First-floor extensions in Colinton

Quick reference for homeowners in Colinton.

Postcode districts: EH10, EH11, EH12, EH13 and EH14
County / area: Edinburgh and the Lothians, 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: Currie (2.2 miles), Balerno (3.6 miles), Edinburgh (3.9 miles)
Distance to Edinburgh: about 3.9 miles
First visit: Free, no obligation

About a first-floor extension

A first-floor extension is a new upstairs room built on top of an existing single-storey part of your house, such as a rear kitchen extension, a utility or a side annexe. It adds a bedroom, bathroom or study without enlarging the footprint. Whether it works depends mainly on whether the walls and foundations below can carry the extra load.

Colinton sits about 3.9 miles from Edinburgh. Closer to home, Currie is 2.2 miles away and Balerno 3.6 miles.

What it costs in Colinton

A guide price for Colinton: around £23,500–£34,000 for 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²). That works out at £1,690–£2,440 per m² of new floor space, including VAT at 20%. Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.

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 Colinton

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 Colinton homes

Tying into the house

The new floor and walls must line up with the existing first floor, often through a new opening in the rear wall above the old one. Floor levels, the position of upstairs windows and the existing roof all affect where the opening can go, so we survey both floors carefully.

Replacing the flat roof

The existing roof usually comes off and is replaced by a new first-floor structure. The room below is exposed for a short time, so we plan temporary weatherproofing and sequence the work to keep the kitchen or living room usable for as long as possible.

How we'd run your project

Start at your house
We come to your home in Colinton, measure up, check the ground floor walls and roof structure, and note anything near the boundaries.
Plans, then approval
Measured survey, design, then the right approval route for your house. We explain each step before we take it.
Detail and price
Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building warrant approval, then a written fixed price for the build.
Build it
The new structure goes up first, then we open into the house, finish inside and get the completion certificate.

Questions about first-floor extensions in Colinton

Do I need planning permission for a first-floor extension in Colinton?

Colinton 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.

Which postcodes do you cover around Colinton?

We cover Colinton (EH10, EH11, EH12, EH13 and EH14) and nearby places including Currie, Balerno and Edinburgh, plus the rest of Edinburgh and the Lothians. The first site visit is free.

Who handles building standards for a project in Colinton?

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.

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

We also cover places near Colinton, including:

Other extensions in Colinton

All two-storey extension services in Colinton · First-floor extensions across Edinburgh and the Lothians

Ready to talk it through? Call us or send the form and we'll arrange a visit to your home in Colinton.