Written by Micky Down, Micky's Property Services ·
The area you want boarded
The single biggest factor is simply how much of the loft you board. Most homeowners board a sensible platform around the hatch rather than the whole roof space, which keeps the cost proportionate to the storage gained. Boarding wall to wall costs more in materials and time, and is rarely necessary for household storage.
The shape of the loft matters too. A clear, rectangular area is quicker to board than one broken up by chimney breasts, water tanks and awkward corners, each of which means more cutting and fitting time.
Joist depth and raised boarding
If your insulation is deeper than the ceiling joists, which it is in most homes insulated to modern standards, boards cannot simply be screwed straight to the timbers without squashing the insulation flat. Compressed insulation loses much of its effectiveness, so the usual answer is a raised system that lifts the boards above it.
Raised supports add materials and fitting time compared with boarding directly onto joists, but they protect the insulation you have already paid for. Whether your loft needs this is one of the first things checked on a visit.
Access to the loft
How easy the loft is to reach affects the time the job takes. A good-sized hatch with a proper ladder makes carrying boards up straightforward. A small hatch, a tight landing or no ladder at all slows everything down.
Many homeowners combine boarding with a new or enlarged hatch and a folding ladder, since storage you cannot reach easily rarely gets used. Our loft hatches and ladders page covers that work, and the guide to loft ladder installation cost explains its price factors.
What is already up there
A loft full of stored items, old water tanks or tangles of wiring takes longer to work around than an empty one. Cables and pipes have to be worked around carefully rather than boarded over, and anything heavy stored in the loft needs moving before work starts.
If you want a light fitted while the loft is open, that is electrical work rather than carpentry, carried out by an NICEIC registered electrician, and it adds to the overall cost while being far cheaper to do at the same time.
Combining jobs to save a second visit
Boarding is often booked alongside other loft work, and combining jobs is usually better value than separate callouts. A new or enlarged hatch, a folding ladder, extra insulation top-ups and a loft light all sit naturally alongside boarding, since the loft is already open and the materials are already being carried up.
If you are weighing up several of these, mention them all when you ask for a quote so the visit can cover everything in one go.
Why a visit gives you a firm price
With the area, joist depth, access and condition all varying, any figure quoted without seeing the loft is a guess. A home visit lets a carpenter measure up, check the insulation and joists, and give you a firm, free quote.
Our loft boarding page explains what the work involves. Get in touch or call 07735 852901 to arrange a visit.