Roof Dormer Design and Styles

Dormer Loft Ideas and Design

Eyebrow Dormer Conversion

Dormer conversions make a very significant contribution to useable loft area by increasing the available head room.

Dormers have vertical walls and a horizontal ceiling unlike a loft conversion that has diagonal roof sides. In smaller lofts the extra space will greatly increase the range of options for room design and use.

Dormer Ideas

Dormers make ideal bedrooms, home offices, playrooms, livingrooms and bathrooms. You may find the additional space gives you more wall space on which to build in units and arrange rooms by.

Bungalow roof dormer

Dormer Design

Your final dormer window design may be a combination between personal taste, existing house styles and the new 2008 Permitted Development Rights.

See the Planning Portal Animation for what is allowable under the relaxed 2008 rules. You might be supprised!

The advantages dormers have over skylights are that they will increase the available headroom within a dormer extension, and they are visually attractive from the outside of the house. Many modern and self build (DIY) homes use individual dormer windows to add a character to a property.

Ask too about our specialist range of curved or eyebrow dormer designs.

Dormer conversion

Personal Style

Roof dormers have many advantages over a standard loft conversion, the additional room, charm and appeal. The additional space will give you greater scope to develop designs and it may influence design decisions such as:

• Roof structure e.g. flat, pitched or eyebrow dormers
• Window materials, white uPVC, wood, hardwood windows
• Centre, side, top or bottom opening windows
• Window decoration - leaded, inset design, arch, ornately framed

Existing House Style

The roof area of your home will have a distinctive style already and you are very likely to want the dormer conversion or dormer windows to integrate harmoniously with design, choice of materials, and colour of cladding, windows and sills.

By keeping your house looking as attractive as possible this will help add value to your house.

We are expert in creating sympathetic architectural designs in keeping with the existing look and feel of your home and neighborhood and in meeting planning control approval.

Planning Controls

Under NEW regulations that came into effect from 1 October 2008 a loft or dormer conversion or small dormer extension is considered a permitted development, and generally does not require planning permission.

Permission is required if you plan to extend or alter the roof space more than specified limits and conditions:

• Volume increase of 40 cubic metres terraced houses or 50 cubic metres for detached & semi-detached houses. (2-3 bedroom houses generally will be ok for dormers)
• No extension beyond the plane of the existing roof slope of the principal elevation that fronts the highway. (i.e. no dormer to face the street)
• No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof. (dormer does not increase the roof height)
• Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house. (in keeping with house and street)
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms. (in keeping with house and street)
• Side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7 metres above the floor. (so neighbours are not over looked and for safety)
• Dormer extensions, excluding hip to gable dormers (chimney wall to roof edge), are set back, as far as practicable, at least 20cm from the eaves (2 rows of tiles or a row of slates). (for aesthetics preventing a "3rd storey" appearance)
• Roof extensions not permitted development in designated areas, i.e. National Parks, ANOB, conservation areas, World Heritage Sites.

The majority of loft conversions including those with quite large dormers do not require Planning Permission as the development can be completed under Permitted Development Rights.

Building Regulations approval is always necessary when creating habitable areas.

Building regulations ensure the loft is converted to an appropriate standard for safety and structure. Building plans specify the details of the work and materials.

Planning Permission

If you do require planning permission planning controls may govern the broad design and style of a dormer roof extension. The controls are there to protect amenity and the environment, rather than an individual home owners interest.

Planning departments are guided in what plans they can approve by Parliament. We are experienced in designing to maximise the design potential of your loft according to Planning and Building Regulations.

Dormer conversion

Many homes have reasonable freedom in dormer design because rules tend to apply mostly to the height or volume of a property.

Current advice (and in approximation here only) is that you will need to apply for planning permission if either:

• you are in a conservation area and: 'you want to build an extension to your roof of your house or any kind of addition which would materially alter the shape of the roof.'
• 'the work would make some part of the house higher than the highest part of the existing roof.'
• 'the dormer or other addition you want to build would extend beyond the plane of any existing roof slope facing the highway'.
• 'a roof extension would add more than 40 cubic metres to the volume of a terraced house or more than 50 cubic metres to any other kind of house.
• The volume of the 'original house' is increased by more than a certain percent or volume.

Let us help you design you dormer extension, to maximise your living space, design ideas and property value.

Top Extensions Plans