Garage / outbuilding
Erection of garden room
East Lothian
Typical value £20k–£60k (typical for a garage/outbuilding)
Quoting and job software for builders in Edinburgh
Builders in Edinburgh and the Lothians can use EstiMate to price jobs properly and keep them organised: an itemised quote, online acceptance, a contract signed on the client's phone, variations and invoices in one place.
The section below reads recent approvals from the Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian planning registers, and shows how labour is priced for sites in EH postcodes.
- 4 councils
- Postcodes EH
- Labour index 0.97
Live from the planning registers
What's being approved in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Applications for building work that Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian councils approved between 29 September 2026 and 30 October 2026.
85
applications for building work approved
178
approvals in all, including trees, signs and condition discharges
4 of 4
councils' registers answered
By kind of work
- Extension36
- Garage / outbuilding13
- Refurbishment7
- Landscaping / external6
- Loft conversion5
- Commercial new build5
- Commercial fit-out / change of use5
- Conservatory / orangery2
- Commercial refurbishment2
- Conversion / change of use2
- Demolition1
- New build1
By council
- Midlothian29
- East Lothian28
- West Lothian24
- Edinburgh4
Recent examples
Extension
Extension to house and formation of 1st floor balcony with balustrading
EH42, East Lothian
Typical value £40k–£90k (typical for an extension)
Extension
Erection of a 422sqm extension and alterations to provide a new hall, storage and main entrance with associated alterations to hard and soft landscaping
EH54, West Lothian
Typical value £40k–£105k (typical for an extension)
Loft conversion
Formation of dormer windows
EH22, Midlothian
Typical value £55k–£90k (typical for a loft conversion)
Garage / outbuilding
Erection of outbuilding for childrens nursery/care facility
Midlothian
Typical value £25k–£70k (typical for a garage/outbuilding)
Conservatory / orangery
Certificate of lawfulness for erection of a conservatory
EH54, West Lothian
Typical value £30k–£70k (typical for a conservatory/orangery)
Commercial fit-out / change of use
Change of use from offices to an apart-hotel including alteration and extension of existing premises and associated works.
EH1, Edinburgh
Typical value £75k–£430k (typical for a commercial fit-out)
Commercial fit-out / change of use
Internal and external alterations to accommodate the redevelopment of the site for the change of use from office to an apart-hotel.
EH1, Edinburgh
Typical value £75k–£375k (typical for a commercial fit-out)
Source: the councils' public planning registers, collected by PlanIt and searched by TenderPilot. Checked 30 October 2026 at 06:16 and refreshed about twice a day. Building work leaves out trees, signs and paperwork on existing consents. Locations are shown to postcode district only, no applicant details are shown, and value bands are typical ranges for that kind of work rather than quotes.
See them all on TenderPilot, free to searchEstiMate is made in Manchester by a working contractor. Questions from Edinburgh: support@esti-mate.app. EstiMate, Piccadilly Business Centre, Unit C, Aldo Enterprise Park, Blackett Street, Manchester M12 6AE.
Labour rates
How labour is priced for a site in Edinburgh
×0.97
Scotland
Postcode areas EH: 3% below the national guide
When EstiMate Pro's AI take-off prices a job whose site postcode starts EH, it multiplies its national labour day-rate guide by 0.97, the Scotland index, so labour comes out 3% below the national guide. If you set your own day rates in Settings, the AI prices labour from those instead and the index no longer applies.
What you get
What EstiMate does for a builder in Edinburgh
Quotes clients accept online
Materials and labour itemised with your markup and margin, sent as a link the client can accept, decline or query on their phone, with optional extras they can tick.
Contracts with e-signature
A build contract generated from the accepted quote, with your payment terms, signed online. Variations are added as signed addenda.
Variations and extras
Price additional works from site and send a one-tap approval link. The contract total and invoices update, with a full audit trail.
Invoicing and getting paid
Invoices with card payment links, payment milestones from the quote, and automatic chasing when an invoice falls overdue.
P&L, VAT and CIS
Receipts, supplier invoices and bank imports land in one ledger: profit and loss for any period, a VAT return helper, the CIS register and aged debtors.
Finding the work
TenderPilot, the sister product, searches live tenders and every council's planning register. Searching is free on any plan.
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£15.99/ month
Unlimited jobs: quoting, contracts, invoicing, site documents and the accounts.
EstiMate Pro
£39.99/ month
Everything, plus the full AI suite and the site tools.
Every price is per business, not per user. No contract; cancel any time.
Councils and postcodes covered
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian
- East Lothian
- West Lothian
Main postcode areas: EH.
TenderPilot can search any of these councils' planning registers, or all of them at once, free. Search local applications or browse live tenders.
Questions builders in Edinburgh ask
Where do the Edinburgh planning figures come from?
From the public planning registers of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian councils, collected by PlanIt, which gathers UK council registers into one search, and read by TenderPilot about twice a day. Councils publish at different speeds, so one that shows few decisions may simply be behind; its own planning portal has the full record.
How does EstiMate price labour for a job in Edinburgh?
When EstiMate Pro's AI take-off prices a job whose site postcode starts EH, it multiplies its national labour day-rate guide by 0.97, the Scotland index, so labour comes out 3% below the national guide. If you set your own day rates in Settings, the AI prices labour from those instead and the index no longer applies. Once you know your rates, entering them is the better option.
Do I need to be based in Edinburgh to use EstiMate?
No. EstiMate is an online app for builders and trades anywhere in the UK, on the web and on iPhone. This page adds what is local: the councils, their recent approvals and the labour index for the area's postcodes.
What does EstiMate cost?
Free for up to 3 jobs a month. EstiMate is £15.99 a month for unlimited jobs with quotes, contracts, invoicing and the accounts, and EstiMate Pro is £39.99 a month with the AI quote writer, take-off and Construction Copilot. Prices are per business, not per user, and there is no contract.
Quote, contract and invoice your Edinburgh jobs in one place.
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