GS Renovation converts lofts across Hayes, where 1930s semis and interwar family homes near the Grand Union Canal sit on plots with room to work. In UB3 the hipped roof is what limits the usable width, and squaring it off is what fixes it. We coordinate the engineer and carry Hillingdon Council building control to sign-off.
Squaring off a UB3 hipped roof
Interwar Hayes houses tend to have a generous ridge, so head height is rarely the problem. The problem is the hip, the sloping side of the roof, which cuts the usable width down to a strip along the middle. Building that hip up into a flat gable end recovers the full width of the house at floor level, and a rear dormer added at the same time gives you standing height right across the back and over the top of the new stair.
The build sequence matters on a semi because you are opening the roof on the side away from your neighbour. New steel beams span from the party wall to the new gable to carry both the floor and the dormer, sized by the engineer and bearing on padstones. We get the gable up and the roof back to weathertight quickly so the house is not open longer than it has to be, then fit out inside.
Volume allowances and Hillingdon Council
Semi-detached and detached houses commonly carry 50 cubic metres of added roof volume under permitted development, against 40 for a terrace, and a Hayes hip to gable with a rear dormer will often fit within that. The conditions are absolute rather than negotiable: nothing forward of the roof plane on the principal elevation, materials to match, no balcony or veranda, and any side facing window obscure glazed and fixed shut below 1.7m.
We check the position for your address with Hillingdon Council rather than assume, because an Article 4 direction or a conservation area designation removes those rights entirely. Building regulations apply in every case, and that means a protected stair route with fire doors and interlinked alarms, a stair meeting Part K, an engineer-designed floor and insulation and ventilation that satisfy Part L. The old cold water tank usually comes out at the same time.
- New floor joists independent of the existing ceiling
- En suite plumbing, drainage and mechanical extraction
- L-shaped dormers over a rear closet wing
- Rear dormers to win full head height across the new floor
- Dormer cheeks, flat roof and leadwork detailed to last
The GS Renovation Difference in Hayes
Hayes families choose GS Renovation because a hip to gable is a structural job and we treat it as one. We coordinate the engineer, install the steels, build the gable and dormer, get the roof closed quickly and finish the bedroom, stair and en suite ready for Hillingdon Council building control sign-off. Fully insured, and rated 4.9 from 31 MyBuilder reviews.
- Party Wall notices prepared for steels bearing into a shared wall
- Paperwork and certificates handed over for when you sell
- Protected stair route and fire doors detailed to Part B
- Water tank removed and the system converted where it blocks the space
- Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder
- Straight advice on what is and is not worth spending money on