Two-storey extension plans and drawings in the Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders at a glance

Nation: Scotland
Price region: Scotland
Postcode areas: EH, TD
Towns covered: 8 listed below, plus surrounding villages
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a set of extension plans involves

This service suits you if you want clear, accurate plans for a two-storey extension, whether to apply for planning, check permitted development or get build prices. You get a measured survey, sketch options with guide costs, a chosen design developed into planning drawings and, if you go ahead, building warrant drawings coordinated with the structural engineer. Because we also build, the drawings are prepared with the build in mind.

The main places we list in the Scottish Borders are Hawick (TD9), Galashiels (TD1), Peebles (EH45), Kelso (TD3), Selkirk (TD7) and Jedburgh (TD8). We cover the villages in between too.

Fees

Planning drawings (survey and design) are a guide of £2,000–£3,500 and building warrant drawings and specification £1,500–£4,000, with your design stage priced in writing before it starts.

Rules in Scotland

In Scotland, the plans support a householder application, costing £371, and later a building warrant application with technical drawings to the Scottish Building Standards Technical Handbooks. Because Class 1B needs 10 m to every boundary, the site plan showing boundary distances is often what decides the route.

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

Start with a measured survey

Accurate drawings depend on accurate measurements of the house, the boundaries and neighbouring windows. We measure inside and out, note levels, drains and trees, and record the original house so permitted development limits can be checked against the right starting point.

Planning drawings versus building warrant drawings

Planning drawings show what the extension looks like and how it affects neighbours. Building warrant drawings show how it is built: foundations, structure, insulation, fire safety, ventilation and drainage. Most two-storey extensions need both, prepared at different stages.

How we work in the Scottish Borders

Look at the house
We start in the Scottish Borders with a free visit: measurements, photos, a look at the loft and drains, and a frank chat about budget.
Get it approved
Once you're happy with the design we submit it to the council for the Scottish Borders and deal with any questions from the planning officer.
Price it properly
Once the engineer's calculations are in, we fix the build price in writing, with a clear list of what's included.
Build
Foundations, walls, floor, roof, windows, then first and second fix. We break through into the house as late as we can.

Towns we cover in the Scottish Borders

Two-storey extension plans and drawings in the Scottish Borders: questions

Do I own the plans once they are drawn?

You receive copies of the drawings to use for your project, including your planning application and a building warrant. Copyright in drawings normally stays with whoever prepares them unless agreed otherwise. Your written design stage price sets out how the drawings can be used.

How long do extension plans take to prepare?

Survey, design and planning drawings usually take 4 to 8 weeks, depending on how many options you want to explore. Technical design, structural calculations and a building warrant take a further 4 to 8 weeks, and this can overlap with the planning decision period.

Do the plans include structural calculations?

Not at planning stage. Structural calculations and beam design are prepared by a structural engineer once the design is agreed, and they form part of the building standards package. We coordinate the engineer's work with the drawings so steel sizes and floor depths match.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in the Scottish Borders · About two-storey extension plans and drawings