GS Renovation converts lofts in Shepherd's Bush, where W12 is period terraces with rear closet wings alongside a large number of converted flats. On a whole house the L-shaped dormer is the obvious move; in a converted flat the answer is usually no, and we establish which applies at the survey.
Whole houses in W12 and the L-shaped dormer
The W12 terrace has a main rear roof slope and a lower closet wing beside it, and an L-shaped dormer covering both is the scheme that produces a proper bedroom plus a bathroom rather than one long room. Indicative London ranges for 2026 put it at roughly £55,000 to £80,000. Where the wing has been lost to a previous extension, a straight rear dormer at £45,000 to £65,000 remains a good outcome on these roofs.
Ridge height comes first, as always: around 2.2m to 2.4m from ceiling to ridge, measured before any design work. Shepherd's Bush roofs are Victorian purlin construction and generally cooperative, but the chimney stacks are tall and often shared, and their position frequently decides where the stair lands and therefore how the loft is planned. We work the stair out on the floor below before drawing the loft above it.
Converted flats, and Hammersmith and Fulham planning
A great many W12 houses were long ago split into flats. If you hold the top floor lease, the roof space above you almost always belongs to the freeholder, so a conversion needs their consent and a licence to alter, and permitted development rights do not apply to flats in any event. It is sometimes negotiable where the freehold is held collectively by the leaseholders, but that is a legal process to complete before a builder is any use to you.
For whole houses, Hammersmith and Fulham Council decides planning. Outside a conservation area a rear dormer can fall inside the 40 cubic metre terrace allowance with the usual conditions on materials, roof plane and obscure glazed side windows; inside one, permitted development is withdrawn and a full application is needed. Building regulations always apply, covering the protected stair route, Part K stair geometry, insulation and the engineer-designed steels, with party wall notices to both neighbours.
- Trussed roofs redesigned before any web is cut
- Ventilation paths kept clear at eaves and ridge
- New floor joists independent of the existing ceiling
- Interlinked mains-powered smoke alarms
- En suite plumbing, drainage and mechanical extraction
Why Choose GS Renovation in Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush splits between houses where a loft works well and flats where it usually does not, and GS Renovation establishes which at the first visit. On houses we run the engineer, the steel, the dormer, the fire strategy and Hammersmith and Fulham building control as one job. We are fully insured, we work to building control approval throughout, and we quote free and without obligation. Companies House no. 14611254.
- Honest updates if a date or a detail has to move
- Protected stair route and fire doors detailed to Part B
- Free, no-obligation quotations
- Materials priced at options, so you choose the finish
- Clean, tidy and reliable tradespeople
- Party Wall notices prepared for steels bearing into a shared wall