Bonnyrigg · Edinburgh and the Lothians

Extensions over a garage in Bonnyrigg

For an extension over a garage in Bonnyrigg, the first questions are always the same: how big, which approvals, and what it will cost. This page answers all three for Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Useful details for planning an extension over a garage in Bonnyrigg.

Postcode districts
EH18, EH19 and EH24
County / area
Edinburgh and the Lothians, Scotland
Price region
Scotland
Guide price
£29,500–£43,000 (£1,640–£2,400 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
Dalkeith (2 miles), Loanhead (2.1 miles), Mayfield (2.6 miles)
Distance to Edinburgh
about 6.5 miles
First visit
Free, no obligation

About an extension over a garage

An extension over a garage suits you if you have an attached single garage beside the house and need an extra bedroom or a larger main bedroom with an en-suite. You get an inspection of the garage structure, a design that matches the house, the approvals your nation needs, structural design, a building warrant and the build, carried out by vetted teams working under S&K.

We cover postcode districts EH18, EH19 and EH24 in and around Bonnyrigg, along with neighbouring Dalkeith, Loanhead and Mayfield.

What it costs in Bonnyrigg

Guide prices for extensions over a garage in Scotland are around £1,640–£2,400 per m² of new floor space, including VAT. For a typical project with 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²), that's roughly £29,500–£43,000. Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.

SpecPer m²3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²)
Essential£1,510–£2,210 per m²£27,000–£39,500
Standard£1,640–£2,400 per m²£29,500–£43,000
Premium£1,970–£2,880 per m²£35,500–£52,000

Planning and building standards in Bonnyrigg

In Scotland, a room over a garage makes the extension more than one storey, so Class 1B applies, which needs at least 10 m to every boundary for permitted development. Attached garages are rarely that far from the boundary, so expect a householder application (£371, decided within two months) and 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.

Design points for Bonnyrigg homes

Garage walls and the door opening

Garage walls are often a single skin of brick or block with piers, and the wide door opening needs a beam over it. Many over-garage extensions need new inner walls or a steel frame to carry the floor and to insulate properly, which we confirm before the design is fixed.

Fire separation

If the garage stays a garage, the floor between it and the room above, and any door into the house, must give fire separation under building standards. That usually means fire-resisting plasterboard ceilings, sealed gaps and a fire door, which we design in from the start.

How we'd run your project

  1. Measure and listen

    A visit to Bonnyrigg to understand how you live in the house now and what the extra rooms need to do, plus a first look at the structure.

  2. 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.

  3. Detail and price

    Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building warrant approval, then a written fixed price for the build.

  4. Build and sign-off

    Vetted teams working under S&K build the extension, and we arrange the completion certificate at the end.

Questions about extensions over a garage in Bonnyrigg

How long does an extension over a garage take?

Allow 4 to 8 weeks for survey and design, then the approval period (councils have two months to decide a local planning application), then 4 to 8 weeks of technical design, which can overlap. The build itself usually takes 14 to 20 weeks, longer for large or complex designs.

Do I need planning permission for an extension over a garage in Bonnyrigg?

Bonnyrigg 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.

Who handles building standards for a project in Bonnyrigg?

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 to convert the garage as well?

No. You can keep the garage for parking or storage and build only the room above, as long as the floor between them and any door into the house meet fire separation rules. Converting the garage at the same time is often good value, because the walls and foundations may be upgraded anyway.

How do I get into a room over the garage?

Usually through a new opening off the existing landing or a bedroom, so the stairs stay where they are. If the floor levels do not match, a step or two may be needed inside the new room. Where a landing opening is not practical, a new stair from a converted garage is an option.

Nearby

Nearby towns we cover for extensions over a garage:

Other extensions in Bonnyrigg

All two-storey extension services in Bonnyrigg · Extensions over a garage across Edinburgh and the Lothians

Send us your postcode and a few details. We'll get back to you to arrange a visit and talk through your options.

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