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.

HomeOwners Alliance or a Chartered Practice? 2026 Guide

The short version

HomeOwners Alliance operates as a consumer advice organisation. Which suits you depends on whether you want a defined drawing package at a known price or a broader service.

How does HomeOwners Alliance work?

A consumer advice organisation publishing guidance for homeowners, and signposting to service providers. It is an information source, not a design service.

Where that model is strong: Independent, readable guidance on the process, costs and pitfalls.

What to establish before you commit: It does not produce drawings or make applications. Use it to understand the process, then appoint a designer separately.

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 We do not quote a percentage of build cost, because it gives a designer an interest in a larger build.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

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

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