How much does planning permission cost?
The council fee is usually the smallest part of the bill. Here is what each application type costs, and where the real money goes.
Householder fees
| Application type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Householder planning application | £258 |
| Listed building consent | Free |
| Lawful development certificate, proposed | £130 |
| Lawful development certificate, existing | £258 |
| Prior approval, larger home extension | £120 |
| Works to trees in a conservation area | Free |
| Tree Preservation Order consent | Free |
| Non material amendment | £43 |
| Discharge of conditions, householder | £43 per condition |
These are the England figures. Fees are set by regulations and are updated periodically, so confirm the current amount on the Planning Portal or with your council before you apply.
Larger projects
| Application type | Fee |
|---|---|
| New dwelling, full application | £578 per dwelling, up to 50 dwellings |
| Change of use to a dwelling | £578 |
| Advertisement consent | £165 |
| Removal or variation of a condition | £258 |
Ways to pay less
- The free go rule. If your application is refused or withdrawn, you can submit one revised application for the same site and a similar description free of charge within 12 months.
- Disabled access works. Applications solely for works providing access or facilities for a disabled person are exempt from fees.
- Two applications at once. If you submit alternative applications for the same site at the same time, the lesser fee is halved.
- Listed building consent is always free. If your project needs both planning permission and listed building consent, you pay only the planning fee.
What actually costs the money
The council fee is rarely the main expense. For a typical householder extension the realistic total looks more like this.
- Measured survey and drawings, commonly £500 to £1,500 depending on the property.
- Design work, which varies enormously depending on whether you use an architectural technician or an architect.
- The council fee itself, £258 for a householder application.
- Specialist reports where a constraint applies. A heritage statement for a listed building, a flood risk assessment in Flood Zone 2 or 3, an arboricultural report where trees are affected. Each of these typically runs into several hundred pounds.
- Building regulations, which is a separate application to building control with its own fee, often £400 to £900 for a domestic extension.
The most expensive outcome is designing a scheme, paying for drawings and then discovering a constraint that makes it unviable. Checking the constraints on your address first costs nothing and takes about a minute.
How long decisions take
A householder application is normally determined within eight weeks. Prior approval under the larger home extension scheme runs to a 42 day period. Larger or more complex applications run to 13 weeks. Councils can and do ask for an extension of time, and validation delays at the start are common if drawings are incomplete.
Build the timeline into your plans. Between design, application and building regulations, a straightforward extension is realistically a three to six month process before anyone digs.
Find out which application you actually need
casaQ checks your address and project and tells you the likely route, so you are not paying for the wrong application.
Check your address freeCommon questions
Is there a fee for listed building consent?
No. Listed building consent applications are free. You will still pay for the supporting documents, which usually include a heritage statement and measured drawings.
What is the free go rule?
If your application is refused or you withdraw it, you can make one further application for the same site with a similar description within 12 months without paying another fee.
Do I pay a fee for permitted development?
No, because there is no application. If you want written confirmation that your project is permitted development, a certificate of lawful proposed development costs £130.
Is building regulations approval included in the planning fee?
No. They are separate systems with separate applications and separate fees. Most extensions and loft conversions need both.
What happens to my fee if I am refused?
The fee is not refunded. You can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, which is free for householder appeals, or use the free go rule to submit a revised scheme.