A double-storey extension adds two floors of new space to your house in one build, typically a larger kitchen or living room downstairs with an extra bedroom, bathroom or en-suite above, sharing one set of foundations and one roof.
Forfar sits within our coverage for a double-storey extension, as do neighbouring Carnoustie, Dundee and Arbroath. Before giving a price we want to see the property: the condition of what's there now, the access, and anything that might need extra work. The guide range for Scotland is £58,000–£115,000 including VAT, and your written quote will spell out exactly what that covers.
- Guide price
- £58,000–£115,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 14–22 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- DD8
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- Angus
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a double-storey extension in Forfar?
The costs listed here are typical for a double-storey extension around Forfar and include VAT. They reflect labour and material costs in Scotland, about 4% below the national guide, giving a range of £58,000–£115,000. Exact pricing depends on your home, so we only fix it once a free site survey is done.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Forfar |
|---|---|---|
| Small (15–20m² total) | A compact rear or side extension adding a small room on each floor. | £38,500–£62,000 |
| Typical (30–40m² total) | A larger kitchen or living room below with a double bedroom or en-suite above. | £58,000–£115,000 |
| Large (50m² plus total) | Wide or deep extensions, often with a new bathroom, steelwork and high-spec glazing. | £96,000–£173,000 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- Combined floor area across both storeys
- How the new roof joins the existing roof
- Bathrooms, en-suites and plumbing on the upper floor
- Scaffolding duration, access and the level of finishes
What does the job include in Forfar?
- Insulated cavity walls with brick or render to match the house
- First-floor joists, stud walls and new openings upstairs
- Roof structure tied into the existing roof, tiled to match
- Scaffolding for the full build, erected and inspected
- Electrics, plumbing and heating by qualified trades, with certificates
- Building control inspections and completion certificate
Homes in Angus and Dundee
Dundee has sandstone tenements and terraces, Victorian villas in Broughty Ferry and the West End, and extensive post-war housing. Angus towns such as Arbroath, Forfar, Montrose and Brechin use local red sandstone, and harled cottages and farmhouses are common in the countryside.
Relatively dry for Scotland, but cold easterly winds and frosts are common, and coastal towns face salt and haar.
With that background in mind, here is how we typically handle a double-storey extension for homes in Forfar, from the first visit to the finished result.
Planning and building rules in Forfar
Which rules apply depends on where you live. For Forfar, the answer is Scotland, and the points below reflect that; we verify them with the council before quoting.
In Scotland, extensions of more than one storey are only permitted development in narrow cases (Class 1B, well away from the boundary they face and outside conservation areas), so most need planning permission.
A building warrant is required before work starts. Scotland has no Party Wall Act; neighbour and title issues are handled under general law.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
What happens after you get in touch?
We look at the job
Book a visit and we'll come to you. The survey covers measurements, the state of what's there now and any obvious constraints, so the price that follows is based on your actual home, not an average.
Written quote
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Plan and prepare
Next comes planning the work itself. We set a start date that suits you, line up the right trades, and make sure any approvals for a double-storey extension are in place before the first day on site.
Build and hand over
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
How we work
Double-storey extensions in Forfar: questions
Is a double-storey extension better value than single-storey?
A double-storey extension usually gives better value per square metre than a single-storey one, because the same foundations and roof serve twice the floor area. The overall cost is higher, and planning can be harder because of the effect on neighbours. If you might want an extra bedroom later, building both floors now avoids a second round of disruption and scaffolding.
Do you cover Carnoustie, Dundee and Arbroath?
Yes. As well as Forfar, we cover Carnoustie, Dundee and Arbroath and the rest of Angus and Dundee. 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.
Can you combine a double-storey extension with other work?
Yes. Because we manage several trades under one contract, we can plan a double-storey extension alongside other work on your Forfar 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.
How much does a double-storey extension cost?
A typical double-storey extension of 30–40m² across both floors costs £58,000–£115,000, built to a plastered finish. As a rough guide, allow around £1,400–£2,600 per square metre plus fixed costs for groundworks, scaffolding and fees. The second storey usually costs less per square metre than the first, because foundations and roof are shared. Bathrooms upstairs and a complex roof add most. We confirm a fixed price after the survey.
Will the extension affect my neighbours?
A double-storey extension can affect neighbours' light, outlook and privacy, which is why planning departments look closely at height, depth and window positions. Side windows facing neighbours often need obscure glass. Work near a shared wall may also need party wall notices; the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies in England and Wales only. We talk through these points early so the design is realistic.
Nearby towns
Addresses in DD8 are all covered for Forfar, along with Carnoustie, Dundee and Arbroath close by. Give us your postcode when you get in touch and we will confirm the details.