London & South-East England

Room in Roof Insulation

Warm loft rooms and dormers, insulated from inside by our own team while you carry on living there.

PAS 2030:2023 CertifiedTrustMark ApprovedOwn trained team

Is room in roof insulation right for your home?

  • Loft conversions from the 1970s to the 2000s with thin or no rafter insulation
  • Rooms in the roof that are cold in winter and overheat in summer
  • Dormer bedrooms with condensation or mould at the cheeks and eaves
  • Houses being insulated as a whole, where the loft room is the last cold space
  • Bungalows and chalet bungalows where the bedrooms are in the roof

Room in Roof Insulation: key facts

  • A room in the roof has four cold surfaces: the sloping ceilings, the flat ceiling, the stud walls to the eaves and the dormer cheeks. All four need insulating or the room stays cold.
  • A typical loft room costs £3,000 to £7,500 to insulate, from our quote book.
  • SWIP RIR insulated plasterboard (50 mm PIR bonded to 12.5 mm plasterboard, 62.5 mm in total) is £140/m² fitted over the existing ceiling.
  • PIR between and under the rafters keeps a 50 mm ventilation gap behind the insulation so the roof timbers stay dry.
  • Dormer roofs can be insulated from outside at £120/m², without disturbing the room below.
  • Installed at 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 by our own PAS 2030:2023 certified team.

What is room in roof insulation?

Room in roof insulation treats a converted loft or a room built into the roof, where the walls and ceilings are the roof itself. Heat leaves through the sloping ceilings, the small flat ceiling at the top, the short stud walls that back onto the eaves and the cheeks of any dormer. We insulate each of those surfaces, either with rigid PIR board between and under the rafters or with an insulated plasterboard fixed over the existing lining.

London and the South-East have a large stock of loft conversions from the 1970s onwards, and older houses with a room in the roof from the start. Many were finished with 25 to 50 mm of insulation or none at all. The room is cold in winter, too hot in summer and often has condensation or mould behind the eaves cupboards. Because the roof is the largest surface in the room, it is usually the biggest single heat loss in the house once that room is heated.

We survey the room, check the rafter depth and the ventilation path, and quote for the whole envelope rather than one surface. Most work is done from inside, one surface at a time, with the boards fixed through the existing plasterboard so the room stays usable. Where a dormer roof is flat and due for a new covering, we insulate it from outside as a warm deck. Our own team fits, plasters and finishes ready for decoration.

Who does the work

Room in roof insulation is installed by our own trained team under our PAS 2030:2023 certification for roof insulation. We are a SWIP approved installer, so the SWIP RIR insulated plasterboard system is fitted, plastered and finished by the same crew.

Room in Roof Insulation cost guide

Indicative 2026 pricing from our quote book for London and the South-East. Every quote is free, fixed and itemised after a survey.

Job typeIndicative cost
SWIP RIR insulated plasterboard, 62.5 mm£140 / m²
PIR between and under the rafters£90 – £140 / m²
Dormer roof insulation from outside£120 / m²
Loft roll to the flat ceiling and residual loftItemised
Typical loft room, all four surfaces£3,000 – £7,500

VAT: 0%. Roof insulation is an energy-saving material, so the installation is charged at 0% VAT until 31 March 2027 (HMRC VAT Notice 708/6). The plaster finish over the boards is part of the install and is charged at the same rate.

Systems and materials we install

SWIP RIR insulated plasterboard, 50 mm PIR bonded to 12.5 mm plasterboard
Rigid PIR board between and under the rafters with a 50 mm ventilation gap
Mineral wool between the studs and behind the eaves stud walls
Vapour control layer on the warm side of the insulation
Loft roll to the flat ceiling and residual loft space
Warm deck PIR and membrane on flat dormer roofs

How room in roof insulation works

1

Free survey

We measure the sloping ceilings, stud walls, flat ceiling and dormer cheeks, check the rafter depth and confirm the eaves ventilation path is clear.

2

Fixed quote

A written, itemised quote within 24 hours showing the system for each surface, the thickness and the U-value it achieves.

3

Installation

Boards are fixed through the existing lining into the rafters and studs, or the lining is stripped and PIR fitted between and under the rafters. Joints are taped and the surfaces plastered.

4

Sign-off and guarantee

Final inspection, photographs of the build-up, a Building Regulation certificate and a written guarantee for the insulation.

Free survey & fixed quote

Book a free, no-obligation survey and we will send a clear, fixed written quote. One point of contact from survey to sign-off, and a written guarantee on the work.

Get a free quote

Room in Roof Insulation FAQs

How much does room in roof insulation cost?
A typical loft room costs £3,000 to £7,500 from our quote book, depending on the area and how much preparation is needed. SWIP RIR insulated plasterboard is £140/m² fitted over the existing ceiling, and dormer roof insulation from outside is £120/m². Quotes are free and fixed.
Do I have to move out while the work is done?
No. Most room in roof work is done from inside, one surface at a time, and the boards are fixed through the existing plasterboard so there is little demolition. You lose the use of the room for a few days while it is boarded and plastered, and the rest of the house carries on as normal.
Why does the roof need a ventilation gap?
Air must be able to move from the eaves up the slope to the ridge behind the insulation, or moisture collects on the cold roof timbers. We keep at least a 50 mm gap between the insulation and the roofing felt, clear any old insulation blocking the eaves and add ventilation where a vaulted ceiling has no crossflow.
Between the rafters or over the existing ceiling?
Between and under the rafters gives the best U-value but means stripping the ceiling. An insulated plasterboard such as SWIP RIR fixes over the existing lining, loses about 65 mm of room and is quicker and cleaner. Lining over an existing ceiling with the 62.5 mm board reaches around 0.47 W/m²K, and adding insulation between the rafters as well improves it further. We recommend on the survey based on the rafter depth and what is already there.
How much room height will I lose?
About 65 mm on each sloping ceiling and stud wall with the SWIP RIR board, and the same on a flat ceiling. Where head height is already tight we put more of the insulation between the rafters instead so the lining stays thin.
How long does it take?
Three to five days for a typical loft room, including plastering. A dormer roof insulated from outside adds one to two days, weather permitting. We give the programme on the quote.

Related guides

In-depth, independent guidance to help you decide.

Last reviewed September 2026 by Stay Warm Insulation.

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