GS Renovation carries out loft conversions in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in the stucco-fronted townhouses, mews properties and red-brick period homes of SW3, SW7, W8 and W11. Almost every address here is listed, in a conservation area, or both, so consent shapes the project. We build to the approved and specified design.
Mansards and the constraint of the Royal Borough
On an unlisted Kensington or Chelsea townhouse within a conservation area, a mansard is usually the only form that gains meaningful volume while satisfying the conservation officer, because its steep slate front slope and correctly proportioned dormer windows can be made to match the terrace exactly. Detailing matters enormously: slate type, lead work, window sightlines and the setting back from the parapet all get scrutinised. Indicative London ranges in 2026 place a mansard at roughly £70,000 to £100,000 or more, and heritage detailing pushes towards the upper end.
If the property is listed, listed building consent is required alongside planning, and the internal works matter as much as the roof: cutting a new stair through original floors, altering cornices and forming a protected stairwell all engage consent. Many W8 and SW5 addresses are converted flats or mansion apartments, where the roof space belongs to the freeholder, and a loft conversion is not usually possible at all. We identify which category you are in before anything else.
Regulations, party wall and coordination in SW3 to W11
Permitted development is not a route here. Conservation area designation, listed status and Article 4 directions remove it across the borough, so every scheme is a full application, generally with a heritage statement and detailed roof drawings. GS Renovation is a contractor. We do not produce structural calculations or planning design; we coordinate the architect, heritage consultant and structural engineer you appoint, and we build to their drawings under the Royal Borough's building control process.
The regulations bite hard on these tall houses. Adding a storey to a property that already has three or four means a fully protected stairwell to a final exit, fire doors throughout, interlinked alarms and often mechanical extract and sprinkler discussions on the taller schemes. The new floor sits on engineer-sized joists carried by steels on padstones. In a terrace of this age the party wall is shared with substantial neighbouring property, so notices are served by you as building owner well before work starts.
- Rooflight conversions where the roof line must not change
- L-shaped dormers over a rear closet wing
- Velux and conservation rooflights fitted and flashed
- New floor joists independent of the existing ceiling
- Protected stair enclosure and fire doors to Part B
The GS Renovation Difference in Kensington and Chelsea
Owners in Kensington and Chelsea use GS Renovation because these projects are as much about coordination and consent as construction. We work to your architect's and engineer's design, keep heritage detailing accurate, run the Royal Borough's building control inspections and manage a site in a sensitive street. Fully insured, with a dedicated project manager and a founder holding 30+ years of hands-on experience.
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople
- Paperwork and certificates handed over for when you sell
- Registered in England, Companies House no. 14611254
- Honest answer at survey if your roof will not take a conversion
- Water tank removed and the system converted where it blocks the space
- One point of contact on the phone, not a call centre