Renovation calculator · Edinburgh · 2026
Renovation cost calculator for Edinburgh.
Edinburgh runs roughly 10% above the BCIS national mean for renovation cost, with the World Heritage Site and the dense Conservation Area coverage of New Town, Old Town, Stockbridge, Marchmont, Morningside and Bruntsfield adding both labour premium (specialist sash-window restorers, traditional lime-mortar masons) and significant planning friction. Tenement flats — Edinburgh's defining stock — require an entirely different renovation approach to UK terrace housing, with shared stairwells, communal repairs under the Title Deeds, and the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004 to navigate. Typical 3-bed flat renovation: £185,000–£245,000.
Regional uplift vs national mean: +5% to +15% · BCIS Q1 2026 derived
Typical projects in Edinburgh 2026
Per-m² and per-project mid-range bands for Edinburgh, derived from BCIS Q1 2026 with the city’s specific uplift factor applied. Ex-VAT, including contingency and labour at local FMB day-rates.
| Project | Mid-range £ | Range in Edinburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen renovation (full strip + replace, tenement) | £25,500 | £15,000 – £52,000 |
| Sash window restoration (whole tenement flat) | £18,500 | £11,500 – £32,000 |
| Tenement common repair share (slate roof) | £8,500 | £4,500 – £18,500 |
| Bathroom renovation (full) | £16,500 | £10,000 – £28,500 |
| Full electrical rewire (tenement flat) | £8,800 | £5,500 – £13,500 |
BCIS Q1 2026 + FMB 2026 + ONS COPI, restated for Edinburgh. Ex-VAT, 10% contingency. Excludes professional fees.
Edinburgh sits under Scotland's planning regime (not the GPDO 2015 that applies to England). The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 + Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 govern what's exempt. The practical difference for homeowners: tenement flats need explicit consent for almost every external alteration including replacement windows, render repairs and roof works, because the building is treated as a single planning unit. Common repairs across multiple flats in a tenement are organised under the Tenement Management Scheme; getting unanimous owner consent on a major repair is the slowest-moving part of any Edinburgh tenement renovation. Listed Buildings dominate Old Town and parts of New Town — Listed Building Consent is mandatory.
Run a full estimate for your Edinburgh project
Five short steps, three spec tiers, itemised breakdown including the +5% to +15% uplift for Edinburgh. Free, no sign-up.
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Long reads
Want the reasoning behind the Edinburgh numbers?
The cost guide explains where the underlying BCIS + FMB ranges come from. The AI guide covers how we tested Claude against a chartered QS on a real Inner-London property — useful context for any UK renovation, including Edinburgh.
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How much does it cost to renovate a UK house in 2026?
BCIS Q1 2026 + FMB data. Cost-by-scope / spec / region / room tables, the eight hidden costs nobody quotes for, and the VAT treatment that catches 4 in 10 homeowners.
Read the guideAI · 12 min
Can AI estimate a UK renovation cost from a property photo?
We tested Claude Sonnet 4.5 vision against a chartered UK quantity surveyor on a real Inner-London semi. Where AI is genuinely useful and where it falls apart.
Read the guide