A loft conversion is often the most cost-effective way to add a bedroom, because you're using space you already own and you're not extending the footprint of the house. But "loft conversion" covers everything from a simple rooflight job to a full dormer with an en-suite, and the costs vary accordingly.
Here's a plain guide to what the different types cost in the North East in 2026, and what pushes the price up or down.
A rooflight (or Velux) conversion is the cheapest, because you're not altering the roof shape, just adding windows, insulation, a floor, stairs and finishes. It needs enough existing head height to work.
A dormer conversion adds a box-shaped extension out from the roof slope to create full head height and more usable floor area. It's the most popular type and sits in the middle on cost.
A hip-to-gable conversion rebuilds the sloping side of the roof into a vertical gable, often combined with a dormer, to maximise space on semi-detached and detached homes. It's the most involved and the dearest.
Head height and roof structure are the big ones. If there's enough height and a simple roof structure, the job is straightforward. Modern trussed roofs need more structural work than older cut roofs, which adds cost.
Then it's the spec: a basic bedroom is one number; add an en-suite, fitted wardrobes and high-end finishes and it climbs. Staircase position can also force changes on the floor below, which adds to the job.
As 2026 planning guidance, a rooflight conversion is the most affordable option, a dormer conversion typically lands in the mid range, and a hip-to-gable with a dormer sits at the top. We give a fixed written price after a free site visit, because the variation between properties is genuinely large.
For most homes, adding a bedroom and ideally a bathroom is one of the strongest returns on investment in terms of added value and usable space, and it usually causes less disruption than a ground-floor extension because most of the work happens via external scaffold until the final connection.
These figures are general guidance to help you plan, not a quote. Every job is different, and the only way to know what yours will cost is a free site visit. We come out, look at the job, and give you a fixed price in writing — no call-out charge, no obligation.
A rooflight (Velux) conversion, because it doesn't alter the roof shape. A dormer is mid-range and a hip-to-gable is the most involved and dearest.
Many fall under permitted development, but it depends on the property, the design and whether you're in a conservation area. We check and handle any application.
Typically six to ten weeks depending on the type and specification.
Usually not. Most of the work is done via external scaffold until the final connection, keeping disruption inside to a minimum.
Adding a bedroom and bathroom is generally one of the stronger returns on investment for added value and usable space.
Whatever the brief, the route in is the same: ring us, we'll visit, we'll come back with a fixed price in plain English. Free site visits across Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle.
Or email enquiries@atkinsonsgroup.co.uk
No call-out charge for quotes. Fixed prices, in writing.
