Building regulations for two-storey extensions in Argyll and Bute
Our building standards service covers the whole of Argyll and Bute. Choose your town below, or get in touch to talk your project through.
Argyll and Bute at a glance
- Nation
- Scotland
- Price region
- Scotland
- Postcode areas
- G, PA
- Towns covered
- 8 listed below, plus surrounding villages
- Site visits
- Free on the mainland; island and remote addresses by arrangement, with travel costs agreed first
What a building warrant application involves
A building warrant for a two-storey extension involves preparing technical drawings and a specification that show how the extension meets the rules on structure, fire safety, insulation, ventilation, electrics and drainage, getting them approved and having the work inspected. At the end you receive a completion certificate.
Towns in Argyll and Bute include Helensburgh (G84), Dunoon (PA22), Oban (PA34), Rothesay (PA20), Campbeltown (PA28) and Isle of Islay (PA43). If yours isn't listed, we still cover it.
Fees
Technical drawings and specification are a guide of £1,500–£4,000. The council's building warrant fee depends on the value of the work; we confirm every fee in writing before the design stage starts.
Rules in Scotland
In Scotland, you need a building warrant from the council's building standards service before work starts, assessed against the Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbooks rather than Approved Documents. At the end you submit a completion certificate, which the council accepts after its checks. No work should start until the warrant is granted.
Approval in Scotland: Householder planning application: £371. Councils have two months to decide a local planning application.
Building standards: A building warrant from the council's building standards service before work starts, and a completion certificate at the end. Scotland uses its own Technical Handbooks.
There is no Party Wall Act in Scotland. Shared walls and boundaries are governed by title deeds and common law, so we speak to neighbours early and record the condition of shared structures.
Getting the design right
Full plans and inspections
Full plans approval checks the design before work starts, which we recommend for two-storey extensions. Building standards then inspects key stages, such as foundations, damp-proofing, drainage and insulation, before issuing the completion certificate.
How we work in Argyll and Bute
Visit and first ideas
One of our team visits your house in Argyll and Bute, checks the walls, roof and drains, and sketches out options with you.
Design and approvals
We draw the extension and check it against the rules for Scotland, then apply for planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness, whichever fits.
Detail and price
Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building warrant approval, then a written fixed price for the build.
Finish and certify
Second fix, plastering and making good, then the council's final building standards inspection and the completion paperwork.
Towns we cover in Argyll and Bute
Building regulations for two-storey extensions in Argyll and Bute: questions
Do I need building standards if I have planning permission?
Yes. Planning permission and building standards are separate. Planning covers what the extension looks like and how it affects neighbours; building standards cover how it is built and whether it is safe, warm and healthy. A two-storey extension needs both, unless permitted development replaces the planning part.
What is a completion certificate and why do I need one?
A completion certificate is the document from building standards confirming that the work met the regulations. A buyer's solicitor will ask for it when you sell, and missing certificates can delay a sale. In Scotland, the council accepts your completion certificate after its own checks.
What is a build-over agreement?
A build-over agreement is permission from your water company to build over or near a public sewer. Many rear extensions sit near shared drains, and the water company will want access protected and the pipe checked. We check sewer records early so the agreement does not delay the start.
Neighbouring areas
- Building regulations for two-storey extensions in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
- Building regulations for two-storey extensions in Ayrshire
- Building regulations for two-storey extensions in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire
- Building regulations for two-storey extensions in Lanarkshire
All extension services in Argyll and Bute · About building regulations for two-storey extensions
Ready to see what a second storey could do for your home?
Book a site visit: free on the mainland, by arrangement on islands and remote addresses. We'll look at your house, talk through options and explain the approvals you'd need.