Loft conversion plans for Lewisham, £589
Lewisham lists any addition or alteration to the roof of a house as needing permission in a conservation area. Outside one, Class B can apply. We find out which side of the line you are on before you spend.
- £439 drawings + £150 survey (£589 total)
- Conservation area test first
- Article 4 streets checked
What do loft drawings cost in Lewisham?
The total is £589: £439 for drawings and submission and £150 for the survey, with no VAT to add. Lewisham Council’s fee is paid to the council.
In the Lewisham loft fee
- A roof survey with slopes, chimneys and what is visible from the street
- Existing and proposed floor plans, roof plan, elevations and sections
- A check of your street against Lewisham’s Article 4 directions
- A heritage statement brief if the house is in a conservation area
- Submission to Lewisham and replies to the case officer
Roof work in a Lewisham conservation area
Lewisham’s list of works that need permission because of conservation area status includes any addition or alteration to the roof, and cladding of any part of the exterior (Lewisham conservation area works). That removes the usual route for a dormer or rooflights, so the project is drawn and submitted as a full householder application.
Outside a conservation area, Class B can apply inside its volume limits of 40 m³ for a terrace and 50 m³ for other houses. Lewisham also requires a heritage statement with any application affecting a conservation area building, which we check at validation. Flats and subdivided houses have no permitted development rights.
Article 4 streets and timing
Lewisham publishes 27 Article 4 direction documents for conservation areas and named streets. Under them, alterations to the roof of a house are among the changes needing permission where they are visible from public viewpoints (Lewisham Article 4).
For example, a rear dormer in a Blackheath terrace is judged on whether it can be seen from the street, so we show sight lines on the elevations. Lewisham decided 393 of 413 householder applications inside 8 weeks in the year to June 2026.
Lewisham lofts in numbers
- Any roof change
- Additions and alterations to a house roof that need permission in a Lewisham conservation area. Lewisham: external works to houses in conservation areas
- 27
- Article 4 direction documents on Lewisham’s page. Lewisham: Article 4 directions in conservation areas
- Public viewpoints
- Test Lewisham’s Article 4 directions apply to external elevations. Lewisham: Article 4 directions in conservation areas
- 40 m³ / 50 m³
- Permitted roof volume increase: 40 m³ for a terraced house, 50 m³ for other houses. GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1, Class B: additions to the roof (legislation.gov.uk)
- 393 of 413
- Lewisham Council householder applications decided within 8 weeks in the year to June 2026, out of all it decided (prior approvals not counted). MHCLG live table PS2, planning application statistics by district, July 2025 to June 2026 (GOV.UK)
- £72.73 per m²
- The Mayor of London’s CIL in Lewisham (band 2) for permissions granted in 2026, owed only when a scheme is liable for CIL in the first place. Mayoral CIL: annual rate summary for 2026, Table 1 (Greater London Authority)
Lewisham loft questions
Can I add a dormer in a Lewisham conservation area?
Only with planning permission. Lewisham lists any addition or alteration to the roof.
And outside a conservation area?
Class B can apply within its limits, unless an Article 4 direction or a condition has removed it.
Does it matter if the roof is visible?
Under Lewisham’s Article 4 directions, external changes visible from public viewpoints need permission.
How fast does Lewisham decide?
It decided 393 of 413 householder cases within 8 weeks last year. We cannot promise a date.
Other services people book with this one
Price your Lewisham loft
Send the address and a roof photo. We check the street and quote a fixed price.