Case Study - Earsham Lofts

Tuesday 4 August 2026

Creating storage without squashing the insulation

Earsham Lofts is a Trading Standards Approved Norfolk Trusted Trader, installing raised loft floors, loft ladders and insulation for homeowners across Norfolk and Suffolk. The business began at the back end of 2021 and works from a unit on the Earsham Mill business estate just outside Bungay.

It is a deliberately small operation. Owner Mark Denyer carries out every survey and every installation himself, alongside his colleague Del, and the business covers Norfolk and Suffolk only, from Norwich down to Ipswich. Staying small and local is the point rather than a limitation. Every customer deals with the person who quoted the job and the person who fits it, which are the same two people, and there is no national call centre in between. “We are a local independent company and not part of a national company like many others,” says Mark.

The trouble with a boarded loft

Loft boarding sounds simple, and that is exactly where it goes wrong. Boards laid straight onto the joists press the insulation flat, and as Earsham Lofts put it, squashing your insulation could double your heat loss. The homeowner gains a floor and quietly loses the performance they paid for.

The answer is a raised floor system, which lifts the boards clear so the insulation stays at its full depth underneath. Earsham Lofts fit LoftZone StoreFloor and LoftLeg, and Mark is careful about which systems he will put in a customer's roof. He describes the business as the only authorised installer in Norfolk and Suffolk for StoreFloor, which he says is the only BBA approved raised loft system in the UK, and Earsham Lofts are also approved LoftLeg installers for the two counties and SuperFoil approved installers. Installations are NHBC compliant.

Alongside the boarding, the business supplies and fits loft ladders, from three section wooden ladders to steel and concertina systems, and takes on loft insulation and conservatory roof insulation. Boarding, ladders and insulation carry a lifetime guarantee, and installations are covered by a ten year guarantee. Surveys and quotations are free.

Why a paid for directory would not do

Mark is a great believer that a good tradesperson should not have to buy leads. His view of the paid for referral sites is blunt: the vetting processes are not strict enough, and they basically allow anyone to join. Norfolk Trusted Trader was a different proposition.

“Having looked into Trusted Trader and the relationship with Trading Standards, and also the rigorous checks to be approved, I knew this was not just another money making scheme and could see the benefits of being a member,” he says.

Straightforward and nerve racking at the same time

Asked how he found the vetting, Mark gives an answer most applicants will recognise. “I found the vetting process straightforward and nerve racking at the same time. After doing some research on Trusted Trader and its affiliations I knew that the vetting would be strict and carried out properly to ensure only the right people are able to join.”

Norfolk Trusted Trader is run in partnership with Norfolk County Council Trading Standards. The checks look at the business and its owners, so for a member the reassurance is in knowing that everyone else on the directory has been through the same scrutiny.

“Since joining Trusted Trader I honestly believe that quote acceptance has increased by over 70%.”

What membership has changed

The effect shows up at the point where it matters, the moment a customer decides whether to accept a quotation.

“Since joining the scheme we have not looked back. We have secured many jobs because of our membership as it really instilled confidence in customers,” Mark says. “So many customers have said they chose Earsham Lofts because of the fact we are a Trusted Trader member.”

Flying the badge, not filing it away

Earsham Lofts are one of those members who make the most of what the scheme gives them. “We promote that we are members fairly heavily,” says Mark. “Most social media posts will include the logo, we have the logo displayed prominently on all flyers, letterheads, invoices, estimates, and we also display the stickers on our vans.”

It is a small amount of effort that keeps working. Every quotation and every van says the business has been checked and approved before the conversation starts.

Quality first, and local for good

“Earsham Lofts pride themselves on quality, and joining the scheme has certainly helped in terms of building confidence and trust with customers,” Mark says. For a two man business competing against national names, being independently checked is what closes the gap. The plan is more of the same, in the same two counties, to the same standard.

Mark Denyer
Owner, Earsham Lofts

Questions we are often asked

Which areas do Earsham Lofts cover?
Norfolk and Suffolk, roughly from Norwich down to Ipswich, worked from the company's base at Earsham Mill near Bungay. Surveys and quotations are free.

Will loft boarding flatten my insulation?
Not if it is done on a raised floor system. Earsham Lofts fit LoftZone StoreFloor and LoftLeg, which lift the boards above the joists so the insulation stays at its full depth and the loft still performs as it should.

Has Earsham Lofts been checked by Trading Standards?
Yes. Earsham Lofts is a Norfolk Trusted Trader member, a scheme run in partnership with Norfolk County Council Trading Standards, and the business and its owners have been checked and approved by Trading Standards. Trading Standards do not inspect or approve individual jobs, so the workmanship is judged in the customer reviews on the profile.

• View Earsham Lofts' Norfolk Trusted Trader profile.
• Read Earsham Lofts' verified customer reviews.
• If you would like to become a Trusted Trader, you can apply here.
• If you are a Trusted Trader and would like to leave a case study either as text or as a video, get in touch.