East Cornwall · PL11
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 — covering PL11 from Torpoint, Millbrook, Antony outward.
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ rural policy area experience built into the fee
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
Who this is for
Crafthole runs the full mix — owner-occupier, holiday-let, commercial and the occasional smallholding — so we scope every loft conversion enquiry from the use-class up.
Local watch-list
Crafthole-specific issues we screen on the first visit.
Watch #1
Tighter Local Plan tests on isolated rural dwellings
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.
- 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.
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.
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, Antony. 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
From initial feasibility to final handover, we manage loft conversion projects across Crafthole with careful attention to what makes East Cornwall unique.