Two-storey front extensions in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Edinburgh and the Lothians at a glance

Nation: Scotland
Price region: Scotland
Postcode areas: EH
Towns covered: 24 listed below, plus surrounding villages
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.
Site visits: Free, no obligation

What a two-storey front extension involves

A two-storey front extension suits a house with a deep front garden or drive, where the back or side is not practical to extend. You get a design that respects the street, a planning application with drawings that show the extension in context, structural design, a building warrant and the build, carried out by vetted teams working under S&K. At the free site visit we give you a frank view of whether the council is likely to accept it.

Across Edinburgh and the Lothians we cover Edinburgh (EH1), Livingston (EH53), Musselburgh (EH15), Bathgate (EH48), Bonnyrigg (EH18) and Penicuik (EH26), plus the smaller places around them.

Guide price in Scotland

For budgeting in Edinburgh and the Lothians, allow around £25,000–£34,000 for a two-storey front extension with a 3 m × 2 m footprint on two floors (12 m² of new floor space). That's based on £2,070–£2,820 per m² including VAT for Scotland. We'll give you a written design-stage price first, then a fixed build price once the drawings are agreed.

Spec	Per m²	Typical project
Essential	£1,900–£2,590 per m²	£23,000–£31,000
Standard	£2,070–£2,820 per m²	£25,000–£34,000
Premium	£2,480–£3,380 per m²	£30,000–£40,500

Rules in Scotland

In Scotland, Class 1B permitted development does not cover an extension on an elevation fronting a road and requires 10 m to every boundary, so a two-storey front extension needs a householder planning application. The fee is £371 and councils have two months to decide. A building warrant is then 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

Parking and access

Building forward can reduce off-road parking and the space for bins and meters. Councils may weigh up parking, so we check the drive will still work, along with the routes for gas, electricity and water supplies that often enter at the front.

Respecting the building line

Councils pay close attention to how far a front extension projects past the line of neighbouring houses. A shallow projection, often a gable or bay that echoes the original design, has a much better chance of approval than a deep box. We look at the street before drawing anything.

How we work in Edinburgh and the Lothians

Start at your house
We come to your home in Edinburgh and the Lothians, measure up, check the ground floor walls and roof structure, and note anything near the boundaries.
Design and approvals
We draw the extension and check it against the rules for Scotland, then apply for planning permission or a certificate of lawfulness, whichever fits.
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 Edinburgh and the Lothians

Two-storey front extensions in Edinburgh and the Lothians: questions

How much does a two-storey front extension cost in Edinburgh and the Lothians?

In Scotland our guide is £2,070–£2,820 per m² including VAT, so about £25,000–£34,000 for a 3 m × 2 m footprint on two floors (12 m² of new floor space). Essential and Premium specs move that by roughly 8% down or 20% up.

Will the council approve a two-storey front extension?

It depends on the street. Councils are more cautious about front extensions than rear ones because they change the street scene. Approval is more likely where the house is set back, the projection is modest, the design echoes the original house and similar additions already exist nearby. We give you a frank view at the free site visit.

How far forward can a front extension go?

There is no fixed figure, because a two-storey front extension needs planning permission and the council decides case by case. Many councils' design guides favour a shallow projection that keeps a clear front garden. Our guide prices assume a modest example with a 3 m × 2 m footprint on two floors (12 m² of new floor space).

Does a front extension affect my parking?

It can. If it is built over part of the drive you may lose a parking space, and some councils consider whether enough off-road parking remains. We measure the drive at the survey and show on the drawings how cars, bins and meters will fit after the work.

Will I need planning permission in Edinburgh and the Lothians?

Edinburgh and the Lothians 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.

Neighbouring areas

All extension services in Edinburgh and the Lothians · About two-storey front extensions