Two-storey extensions for end-of-terrace houses in the Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders at a glance

Nation: Scotland
Price region: Scotland
Postcode areas: EH, TD
Towns covered: 8 listed below, plus surrounding villages
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.
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a two-storey extension for an end-of-terrace house involves

A two-storey extension for an end-of-terrace house is a two-floor addition to the open side or the rear of the last house in a row. The side plot is often the best opportunity, because it adds width without taking rear garden. The design has to work with the terrace's roofline and the street, and any corner plot facing a road needs extra care.

Scottish Borders towns we list: Hawick (TD9), Galashiels (TD1), Peebles (EH45), Kelso (TD3), Selkirk (TD7) and Jedburgh (TD8). Every other address in the Scottish Borders is covered as well.

Guide price in Scotland

Most of the cost of a two-storey extension for an end-of-terrace house is set by its size and specification. For Scottish Borders and the rest of Scotland, our guide is £1,930–£2,580 per m² including VAT, so about £81,000–£108,500 for a 3 m × 7 m footprint on two floors (42 m² of new floor space). Design fees, structural calculations and approval fees are separate and listed on our prices page.

Spec	Per m²	Typical project
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

Rules in Scotland

In Scotland, Class 1B permitted development needs a two-storey extension to be at least 10 m from every boundary and not on an elevation fronting a road. An end-of-terrace house is attached on one side, so a two-storey extension needs a householder application (£371, decided within two months) and then a building warrant.

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

Older walls and foundations

Many terraces are older, with shallow footings and solid walls. Tying a new two-storey extension into them needs a careful structural design and sometimes movement joints, and we check the gable wall and its foundations before the design is fixed.

Continuing the terrace roof

A side extension on an end-of-terrace house usually continues the roofline of the row, so the pitch, eaves height and tiles must match. A small step down in the ridge and a set-back at the front often help the extension read as an addition rather than an extra house.

How we work in the Scottish Borders

Free site visit
We visit your home in the Scottish Borders, look at the structure, access and boundaries, and talk through what you want the new rooms to do.
Drawings, then consent
We draw the scheme, check it against the rules in Scotland, and take it through the right consent with the council.
Fixed price in writing
With approved drawings and calculations, we give you a fixed build price and a programme you can plan around.
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 the Scottish Borders

Two-storey extensions for end-of-terrace houses in the Scottish Borders: questions

How much does a two-storey extension for an end-of-terrace house cost in the Scottish Borders?

In Scotland our guide is £1,930–£2,580 per m² including VAT, so about £81,000–£108,500 for a 3 m × 7 m footprint on two floors (42 m² of new floor space). Essential and Premium specs move that by roughly 8% down or 20% up.

Are old terrace foundations strong enough to extend next to?

Usually, but they need checking. Older terraces often have shallow brick footings, and a new two-storey extension sits on deeper, modern foundations alongside them. The structural engineer designs the junction so the two can move slightly without cracking, and we dig trial holes to see what is there before the design is fixed.

Will my end-of-terrace extension look like a new house on the end?

It should not, if it is designed well. A slightly lower ridge, a set-back from the front wall and a different front door position help it read as an extension. Councils often ask for this to avoid an extension that looks like an extra terraced house.

Can I build a two-storey side extension on a corner plot?

Often, but it needs planning permission and careful design. Councils protect the openness of corners and the view along the road, so they usually expect a gap to the pavement, a set-back from the front and a side wall with windows rather than a blank wall. We check local guidance and nearby examples first.

Will I need planning permission in the Scottish Borders?

Scottish Borders 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.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in the Scottish Borders · About two-storey extensions for end-of-terrace houses