A single-storey extension is a new ground-floor room built onto your house, usually at the rear or side, with its own foundations, walls and roof, creating a bigger kitchen, living space or bedroom without moving home.
If you are planning a single-storey extension anywhere in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, including Aberdeen, Peterhead, Nigg and Inverurie, we can visit, measure up and talk through the options. The planning and building regulations we work to are those for Scotland, and we check them for your address before quoting. Prices remain guide figures for Scotland, at £33,500–£72,000 including VAT, until the survey is done.
- Guide price
- £33,500–£72,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 10–16 weeks on site
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Price level
- About 4% below the national guide
- Towns listed
- 4
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Single-storey extensions prices in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
In Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, guide figures for a single-storey extension sit at £33,500–£72,000, VAT included. We set them using rates for Scotland, currently about 4% below the national guide. The table shows what pushes a project towards either end of the range; your own price is set after a free survey.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire |
|---|---|---|
| Small extension (8–12m²) | A modest rear or side extension, such as a utility room or a slightly larger kitchen. | £21,000–£38,500 |
| Typical rear extension (15–25m²) | A kitchen-diner or family room with bifold doors and a rooflight or lantern. | £33,500–£72,000 |
| Large or wrap-around (30m² plus) | A wrap-around or wide rear extension, often with structural steelwork into the house. | £67,000–£125,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Floor area, shape and number of corners
- Roof type, rooflights, lanterns and the amount of glazing
- Ground conditions, foundation depth and drains to divert
- Finishes, kitchen, flooring and heating specification
What do you get?
- Groundworks, foundations and below-ground drainage
- Flat or pitched roof, with rooflights or a lantern if specified
- Steel beams to open into the existing house
- Electrics and plumbing by qualified trades, with certificates
- Plastering, screed floor and internal doors
- Building control inspections and completion certificate
Homes in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Aberdeen is built largely of grey granite, from tenements and terraces to granite villas in the West End, with post-war council housing and newer estates on the outskirts. Across Aberdeenshire, harled stone cottages, fishing-town terraces in Peterhead and Fraserburgh, and modern developments in commuter towns such as Westhill and Ellon are common.
Granite walls need repointing with a mortar matched to the stone, and slate roofs often want attention after hard winters. Harled cottages need breathable finishes, while newer estates commonly add extensions, garage conversions and driveways.
Cold North Sea winds, coastal haar and hard winter frosts are routine, so roofs, harling and exposed fixings need a robust specification.
Planning and building rules in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each handle planning a little differently. Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire comes under Scotland, covered below, and we raise any questions with the council before your quote is finalised.
In Scotland, Class 1A permitted development covers some single-storey extensions, within limits on depth, height and distance from boundaries, and not in conservation areas or on flats. Anything outside those limits needs planning permission from the council.
A building warrant from the council’s building standards service is usually needed before work starts, and a completion certificate is accepted at the end. There is no Party Wall Act in Scotland; work near a boundary is agreed with neighbours under general law.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
From survey to handover
Free site survey
We begin by looking at the job in person. During the free survey we discuss options, materials and budget for a single-storey extension, and photograph or measure anything the quote needs to reflect.
Your fixed price
The quote arrives in writing, not over the phone. It covers the full scope, the finishes you've chosen, any exclusions and the payment schedule, with a fixed price tied to that specification.
Getting ready
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 Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire property.
Build and hand over
The job proceeds in the order set out in the programme, with dust and debris kept under control. Finally we tidy away, inspect the work together and pass the finished project over to you with its paperwork.
What you can expect from us
Questions about a single-storey extension in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Can we stay at home during the build?
Most people stay at home while we build a single-storey extension, because the new structure goes up outside before we break through. The disruptive part is usually the last few weeks, when we open into the house and fit the kitchen. We put up dust screens, keep a safe route through the house and agree a temporary kitchen setup if needed. Water and power are only off for short, planned periods.
Is a flat roof or a pitched roof better on an extension?
A flat roof is quicker to build and usually costs less, gives a clean modern look and works well with a roof lantern. A pitched roof matches the main house, sheds water faster and allows a vaulted ceiling, but it costs more and its height can affect neighbours. Modern flat roofs in EPDM rubber or GRP last well when properly detailed. Planning rules on height can also decide the choice.
Which postcodes in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire do you cover?
We cover AB10, AB42, AB10 and AB51, along with the rest of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. 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.
Do I need an architect for an extension?
You need proper drawings for an extension, but not always a full architect service. A designer or architectural technician can produce planning and building regulations drawings, and a structural engineer provides beam and foundation calculations. If you already have drawings, we price from them. If not, we can arrange the drawings and calculations as part of the project so everything is coordinated from the start.
How much will a single-storey extension cost in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire?
As a guide, expect to pay £33,500–£72,000 including VAT for a single-storey extension in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. That range is adjusted for Scotland, which runs about 4% below the national guide. Where your project lands depends on size, materials, access and the condition of what is already there. We confirm a fixed price in writing after a free survey of your home.
Towns in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
We offer a single-storey extension in each of the towns below, all within Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Select yours for guide prices, postcodes covered and nearby places.