Planning permission for two-storey extensions in Argyll and Bute
Looking for help with a planning application in Argyll and Bute? Here's what's involved, the rules in Scotland and what it typically costs.
Argyll and Bute at a glance
- Nation
- Scotland
- Price region
- Scotland
- Postcode areas
- G, PA
- Towns covered
- 8 listed below, plus surrounding villages
- Site visits
- Free on the mainland; island and remote addresses by arrangement, with travel costs agreed first
What a planning application involves
This service suits you if you want your two-storey extension to go through planning with the best chance of approval. You get a check of your house's planning history, permitted development rights and local design guidance, a design shaped around them, the application prepared and submitted, and someone to deal with the planning officer's questions. We cannot promise an outcome, but we design to give the application a fair chance.
The main places we list in Argyll and Bute are Helensburgh (G84), Dunoon (PA22), Oban (PA34), Rothesay (PA20), Campbeltown (PA28) and Isle of Islay (PA43). We cover the villages in between too.
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
Neighbours' light and privacy
The main concerns on a two-storey extension are usually loss of light, outlook and privacy for neighbours. We test the design against nearby windows and gardens, and adjust depth, roof shape or window positions before submitting.
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.
How we work in Argyll and Bute
Measure and listen
A visit to Argyll and Bute to understand how you live in the house now and what the extra rooms need to do, plus a first look at the structure.
Choose the approval route
Some designs fit permitted development, most need a householder application. We decide which applies in Scotland before drawing in detail.
Structure and building standards
A structural engineer sizes the foundations and steels, and we get a building warrant before work starts.
Build and sign-off
Vetted teams working under S&K build the extension, and we arrange the completion certificate at the end.
Towns we cover in Argyll and Bute
Planning permission for two-storey extensions in Argyll and Bute: questions
Should I get pre-application advice from the council?
It can help on sensitive sites, such as conservation areas, corner plots or front extensions, where the council's view is hard to predict. Many councils charge for it and response times vary. For straightforward designs that follow local guidance, a well prepared application is often the quicker route.
Neighbouring areas
- Planning permission for two-storey extensions in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
- Planning permission for two-storey extensions in Ayrshire
- Planning permission for two-storey extensions in Glasgow and Dunbartonshire
- Planning permission for two-storey extensions in Lanarkshire
All extension services in Argyll and Bute · About planning permission for two-storey extensions
Ready to see what a second storey could do for your home?
Book a site visit: free on the mainland, by arrangement on islands and remote addresses. We'll look at your house, talk through options and explain the approvals you'd need.