East Cornwall · PL11 · Cornwall Council East
Crafthole loft conversion — feasibility first, drawings second
A well-designed loft conversion adds a bedroom, an en-suite and useful storage to homes that were never built with the upper floor in mind — usually inside permitted development and almost always cheaper per square metre than extending sideways. On a Crafthole site, the brief always meets the place — Crafthole is a commuter village in the PL11 area, with everyday family housing, edge-of-village plots and quick routes to its parent town, with a building stock that leans toward modern estates and post-war semis.
Crafthole sits in East Cornwall — just off the A38; covering PL11 from Torpoint, Millbrook, Antony outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓rural policy area experience built into the fee
- ✓Cornwall Council East sub-area regulars
- ✓Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
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Free Crafthole feasibility call
Tell us about your loft conversion. We reply within 1 working day — no obligation.
Who this is for
In Crafthole the loft conversion brief is almost always a private homeowner improving a forever home — so we lead with feasibility and long-term value, not show-home rhetoric.
Local watch-list
Crafthole-specific issues we screen on the first visit.
Watch #1
Local Plan tests on isolated dwellings, plus lane access for plant and deliveries around Crafthole
Watch #2
Trussed roofs and shallow foundations in the later PL11 estates, which change the structural strategy
Local proof — Our East Cornwall workload means a Crafthole loft conversion project never has to wait for an out-of-county team to drive down.
Get a free feasibility viewFAQs
Crafthole Loft Conversions — local questions answered.
- Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?
- Often no — most loft conversions sit inside permitted development on a typical Cornish house. Conservation Areas, AONB and properties on principal elevations need full planning, and we'll confirm at first review. In Crafthole specifically, we'd start by checking the latest parish-level planning history before committing to a direction.
- Will it add value?
- An extra bedroom and bathroom typically adds noticeably more value than the build cost in most Cornish markets — but the value matters less than the daily use you'll get from the space.
- How much does a loft conversion cost?
- A simple Velux conversion starts around £30,000 in Cornwall; a rear dormer with en-suite typically runs £45,000 to £65,000; hip-to-gable and mansards more. Stair location and bathroom complexity drive most of the cost.
- How long does a loft conversion take?
- Allow six to ten weeks on site for a Velux conversion, eight to fourteen weeks for a dormer, twelve to eighteen weeks for hip-to-gable. Add four to eight weeks for design and regs beforehand.
- We live in the house. Can a loft conversion in Crafthole be done while we stay put?
- Usually yes for single-storey and rear work, with a temporary kitchen or bathroom arrangement agreed before the start. Whole-house remodels and roof work in Crafthole are often easier if you move out for a few weeks. We set that expectation at feasibility stage rather than halfway through.
- Will I have enough headroom?
- We need a minimum 2.2 metres ridge-to-joist before alterations to make a usable conversion straightforward. Less than that and we'd consider raising the ridge, which is a planning conversation, not a permitted development one.
Quick check
Want a straight answer on whether your Crafthole project is worth pursuing?
Send a few details — we'll come back within 1 working day with a plain-English view on planning risk, likely cost band and whether it's a project we'd take on.
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Get a free feasibility view
For projects in Crafthole and the PL11 area.
Who this is for
Why this page exists, and who it is for
- Applications for Crafthole are handled through Cornwall Council, with Liskeard the nearest planning office we deal with regularly.
- Design and build are offered from the same studio, which means the person answering your Crafthole questions has seen the detail built.
- Drawings, planning and building regulations are all produced in-house, so a loft conversion enquiry does not get passed between firms.
Planning rules change and every site is different. For the final position on your address, check with Cornwall Council as the local planning authority or the Planning Portal.
Keep reading
Follow the chain: survey, drawings, build
Crafthole is covered from our Torpoint run. Being a smaller place, the local detail matters more than the headline policy: lane access, neighbour proximity and what the immediate street already looks like.
Page purpose
Drawings only, or drawings through to handover in Crafthole?
Both routes are open on a PL11 project, and the honest answer depends on whether you already have a builder you trust. Plenty of Crafthole clients take the drawings, tender them locally, then come back to us for the build if the numbers do not stack up.
- Route one: feasibility, planning and a tender-ready technical pack
- Route two: the same pack, then the build under one contract
- Either way the survey and feasibility work is identical, so the decision can wait
- Fees quoted per stage against the PL11 scope, not as one opaque figure
Scope
What we can draw, survey and build around Crafthole
Not every project needs every stage. On a Crafthole job we scope to what the site and the consent route actually require.
Planning application drawings
Existing and proposed plans, elevations, site and block plans drawn to validation standard.
Construction and technical drawings
1:10 and 1:20 details for the parts of the job builders normally have to guess at.
Structural coordination
Calculations coordinated with the drawings so building control sees one consistent story.
Measured survey
An accurate record of what is actually there, which is where most avoidable cost is removed.
Full design and build
One contract from first sketch to handover, with the same team on paper and on site.
Local context
Why Crafthole is its own job.
Locally, applications here usually turn on neighbour amenity, parking, overlooking and whether new work fits the rhythm of existing streets. For loft conversion specifically, Cornwall Council's Local Plan applies tighter tests to isolated rural dwellings here, so design rationale and policy fit need to be set out clearly from the outset. Which is why we scope Crafthole projects parish-up, not template-down — the PL11 context shapes the design from day one. Whether the project is on modern estates in the centre or further out toward Torpoint, the loft conversion response is locally tuned. Where a property sits inside a conservation area or is listed, the assessment tends to turn on materials, window detailing and how visible the change is from the street rather than floor area alone. Cornwall Council's conservation team, or the Planning Portal, is the right place to confirm what applies to a specific address. Granite and cob walls do not behave like modern cavity construction. Breathability, damp movement and structural openings all need drawing properly, and building control will want that shown rather than assumed.
Planning note
Most Cornish loft conversions are permitted development — but a Certificate of Lawfulness is worth the extra week and small fee for resale protection.
What we focus on
Loft Conversions considerations specific to Crafthole.
01
Building regs require minimum 2.0 metre headroom over the stairs and 30-minute fire protection on the existing stair enclosure — both shape the design.
02
Permitted development volume allowances are 40 cubic metres on a terrace and 50 on a detached or semi — but rear dormers in Conservation Areas often need full planning.
03
Stairs eat space — a loft conversion lives or dies by where the new staircase lands and what it costs you on the floor below.
04
Cut-roof Cornish properties are easier to convert than modern trussed roofs; the structural strategy varies completely.
Our process
How a Crafthole loft conversion project runs.
Step 1
Feasibility
Roof, headroom, stair landing and structural assessment.
Step 2
Design
Layout options that respect the staircase, headroom and bathroom positioning.
Step 3
Approvals
Planning or permitted development confirmation, plus building regs.
Step 4
Build
Sequenced to keep the family living downstairs throughout most of the work.
Step 5
Handover
Finish, snag, certify, hand over the keys.
Loft conversions typically run six to eighteen weeks on site depending on type, with four to eight weeks of design and approvals beforehand.
Local fabric
Choosing a loft conversion team that actually knows PL11.
Building stock
Across Crafthole (PL11) we work on post-war semis, bungalows, modern estates, older cottages, garden infill plots. Each stock type drives a different loft conversion response — modern estates in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Crafthole sits in the parish of Crafthole, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a loft conversion application.
Coverage
We cover PL11 from our studio, with regular loft conversion jobs also running in Torpoint, Millbrook. Most Crafthole site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first Crafthole consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a PL11 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitCrafthole is part of Torpoint
Crafthole sits inside the Torpoint catchment — we cover both as one loft conversion territory.
See Loft Conversions in Torpoint →Other services in Crafthole
Nearby places we cover
Most Crafthole loft conversion enquiries start with one honest conversation about what's actually allowed — and that conversation costs nothing. Applications are dealt with through Cornwall Council, with Liskeard the office we deal with most for PL11.
Start a Crafthole project with us We know how post-war semis behave here.
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