How long does it take to get planning approval in London?

Once a planning application is validated, a householder application in London takes 8 weeks for a decision; more complex applications take 13 weeks. Our lead time from instruction to submission is typically 3–4 weeks: 1 week survey, 2 weeks drawings, 1 week revisions.

Which London boroughs do you cover?

All 33 London boroughs — from Camden, Islington, Hackney and Westminster to Bromley, Croydon, Richmond and Havering — plus the immediate M25 commuter belt. We have deep experience with Article 4 Directions and conservation area submissions.

Chartered Architectural Technology · London

Planning drawings that actually get approved — for 30% less.

Q: What is the difference between planning drawings and building regulations drawings?

Planning drawings show what a building will look like — site location plan, proposed floor plans, elevations and sections — and are submitted to the local planning authority. Building regulations drawings show how it will be built — construction detail, insulation, fire safety, ventilation, drainage — and are submitted to Building Control (LABC or an approved inspector). Most residential projects need both.

Q: How much do planning permission drawings cost in London?

Our fixed-fee packages start at £840 for a householder planning submission (survey, drawings and council submission). Building regulations drawings start at £840. Our Complete package covering planning + building regs + structural calculations starts at £1,750 — around 30% below typical London architect fees.

MCIAT chartered drawings for planning permission, building regulations, loft conversions and house extensions — delivered across every London borough with fixed fees and a 98% first-time approval rate.

Popular: loft conversion Camden building regs Hackney mansard roof LDC certificate

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MCIAT Chartered 98% first-time approval 4.9/5 · 287 reviews

Architectural technologist reviewing floor plan drawings in London studio

30% less Than typical London architects

60 seconds To get your instant quote

How it works

From enquiry to approval in five steps.

A streamlined process designed around London boroughs' planning quirks — with everything in your online portal.

1. Property

Tell us your property type and postcode.

2. Scope

Pick the service — extension, loft, regs, LDC, more.

3. Survey

Book a site visit. Laser-measured in 60–90 min.

4. Drawings

First draft in 10 working days. Unlimited revisions.

5. Approval

We submit & manage the council. You relax.

Start my free quote

Precision, not pretension

Chartered technologists. Architect-grade output. Less theatre.

Most London extensions don't need an architect — they need someone who knows Part L inside-out and has submitted to your borough fifty times. That's what chartered architectural technologists do.

MCIAT charteredSame regulatory weight as RIBA for planning and building control.
Borough-specific expertiseArticle 4, conservation areas and local policies — baked into every submission.
In-house structural engineeringNo waiting weeks for a subcontracted engineer — coordinated under one contract.
Full agent service, no hidden feesFixed price includes every revision and every council query until decision.

More about the practice

Chartered architectural technologist correcting planning drawings

Online portal

Your whole project, one quiet dashboard.

Upload deeds, receive drawings, sign fee agreements, pay in instalments, track submission status, chat with your technologist — from any device, at any hour.

Encrypted file transferDrop PDFs, photos or existing plans. AES-256 storage.
Live planning statusDirect integration with borough portals — you see updates the moment they happen.
Secure Stripe paymentsPay in three instalments — deposit, on drawings delivery, on submission.

Create a portal account

Tablet showing architectural floor plans on designer desk

Fixed fees · 30% below London architects

One clear price. No surprises.

We priced ourselves against every major London architectural practice. These are the numbers that came out.

Essentials

Single planning submission or LDC for straightforward projects.

from£840

Typical London architect: £1,200–£1,800

Measured site survey
Existing & proposed plans, elevations, sections
Planning submission or LDC application
Agent service through to decision
Unlimited revisions

Start Essentials

Complete

Everything you need from planning through to building on site.

from£1,750

Typical London architect: £2,500–£4,500

Everything in Essentials
Full building regulations drawings
Structural calculations (engineer)
Building Control submission (LABC)
Party wall notice drafting
3D visualisation (two views)

Start Complete

Bespoke

Listed buildings, conservation areas, new-builds, developers.

Custom

Architects: £4,000–£12,000+

Everything in Complete
Heritage statement & design & access
Listed building consent
Full RIBA Stages 1–5 admin
Planning committee representation

Discuss Bespoke

Every London borough, covered

33 boroughs. One team.

Article 4 in Islington. Basement restrictions in Camden, Westminster and RBKC. Conservation area design guides in Richmond. We submit to every London planning authority — and we know what each one approves.

Voices from London homeowners

287 reviews. 4.9 out of 5.

Passed planning with Hackney first time on a fairly bold mansard proposal. Architectural Drawings's drawings were better than the architect's quote we had been sitting on for six months, at less than half the price.

Anna K.

Mansard loft · Hackney

The portal was the thing. I've done projects where I chased PDFs via email for weeks. Here everything was in one place, including my stage payments. Very calming.

James D.

Side return extension · Clapham

Four properties in our portfolio all approved through Architectural Drawings. The retainer for developers is genuinely how this should work. Our old architect used to charge us the same for each file as if they'd never seen our templates.

Marcus R.

Developer · HMO conversions

Answers

Questions we get every day.

The planning system feels opaque until you've worked it for a decade. These are the six we hear most from London homeowners.

Ask about your project

Do I need planning permission for a loft conversion in London?

Most loft conversions in London fall under Permitted Development rights if the extension stays under 40m³ for terraced homes or 50m³ for semi-detached and detached, uses matching materials, and is set back at least 20cm from the eaves. Flats, conservation areas, Article 4 areas and listed buildings generally need full planning permission. We confirm eligibility at the free site survey.

What's the difference between planning drawings and building regulations drawings?

Planning drawings show what a building will look like — site location plan, proposed floor plans, elevations, sections — submitted to the local planning authority. Building regs drawings show how it will be built — structure, insulation, fire safety, ventilation, drainage — submitted to Building Control (LABC or approved inspector). Most residential projects need both.

How much do planning permission drawings cost in London?

Our fixed-fee packages start at £840 for a householder planning submission (survey, drawings, council submission). Building regs start at £840. Our Complete package covering planning + building regs + structural calcs starts at £1,750 — around 30% below typical London architect fees.

Do I need an architect or an architectural technologist?

For most residential projects — loft conversions, extensions, renovations — an MCIAT chartered technologist delivers the same planning and building control approvals as an architect, usually 30–40% cheaper. Architects add most value on bespoke design or Grade I/II* listed buildings. For a typical London extension, a technologist is the right call.

How long does planning approval take in my borough?

Once validated, a householder application takes 8 weeks for a decision across London. More complex applications take 13 weeks. Our end-to-end lead time from instruction to submission is typically 3–4 weeks: one week survey, two weeks drawings, one week client revisions.

What happens if my application is refused?

Refusals are rare — we run a 98% first-time approval rate. If it happens, we offer a free resubmission addressing the officer's reasons, or we'll prepare an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate at 50% of our standard rate. Full refund policy is published on our pricing page.

Planning drawings that actually get approved — for 30% less.

Every drawing, every consent, every borough — in one place.

Planning permission drawings

Building regulations drawings

Loft conversions

House extensions

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