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.
For a homeowner in Peebles, planning a double-storey extension tends to begin with two questions: what will it cost, and how disruptive will it be? Our guide range is £58,000–£115,000 including VAT, and a typical job runs to 14–22 weeks on site. Both numbers firm up once we have seen the property, measured up and agreed exactly what is included.
- Guide price
- £58,000–£115,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 14–22 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- EH45
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- The Scottish Borders
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a double-storey extension in Peebles?
These are guide costs, not quotes. For a double-storey extension in Peebles the range is £58,000–£115,000, VAT included, reflecting prices in Scotland that are about 4% below the national guide. Once we have visited for a free survey, you get a firm figure for the scope you approve.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Peebles |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Combined floor area across both storeys
- How the new roof joins the existing roof
- Bathrooms, en-suites and plumbing on the upper floor
- Foundation depth, ground conditions and drains to divert
What does the job include in Peebles?
- Groundworks, foundations and below-ground drainage
- Insulated cavity walls with brick or render to match the house
- First-floor joists, stud walls and new openings upstairs
- Scaffolding for the full build, erected and inspected
- Windows, external doors, plastering and internal doors
- Building control inspections and completion certificate
Local housing and a double-storey extension
Mill towns such as Hawick, Galashiels and Selkirk have stone terraces and tenements from the textile industry, Melrose and Kelso have older sandstone centres, and farmhouses and cottages across the Borders are built of whinstone or sandstone under slate roofs. Post-war and newer estates surround the larger towns.
Mill-town terraces and tenements often need lime repointing, re-roofing in slate and replacement windows. Newer homes commonly take extensions and garage conversions, and rural properties add fencing, porches and driveways.
Building traditions across Scottish Borders also raise conservation and planning questions, so we check those for a double-storey extension in Peebles at the survey stage.
Permissions for a double-storey extension in Peebles
Because Peebles falls under Scotland's rules, the guidance below is the version relevant to you. Before sending a price, we check your property's position with the council.
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.
The four stages
A visit to your home
It starts with a survey at the property, free of charge. We check condition, access and services, ask how you want the finished result to look, and answer any questions you have about a double-storey extension.
Price and scope agreed
Next you receive a written quote with a fixed price for the agreed specification. It lists what is included, what is not, and how payments are staged, so you can compare it properly.
Booking the work
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Peebles property.
Build and hand over
Work goes ahead as scheduled and you deal with one contact throughout. When the last trade leaves, we clear and clean the site, talk you through what has been done and pass on any certificates and care instructions.
What you can expect from us
Frequently asked questions
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 a double-storey extension, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a written quote.
Do you cover Penicuik, Galashiels and Bonnyrigg?
Yes. As well as Peebles, we cover Penicuik, Galashiels and Bonnyrigg and the rest of Scottish Borders. 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.
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.
Can the new upstairs room have its own bathroom?
A new upstairs room can usually have an en-suite, provided waste pipes can reach the soil stack or a new one can be installed. Running the waste pipe to the right falls is the main design question, and a pumped system is an option where gravity will not work. We plan bathroom positions at the design stage so pipes, ventilation and insulation are built in rather than added later.
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.
Also covering areas around Peebles
Live in Peebles? Our coverage takes in the EH45 postcode areas and reaches out to Penicuik, Galashiels and Bonnyrigg, so homes on the outskirts and in the next town along are included.