Builder pricing in Edinburgh

£1,400 to £3,000 per sqm for standard Edinburgh (Leith, Marchmont, Newington, outer suburbs). £3,000 to £6,000 per sqm for New Town (EH3), Stockbridge, Morningside (EH10), Bruntsfield, Trinity (EH5) and The Grange (EH9). £6,000 to £12,000 per sqm for UNESCO Old Town and New Town listed-building specialist heritage work. State tier and what drives it on every contract and add VAT at 20 percent.

Scottish Building Standards requires a building warrant from the City of Edinburgh Council LABS verifier for any notifiable work (structural alterations, drainage changes, some boiler installs, conversion changes). Quote architect drawings (£3,500 to £25,000) and the warrant fee (scaled to works value, typically £400 to £5,000 plus). Allow 6 to 16 weeks before work can start. Scottish Section 6 energy is stricter than English Part L.

Most central stock is Category A or B listed and in a Conservation Area. Any external alteration needs LBC plus CAC plus, inside the UNESCO Old Town or New Town, Edinburgh World Heritage Trust sign-off. Quote LBC drawings (£3,500 to £15,000), CAC application and an 8 to 20 week consent timeline. Internal alterations on Category A listings (cornices, panelling, plasterwork, fireplaces) also need LBC.

Edinburgh tenements share roof, common stair, drainage and external walls. Any work touching common property goes through the factor (Ross and Liddell, James Gibb, Charles White, Hacking and Paterson). Quote factor liaison, owner schedules of apportionment and the factor management fee as separate lines. Even an internal-only refit needs factor notification for skip and scaffold access.

Not on Category A or B listed work. Cement repointing traps moisture and accelerates sandstone decay; Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and the LABS verifier refuse it on listed and Conservation Area work. Quote lime mortar repointing (£90 to £180 per sqm), indent stone repair (£300 to £1,500 per stone) and a sandstone-specialist subcontractor allowance on every external job.

Labour rates are £35 to £84 per hour in the US, £35-90 in the UK, A£53-150 in Australia, R250-700 in South Africa, and C£39-130 in Canada. Most builders prefer to quote fixed-price for jobs over £3,500 and reserve hourly for small repairs.

Builders bid differently on materials, labour mix, and contingency. A 'cheap' quote often skips proper foundations, uses sub-grade fixtures, or leaves the customer paying for variations later. Always compare scope and inclusions, not just totals.

Three for jobs over £7,000. Compare scope, materials, and the payment schedule, not just the headline number. If one is 30% cheaper than the others, it almost always means work is missing from the quote.

For build projects: 30% on signing for materials, 30% on slab/structure, 30% on lock-up (roof and walls complete), 10% on completion. Anyone asking for more than 30% upfront is a risk.

Yes, especially for jobs over £3,500. A contract sets scope, milestones, payment schedule, variation handling, and dispute resolution. Most regions require it by law over a threshold.