Dormer windows in Hitchin
Hitchin homeowners come to us for dormer windows and dormer loft conversions that are properly detailed at the junctions — because that is where dormers succeed or fail.
What we build in Hitchin
Roofs across Hitchin are dominated by Victorian and Edwardian terraces, interwar semi-detached houses and post-war bungalows, and that mix decides almost everything about what a dormer here needs to look like and how it has to be built.
Whether that is a single flat roof dormer to make a back bedroom usable, or a full-width rear dormer with a bedroom and en-suite, the process is the same: a free measured survey first, a fixed written price second, and nothing else until you have both in front of you.
Planning permission in Hitchin
We run the permitted development test on your specific property: set-back from the eaves, height against the ridge, volume allowance and whether an Article 4 direction applies locally.
Hitchin sits in Hertfordshire, and local authority interpretation of the volume allowance does vary — which is why we check the planning history at your specific address rather than assuming the neighbours' dormer sets a precedent.
How the job runs
Scaffold and protection
Scaffold designed, erected and inspected. Temporary weather protection over the work area before anything is opened.
Weatherproofing
Deck, insulation, membrane or lead, cheek cladding, flashings and gutters — the dormer is weathertight from this point.
Finish and sign-off
Plaster, electrics, decoration and making good, final building control inspection and your completion certificate.
Design and consent
Measured drawings, elevations and sections. We submit the planning application or lawful development certificate and the building regulations application.
The completion certificate is part of the deliverable, not an afterthought. It is the document that makes the space count when you come to sell. The quickest route is a photograph of the rear elevation over WhatsApp — we can usually tell you what is feasible before anyone visits.
Popular in Hitchin
Dormer work we are asked for most
Dormer Window Installation
Supply and fit of the window itself into new or existing dormer openings.
Learn moreAluminium Dormer Windows
Thermally broken aluminium — the slimmest frames and the largest possible glass area.
Learn moreGRP Fibreglass Dormer Roofing
Seamless glass-reinforced polyester on flat dormer tops — no joints, no seams.
Learn morePitched Roof Dormers
A miniature pitched roof over the dormer — the traditional, period-correct option.
Learn moreFull-Width Rear Dormers
Wall-to-wall across the back of the roof — the biggest gain in usable floor area.
Learn moreCat Slide Dormers
The main roof continues down past the dormer — a soft, cottage-style profile.
Learn moreFAQs
Dormers in Hitchin — FAQs
Is scaffolding included in the price?
Yes. Every quotation we issue includes scaffold design, erection, weekly inspection, hire for the programme and dismantling. Scaffold appearing as an extra afterwards is one of the more common complaints about dormer work, so we price it in from the start.
Can you convert an existing Velux loft to a dormer?
Yes, and it is usually a shorter job than starting from scratch because the floor, staircase and services already exist. We verify the existing floor structure and any previous building control approval first, then cut and form the dormer into the finished room. Expect the room to be out of use for three to five weeks.
Do you work on listed buildings and in conservation areas?
Yes. That work is detail-led: matching sightlines, glazing bar widths, cill projections and cheek finishes to what survives, and specifying timber, lead and natural slate rather than modern equivalents. We prepare the drawings and heritage statement for listed building consent alongside the planning application.
What guarantees do you provide?
Structural work carries a ten-year guarantee, GRP and EPDM flat roofing twenty years, windows ten years on frames and sealed units, and lead and zinc work is covered for workmanship for ten years. You also receive the building control completion certificate, which is the document that actually matters when you sell.
Do dormer windows need to be fire escape windows?
In a loft conversion, at least one window in each habitable room generally needs to meet escape requirements — a clear opening of at least 0.33m², minimum 450mm in both height and width, with the bottom of the opening between 800mm and 1100mm above floor level. We specify the opening lights to meet this as standard.
What happens to my existing loft insulation?
It comes out. Insulation at ceiling-joist level is in the wrong place once the loft is a room — the thermal line moves up to the new roof and dormer build-up. We remove and dispose of the old quilt and insulate the new envelope, which is also what makes the room comfortable to use in August.
Find out what your roof will take
A free measured survey in Hitchin tells you what is achievable, what it needs, and what it costs — before you commit to anything.