For loft conversion specialists
How to get loft conversion leads from planning applications
A dormer loft conversion almost always needs planning permission — which means it's public record the moment it's submitted, weeks before the homeowner starts collecting quotes from builders.
Not every loft conversion shows up — here's which ones do
Worth being upfront about this: a simple roof-light-only loft conversion, with no change to the roof shape, often falls under permitted development and never touches a council planning portal. But a dormer conversion — by far the most common way to get proper head height and the most valuable type of job — usually does need planning permission, as does anything in a conservation area, on a flat, or that adds a mansard roof. That's the segment planning application data is genuinely good at surfacing: the bigger, higher-value loft jobs, early.
The usual way loft conversion leads get sold
Search around and most of what you'll find calling itself "loft conversion leads" is a paid lead-generation service: you pay a fee — often somewhere in the £20–60 range per lead — for an enquiry that was frequently sent to two or three other builders at the same time. You're paying whether or not it turns into a job, and you're often competing with people who got the same lead five minutes before you did.
Planning application data is a different kind of signal entirely. It's public record, free for anyone to look up, and nobody's selling it to you as an exclusive match — because it isn't one. What PatchAlert does is just remove the manual work of checking for it: one daily email with new or newly-approved loft conversion applications on your patch, so you're not paying per enquiry or waiting in a queue with other builders who bought the same one.
How PatchAlert works
1. Pick your patch
Your postcode and a radius. Only jobs near you, nothing else.
2. Pick loft conversions
Or add extensions, garage conversions and conservatories too — your call.
3. Get the email
New applications daily, plus a flag the moment one gets approved.
Frequently asked questions
Do all loft conversions need planning permission?
No. Many roof-light-only conversions fall under permitted development and never reach a
planning portal. Dormer conversions, mansard roofs, conservation areas and flats generally do
need permission — which is why dormer loft conversions in particular show up well in planning
application data.
How is this different from a paid lead-generation service?
Many loft conversion lead services sell the same enquiry to several builders at once and charge
per lead regardless of outcome. Planning application data is public record, free to access, and
not sold to you as a matched lead — PatchAlert just tells you what's out there.
How much does PatchAlert cost?
Plans start at £4.99/month, with a free 7-day trial and no card required to
start. See the pricing page for details.