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.

Checkatrade Architects vs a Chartered Practice

Q: How does Architectural Drawings London compare with Checkatrade architects?

Checkatrade architects operates as a trade directory. A directory listing trades and professionals with customer reviews. It is a lead source rather than a service provider: you contact listed businesses and contract with them directly.

The short version

Checkatrade architects operates as a trade directory. Which suits you depends on whether you want a defined drawing package at a known price or a broader service.

How does Checkatrade architects work?

A directory listing trades and professionals with customer reviews. It is a lead source rather than a service provider: you contact listed businesses and contract with them directly.

Where that model is strong: Reviews and vetting give a starting shortlist, and the breadth of listings is large.

What to establish before you commit: Directory listings do not verify professional registration. Check the individual against the CIAT or ARB register directly, and confirm professional indemnity insurance before appointing.

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 We do not quote a percentage of build cost, because it gives a designer an interest in a larger build.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 Checkatrade architects — and us?

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

Which drawings does Checkatrade architects 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 Checkatrade architects charge for it?
Are building regulations drawings inside the Checkatrade architects quote, or a separate later stage?
Does Checkatrade architects include structural calculations, subcontract them, or exclude them?
Who serves the party wall notices on a Checkatrade architects project, and is the adjoining owner's surveyor fee budgeted?
Who is the named individual at Checkatrade architects doing the work, and are they on the CIAT or ARB register?
What professional indemnity limit does Checkatrade architects carry?
If the application is refused, does Checkatrade architects include the revised resubmission?
Who owns the drawings Checkatrade architects 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 Checkatrade architects 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.