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Planning permission cost calculator

Work out how much planning permission might cost for your project. You get the council fee set by law, plus the Planning Portal service charge, drawings or an architect, building control and a party wall surveyor if you need them. The answer is a low to high range, with a typical figure, for England or Wales.

Blank application form, house plans, calculator and pen on a desk

Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own fees and are not covered here.

Most people do. The Portal adds a service charge per submission.

You usually need building regulations approval for an extension even when you do not need planning permission.

Only if a neighbour does not agree in writing to work on or near a shared wall or boundary.

Only changes the architect, drawings and surveyor fees. Council fees are the same across a country.

Your result

Estimated cost

£2,750 – £8,000

Typical cost
£5,250
Council planning fee
£550Householder application fee (England)
Planning Portal service charge
£91 – £150Planning Portal sources give different amounts, so we show a range
Drawings or architect
£1,500 – £6,000
Building control
£595 – £1,300a council fee schedule; some approved inspectors charge differently
  • Prices are estimates from published UK cost guides (checked 2026-11-06). Get at least three quotes.
  • Council fees are set by law and paid to the council when you apply. A rise in the England householder fee to £575 (and prior approval to £310) from 8 December 2026 has been proposed in draft regulations but is not confirmed.
  • Planning permission is not the only cost: building regulations and, if your council charges it, the Community Infrastructure Levy (on new floor space of 100 m² or more, or any new home) can apply. Some projects need no planning application at all: try the planning permission checker first.

Add this to your project shopping list, then print it or take it to the merchant.

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How to use the planning permission cost estimator

  1. Choose What are you applying for? (a householder application, an outbuilding or fence, a lawful development certificate, prior approval for a larger home extension, or a new house) and Where is the property? (England or Wales).
  2. Switch Apply through the Planning Portal? on or off. Most people apply through it, and it adds a service charge.
  3. Pick Who draws the plans? An architect can be a fixed fee or a percentage of the build cost. If you pick a percentage, enter the build cost it applies to.
  4. Switch on Include the building regulations (building control) fee? and Include a party wall surveyor? if they apply to you. Add the number of adjoining owners for the surveyor.
  5. Choose Where do you live? and check the range. Tap Copy result to keep it, or Share link to send it to your builder.

Why use this calculator

It separates the fee set by law from the fees you can shop around for. The council fee is the same everywhere in each country. Drawings, architect and surveyor fees are not, so only those change with your region.

It shows where the sources disagree. The Planning Portal service charge is given as one figure in one place and as bands in another. We show the range and tell you, rather than pick one quietly.

It covers the costs people forget. Building regulations approval is separate from planning, and you may need drawings, a party wall surveyor or other reports.

It shows its working. Under How we worked it out you can see every line with your own numbers.

How we worked it out

Your numbers, step by step. This updates as you change the calculator.

  1. Council fee for a householder application in England: £548.
  2. Planning Portal service charge: about £91 to £149 including VAT (charged on fees over £100).
  3. Architect or designer, fixed fee: £1,500 to £6,000, × 1 for UK average = £1,500 to £6,000.
  4. Building control (extension up to 60 m², local authority fees): £595 to £1,320. Council fees vary, so no regional multiplier.
  5. Total: £2,734 to £8,017; typical about £5,247.

How we estimate the cost

We add up five parts, each with a low and a high figure:

Total = council fee + Planning Portal service charge + drawings or architect + building control + party wall surveyor

  • Council fee. Set by law and the same in every council in a country. We use the figure for your application type.
  • Planning Portal service charge. Added when you apply through the Portal and the council fee is over £100.
  • Drawings or architect. Drawings only: £350 to £950 (typical £650, the midpoint). Architect or designer, fixed fee: £1,500 to £6,000 (typical £3,500). Architect as a percentage: 3% to 15% of the build cost you enter (typical 10%).
  • Building control. £595 to £1,320 (typical £1,100) for an extension of up to 60 m², from the two council fee schedules we found.
  • Party wall surveyor. £700 to £2,000 per adjoining owner (typical £1,000), times the number of owners.

An example: a householder application in England, applying through the Portal, with a fixed-fee architect and building control, costs about £2,734 to £8,017, typically about £5,247 (UK average, no party wall surveyor).

What’s included

Application England Wales
Householder (one dwelling) £548 £585
Outbuilding, fence, wall or gate £272 £283
Lawful development certificate, planned work £274 about £293
Lawful development certificate, existing work £548 £585
Prior approval, larger home extension £249 not a Welsh scheme
New house, per house £610 (fewer than 10) £667 (up to 25)

The lawful development certificate fees follow the rules: half the application fee for planned work, and the full fee for existing work. The Wales figure for planned work is our arithmetic (£585 ÷ 2).

The Planning Portal service charge is shown as a range, £91 to £149 including VAT, because the sources differ. A blog post gives £75.83 plus VAT per submission. The Portal’s “What it costs” page gives bands of £99 and £149 including VAT and doesn’t say which applications go in which band.

Not included: the build itself, a structural engineer, surveys or reports for a new house, and the Community Infrastructure Levy. A rise in the England householder fee to £575, and in prior approval to £310, from 8 December 2026 has been proposed in draft regulations but isn’t confirmed.

What changes the price

  • Your application type and country. England and Wales set different fees. We don’t cover Scotland or Northern Ireland.
  • Who draws the plans. This is usually the biggest part of the bill. A fixed-fee architect costs far more than a draughtsperson.
  • Your region. The multiplier only changes fixed-fee architect, drawings and surveyor fees. A percentage-based architect fee follows your build cost instead. For example, London is about 25% higher than the UK average. Council fees and building control are not changed.
  • Building control. Council schedules vary, and some cost guides quote less than the council schedules we found, so ask your council or a private approver.
  • Your neighbours. Each adjoining owner who doesn’t agree in writing can mean another surveyor fee. It roughly doubles if each side has their own surveyor.
  • Your project. These are the national rules and fees for houses in England and Wales. Flats, listed buildings and designated land have different rules, and your council has the final say.

Tips

  • Check whether you need to apply at all. Many projects are permitted development. Our planning permission checker uses the national rules for houses in England. Your council has the final say.
  • A lawful development certificate costs half the application fee for planned work. It is worth it if you want written proof before you build, or later when you sell.
  • Prior approval for a larger home extension costs less than a full application (£249 against £548 in England). You don't pay it if you apply for planning permission (with a fee) for the same site on the same day.
  • Get at least three quotes for drawings or an architect, and ask what the fee includes. Some cover planning drawings only, and some also cover building regulations drawings.
  • If you share a wall with a neighbour, ask them to agree in writing first. If they do, you don't need to pay a party wall surveyor. See our party wall notice guide.
  • Planning is only one part of an extension budget. Add the build cost with the house extension cost calculator.

FAQs

How much does a householder planning application cost in England?
£548 from 1 April 2026. This is the fee for an extension or alteration to a single house, and it is the same in every council. It is £1,083 for two or more dwellings. A rise to £575 from 8 December 2026 has been proposed in draft regulations but is not confirmed.
How much does planning permission cost in Wales?
£585 for a householder application in Wales, from 1 December 2025. For outbuildings, gates and fences in the garden it is £283, and for two or more dwellings it is £820. The Welsh Government sets these, so they are the same in every Welsh council.
How much does it cost for a new house?
In England, £610 per house for fewer than 10 houses, so £610 for one. In Wales it is £667 per house for up to 25. You will also pay for surveys and reports, and the Community Infrastructure Levy can apply, so ask your council what your site will need.
How much does it cost to draw up plans for planning permission?
Drawings only, from a draughtsperson, cost about £350 to £950. An architect or designer charges about £1,500 to £6,000 as a fixed fee for planning and building regulations drawings on a modest extension, typically £3,500. Some charge a percentage of the build cost instead, typically 3% to 15%.
Is there a fee for a lawful development certificate?
Yes. For planned work it is half the full application fee, so £274 for a householder project in England. For work already done, it is the same as the full application fee, which is £548 in England. Anyone can apply.
How much is the Planning Portal service charge?
About £91 to £149 including VAT, charged when the council fee is over £100. The Planning Portal's March 2026 blog gives £75.83 plus VAT per submission, which is £91 with VAT. Its 'What it costs' page gives bands of £99 and £149 and doesn't say which applications fall in which. That is why we show a range.
Do planning fees differ in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Yes. Each nation sets its own fees. This calculator covers England and Wales only. For Scotland and Northern Ireland, check the fee schedule from the planning authority.

Last reviewed: 6 November 2026 · How we calculate · Report an error