Extensions over a garage in Nigg
For an extension over a garage in Nigg, the first questions are always the same: how big, which approvals, and what it will cost. This page answers all three for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Quick reference for homeowners in Nigg.
- Postcode districts
- AB12
- County / area
- Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, 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
- Cove (1.2 miles), Aberdeen (1.9 miles), Portlethen (3.6 miles)
- Distance to Aberdeen
- about 1.9 miles
- First visit
- Free, no obligation
About an extension over a garage
An extension over a garage is a new first-floor room built on top of an existing attached garage, usually a bedroom, en-suite or study. It uses a footprint you already have, so it adds floor space without taking any garden. The garage walls and foundations often need strengthening or replacing to carry the new floor.
We cover postcode district AB12 in and around Nigg, along with neighbouring Cove, Aberdeen and Portlethen.
What it costs in Nigg
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. We'll give you a written design-stage price first, then a fixed build price once the drawings are agreed.
| Spec | Per m² | 3 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 Nigg
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 Nigg homes
Floor levels and headroom
Garage floors are often lower than the house, and the new first floor may not line up with the existing landing. We set the floor level to avoid awkward steps upstairs, while keeping enough headroom in the garage below for a car or storage.
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
Measure and listen
A visit to Nigg to understand how you live in the house now and what the extra rooms need to do, plus a first look at the structure.
Drawings, then consent
We draw the scheme, check it against the rules in Scotland, and take it through the right consent with the council.
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.
Questions about extensions over a garage in Nigg
How much does an extension over a garage cost in Nigg?
Our guide for Scotland, which covers Nigg, is £1,640–£2,400 per m² including VAT. A typical project with 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²) comes to about £29,500–£43,000. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.
Which postcodes do you cover around Nigg?
We cover Nigg (AB12) and nearby places including Cove, Aberdeen and Portlethen, plus the rest of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. The first site visit is free.
Who handles building standards for a project in Nigg?
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.
Can my garage take a room on top?
Sometimes, but it needs checking. Many garages are built on shallow footings with thin walls, designed only for a single storey. We dig a trial hole and inspect the walls, and the structural engineer decides whether to reuse them, strengthen them, underpin the footings or build new foundations inside the garage.
Nearby
Other towns near Nigg:
Other extensions in Nigg
- Rear
- Side
- Wraparound
- Part two-storey
- First floor
- Semi-detached
- Detached
- Kitchen and bedrooms
- Bedroom and en-suite
All two-storey extension services in Nigg · Extensions over a garage across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Want a figure first? Try our guide price tool, then book a free visit to firm it up.