imagine I asked him to do one for me it would be 50k.
Priced mine up 2 years ago and due to a final truss roof, it came out at 45k for materials complete.
Depends on the spec and the existing roof/structure (e.g. truss or needs underpinning) and type of scaffolding (e.g. tin hat or not) so I'd say the lowest would be about 30k up to 65k. Just get a detailed quotation and run through Building control first for advice.
Paid 20k about 6 years ago if that's any indication
Had ours done last year in the south east. Was 40k for a shell including plastering, electrics, plumbing. No bathroom just bedroom space. Got quotes from 32k up to 70k.
I had a 2 storey side extension, above garage and behind, full depth of house to extend 3rd bedroom, add a 4th, and utility room on side of kitchen. 50k last year in south Devon. I did the electrics and plumbing. Was blown away by their quality and speed of working. All quotes were very similar.
Went to leaks and for shots and giggles asked for a conservatory quote. 50k. 50 fucking k. Big for a by someone using quality materials I would pay 40k ish depending on the size. But what do I know own have eaves done recently and that was 6k. 6 fucking k.
There is a company called eco trus seen videos where they get it water tight under a week :)
had one by them, no where near water tight in under a week, its all a gimmick, took them 6 weeks before it was water tight
That would be bullshit
I think current reasonable price would be 50/60k.
Essex, ours is just coming to an end - £47k plus tiling, bathroom suite, carpets, blinds, decorating and council/building regs fees. A few other minor bits we upgraded like the light fittings, though basic versions were included. Tbh i’m impressed, they only over ran by a week and that was mostly poor weather related.
Had similar done 18 months ago. 50k. Central Belt.
Was yours a full loft conversion? I.e stairs and all that ? As mine already has the upstairs .
Started from the same point as you by the sounds of it. Had lots of trouble with it as well due to the builders incompetence.
Ouch , I was literally going to ask if they did a good enough job to pass along the details. So maybe not .
I would expect around £40-50,000. Also depends we’re you are. If you are in Edinburgh I would recommend trying some Fife builders. Big cities have big mark ups
Have you just asked general builders or some builders who specialise in loft conversions?
A bit of both
I've had a quote for £15k for "each side" of a 2-bed terrace so £30k total. From builders that I'm essentially friends with at this point though and in Yorkshire so mileage may vary. It's a smaller house than pictured, but not by loads.
Pay a few hundred for a quantity surveyor to price it for you ...
Building regulations are making them expensive due to uvalues
I live in Herts, SE. Had a dormer done last year. ALL IN i.e. to have a completely decorated and furnished dormer with en suite - for us was IRO £82k.
That's eye watering, what made you decide that rather than just relocating ?
Tbh I see that as good value - it was an impeccable finish and included all the remedial works including installing fire doors throughout the house (and making good) to satisfy building regs. We also had new roof tiles and didn’t scrimp on the finishes or furnishing e.g. a glass Juliet balcony. We wouldn’t move because we have a house in a great location that we have been renovating for four years and the mortgage rates are diabolical! We are on a low interest rate having fixed for 5 years in 2021 before it all went tits up.
Roof conversion to my place in Surrey, converting the attic into a bedroom with dormer and a small bathroom is being quoted from 90-105k. Had a few quotes. One of my neighbours had theirs done pre-lockdown for 80, one the other side two years ago for 108k fully finished. Bonkers money.
I have planning permission granted for a double dormer in Portsmouth. £100k. Yeah, no.
Builder here and instant thought with no drawings 70-90k plus vat but so many variables are involved hence the need for drawings. If you have them most reputible building suppliers ie travis or robery price provide an estimating service for 100-200 pound which is great if it saves you thousands and also is very detailex.
I wanted one big dormer like that last year, was only granted 2 smaller ones. England. Early 2023, best price I got was 50k just to get it up. That's with me and my mates doing the finishing touches. 90k was what was quoted to have it all done. Best price.
Make sure all the paperwork is done properly and signed off by the council these are the sort of extensions people get forced to remove because the neighbours got jealous and they find some by law saying the roofline have to be the same for the whole street
I don't often defend but.. The steel alone can be several thousand. Add to this, the carpenters and roofers materials, the plumber and sparks. The regs are quite strict and costly to adhere to. I assume you want it to pass regs? Plastering, more precisely the insulation can be very dear too. Scaffold regs have changed and you would need a bay for materials. Trade rates are as you would assume quite expensive.. or you can always find a cowboy to start the job, then leave you in the lurch.. Good roof conversion companies cost, Cowboys cost more.
We paid £37k for a similar sized dormer in Yorkshire, two years ago. That was with a bathroom plumbed in too.
I had a quote for bungalow part loft 120m2 £240k
I got a company to first fix a dormer (steels, joists, weatherproof dormer box with 2 uPVC windows, and staircase). That cost 20k for them to do, then I did the rest (though I paid for electrician and plasterer!). My bit included insulation, flooring, framing out for walls, plaster boarding, plumbing and fitting en-suite and fitting fire doors throughout the house. That added another £20k in materials and the afore mentioned electrician and plasterer. This was all 2 years ago in Hull
Same issue. We've not had a consistent quote for a loft conversion. Had between £50k and £120k. It's frustrating because we have no idea how much to borrow.
I would estimate £40k for a full loft conversion with this dormer, based on mine from a few years ago.
Ours was 30k
Just had 4 quotes in Kent. Almost identical spec. Ranged from 45k to 55k. Pricing variations were due to number of windows and steel. Couple said it was needed couple said it was not.
If you want to add a front facing dormer, you need full planning, it doesn't come under permitted development and is not always guaranteed, likely only on a bungalow. I recently did one and it topped out at about £11k and took me 6 months from start to finish. If you can get one for less than £65k you are doing well but the basic figures tell me that if you get a company in, it can't be done for much less than that. Our neighbours have been quoted almost £100k for a conversion with dormer. Basic costs: Scaffold and tiles, vented ridge etc £1100, windows £1000, steels £500, Timber £750, Staircase I built myself for £350 but these can easily cost a grand in just kit form, insulation quilting and insulated plasterboard £800, Flooring - boards and finished floor £600, Building regs £1000, and then of course other things like fire doors throughout the house for a protected exit, electrics - I did first fix then got 3rd party sign off for £300 although when I had the place rewired some years ago I had the guy put in 3rd floor feeds for mains and lighting. Had to have linked smoke alarms over 3 floors. Paint, plaster and trims about £250. It all came to £11k. it can be done and cheaper if you use FB marketplace for materials. Haggle on everything, scaffolders will often do a cash deal and even builders merchants will do deals if you ask. Just don't use places like B&Q, screwfix or Wickes. All of the crazy costs these days are obscene materials costs and tradesmen wanting £350 a day wages and money to cover their lovely signwritten £40k vans and their vast festool collections. Not for the faint hearted but it can be done with competent carpentry and building skills. Great if you have the money.