Two-storey extensions for detached houses in Thurso
Adding a two-storey extension for a detached house in Thurso gives you two new rooms stacked on one footprint. Here's how we'd approach it, what it typically costs and the rules that apply in Scotland.
Thurso is outside our usual mainland visit area, so visits and projects here are by arrangement. We'll agree any travel costs with you before anything is booked.
Before you start in Thurso, here's what applies.
- Postcode districts
- KW12 and KW14
- County / area
- The Highlands, Moray and Islands, Scotland
- Price region
- Scotland
- Guide price
- £81,000–£108,500 (£1,930–£2,580 per m²)
- Approval route
- Planning permission is usually needed: Class 1B permitted development only applies if every part of the extension is at least 10 m from all boundaries. A building warrant is needed before work starts.
- Nearest towns
- Wick (18.9 miles), Tain (57.3 miles), Lossiemouth (60.9 miles)
- Distance to Inverness
- about 81.1 miles
- First visit
- By arrangement
About a two-storey extension for a detached house
This service suits you if you own a detached house and want a substantial amount of extra space, whether a side extension over a drive, a rear extension into the garden or a wraparound. You get a survey of the whole plot, options that compare layouts and costs, the approvals your nation needs, structural design and the build, carried out by vetted teams working under S&K.
Around Thurso we also work in Wick, Tain and Lossiemouth, and across the rest of the Highlands, Moray and Islands. Postcode districts in and near Thurso: KW12 and KW14.
What it costs in Thurso
In Scotland, which includes Thurso, we'd expect a two-storey extension for a detached house to cost around £81,000–£108,500 for a 3 m × 7 m footprint on two floors (42 m² of new floor space), or £1,930–£2,580 per m² including VAT. Design fees, structural calculations and approval fees are separate and listed on our prices page.
| Spec | Per m² | A 3 m × 7 m footprint on two floors (42 m² of new floor space) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £1,770–£2,380 per m² | £74,500–£100,000 |
| Standard | £1,930–£2,580 per m² | £81,000–£108,500 |
| Premium | £2,310–£3,100 per m² | £97,000–£130,500 |
Planning and building standards in Thurso
In Scotland, a detached house on a large plot may be able to use Class 1B permitted development if no part of the two-storey extension is within 10 m of any boundary, it is no higher than the house and is not in a conservation area. Otherwise a householder application costs £371. A building warrant is needed either way.
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.
Design points for Thurso homes
Larger spans and steelwork
Bigger extensions often mean wider openings and longer spans, which need more steel and sometimes a steel frame. The engineer designs these early, because the size of the steel affects ceiling heights, floor depths and the cost.
Choosing the best side
On a detached house you can often extend on either side or the rear. We look at orientation for daylight, where the stairs and landing are, the distance to each boundary, drains and trees, so the extension goes where it adds the most useful space.
How we'd run your project
Visit by arrangement
We agree a visit to your home in Thurso and any travel costs with you in writing first, then look at the structure, access and boundaries.
Choose the approval route
Some designs fit permitted development, most need a householder application. We decide which applies in Scotland before drawing in detail.
Structure and building standards
A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get a building warrant before work starts.
Finish and certify
Second fix, plastering and making good, then the council's final building standards inspection and the completion paperwork.
Questions about two-storey extensions for detached houses in Thurso
Who handles building standards for a project in Thurso?
We handle it as part of the project. What's needed in Scotland: 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. We prepare the drawings and the engineer's calculations, book the inspections and pass you the completion paperwork at the end.
Do I need planning permission for a two-storey extension for a detached house in Thurso?
Thurso is in Scotland. Planning permission is usually needed: Class 1B permitted development only applies if every part of the extension is at least 10 m from all boundaries. A building warrant is needed before work starts.
Which postcodes do you cover around Thurso?
We cover Thurso (KW12 and KW14) and nearby places including Wick, Tain and Lossiemouth, plus the rest of the Highlands, Moray and Islands. Visits and projects in Thurso are by arrangement, with travel costs agreed in writing first.
Is a detached house extension a better investment than moving?
It often costs less than the gap between your house and a larger one nearby, once property tax, legal fees and removal costs are counted, but that depends on your area. Extending also has limits: every street has a ceiling price. We give you build costs so you can compare them with local asking prices.
Can I extend a detached house on both sides?
Sometimes. With planning permission, a council may accept extensions on both sides if the house stays well proportioned and keeps gaps to the boundaries. It is more common to extend on one side and the rear, or with a wraparound. We look at the plot as a whole before suggesting more than one extension.
Nearby
The same service in neighbouring towns:
Other extensions in Thurso
- Rear
- Side
- Wraparound
- Part two-storey
- Over a garage
- First floor
- Semi-detached
- Kitchen and bedrooms
- Bedroom and en-suite
All two-storey extension services in Thurso · Two-storey extensions for detached houses across the Highlands, Moray and Islands
Send us your postcode and a few details. We'll get back to you to arrange a visit and talk through your options.