Extra bedroom and en-suite extensions in Alness
Our extra bedroom and en-suite extensions service in Alness covers everything: measured survey, design, planning or permitted development checks, structural design, building control and the build itself.
Alness 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 extra bedroom and en-suite extension in Alness.
- Postcode districts
- IV16 and IV17
- County / area
- The Highlands, Moray and Islands, Scotland
- Price region
- Scotland
- Guide price
- £52,500–£71,000 (£1,880–£2,540 per m²), plus £5,500–£11,000 for the en-suite
- 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
- Invergordon (3.3 miles), Dingwall (9.4 miles), Tain (10.9 miles)
- Distance to Inverness
- about 15 miles
- First visit
- By arrangement
About an extra bedroom and en-suite extension
An extra bedroom and en-suite extension is a two-storey extension planned around a new double bedroom with its own shower room on the first floor, with a ground-floor room below. It is one of the most effective ways to add space for a growing family. Nationwide's 2025 research linked adding a double bedroom and bathroom to a three-bed, one-bathroom house with value gains of up to 24%.
Around Alness we also work in Invergordon, Dingwall and Tain, and across the rest of the Highlands, Moray and Islands. Postcode districts in and near Alness: IV16 and IV17.
What it costs in Alness
Guide prices for extra bedroom and en-suite extensions in Scotland are around £1,880–£2,540 per m² of new floor space, including VAT. For a typical project with a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space), that's roughly £52,500–£71,000 (plus £5,500–£11,000 for the en-suite). Steelwork for wide openings is the item most likely to move the figure; we'll know once the engineer has designed it.
| Spec | Per m² | A 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £1,730–£2,330 per m² | £48,500–£65,500 |
| Standard | £1,880–£2,540 per m² | £52,500–£71,000 |
| Premium | £2,260–£3,050 per m² | £63,000–£85,500 |
Planning and building standards in Alness
In Scotland, an extra bedroom on a new first floor makes the extension more than one storey, so Class 1B applies, needing at least 10 m to every boundary. Most plots need a householder application, which costs £371 and is decided within two months. The building warrant then covers the escape window, ventilation and drainage.
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 Alness homes
Connecting to the landing
The new bedroom must be reached from the existing landing, usually through a new opening in the outside wall or by taking part of an existing bedroom as a corridor. We look at the stairs and landing first, because a poor connection can waste much of the new space.
Sound and privacy
Bedrooms above a kitchen or family room benefit from an insulated floor to reduce noise. Side-facing upstairs windows usually have to be obscure-glazed, so we place the main bedroom window to the rear and the en-suite window to the side where possible.
How we'd run your project
Visit by arrangement
We agree a visit to your home in Alness 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 Alness.
Technical design
We prepare the building warrant drawings, structural calculations and specification so the build price can be fixed.
Build it
The new structure goes up first, then we open into the house, finish inside and get the completion certificate.
Questions about extra bedroom and en-suite extensions in Alness
How long does an extra bedroom and en-suite extension 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.
Who handles building standards for a project in Alness?
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.
How much does an extra bedroom and en-suite extension cost in Alness?
Our guide for Scotland, which covers Alness, is £1,880–£2,540 per m² including VAT. A typical project with a 4 m × 3.5 m footprint on two floors (28 m² of new floor space) comes to about £52,500–£71,000 (plus £5,500–£11,000 for the en-suite). Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.
What goes on the ground floor below a new bedroom?
Whatever suits you: a bigger kitchen, a family room, a study, a utility or a downstairs shower room. The ground floor usually costs about the same whatever it is used for, apart from kitchen units and bathroom fittings, which are priced separately.
How big should a new double bedroom be?
There is no legal minimum size for a bedroom in a house you own, so the test is whether it works. A comfortable double needs room for the bed with space to walk round it, wardrobes and a door that opens freely. We draw furniture on the plans so you can judge the space before anything is built.
Nearby
The same service in neighbouring towns:
Other extensions in Alness
All two-storey extension services in Alness · Extra bedroom and en-suite extensions 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.