Renovating a listed home means working within the law as well as the architecture. We renovate Grade I, II* and II listed properties and manage the Listed Building Consent process — advising what you can change, what needs consent, and how to do it sympathetically — under one contract.
A listed building is legally protected, and that changes how you renovate it. Listed status applies to the whole building — inside and out — so most alterations, and even some repairs and like-for-like replacements, need Listed Building Consent from the local authority before work starts. Carrying out unauthorised works to a listed building is a criminal offence. The good news: with the right approach, listed homes can be sensitively renovated and brought up to modern standards. We guide you through what is achievable, secure the consents, and carry out the work to the standard listed buildings demand. (For the specialist conservation and restoration of historic fabric, see our heritage restoration service; for non-listed period homes, see period property renovation.)
Most alterations to a listed home need Listed Building Consent. We prepare the heritage statement, drawings and justification, and manage the application with the conservation officer.
Around 92% of listed buildings are Grade II, with II* and I rarer and more tightly controlled. We work across all grades and calibrate the approach to the building's significance.
Listing protects the whole building, including interiors, but it does not freeze a home in time. We advise early on what is realistically achievable so your brief is grounded before design begins.
Windows, joinery, plaster, floors and fireplaces are repaired or replaced like-for-like where required, using appropriate materials and methods that satisfy the consent.
Heating, insulation, wiring and bathrooms can be upgraded in a listed home — but routes and methods must respect historic fabric. We design services to be reversible and concealed where possible.
A listed renovation often needs Listed Building Consent, planning permission and Building Regulations at once. We coordinate all three so they do not conflict.
Listed projects depend on grade, the extent of alteration, and the consent process, which runs before construction. The on-site durations below are indicative; a detailed programme and fixed quotation follow a survey and the consent strategy.
| Project Type | Indicative Timeline (on site) | Typical Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Listed flat / partial works | 12–20 weeks | Sympathetic restoration, kitchen, bathrooms |
| Whole listed house renovation | 24–38 weeks | Full sympathetic renovation and re-service |
| Renovation + sensitive alteration | 30–44 weeks | Consented alterations, openings, extensions |
| Grade II* / I or complex | By programme | Specialist conservation, bespoke detailing |
Every project is priced individually. Use our cost calculator or book a free consultation for a detailed, fixed quotation.
We survey the building, establish what is of special interest (its “significance”), and advise honestly on what alterations are realistically consentable before you commit.
Our architects design sympathetically and we prepare the Listed Building Consent application — heritage statement, drawings and justification — and manage it with the conservation officer (and planning, where also required).
Our engineer designs any structural work to respect historic fabric; we obtain Building Regulations approval using solutions appropriate to a listed building.
Our build team, with conservation-experienced trades, carries out the consented works to the standard and methods a listed building requires, under a dedicated project manager.
We complete the works, discharge any consent conditions, and hand over with certificates, records of the works and our workmanship warranty.
We are adding photographed, costed case studies for this service. To see comparable completed schemes, book a consultation or browse our case study portfolio.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation. We will assess your listed home, advise honestly on what is consentable, and manage the consent and build under one contract.