How Much Does It Cost to Get Planning Permission in 2024?

As of the 6th December 2023, planning application fees in England rose by 25% across the board – but what does this mean for your project? From application fees to land surveys, design work and more, Mike Dade breaks down the various charges you should budget for when seeking planning permission
Build It expert Mike Dade
by Mike Dade
5th January 2024

How much does it cost to get planning permission? For any scheme where planning permission is needed, be it a new build, conversion or extension, the process will involve fees paid to the council, but how much it costs will depend on the type of project.

As of the 6th December 2023, planning fees and certain rules have changed – including an increase of 25% to planning application costs. You’ll no longer be able to resubmit a planning application for free either, and will now have to pay the updated fees as part of your resubmission. However, if you were already granted a free resubmission before these rules changed (before the 6th December 2023), then you’ll still be entitled to this.

It’s easy to overlook or underestimate some of these, but the last thing any project needs is to go over budget on the preliminaries before construction has even begun. Here I’m looking at the different costs associated with planning permission.

Planning Permission & Hidden Costs

Planning fees fall into three camps. There are the rates for statutory planning applications, then council charges including pre-app costs, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and other payment demands, and finally, professional estimates.

The first of these is the most certain, as prices are set nationally, so are the same throughout the UK. Self builds are exempt from the CIL, so if your project qualifies then you won’t pay this.

Other council expenses, like for pre-app or legal agreements, vary greatly and can be considerable. Similarly, professional fees can swell your budget hugely, especially if you have to engage several on your project.

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How Much Does It Cost to Get Planning Permission

Architects, planning consultants, land surveyors and tree, ecology, archaeology, environment, drainage and highways specialists are amongst the most commonly encountered.

The following outlines how much you might pay during the planning application process.
The averages given for professional services here exclude VAT. Bear in mind some practitioners don’t charge VAT while others may add expenses that increase their quoted rates.

Planning Application Fees 2024

As of the 6th December 2023, planning application fees in England rose by 25% across the board and are now as follows:

Householder Applications

Householder planning applications cover proposals to alter or extend a house, and relate to works undertaken within the boundary or garden. This is the most common type of planning application used for homeowners looking to alter their property or build in the garden as they generally require less detail.

  • It costs £258 for a householder to make a permission for alterations to a single dwellinghouse, including works within a home’s boundary (this could include adding an extension to your home or creating a garden building). This does not cover works to a flat.

Full Planning Applications

Full planning applications require you to submit an application containing all the details relating to a particular development. This is necessary if you’re building a new house or if you’re significantly altering a domestic property.

  • It costs £578 to make a full planning application for the erection of each dwellinghouse (up to 10 dwellinghouses). To make an application for between 10-50 dwellinghouses, it’ll cost £624 per house.
  • It costs £258 to make a full planning application for an alteration/extension to a single dwellinghouse (or single flat), and £509 to make an alteration/extension to two or more dwellinghouses (or two or more flats).

Outline Applications

An outline planning application is made when you’re looking to find out whether your proposed developments/plans are going to be acceptable either in principle, in whole or just in part. Generally, an outline planning application requires less information.

  • For site areas under 0.5 hectares, it costs £578 per 0.1 hectare to make an outline planning application, and £624 per 0.1 hectare for sites between 0.5 and 2.5 hectares.

Other Planning Costs 

You can cover multiple conditions under a single request, but if you want to submit the documents online via the Planning Portal, there is service charge of £53.33 (+ VAT). Applications with planning fees below £60 will not incur this fee.

As part of this update, you’ll no longer be able to resubmit a planning application for free either, and will now have to pay the updated fees as part of your resubmission. If you were already granted a free resubmission before these rules changed (before the 6th December 2023), then you’ll still be entitled to this.

You can calculate your potential planning application fees via the Planning Portal’s cost calculator service below.

CALCULATE YOUR PLANNING FEES

Other Council Expenses

Seeking pre-application advice is generally encouraged. Prices vary from nothing at all through to a similar level to the cost of planning submissions. To receive this type of assistance, you’ll need sketch plans to hand upfront at the very least.

The CIL charge can be significant, and rates vary depending on the area. But if you’re building a new house, extension or annexe project for your own use, you should be eligible for an exemption. It’s vital that you fill out the correct forms at the right times to succeed with these claims, so check the rules carefully.

Local authorities will usually charge additional sums when permission is applied for or granted to put towards things like mitigating environmental damage to protected habitats or contributing to affordable housing.

The commitment to pay is usually secured through a Section 106 agreement and the council will generally expect you to cover their fees as well as your own. Consult a solicitor about these legal charges.

Surveys

For many projects, the first step is a topographical survey of the site to ensure its dimensions, trees, buildings and obstacles, as well as levels, are accurately recorded.

Depending on scale and complexity, prices for this should be in the £600 to £1,200 range. For conversions, a structural survey is often needed, costing around £750 to £1,500.

Architects & Building Designers

Design fees are likely to comprise the biggest element of your planning budget. You’ll incur charges for pre-app sketches and detailed application drawings, with additional fees for any amendments or if the architect’s input is required.

These are calculated as a percentage of the overall build price, given as a quoted lump sum or based on time occupied. Inevitably, a great deal depends upon the scale and complexity of the design and if you’re engaging an architect, architectural technician, building surveyor or some other kind of draughtsman.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Planning Permission

Pre-app drawings could cost from a few hundred to several thousand pounds, especially if ‘design development’ is included in this phase.

Detailed illustrations for planning applications span from around £1,500 up to £15,000 – a huge range showing how important it is to get firm quotes for all work undertaken.

Remember that if you change your scheme as it evolves, or amendments are needed, you might have to pay extra.

Read More: Could an Architect Save You Money?

Planning Consultants

Whether or not you will need a consultant’s help depends upon how contentious your build might be, its complexity and the confidence and experience of your building designer or architect.

Sometimes specialist input is helpful at the very start of the project to assess the plot’s potential and determine whether it’s a viable option.

On other occasions, having a professional’s view can be helpful if things start to go wrong – particularly if you have to appeal a refusal.

Quotes for these services are usually given as a firm figure for the likely work or on an hourly basis.

‘No win no fee’ offers might appear to be attractive but they are frowned upon by professional bodies. You could end up paying well over the odds for input that might otherwise have cost only a small fraction of your budget.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Planning Permission

Charges for site assessments and helping with pre-app advice might run from £300 to £1,000, and for progressing a planning application for you, anywhere from £750 to £2,000.

Making a written appeal, if all else fails, is likely to cost between £1,000 and £3,000 depending on complexity.

Learn More: Pre-Applications and Planning Advice: Are Pre-Apps Worthwhile?

Other Professionals

There are various specialists who you could need to produce reports to accompany your application.

If you take pre-app advice on your project, this should flush out what the local authority might expect.

Typically, you will need an arboriculturist – most councils will request an assessment of the implications for trees if there are any that could be affected by your plans. Fees for this are generally around the £300 to £1,000 mark.

An ecological ‘Phase 1’ report will be necessary if your project might impact protected species. That often means bats and owls for converters, and on plots it could be reptiles like newts in ponds, or bats roosting in trees.

These are between £600 and £1,200 for most self builds. Be aware that if these animals are found, then further surveys could be required, adding to the overall cost.

You may also need to do flood risk, drainage, highways, archaeologist or environmental assessments. The latter is common on brownfield sites in order to check for contamination.

These generally fall within the £600 to £1,500 range, but if a problem is found, charges can start to ramp up.

For example, if an environmental survey does find contamination, then a clean-up strategy will have to be devised and agreed and the physical task of rectifying the issue will have to be undertaken.

This means that a £1,000 initial report could lead to a further £10,000 of professional and contractor inputs to sort it all out.

As of the 6th December 2023, planning application fees in England rose by 25% across the board – but what does this mean for your project? From application fees to land surveys, design work and more, Mike Dade breaks down the various charges you should budget for when seeking planning permission

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