How Much Does Planning Permission Cost in 2026? UK Planning Fees Explained

How much does it cost to get planning permission in the UK? Planning fees 2026

Planning fees increased on the 1st April 2025, with the last increase on 6th December 2023, where they rose by 25% across the board. Planning application fees in 2026 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 £528 for a householder to make an application 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.
• Householder applications for minor home improvement works (ie not development to the actual house) cost £262.

getting planning permission for an extension

Full planning application fees

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 £588 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 £635 per house.
• It costs £528 to make a full planning application for an alteration/extension to a single dwellinghouse (or single flat).

Outline planning 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 £588 per 0.1 hectare to make an outline planning application.
• For sites between 0.5 and 2.5 hectares, it costs £635 per 0.1 hectare.

Planning permission in principle

It costs £512 (per 0.1 hectare) to make an application for planning permission in principle.

Change of use

For applications of fewer than 10 dwellinghouses, it costs £588 to make a planning application for a change of use.

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  £70.83 +VAT.

If you wish to resubmit a planning application, you will have to pay the full fees as part of your resubmission.

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

CALCULATE YOUR PLANNING FEES

What other expenses do you need to budget for?

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.

How much will surveys cost on top of a planning application?

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. However, for sites with steep gradients or tricky access, this could rise to around £1,500. For conversions, a structural survey is often needed, costing around £750 to £1,500.

If your site has a dense tree population, the local council might require a specific tree-related survey to comply with BS 5837 standards.

How much do architects and designers charge?

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.

Developed in close collaboration with the clients, Roderick James Architects’ site-responsive, sustainable design embeds much of the structure into the hillside to reduce visual impact. A green roof, restrained earthy materials palette and dry stone retaining walls knit the building into the coastal heathland. This project won the 2025 Build It Award for Best Architect for a Self Build. Photo: Richard Downer

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.

How much should you budget for the help of a planning consultant?

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.

Pauline and Frank Mace built their 388m² Frame Technologies home on a 1.5-acre site. The couple bought two plots of land, one with existing planning consent, and the adjoining field, therefore ensuring no development could take place on the site and interrupt the beautiful views from their home

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.

What other professional services should you expect to pay for?

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. Here are the other services you should factor in:

Arboriculturist

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.

Ecological reports

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.

Risk assessments 

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.