Extensions over a garage in Thurso
Our extensions over a garage service in Thurso covers everything: measured survey, design, planning or permitted development checks, structural design, building control and the build itself.
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.
Useful details for planning an extension over a garage in Thurso.
- Postcode districts
- KW12 and KW14
- County / area
- The Highlands, Moray and Islands, 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
- Wick (18.9 miles), Tain (57.3 miles), Lossiemouth (60.9 miles)
- Distance to Inverness
- about 81.1 miles
- First visit
- By arrangement
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 KW12 and KW14 in and around Thurso, along with neighbouring Wick, Tain and Lossiemouth.
What it costs in Thurso
In Scotland, which includes Thurso, we'd expect an extension over a garage to cost around £29,500–£43,000 for 3 m × 6 m of new first-floor space (18 m²), or £1,640–£2,400 per m² including VAT. Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.
| 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 Thurso
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 Thurso 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.
Matching the house
A room over a garage usually sits beside the front of the house in full view, so roof form, ridge height, windows and brick matter. Setting the front wall and ridge back slightly from the main house usually helps it look as if it belongs.
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.
Drawings and permission
Our designers produce plans and elevations, then we take care of planning or permitted development checks with the council covering Thurso.
Detail and price
Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building warrant approval, then a written fixed price for the build.
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 Thurso
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.
Do I need planning permission for an extension over a garage 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.
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.
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.
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.
Nearby
We also cover places near Thurso, including:
Other extensions in Thurso
- Rear
- Side
- Wraparound
- Part two-storey
- First floor
- Semi-detached
- Detached
- Kitchen and bedrooms
- Bedroom and en-suite
All two-storey extension services in Thurso · Extensions over a garage 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.