Loft conversion in Ealing
Do you need planning permission for a loft conversion in Ealing?
Strong on the Victorian and Edwardian stock of Hanwell, Acton and West Ealing under permitted development outside conservation areas. Inside a conservation area, dormer design is scrutinised through a full application. Building regulations always apply.
Strong on the Victorian and Edwardian stock of Hanwell, Acton and West Ealing; conservation areas scrutinise dormer design.
Rear dormers are a routine space-adder on unconstrained terrace and semi stock across the borough. In the conservation and garden-suburb areas, roof form is tightly controlled — rear-facing, well set-back dormers have a better record than box forms or front alterations. Six conservation areas carry further Article 4 restrictions on householder permitted development, so the address check matters even if you already know you are in a designated area.
What actually applies in Ealing
Conservation areas in Ealing
Real · planning.data.gov.ukEvery designated conservation area in Ealing from the official dataset — inside one, permitted development narrows and design scrutiny rises.
- Acton Green
- Acton Park
- Acton Town Centre
- Bedford Park
- Brentham Garden Estate
- Brunswick
- Canalside, northeast part
- Canalside, northwest part
- Canalside, southeast part
- Canalside, southwest part
- Churchfields
- Creffield
- Cuckoo Estate
- Ealing Common
- Ealing Cricket Ground
- Ealing Green
- Ealing Town Centre
- Grange and White Ledges
- Hanger Hill Garden Estate
- Hanger Hill, Haymills Estate
- Hanwell Cemeteries
- Hanwell Clock Tower
- Hanwell Village Green
- Haven Green
- Mill Hill Park
- Montpelier Park
- Mount Park
- Northolt Village Green
- Norwood Green
- Old Oak Lane
- St Mark's Church and Canal
- St Stephen's
Source: planning.data.gov.uk · Open Government Licence. Boundaries are checked at address level by the area report.
Article 4 directions in Ealing
Real · planning.data.gov.ukEaling's Article 4 directions aren't all in the national planning.data.gov.uk geometry, but the borough operates significant ones: directions made in October 2024 remove the permitted development right to convert a house (C3) into a small HMO (C4) — so an HMO conversion needs planning permission — and six conservation areas carry further Article 4 restrictions on householder permitted development. Check the council's Article 4 pages for the position at a specific address.
Source: planning.data.gov.uk · Open Government Licence · 1 directions recorded. Checked at address level by the area report.
Prices: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, December 2025 · Open Government Licence.
The planning route — PD or permission?
Permitted development (GPDO Class B) allows roof enlargements up to 40m³ on terraced houses and 50m³ on semis and detached — enough for a substantial rear dormer — provided nothing projects beyond the roof plane of the principal elevation, materials are similar, and dormers sit back from the eaves. Class B is excluded in conservation areas.
In conservation areas the route is a full application, and roof form decides it: rear mansards with traditional slate and proportioned dormers have a strong record on Victorian terraces; box dormers and front-facing alterations are the classic refusals. Article 4 directions (Muswell Hill is the local example) pull roof works into planning control even where conservation policy alone might not.
Whatever the route, building regulations approval is always required — fire escape, stair geometry and floor structure — and a Lawful Development Certificate is cheap insurance on PD schemes.
Permitted development limits — loft conversion
| Roof volume added — terraced house | Up to 40m³ |
| Roof volume added — semi-detached or detached | Up to 50m³ |
| Principal (street-facing) roof plane | No extension beyond it |
| Dormers | Set back from the eaves; materials similar |
| Conservation areas | Class B excluded — full permission |
| Flats | Always need permission |
| Building regulations | Always required, whatever the planning route |
Limits summarise the General Permitted Development Order (Schedule 2, Part 1) as it applies in London. In Ealing, a conservation area, Article 4 direction or listed status changes the route — the panels above show what is designated, and the address check confirms what applies at your property.
How much does a loft conversion cost in Ealing?
| Cost per m² (low — rooflight conversion) | £3,000 |
| Cost per m² (expected — rear dormer) | £3,700 |
| Cost per m² (high — mansard, conservation spec) | £4,500+ |
| Typical project (20–28m² with bathroom) | £86,000 – £180,000 |
| Professional fees, surveys, party wall (add) | 8–15% of build |
Mansards in conservation areas sit at the top of the range — natural slate, lead detailing and officer negotiation all cost. Ranges calibrated from real project data; VAT excluded.
Realistic timeline
| Design and drawings | 4–6 weeks |
| PD route (Lawful Development Certificate) | 4–8 weeks |
| Full application (conservation areas) | 8–12 weeks (8-week statutory target) |
| Party wall award | 4–8 weeks (parallel) |
| Build | 10–14 weeks |
What catches people out in Ealing
Headroom and stair position still kill schemes before planning does. On protected streets, oversized box dormers and street-facing changes are the reliable refusals.
Postcode districts in Ealing
W5 is the heart of the 'Queen of the Suburbs' — the Ealing Common, Ealing Green, Mount Park and Creffield conservation areas, the Hanger Hill Garden Estate and the pioneering Brentham Garden Estate at Pitshanger.
W5 — Ealing & Pitshanger →W13 runs from West Ealing to Northfields, taking in the St Stephen's and Montpelier Park conservation areas.
W13 — West Ealing & Northfields →W7 is Hanwell — the Hanwell Village Green, Hanwell Clock Tower and St Mark's Church and Canal conservation areas, with the Cuckoo Estate's planned cottages nearby.
W7 — Hanwell →W3 covers Acton — the Acton Park, Acton Green and Mill Hill Park conservation areas, with the Ealing side of Bedford Park, often called the world's first garden suburb.
W3 — Acton →UB2 reaches Southall and the Norwood Green conservation area, with its village green and the Grand Union Canal nearby.
UB2 — Southall & Norwood Green →UB1 is Southall in Ealing — dense terraces and mixed tenure with an Hillingdon edge.
UB1 — Southall →UB5 is Northolt on the Ealing–Harrow edge.
UB5 — Northolt →UB6 covers Greenford in Ealing (with a Harrow edge) — interwar and later suburban housing with industrial-edge pockets.
UB6 — Greenford →Loft conversion in Ealing, asked straight
Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion in Ealing?
How much does a loft conversion cost?
What designs get approved in conservation areas?
Is building regulations approval required?
Does the small-HMO conversion direction affect loft conversions?
What applies at your address?
Borough-level rules only narrow it down. Enter a Ealing postcode for the live constraint check — conservation area, Article 4 and sold-price comparables, cited to source.
Need it in writing for one address? A planning permission report for a Ealing property — from £59, or surveyor-reviewed from £295.
Planning Permission Checker provides planning and cost intelligence for early feasibility only. It is not legal, planning, valuation, architectural, structural, or surveying advice. All estimates are indicative and must be verified by qualified professionals before purchase, design, planning submission, or construction.
Cost estimates are indicative only — not a quotation. Final price depends on survey, specification, structure, access, party wall matters, VAT, professional fees, and contractor availability.
Planning outcomes are not guaranteed. Local planning authorities make final decisions.