Side return extensions in Aberdeen: design, approvals and build
A side return extension in Aberdeen starts with the right design and the right approval route. We take care of both, then build it with our own project management.
- Guide price in AberdeenFrom £17,500 inc VAT
- PlanningScottish householder rules; building warrant needed
- Build time10–14 weeks on site
- Postcode districtsAB10, AB11, AB15, AB16, AB24
When a side return extension makes sense
- Victorian and Edwardian terraces with a rear outrigger
- Homes where the garden is too small to lose much depth
- Narrow galley kitchens
Local to Aberdeen
Postcode districts we cover around Aberdeen include AB10, AB11, AB15, AB16, AB24, AB25. Neighbouring towns we cover include Westhill (8 miles), Stonehaven (12 miles), Inverurie (15 miles), Ellon (16 miles).
Just over the Angus and Dundee border, Montrose is about 30 miles away. Across Scotland, extensions follow Scottish planning and building standards, including the building warrant process, which we build into the programme from the start.
Side return extension prices in Aberdeen
For Aberdeen we adjust our national guide rates by ×0.98, the factor we use for Scotland. Figures include VAT; your written quote after the survey replaces them.
Typical rates in Aberdeen: £2,060 to £3,720 per m² including VAT, depending on specification.
| Size | Essential | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 m × 4.5 m 8 m² | £17,500 – £21,000 | £18,500 – £24,000 | £23,500 – £30,000 |
| 2 m × 5.5 m 11 m² | £22,500 – £27,000 | £25,500 – £32,500 | £32,000 – £41,000 |
| 2.2 m × 7 m 15 m² | £30,500 – £37,000 | £35,000 – £44,500 | £44,000 – £56,000 |
Want a range for your exact size? The guide-price tool takes about a minute.
Planning and approvals in Aberdeen
In Scotland, householder permitted development rules (Class 1A for single-storey ground-floor extensions and Class 1B for extensions of more than one storey) allow some smaller extensions without a planning application, within limits on depth, height and distance from the boundary. Conservation areas and listed buildings are more restricted.
Before any drawing is finalised we check whether the house is listed, in a conservation area or subject to an Article 4 direction.
In Scotland a building warrant from the council is needed before work starts on almost any extension, and a completion certificate is issued when the work is accepted. Building standards are set in the Scottish technical handbooks.
Applications are decided by your council as planning authority.
How the project works
Site visits are free and there is no obligation. Where drawings are needed, the design stage is priced in writing before it starts.
Free site visit
First, a site visit: we look at the house, garden, access and drains and listen to what you need.
Design and approvals
We draw the design, agree it with you and handle planning or permitted development checks and building regulations.
Fixed written price
You receive a written, itemised price and programme. Nothing starts until you are happy with it.
Build and sign-off
Work is carried out to the agreed programme, inspected by building control and signed off at the end.
Common questions in Aberdeen
Will my neighbours in Aberdeen be involved?
If a planning application is needed, the council notifies neighbours. Where work is close to a shared boundary, we agree access and protection with them in writing.
Who do I contract with for a side return extension in Aberdeen?
Your contract is with S&K Property Investments and Improvement Ltd, which designs and manages the project and the build teams who carry it out.
Do I need building regulations approval in Aberdeen?
Yes. Almost every extension needs it, whatever the planning route. In Scotland that means a building warrant before work starts.
Will the kitchen be darker?
Not if the roof is designed well. A glazed roof or a line of rooflights along the boundary usually makes the room brighter than before.
Can I combine a side return with a rear extension?
Yes. That combination is a wraparound extension, which adds the most space to a terraced house.
Book a free site visit in Aberdeen
We will measure up, check the planning position and give you honest guide figures.
- Free, no-obligation site visit
- Planning route checked before you spend on drawings
- Written price once the design is agreed
- Building control sign-off at the end
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6341 or .
Book a free site visit
Tell us a little about the project and we will arrange a time.