A Quick Overview of the Loft Conversion Process

1) Feasibility Study-Needs and Alternatives Analysis THIS IS THE CRUCIAL STAGE

This is a fact-finding meeting between you (the client) and John Webster Architecture to ascertain project constraints, budgetary constraints, and start and finish dates. While some clients can provide us with a brief and are quite specific about what they want, others are hesitant. Not to worry, this stage will assist you in gaining the clarity necessary to proceed. Because the majority of firms rush their consumers through the design process, we spend a little extra time conducting research.

The first step is to assess your requirements and available choices.

We developed this technique a few years ago in response to a growing problem in the construction industry: individuals begin planning and building before completing all necessary research and analysis.

Individuals are striving to run before they have mastered the walk.

Building a house on shoddy foundations is the outcome of an inadequate assessment of requirements and possibilities in advance. Because the whole building is built on top of the foundations, they are the most critical component of the construction. It’s extremely costly to rebuild foundations once you’ve started building on top of them. However, if they are simply lines on a map, they are quite easy to update!

At the completion of this stage, we create a report outlining your objectives (needs) and determining your options. (In some instances, you may have a lot of options)

This is the RIBA’s stage 0 and stage 1 plan of work.

This approach is intended to remove guesswork and reduce your risk.

*When we offer a flat rate for minor work and there is no need for an initial site visit, there is no requirement for a Need & Options Review.

2) Submission of an application for design and planning

The outcomes of the feasibility study are utilised to influence the design and planning phases.

The feasibility stage’s clarity will assist in developing a design that you enjoy and, more importantly, fits within your budget.

We’ll develop the first design and work with you (the customer) to refine it until you’re fully happy. (After all, this is your house.)

All of our projects are rendered in 3D, reducing your risk by allowing you to view the final product before committing to development.

There will be no more useless, difficult-to-understand line drawings!

After that, the designs are improved to the point where they may be included in a planning application*.

The planning officer may seek additional information, such as drainage arrangements, to bolster the planning application.

You must pay the local government a planning charge (currently £202).

After submitting the planning submission, it will be reviewed by the local authority’s planning department, and a decision on whether or not to grant planning approval will typically take around 8 weeks.

(If the first planning application is refused, the applicant may submit a new design that is more likely to be accepted, or the decision may be appealed.)

Following acceptance of the planning application, the next stage is to submit an application for a Building Warrant.

This is the second and third stages of the RIBA plan of work.

*Depending on the nature of the conversion, planning approval may or may not be required.

3) Permit for Construction

Each house expansion project carried out in Scotland must adhere to Building Regulations.

“Scottish Ministers are responsible for creating building regulations and technical guidelines to ensure that all buildings are safe, efficient, and long-lasting…” This section contains valuable information for anybody interested in building work and where they may obtain assistance. “

Your design drawings will be refined into technical drawings that demonstrate compliance with relevant building codes, guaranteeing that your house extension project complies with all applicable regulations.

After the drawings are completed, a building warrant application is filed with the local authority’s building standards department. The fee for a Building Warrant is paid directly to the building standards department of the local government (the Building Warrant fee is related to the cost of the work).

After the Building Warrant is authorised, the documents will be submitted together with the Construction Notification Plan. You are now legally allowed to begin construction.

This is the fourth stage of the RIBA’s construction plan.

4) Pre-Construction

What does the term “pre-construction” mean? What does it involve precisely?

This is the stage of the construction process at which we prepare all of the documents necessary to ensure that you get the best bargain possible. We developed a document called a ‘List of Works’ that details every component of the project, from light switches to doors. A tender pack is produced (which contains all of the documents necessary for a contractor to offer the most accurate quotation) and distributed to three independent contractors.

Following receipt of tenders (prices), we will assist you in selecting an appropriate contractor for your project.

This is also the fourth stage in the RIBA’s construction plan.

5) The Construction Stage

Once the contractor has been chosen, a construction contract will be formed between you (the client) and the builder. How to Find a Good Builder explains how to identify a reputable builder.

We then assume the job of Contract Administrator, which requires us to visit the site on a regular basis (often once a week) and perform activities such as (but not limited to) the following:

This is our area of expertise!

On-the-job agendas

Certifications on an interim basis are issued.

Contract Administrators Variations hosts a weekly construction progress meeting.

Ascertain that the contractor is adhering to the project’s design and requirements. You’ll want us to check that the building contractor is adhering to our construction documents over the course of your project’s construction.

available to deal with any unforeseen or unplanned events, ensuring that the site continues to progress and that delays are kept to a minimum.

Analyze your contractor’s payments to gain more leverage or influence during the construction process. This leverage (power) enables us to protect your interests and guarantees that you are only charged for work that is actually completed at any given time.

Assist in the creation of the snagging list and ensure the completion certificate is delivered.

We are legally responsible for their health, safety, and well-being and must guarantee compliance with all HSE (2015 CDM) regulations.

For the aforementioned reasons, it is our policy as professionals to be involved in the construction of each project.

This is the fifth stage of the RIBA’s construction plan.

6) Post-Construction (Snagging) We’ll assist you in developing a snag list of issues that need to be fixed, and the contractor will be given a specified period of time to correct them. Once this is done, the contractor will be paid the retention (final payment). Additionally, we collaborate with building inspectors to obtain your critical completion certificate.

This is the sixth stage of the RIBA’s construction plan.

After this stage is completed, you may sit back and enjoy your newly converted loft.