Two-storey wraparound extensions 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
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 wraparound extension involves

A two-storey wraparound extension is an L-shaped addition that extends both the side and the rear of your house, on two floors. It gives one of the largest gains in floor space of any extension, typically a big open-plan kitchen and living area below and two or more bedrooms or bathrooms above.

Towns in the Scottish Borders include Hawick (TD9), Galashiels (TD1), Peebles (EH45), Kelso (TD3), Selkirk (TD7) and Jedburgh (TD8). If yours isn't listed, we still cover it.

Guide price in Scotland

Most of the cost of a two-storey wraparound extension is set by its size and specification. For Scottish Borders and the rest of Scotland, our guide is £2,020–£2,770 per m² including VAT, so about £113,000–£155,500 for an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space). Keep a contingency of around 10% for things nobody can see until the ground is opened up.

Spec	Per m²	Typical project
Essential	£1,860–£2,550 per m²	£104,000–£143,000
Standard	£2,020–£2,770 per m²	£113,000–£155,500
Premium	£2,430–£3,330 per m²	£136,000–£186,500

Rules in Scotland

In Scotland, a two-storey wraparound would need to be at least 10 m from every boundary to be permitted development under Class 1B, and not on an elevation fronting a road. That is rarely possible, so plan for a householder planning application, which costs £371 and is decided within two months, followed by 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.

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

The corner post

At the outside corner of the L, there is no existing wall to carry the floor above. Opening the ground floor fully usually means a steel frame or a corner post, and the engineer's design sets how slim it can be. We decide early whether you want a clear corner or a visible post.

Phasing the build

A wraparound touches two sides of the house at once, so the kitchen and often the rear rooms are out of use for part of the build. We plan the sequence so you keep a working kitchen and bathroom for as long as possible, or advise when moving out briefly makes sense.

How we work in the Scottish Borders

Visit and first ideas
One of our team visits your house in the Scottish Borders, checks the walls, roof and drains, and sketches out options with you.
Drawings and permission
Our designers produce plans and elevations, then we take care of planning or permitted development checks with the council covering Scottish Borders.
Detail and price
Construction drawings, engineer's calculations and building warrant approval, then a written fixed price for the build.
Finish and certify
Second fix, plastering and making good, then the council's final building standards inspection and the completion paperwork.

Towns we cover in the Scottish Borders

Two-storey wraparound extensions in the Scottish Borders: questions

How much does a two-storey wraparound extension cost in the Scottish Borders?

In Scotland our guide is £2,020–£2,770 per m² including VAT, so about £113,000–£155,500 for an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space). Essential and Premium specs move that by roughly 8% down or 20% up.

Can a wraparound extension be part single, part two-storey?

Yes. Many wraparounds keep the rear part single storey with roof lights over the kitchen and put the two-storey part to the side. This can reduce the effect on neighbours and the cost. We set out both options at the design stage, so you can compare floor space against price before choosing.

Does a wraparound extension need steel?

Almost always. Opening the corner of the house and the old rear wall to make one open-plan space means steel beams, and often a steel post or frame at the outside corner. The structural engineer sizes these, and the steel is ordered once the design is fixed, which is one reason a wraparound needs careful sequencing.

How much floor space does a wraparound extension add?

It depends on the width of the side plot and the depth at the rear. Our guide prices are based on a typical wraparound with an L-shaped footprint of about 28 m² wrapping the side and rear, on two floors (56 m² of new floor space). Yours may be larger or smaller, and the measured survey shows what your plot can take.

Will I need planning permission in the Scottish Borders?

Scottish Borders 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 the Scottish Borders · About two-storey wraparound extensions