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.
From a first conversation about a single-storey extension to the day the site is cleared, homeowners in Livingston deal with us directly. We come out to measure up at no cost, explain the choices in plain terms and send a written quote. For context, comparable work in Scotland usually falls within £33,500–£72,000 including VAT, and it is available across EH53 and EH54.
- Guide price
- £33,500–£72,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 10–16 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- EH53 and EH54
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- West Lothian
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Single-storey extensions prices in Livingston
The costs listed here are typical for a single-storey extension around Livingston and include VAT. They reflect labour and material costs in Scotland, about 4% below the national guide, giving a range of £33,500–£72,000. 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 Livingston |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Roof type, rooflights, lanterns and the amount of glazing
- Ground conditions, foundation depth and drains to divert
- Steelwork needed to open into the existing house
- Finishes, kitchen, flooring and heating specification
What’s included?
- Groundworks, foundations and below-ground drainage
- Cavity walls built and insulated to building regulations
- Steel beams to open into the existing house
- Electrics and plumbing by qualified trades, with certificates
- Windows and external doors, including bifolds if chosen
- Plastering, screed floor and internal doors
What are homes like around Livingston?
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.
Whatever era your Livingston home dates from, we plan a single-storey extension around how it is actually built rather than a one-size-fits-all specification.
Planning and building rules in Livingston
Because Livingston 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, 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.
What happens after you get in touch?
Survey and measure
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.
Quote in writing
We turn the survey notes into a written quote. The price is fixed for the specification we agree, and the document sets out materials, scope and payment stages in plain language.
Getting ready
We handle the paperwork side: checking whether planning permission or building control approval is needed, submitting applications where they are, and scheduling the trades and materials around your dates.
On site to finish
Our trades complete a single-storey extension while your point of contact keeps you updated. When everything is finished, we clear the site, take away waste and go through the result with you before handover.
Working with SK Home Improvements
Frequently asked questions
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.
Can I stay at home during the work?
In most cases, yes. Most people can live at home throughout, and we plan the work to keep disruption down by protecting floors, agreeing working hours and keeping access routes clear. Bigger jobs affecting kitchens, bathrooms or heating may mean a short spell with reduced facilities, and we talk this through with you at the survey.
How long will a single-storey extension take?
On a typical home, allow 10–16 weeks on site. Larger projects, older buildings and extra work found once things are opened up can extend that, while simpler jobs may be shorter. Your quote includes an estimate of time on site, and your point of contact keeps you updated on the programme as the work progresses.
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.
How long does a single-storey extension take to build?
A single-storey extension usually takes 10–16 weeks on site, from digging foundations to final plastering. Bad weather, deep foundations or a complex roof can add time. Before work starts, allow several weeks for drawings, structural calculations and building control approval, and longer if planning permission is needed. We give you a stage-by-stage programme with your quote so you know what happens each week.
Also covering areas around Livingston
If your address falls within EH53 and EH54, we cover it. The same goes for neighbouring Broxburn, Bathgate and Grangemouth, which we include alongside Livingston when arranging surveys and quotes.