A planning application has two costs that are always confused: what the drawings cost, and what the council charges to decide the application. Here are the 2026 London figures for both, plus the disbursements that turn a £840 quote into a £1,300 project.
MCIAT chartered drawings for planning, building regs, lofts and extensions — fixed fees 30% below typical London architects. Tell us what you need and we’ll reply the same working day.
| Package | Fixed fee | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials — measured survey, existing and proposed plans | £840 | 14–20 working days |
| Loft conversion package — survey, plans, sections, elevations | £1,225 | 14–20 working days |
| Mansard / roof rebuild package | £1,575 | 18–24 working days |
| Complete — planning plus building regulations drawings | £1,750 | 20–28 working days |
Each package includes the measured survey, the full existing and proposed drawing set at council-required scales, the Planning Portal submission in your name, and case management through to the decision notice. Revisions requested by the case officer during the eight weeks are included, because securing the permission is the job.
Statutory application fees are set nationally, so they are identical in all 33 London boroughs. They are paid to the council through the Planning Portal at submission and are entirely separate from our fee.
| Application type | Statutory fee | Determination |
|---|---|---|
| Householder application (extension, loft, dormer) | £258 | 8 weeks |
| Full application — new dwellinghouse | £578 | 8 weeks |
| Lawful Development Certificate (proposed) | £129 | 8 weeks |
| Listed building consent | No fee | 8 weeks |
| Prior approval — larger rear extension | £120 | 6 weeks |
Two provisions are worth knowing. Listed building consent carries no fee at all, though it is usually needed alongside a chargeable planning application. And a resubmission on the same site within twelve months of the original decision attracts no statutory fee under the free-go provisions, which is why an amended resubmission is often cheaper and faster than an appeal.
The pattern worth noticing is that the planning-stage costs are small and predictable while the construction-stage costs are neither. A typical London householder application is therefore around £1,100 all in — £840 of drawings plus a £258 council fee — against a build that will run to tens of thousands.
£840 fixed for our Essentials package, which covers the measured survey, the full existing and proposed set and the submission. A loft package is £1,225, a mansard £1,575, and the Complete package covering planning and building regulations together is £1,750.
£258 for a householder application, £578 for a full application for a new dwellinghouse, £129 for a Lawful Development Certificate and £120 for larger home extension prior approval. Listed building consent is free. These are national rates, identical across all 33 London boroughs.
Mostly because of the pricing model rather than the deliverable. A percentage fee of 2% to 4% of build cost for the planning stage produces £3,000 to £8,000 on a typical London extension or loft. A fixed fee against a defined scope produces £840 to £1,750 for the same drawing set.
Yes, in every package. Drawings produced without a measured survey disagree with the building, and councils compare your existing elevations against their own aerial and street imagery. A quote that treats the survey as an optional extra is not comparing like for like.
No. Revisions requested by the case officer during the eight-week determination are inside the fixed fee. A resubmission on the same site within twelve months of the original decision also carries no statutory council fee.
One address, one scope, one number. No percentage of build cost and no hourly billing for the revisions your case officer asks for.
Get a fixed-fee quoteBefore you commit, it is worth understanding fixed fees, 30% below London architects and seeing why work with us. You can find your service to find the right fit, or open a client account to track your project. When you are ready, get a quote today — most homeowners have a fee in minutes — or contact us about your project and a chartered technologist will be in touch.