First-floor extensions in Gretna
For a first-floor extension in Gretna, the first questions are always the same: how big, which approvals, and what it will cost. This page answers all three for Dumfries and Galloway.
What we'd confirm first for a project in Gretna.
- Postcode districts
- DG16
- County / area
- Dumfries and Galloway, 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
- Annan (7.6 miles), Lockerbie (14.6 miles), Locharbriggs (21.9 miles)
- Distance to Dumfries
- about 22.2 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.
Gretna sits about 22.2 miles from Dumfries. Closer to home, Annan is 7.6 miles away and Lockerbie 14.6 miles.
What it costs in Gretna
Expect a first-floor extension in Gretna 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 Gretna
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 Gretna 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.
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.
How we'd run your project
Understand the brief
At your home in Gretna we agree what you need: bedroom count, bathroom, kitchen space, and how much garden you want to keep.
Drawings, then consent
We draw the scheme, check it against the rules in Scotland, and take it through the right consent with the council.
Engineer it
Foundations sized for two floors, steels for any openings, and a building warrant, all before anyone starts on site.
Build and sign-off
Vetted teams working under S&K build the extension, and we arrange the completion certificate at the end.
Questions about first-floor extensions in Gretna
How much does a first-floor extension cost in Gretna?
Our guide for Scotland, which covers Gretna, 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.
Do I need planning permission for a first-floor extension in Gretna?
Gretna 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 Gretna?
We cover Gretna (DG16) and nearby places including Annan, Lockerbie and Locharbriggs, plus the rest of Dumfries and Galloway. The first site visit is free.
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 Gretna
- 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 Gretna · First-floor extensions across Dumfries and Galloway
Book a free site visit in Gretna and we'll tell you what's possible, what approvals you need and what the design stage would cost.