Loft conversion in Wanstead: dormer drawings for E11 homes
Whether a Wanstead loft conversion needs planning permission depends first on the address. A dormer on a house inside a conservation area needs a householder application (the national register holds 19 entries for Redbridge); outside one it can be permitted development within the roof volume limits. Our dormer drawings start at £695.
Fixed fee from £495 drawings + £200 survey (£695 total) · all prices
Prefer to talk it through?
Is your Wanstead house inside a conservation area?
Our analysis of the MHCLG Planning Data Platform (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026) counts 19 conservation-area entries on the national register for Redbridge. Permitted development for roof extensions does not apply to a house inside one, so a dormer there goes through a householder application.
Redbridge's own conservation area map shows the boundaries, so check it rather than relying on the register count. Our conservation area glossary entry explains what the designation changes, and it is worth reading before you commission a survey.
The two volume limits for a dormer
Outside a conservation area, a dormer is permitted development only if the added volume stays within 40 cubic metres for a terrace house or 50 cubic metres for any other house (GPDO 2015, Schedule 2, Part 1).
If your E11 house is a terrace, the lower figure is yours. Add up everything already built in the roof, because earlier additions count towards the limit.
Our analysis of the MHCLG Planning Data Platform (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026) counts 19 conservation-area entries on the national register for Redbridge.
What Redbridge's figures say about applying
Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (released 24 Sep 2026), shows Redbridge granted 83% of its householder decisions across the four quarters from 2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2. It is a record for all householder work and says nothing certain about a single loft.
Table PS1 gives a second signal. Our analysis shows Redbridge decided 1,556 certificates of lawful development in the eight quarters to 2026 Q2, so proving a dormer lawful by certificate is a well-worn path here.
Drawings and fee
A measured survey of the loft comes first. We then produce the existing and proposed plans, elevations and section that either a certificate or a householder application needs. The fixed fee starts at £695. See the dormer loft conversion drawings service for what is included.
If you are comparing roof shapes, the loft conversion types guide sets dormers beside hip-to-gable and mansard designs. Our guide to planning permission for a loft conversion covers the wider rules.
Sources
Every figure on this page, where it comes from and a link to the original.
| Figure | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 1,556 | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS1 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 83% | Our analysis of MHCLG planning application statistics, table PS2 (district open data table) (released 24 Sep 2026, quarters to 2026 Q2) | www.gov.uk |
| 19 | Our analysis of MHCLG Planning Data Platform conservation-area and article-4-direction datasets (bulk snapshot retrieved 14 Aug 2026) | www.planning.data.gov.uk |
| 40 cubic metres | GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class B.1(d): roof space volume addition limit, terrace house (source wording: 40 cubic metres) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| 50 cubic metres | GPDO 2015 Sch 2 Pt 1 Class B.1(d): roof space volume addition limit, any other house (source wording: 50 cubic metres) | www.legislation.gov.uk |
| £695 | DrawingsDirect starting fixed fee for dormer loft conversion drawings, from the published price list | drawingsdirect.co.uk |
Questions people ask
Can I add a rear dormer to a Wanstead terrace without planning permission?
How do I find out whether my road is in a conservation area?
What does the £695 dormer drawing fee cover?
Photographs: GRALISTAIR (CC BY-SA 4.0); David Hawgood (CC BY-SA 2.0).
