First-floor extensions in Stevenston

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

Postcode districts: KA20
County / area: Ayrshire, 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: Saltcoats (1.3 miles), Kilwinning (2.1 miles), Ardrossan (2.2 miles)
Distance to Kilmarnock: about 10.2 miles
First visit: Free, no obligation

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.

Stevenston sits about 10.2 miles from Kilmarnock. Closer to home, Saltcoats is 1.3 miles away and Kilwinning 2.1 miles.

What it costs in Stevenston

Guide prices for first-floor extensions in Scotland are around £1,690–£2,440 per m² of new floor space, including VAT. For a typical project with 4 m × 3.5 m of new first-floor space (14 m²), that's roughly £23,500–£34,000. Professional fees for drawings and the structural engineer are listed separately on our prices page.

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 Stevenston

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 Stevenston 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.

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

Start at your house
We come to your home in Stevenston, measure up, check the ground floor walls and roof structure, and note anything near the boundaries.
Get it approved
Once you're happy with the design we submit it to the council for Stevenston and deal with any questions from the planning officer.
Engineer it
Foundations sized for two floors, steels for any openings, and a building warrant, all before anyone starts on site.
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 Stevenston

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

Our guide for Scotland, which covers Stevenston, 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 Stevenston?

We cover Stevenston (KA20) and nearby places including Saltcoats, Kilwinning and Ardrossan, plus the rest of Ayrshire. 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

Close to Stevenston? We work across the area, including:

Other extensions in Stevenston

All two-storey extension services in Stevenston · First-floor extensions across Ayrshire

Tell us about your house in Stevenston and we'll call you back to arrange a free, no-obligation visit.