What do the statutory fees cost either way?

A householder planning application is £548 determined in 8 weeks, building control is typically £500 to £1,200 in London, and a party wall award with an agreed surveyor commonly runs £900 to £1,400 per neighbour.

BuildPartner Alternative | Fixed-Fee Plans from £840

Q: How does Architectural Drawings London compare with BuildPartner?

BuildPartner operates as a build-cost estimating platform. A platform that estimates construction costs for residential projects from a specification, aimed at homeowners pricing a build before appointing a contractor.

The short version

BuildPartner operates as a build-cost estimating platform. Which suits you depends on whether you want a defined drawing package at a known price or a broader service.

How does BuildPartner work?

A platform that estimates construction costs for residential projects from a specification, aimed at homeowners pricing a build before appointing a contractor.

Where that model is strong: Useful early, because a realistic build budget should drive the design rather than follow it.

What to establish before you commit: A cost estimate is not a drawing package. You will still need a measured survey, planning drawings, building regulations drawings and structural calculations from a designer and an engineer.

What do we publish?

Every figure below is on our pricing page and does not change with the size of your build. We do not quote a percentage of build cost, because it gives a designer an interest in a larger build.

Architectural Drawings London published position
Credential	MCIAT chartered architectural technologist
Fee basis	Fixed fee against a defined scope, never a percentage of build cost
Essentials package
Loft package
Mansard package
Complete package
Structural calculations
Party wall services
Turnaround	14–20 working days (Essentials, loft); 20–28 (Complete)
Officer-requested amendments	Included
Coverage	All 33 London boroughs
Positioning	Around 30% below typical London architect rates

What should you ask BuildPartner — and us?

The same ten questions work on either side, and the answers are what actually separate one quote from another.

Which drawings does BuildPartner include — existing, proposed, sections, elevations, a 1:1250 location plan and a 1:500 site plan?
If the case officer asks for an amendment during the eight-week determination, does BuildPartner charge for it?
Are building regulations drawings inside the BuildPartner quote, or a separate later stage?
Does BuildPartner include structural calculations, subcontract them, or exclude them?
Who serves the party wall notices on a BuildPartner project, and is the adjoining owner's surveyor fee budgeted?
Who is the named individual at BuildPartner doing the work, and are they on the CIAT or ARB register?
What professional indemnity limit does BuildPartner carry?
If the application is refused, does BuildPartner include the revised resubmission?
Who owns the drawings BuildPartner produces, and can you take them to another contractor?

What costs the same whoever you appoint?

Statutory fees go to the council, not the designer, and they are set nationally for England. No practice can discount them, so they should appear in every budget identically.

Statutory and third-party costs
Householder planning application	£548, 8 weeks
Larger home extension prior approval	£249, 6 weeks
Lawful Development Certificate (proposed)	£274
Listed building consent	No fee
Building control (typical London)	£500–£1,200
Party wall award, agreed surveyor	£900–£1,400 per neighbour

We publish this comparison because homeowners ask for it. We describe BuildPartner by its business model rather than asserting its current fees or performance — ask them directly and compare the answers against ours. Statutory figures are the England rates in force in 2026 under the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (England) Regulations.