Building work in Edinburgh
Edinburgh's New Town is a planned Georgian sandstone townscape within a World Heritage Site, and districts such as Marchmont and Leith have Victorian tenements. Bungalows and villas fill the suburbs, Midlothian has former mining villages, Livingston was built as a new town, and East Lothian villages often have red pantile roofs.
Listed and conservation-area homes need careful window and stone repairs. Bungalows commonly suit loft conversions and dormers, and suburban semis take extensions and garage conversions.
Building traditions across Edinburgh and the Lothians also raise conservation and planning questions, so we check those for home improvements in Edinburgh at the survey stage.
Planning and building rules for Edinburgh
The notes below cover Scotland, which is where Edinburgh sits. Rules change and every property is different, so we speak to the council before pricing your job.
In Scotland, planning permission comes from the council under Scottish permitted development classes. Most building work needs a building warrant from the council’s building standards service before it starts, and a completion certificate at the end.
Common questions
Do you cover Musselburgh, Bonnyrigg and Penicuik?
Yes. As well as Edinburgh, we cover Musselburgh, Bonnyrigg and Penicuik and the rest of Edinburgh and the Lothians. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
Which postcodes in Edinburgh do you cover?
We cover EH1, EH2, EH3 and EH7, along with the rest of Edinburgh and the Lothians. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
What happens at the survey?
We visit your home at a time that suits you, look at the area involved, take measurements and check access, condition and any services that might be affected. We talk through what you want from your project, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a written quote.
Is the price fixed?
Yes, for the specification we agree. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included at a fixed price. It only changes if you ask for something different, or if a problem the survey could not reasonably reveal later needs extra work. In either case we explain the change and confirm it in writing before going ahead.
Can you combine your project with other work?
Yes. Because we manage several trades under one contract, we can plan your project alongside other work on your Edinburgh home, such as new windows with rendering, or a kitchen refit with an extension. Combining jobs can reduce repeat set-up such as scaffolding, skips and access, and every element is listed and priced in the same written quote.