First-floor extensions in Aviemore
Our first-floor extensions service in Aviemore covers everything: measured survey, design, planning or permitted development checks, structural design, building control and the build itself.
We take on projects in Aviemore by arrangement. Site visits here aren't free as standard, and we'll agree travel costs with you in writing first.
Before you start in Aviemore, here's what applies.
- Postcode districts
- PH22, PH23, PH24 and PH25
- County / area
- The Highlands, Moray and Islands, Scotland
- Price region
- Scotland
- Guide price
- £23,500–£34,000 (£1,690–£2,440 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
- Westhill (Highlands, Moray and Islands) (22.7 miles), Culloden (23.3 miles), Inverness (24.6 miles)
- Distance to Inverness
- about 24.6 miles
- First visit
- By arrangement
About a first-floor extension
A first-floor extension suits you if your house already has a single-storey extension and you need more space upstairs. You get a structural check of the existing walls and foundations, a design that ties the new floor into the house, the approvals your nation needs, a building warrant and the build, managed by us and carried out by vetted teams working under S&K.
Aviemore sits about 24.6 miles from Inverness. Closer to home, Westhill (Highlands, Moray and Islands) is 22.7 miles away and Culloden 23.3 miles.
What it costs in Aviemore
In Scotland, which includes Aviemore, we'd expect a first-floor extension to cost around £23,500–£34,000 for 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²), or £1,690–£2,440 per m² including VAT. These are guides, not quotes. Ground conditions, steelwork and access can move the figure either way.
| Spec | Per m² | 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²) |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £1,560–£2,250 per m² | £22,000–£31,500 |
| Standard | £1,690–£2,440 per m² | £23,500–£34,000 |
| Premium | £2,030–£2,930 per m² | £28,500–£41,000 |
Planning and building standards in Aviemore
In Scotland, permitted development for extensions of more than one storey (Class 1B) needs at least 10 m to every boundary and no part higher than the house. Most first-floor extensions cannot meet the 10 m test, so plan for a householder application (£371, decided within two months) and a building warrant before work starts.
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 Aviemore homes
Escape and fire safety
A new first-floor bedroom needs an escape window with a clear opening of at least 0.33 m², at least 450 mm wide and 450 mm high, with the bottom no more than 1,100 mm above the floor, unless there is a protected route to the stairs.
Can the existing structure take it?
Many single-storey extensions were built with foundations, walls and lintels sized for one storey. We find out what is there with trial holes and, where available, the original building standards drawings. The engineer then decides whether to reuse, strengthen or rebuild parts of the structure.
How we'd run your project
Visit by arrangement
We agree a visit to your home in Aviemore and any travel costs with you in writing first, then look at the structure, access and boundaries.
Choose the approval route
Some designs fit permitted development, most need a householder application. We decide which applies in Scotland before drawing in detail.
Structure and building standards
A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get a building warrant before work starts.
Finish and certify
Second fix, plastering and making good, then the council's final building standards inspection and the completion paperwork.
Questions about first-floor extensions in Aviemore
Which postcodes do you cover around Aviemore?
We cover Aviemore (PH22, PH23, PH24 and PH25) and nearby places including Westhill (Highlands, Moray and Islands), Culloden and Inverness, plus the rest of the Highlands, Moray and Islands. Visits and projects in Aviemore are by arrangement, with travel costs agreed in writing first.
Who handles building standards for a project in Aviemore?
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 planning permission for a first-floor extension in Aviemore?
Aviemore 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.
Can I build on top of my existing single-storey extension?
Often yes, but only after the structure has been checked. Foundations, walls and lintels built for one storey may not carry two. We dig trial holes, look for the original a building warrant and ask the structural engineer to confirm what can stay, what needs strengthening and what must be rebuilt.
What happens to the room below while the first floor is built?
The old roof is removed, so the room below is exposed for a short period. We fit temporary weather protection, plan the work so the roof comes off only when the new structure is ready, and agree with you which rooms will be out of use and for roughly how long.
Nearby
The same service in neighbouring towns:
Other extensions in Aviemore
- Rear
- Side
- Wraparound
- Part two-storey
- Over a garage
- Semi-detached
- Detached
- Kitchen and bedrooms
- Bedroom and en-suite
All two-storey extension services in Aviemore · First-floor extensions across the Highlands, Moray and Islands
The quickest next step is a visit. We'll look at your house in Aviemore and give you an honest view of the options.