Moodiesburn · Glasgow and Dunbartonshire

First-floor extensions in Moodiesburn

We cover Moodiesburn and the rest of Glasgow and Dunbartonshire for first-floor extensions. Start with a free site visit and a plain-English view of what your house and plot can take.

Useful details for planning a first-floor extension in Moodiesburn.

Postcode districts
G69
County / area
Glasgow and Dunbartonshire, 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
Lenzie (2.9 miles), Kirkintilloch (3.2 miles), Stepps (3.2 miles)
Distance to Glasgow
about 7.6 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.

Moodiesburn sits about 7.6 miles from Glasgow. Closer to home, Lenzie is 2.9 miles away and Kirkintilloch 3.2 miles.

What it costs in Moodiesburn

Using our Scotland rates, a first-floor extension with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²) comes to about £23,500–£34,000, including VAT. Bigger or more glazed designs cost more per m². Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.

SpecPer m²4 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 Moodiesburn

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 Moodiesburn 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.

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

  1. Free site visit

    We visit your home in Moodiesburn, look at the structure, access and boundaries, and talk through what you want the new rooms to do.

  2. Get it approved

    Once you're happy with the design we submit it to the council for Moodiesburn and deal with any questions from the planning officer.

  3. Fixed price in writing

    With approved drawings and calculations, we give you a fixed build price and a programme you can plan around.

  4. 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 Moodiesburn

How much does a first-floor extension cost in Moodiesburn?

Our guide for Scotland, which covers Moodiesburn, 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 Moodiesburn?

Moodiesburn 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.

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.

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

Other towns near Moodiesburn:

Other extensions in Moodiesburn

All two-storey extension services in Moodiesburn · First-floor extensions across Glasgow and Dunbartonshire

Book a free site visit in Moodiesburn and we'll tell you what's possible, what approvals you need and what the design stage would cost.

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