First-floor extensions in East Kilbride
We cover East Kilbride and the rest of Lanarkshire for first-floor extensions. Start with a free site visit and a plain-English view of what your house and plot can take.
Before you start in East Kilbride, here's what applies.
- Postcode districts
- G74
- County / area
- Lanarkshire, 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
- Cambuslang (3.2 miles), High Blantyre (3.3 miles), Blantyre (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.
Around East Kilbride we also work in Cambuslang, High Blantyre and Blantyre, and across the rest of Lanarkshire. Postcode district in and near East Kilbride: G74.
What it costs in East Kilbride
Expect a first-floor extension in East Kilbride to land somewhere around £23,500–£34,000 for 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²). Our Scotland guide rate is £1,690–£2,440 per m², including VAT. Kitchens, bathroom fittings and flooring are priced separately so you can compare like with like.
| 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 East Kilbride
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 East Kilbride homes
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.
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.
How we'd run your project
Measure and listen
A visit to East Kilbride to understand how you live in the house now and what the extra rooms need to do, plus a first look at the structure.
Design and approvals
We draw the extension and check it against the rules for Scotland, then apply for planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness, whichever fits.
Engineer it
Foundations sized for two floors, steels for any openings, and a building warrant, all before anyone starts on site.
Build and hand over
We manage the build from groundworks to decoration-ready finish and hand over with the completion paperwork.
Questions about first-floor extensions in East Kilbride
How much does a first-floor extension cost in East Kilbride?
Our guide for Scotland, which covers East Kilbride, is £1,690–£2,440 per m² including VAT. A typical project with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²) comes to about £23,500–£34,000. Design and approval fees are extra, and we fix the build price in writing once the design is agreed.
How long does a first-floor 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.
Which postcodes do you cover around East Kilbride?
We cover East Kilbride (G74) and nearby places including Cambuslang, High Blantyre and Blantyre, plus the rest of Lanarkshire. The first site visit is free.
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.
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.
Nearby
Close to East Kilbride? We work across the area, including:
Other extensions in East Kilbride
- 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 East Kilbride · First-floor extensions across Lanarkshire
The quickest next step is a visit. We'll look at your house in East Kilbride and give you an honest view of the options.