ᐅ Converting an Upper Floor Room – Is a Building Permit Required?
Created on: 28 Sep 2019 14:27
K
knifflig
Hello everyone,
After what felt like an eternity of searching online, I’m giving up and asking my question here.
In our new house, there is a room on the upper floor with a ceiling height of about 2.75m (9 feet) in shell condition. The previous owners used it as a storage room. There are windows, the sloped ceiling is insulated but without drywall, the connections for underfloor heating are present where it meets the hallway, there is no screed yet, and the walls are not plastered. The room was also not included in the living area calculation. With relatively little effort and cost, the room can be made habitable.
Do I need a building permit / planning permission to make the room “habitable” (install underfloor heating, screed, electrical wiring, drywall, plaster, and paint)? This new room would also affect the total living area. Would I then have to have this recalculated, for example, for the building insurance?
Thanks in advance!
After what felt like an eternity of searching online, I’m giving up and asking my question here.
In our new house, there is a room on the upper floor with a ceiling height of about 2.75m (9 feet) in shell condition. The previous owners used it as a storage room. There are windows, the sloped ceiling is insulated but without drywall, the connections for underfloor heating are present where it meets the hallway, there is no screed yet, and the walls are not plastered. The room was also not included in the living area calculation. With relatively little effort and cost, the room can be made habitable.
Do I need a building permit / planning permission to make the room “habitable” (install underfloor heating, screed, electrical wiring, drywall, plaster, and paint)? This new room would also affect the total living area. Would I then have to have this recalculated, for example, for the building insurance?
Thanks in advance!
knifflig schrieb:
Currently, the room is not included in the living area calculation and is not marked as a "storage room" on the floor plan.So what? What’s the issue? Don’t worry about it.
H
hampshire29 Sep 2019 11:29Nice of you to ask. Don’t ask any further—just do it. Of course, you can also make an attic a bit more comfortable.
M
Mottenhausen2 Oct 2019 14:43Building permit with structural engineering, energy certificate, and so on. In the end, it turns out that the ceiling layer is 0.5cm (0.2 inches) too thin and cannot be approved for residential use. A lot of money spent for an uncertain outcome.
None of this is prohibited in the "attic."
knifflig schrieb:
Underfloor heating, screed, electrical installation, drywall, plastering, painting
None of this is prohibited in the "attic."
Mottenhausen schrieb:
Building permit with structural calculations, energy certificate, and so on. In the end, it turns out that the ceiling thickness is 0.5cm (0.2 inches) too weak and no approval for residential use is possible. A lot of money spent with an uncertain outcome.
all of that is not prohibited in the "attic."Thank you for your answer. What about adding an extra shower + toilet + washbasin?
If I understand you correctly, I need structural certification (from a structural engineer or architect?) and an energy certificate (!= energy performance certificate?) – where do I get these from and for what purpose?
M
Mottenhausen2 Oct 2019 14:56Unfortunately, I cannot tell you the specific requirements for a building permit / planning permission for each purpose. I just wanted to point out that obtaining a building permit / planning permission can sometimes be a hassle and may not always be proportional to the benefit.