Glossary
Building regulations fees for a London extension in 2026
Fee paid to LABC or approved inspector for plans check + site inspections. Variable by works value.
Fee paid to LABC or approved inspector for plans check + site inspections. Variable by works value.
The building regulations fee is what the building control body charges to check and inspect the work. It is set by each authority or approver, not nationally, and for a typical London domestic extension or loft conversion it runs from about £500 to £1,200 including VAT, usually split between a plan-check charge and an inspection charge.
Local authority scales are normally banded by floor area for extensions and by estimated cost for other work. A single-storey rear extension under 40 m² sits in the cheapest band; a loft plus rear extension crosses into a higher one. Registered approvers quote per project and usually price on complexity.
The fee is separate from the planning application fee of £548 for a householder application, and separate again from our drawing fee. Three different bodies, three different charges.
A full plans application takes the plan charge on submission and the inspection charge either on first inspection or in instalments. A building notice takes the whole charge up front. A regularisation application for unauthorised past work typically costs substantially more than the equivalent normal fee.
Structural calculations, SAP or energy assessment, air testing where required, and any specialist reports are the applicant's cost. So is the cost of opening up work that was covered before inspection.
Building regulations fee in a Tower Hamlets context: London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Tower Hamlets Council) runs 58 conservation areas including the Spitalfields Conservation Area and the Whitechapel Market Conservation Area, and an Article 4 direction is in force there, so permitted development cannot be assumed. That decides how building regulations fee is handled: £548 and 8 weeks for a Tower Hamlets householder application, or £274 for the Lawful Development Certificate that records building regulations fee as lawful. The law behind building regulations fee sits in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the GPDO 2015 and the Building Regulations 2010.
| Typical London domestic range | £500–£1,200 incl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Set by | Each local authority or approver, not nationally |
| Usual split | Plan charge + inspection charge |
| Regularisation | Higher than standard |
| Planning fee (separate) | £548 householder |
| Our structural calculations from |
No. Each authority sets its own scale and private approvers quote per project.
Local authority building control charges include VAT; approvers add it.
It is normally one fee collected in two parts.
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