Planning permission for two-storey extensions in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire at a glance

Nation: Scotland
Price region: Scotland
Postcode areas: AB, DD
Towns covered: 13 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a planning application involves

Getting planning permission for a two-storey extension involves checking whether permitted development applies, preparing drawings and supporting information, submitting a householder application to the council and dealing with questions until a decision is made. Many two-storey extensions need permission, especially side, wraparound and front ones.

Across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire we cover Aberdeen (AB10), Peterhead (AB42), Nigg (AB12), Inverurie (AB51), Fraserburgh (AB43) and Westhill (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire) (AB13), plus the smaller places around them.

Fees

Planning drawings are a guide of £2,000–£3,500, priced in writing before the design stage starts. Householder planning application: £371.

Rules in Scotland

In Scotland, a householder planning application costs £371, and councils have two months to decide. Class 1B permitted development needs 10 m to every boundary, so most two-storey extensions need an application. Planning permission is separate from the building warrant, which is also needed 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.

There is no Party Wall Act in Scotland. Shared walls and boundaries are governed by title deeds and common law, so we speak to neighbours early and record the condition of shared structures.

Getting the design right

Design to local guidance

Most councils publish guidance on extensions covering set-backs, roof heights, boundary gaps and neighbours' light. Designing to it from the start makes approval more likely and reduces the chance of being asked to make changes during the application.

Check the history first

Planning conditions from when the house was built, earlier extensions and Article 4 directions can all remove permitted development rights. We check the council's records and your house's history before design starts, so the route is clear.

How we work in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Start at your house
We come to your home in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, 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.
Technical design
We prepare the building warrant drawings, structural calculations and specification so the build price can be fixed.
Build and hand over
We manage the build from groundworks to decoration-ready finish and hand over with the completion paperwork.

Towns we cover in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire