Structural alterations in the Scottish Borders

Covering The Scottish Borders

We cover the Scottish Borders, including Hawick, Galashiels, Peebles and Kelso, and the towns around them.

Projects in the Scottish Borders are taken on by arrangement, and any travel and accommodation costs for the team are shown openly in the quote.

Homes in the Scottish Borders

Housing in Scotland includes tenements in the cities, sandstone villas, inter-war and post-war semis and a large number of bungalows, which often suit dormer and upward extensions.

What goes into a structural alteration?

Structural alterations change the load-bearing parts of a house, most often removing a wall between two rooms and putting in a steel beam to create an open-plan layout. The work needs a structural engineer’s design and building regulations approval.

Building warrant application and completion certificate
Structural engineer’s design and calculations
Fire protection and plaster encasement

What is the guide price for a structural alteration in the Scottish Borders?

Guide prices for structural alterations, including VAT where it applies. Your fixed price is confirmed in writing after the survey.

Structural alterations	Guide price incl. VAT
Single load-bearing wall removal with steel	£3,000 to £7,500
Chimney breast removal with support	£1,800 to £4,500
Multiple walls or full open-plan remodel	£8,000 to £20,000

Planning and building rules in the Scottish Borders

Projects in Scotland need a building warrant from the council before any building work starts, and a completion certificate once it is finished. Planning permission is a separate decision. The Party Wall etc. Act does not apply in Scotland; shared walls are governed by title deeds and the law of the tenement where relevant.

Internal alterations rarely need planning permission in Scotland, but structural work needs a building warrant before it starts.

What can affect a structural alteration?

The beam size can mean a downstand in the ceiling unless it is set flush within the floor.
Pipes and cables in the wall need rerouting first.

From first call to completion

Start with a conversation. A short call or the online form is enough for us to understand what you want to build.
We visit and measure. A surveyor checks the house, the boundaries and the ground, and discusses what is realistic.
Design and fixed price. You get drawings and a written price for the agreed specification before anything is ordered.
We build it. Work follows an agreed programme, with inspections at each stage and a final sign-off.

Structural alterations: common questions

Do I need building regulations approval to remove a wall?

Yes, for any load-bearing wall. Non-structural partitions usually do not need approval.

How long does it take?

The structural work is usually done in a few days, with one to three weeks including making good.

Can you visit a house in the Scottish Borders to quote?

Yes. After a short call we arrange a site visit to measure up and agree what the design needs to do, then send a written price.

Structural alterations near the Scottish Borders

Learn more about structural alterations, or see every project we cover in The Scottish Borders.