Roseland · TR2
Gerrans 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. Anchor any Gerrans loft conversion in the local fabric and the rest follows — Gerrans is a coastal village in the TR2 area, where sea exposure, views and seasonal pressure shape most building decisions, with a building stock that leans toward granite cottages and bungalows.
Gerrans sits in Roseland — covering TR2 from Portscatho, Truro, St Austell outward.
- Conservation Area
- Cornwall AONB
- Coastal exposure zone
- ✓ 30+ years of Cornwall Council approvals
- ✓ Conservation Area experience built into the fee
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
Local proof — Our Roseland workload means a Gerrans loft conversion project never has to wait for an out-of-county team to drive down.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Gerrans is its own job.
Locally, coastal setting and landscape sensitivity mean rooflines, glazing, drainage and external materials need careful handling from the first sketch. For loft conversion specifically, parts of Gerrans sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; the surrounding landscape falls inside the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so massing, height and landscape impact carry extra weight in any planning decision; coastal salt-laden air around Gerrans drives detailing choices — fixings, render systems and timber treatments all need to be specified for exposure. Which is why we scope Gerrans projects parish-up, not template-down — the TR2 context shapes the design from day one. Whether the project is on granite cottages in the centre or further out toward Portscatho, 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 Gerrans.
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
Cornish slate roofs come in a huge range of pitches — anything below a 30° pitch struggles to give usable headroom without raising the ridge.
Our process
How a Gerrans 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
Why Gerrans homeowners pick a local studio for loft conversion.
Building stock
Across Gerrans (TR2) we work on granite cottages, rendered coastal houses, holiday homes, bungalows, replacement dwellings. Each stock type drives a different loft conversion response — granite cottages in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Gerrans sits in the parish of Gerrans, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a loft conversion application.
Coverage
We cover TR2 from our studio, with regular loft conversion jobs also running in Portscatho, Truro, St Austell. Most Gerrans site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first Gerrans consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a TR2 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitFAQs
Gerrans Loft Conversions — local questions answered.
- 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. In Gerrans specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- 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 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.
- 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.
Gerrans is the hub for these neighbourhoods
We run loft conversions across Gerrans and the surrounding TR2 neighbourhoods — same studio, same site team.
- Portscatho
TR2
Other services in Gerrans
Nearby places we cover
Local neighbourhoods in Gerrans
A loft conversion in Gerrans stands or falls on how well it reads the street — we treat that as the design brief, not an afterthought.