About Garage Conversion Liverpool

What do we do?

Our work is the whole conversion, from the first look at the garage to the finished room. That usually means infilling the old door opening with a new wall and window, bringing the floor up with a damp-proof membrane and insulation, insulating and weatherproofing the walls and roof, and fitting out the room with heating, lighting, sockets and ventilation. Some jobs are a straightforward integral garage conversion into a single room; others are a garage annexe with a shower room and kitchenette, or a kitchen that opens into the old garage.

We also look at older conversions that were never finished properly, where damp, cold walls or a missing completion certificate are causing problems.

Who else is involved?

A good conversion depends on the right people doing the right parts. We are open about who does what:

• Drawings are prepared by an architect or architectural technician where the job needs them.
• Approval and sign-off come from building control, either the local authority team or a Registered Building Control Approver. We do not sign off our own work.
• Electrics are done by a registered electrician who issues the Electrical Installation Certificate and notifies building control.
• Gas work is done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and plumbing by suitably qualified trades.
• Planning questions are for your local planning authority. We explain when a check or application is likely, but the council has the final word.

Where do we work?

We cover Liverpool and the neighbouring boroughs of Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and the Wirral, plus Widnes. In practice most of our enquiries come from suburbs and towns where semi-detached and detached homes have garages: south and east Liverpool, Maghull, Formby and Crosby, Huyton and Halewood, Rainhill, Widnes, Heswall and West Kirby. See our areas we cover page for local notes, or read the full picture of converting a garage in Liverpool on our homepage.

How do we approach a job?

We start by listening. What type of garage is it, how old is the house, what do you want the room for, and do you know of any planning conditions? Then we visit and look at the walls, floor level, roof, the door opening and where services run. We talk through layout options, explain which drawings and approvals are needed, and give you a written quote. During the build, building control inspect at the usual stages. At the end, you should have the completion certificate and electrical paperwork to keep with the deeds.

What we will not do

• Tell you planning permission is not needed without you checking with your council.
• Promise that a conversion will add a set amount to your house value. A local estate agent or surveyor can advise on that.
• Disturb suspected asbestos in an old garage roof. It must be tested and, if needed, removed by a suitably qualified contractor first.
• Remove fire doors or cut corners on fire separation, escape windows or smoke alarms.