The total cost of planning permission for most types of residential project, inclusive of professional fees to prepare drawings and other documentation for submission and council application fees, equates to about 4% of build costs.
For larger, more complex private residential projects, such as proposals for a new-build house, additional consultant fees for specialist reports at approximately 2-3% of build costs may apply. Further, following planning permission, councils may seek contributions in the form of a Section 106 payment. These can have a significant impact on project expenditure as payments can be in the tens of thousands.
Below is a summary of planning costs for a typical residential development.
Professional fees make up the largest proportion of planning costs, but they will save you money in the long run.
Architects charge in the region of 3-5% of build costs for services to planning for typical residential projects. This would normally include preliminary design options for consideration, final drawings and documentation for planning submission and correspondence with the planning department.
Architect fees are usually organised in conjunction with the RIBA Plan of Work which is an industry standard document setting out all stages of a building project.
For residential projects, fees are often grouped as follows:
· RIBA Stages 0-3: design development to planning stage.
· RIBA Stages 4: to technical design and tender.
· RIBA Stages 5-6: site management and handover.
Planning fees are largely determined by the size and complexity of the project. Economies of scale also play a factor. For a small project, fees as a percentage of overall costs, are often high because a similar amount of time is spent preparing the information as a larger project. For example, a small, medium or large extension still requires the same set of drawn information and written documentation. Complex projects such as works to a listed building require a lot more detail and therefore time spent.
Architect fees for a £100K household extension and refurbishment will be in the region of £4,500-£5,000 plus VAT to planning stage only (RIBA Stages 0-3).
Find more information on architect fees in our article - How much do architects cost in the UK?
In addition to architect fees, you will need to allow for a measured survey from which all proposed drawings are based. Surveyors will charge about £500 plus VAT to survey the ground floor and rear elevations of a house – suitable for a single-storey extension application – and £1,000 plus VAT for a full house survey where proposed works extend to other parts of the property.
The cost of a full site topographical survey, a requirement for a new house application, will start from around £500 plus VAT, subject to site access, size and terrain.
For basement extensions and new-build dwellings which require full planning permission, you may need to appoint other consultants to prepare specialist reports as part of the documentation for validation.
These include (non-exhaustive):
Other consultant fees can equate to around 2-3% of build costs if several reports are required.
Fees for specialist reports will need to be agreed separately with the consultant responsible. An architect will be able to organise appointments and coordinate their work on your behalf.
VAT at 20% is normally added to professional fees, however consultants operating below the tax threshold do not charge VAT.
Consultants may charge for expenses in addition to their main fee, including print, postage and travel costs.
Most planning applications require an ordinance survey plan to be submitted for validation. These can be downloaded under licence from approved suppliers online for about £45 plus VAT. An architect will organise this on your behalf.
In addition to professional fees, you will need to factor in application fees payable to your council. Application fees vary depending on the type of application and where you are in the UK.
Applications made online through the Planning Portal with a fee of more than £60 are subject to a service charge of £26.83 plus VAT.
A householder planning application is suitable for most types of alteration and extension work to single dwelling houses where permitted development rights do not apply. These include single-storey rear extensions, loft conversions and garden buildings.
Householder applications cost £206 in England, £300 in Scotland (£225 if in a conservation area) and £190 in Wales.
Full planning permission is required if you are proposing to extend a flat or build a new house.
Full planning applications for alteration and extension works to a flat cost the same as householder applications: £206 in England and £300 in Scotland.
A new build house planning application costs from £462 per dwelling in England, £600 in Scotland and £380in Wales.
There is no fee for listed building applications. There are, however, extensive professional costs in the preparation of documentation for listed building consent.
For larger, more complex residential projects, such as a new-build house or basement extension, you may wish to seek informal advice from the council before submitting the planning application. This is not normally required for household extension/alteration works as analysis of local planning approvals will establish what’s achievable.
The cost of pre-application advice varies depending on your local council. Expect to pay around £500 for a written response only and £1,000 to include a site meeting.
You will also need to factor in professional fees to prepare drawings and other documentation for submission. Architects will charge around 1% of build costs to cover time spent.
For a new-build house project, services for pre-application advice may be included in the fee as it forms an important part of the planning process.
Outline planning permission is often sought on larger projects to establish the principle of development before going into specifics. This allows applicants to better manage their planning risk and design budget.
An outline planning application for each 0.1 hectare (up to 2.5 hectares) costs £426 in England, £600 in Scotland and £460 in Wales.
An application for a Lawful Development Certificate is not technically a planning cost, as it is related to General Permitted Development Orders (GDPOs), which allow many types of residential development to be built without planning permission.
However, the cost has been included in this article as it’s commonplace for homeowners to seek confirmation that their works meet permitted development guidelines before starting on site.
Lawful Development Certificate applications cost £103 in England, £300 in Scotland and £85 in Wales, and take up to 8 weeks to process.
Again, not technically a ‘planning’ cost, Prior Approval is a condition within the GDPO that requires certain types of development to seek council approval before work can start on site.
Applicable mainly in England where larger house extension rights exist, Prior Approval allows councils to assess the impact of larger-scale proposals on their surroundings.
Prior Approval applications for larger extensions and additional storeys cost £96 in England and take around 8 weeks to process.
Note that Prior Approval only determines if the general size and bulk of your development is acceptable. It does not confirm if your proposals meet permitted development guidelines.
If the council deems that Prior Approval ‘is not required’, meaning the size of your proposals are permissible, you can apply for a Lawful Development Certificate to seek full approval.
If the council deems that Prior Approval ‘is required’, you must modify your design or seek planning permission before starting on site.
The costs noted above are for a single planning application only. If the council refuses your application, you are likely to incur additional costs.
If you receive a refusal, you can either submit a new application, or appeal to the Secretary of State.
For householder applications, it is usually more cost effective to submit a new application. You can submit this for free if the scope of work is similar to the first application and professional fees are likely to be less than running an appeal.
Alternatively, you can appeal to the Secretary of State – which in some cases may be the only option of achieving a successful outcome. There is no fee to appeal a planning decision, but expenses to cover consultant and solicitor fees can range from £3,000 - £20,000.
It therefore pays to invest in architect fees to ensure your project has the best chance of gaining planning permission at the first attempt.
When asking ‘how much does planning permission cost?’ we should also consider any post-approval council costs that may apply.
All planning consents are subject to conditions. However, some consents require the discharge of conditions before work can start on site. Typical conditions include the request for details of external materials and landscaping, drainage proposals and management plans for how demolition works will take place.
In England, discharging planning conditions costs £34 for a householder approval and £116 for full planning, and £234 to remove or vary a condition. In Scotland, this costs £600 and £300 respectively.
Consultant fees to discharge planning conditions are normally agreed separately to the main planning fee as the scope of work is only known once planning permission has been granted. Many planning conditions address technical issues and work to discharge the condition can be incorporated into the technical design phase of the project (RIBA Stage 4).
Section 106 is a legal agreement between developer and council where the developer makes a financial contribution to the council to alleviate the impact of their development on local services and infrastructure following the grant of planning approval.
In private residential terms, it is only applicable to schemes that create new dwellings. However, some local councils exempt self-builders from the obligation.
Contributions are agreed prior to the grant of planning permission and payable before work commences on site. You may wish to seek legal advice from a solicitor while the agreement is being drawn up.
Costs vary from one council to the next and can total tens of thousands. If you are planning to build a new house, contact your council to understand their approach.
Some councils in England and Wales charge the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) on developments which create more than 100 sqm of additional internal floor space.
Residential extensions (including annexes and outbuildings) and self-build houses and flats over 100 sqm are exempt from the levy. However, you must claim relief before your development starts on site. Failure to submit the correct documentation at the correct time may result in you incurring charges.
Do an online search to see if your council applies the CIL.
Architect fees to planning stage for a small-scale home extension could be as little as £2,000 plus VAT.
Architect fees for a house extension costing £100-150K, inclusive of some internal refurbishment work to the existing building, will cost about £4,500-£5,000 plus VAT to planning stage.
About 3-4% of total build costs. For a new-build house with an estimated build cost of £250K, architect fees will be about £7,500 plus VAT to planning stage.
In England, discharging planning conditions costs £34 for a householder approval and £116 for full planning, and £234 to remove or vary a condition. In Scotland, this costs £600 and £300 respectively.
A householder planning application is suitable for most types of alteration and extension work to single dwelling houses where permitted development rights do not apply. They cost £206 in England, £300 in Scotland (£225 if in a conservation area) and £190 in Wales.
If you are extending a flat, you will require full planning permission. Full planning applications for most types of domestic work cost about the same as householder applications: £206 in England and £300 in Scotland.
A new-build house planning application costs from £462 per dwelling in England, £600 in Scotland and £380 in Wales.
Credit - Main image - Photo by Recha Oktaviani on Unsplash
About the author: Aron Coates is an architect with over two decades of experience, encompassing projects ranging from the restoration of historic buildings to the design of contemporary homes.
The information provided in this article is intended for general guidance and educational purposes only. At Designs in Detail, we advise you appoint a skilled residential architect to provide specific expert advice for your project.
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