How much is the council fee for planning permission?
Planning fees in England are set nationally by the government, so your council cannot charge more or less than the national schedule. Since 1 April 2025 the fees rise automatically every 1 April in line with the September rate of CPI inflation, capped at 10%.
These are the main fees for homeowners from 1 April 2026:
- Householder application to alter or extend one house (an extension, or a dormer or porch that needs permission): £548
- Householder application covering two or more houses: £1,083
- Works within the garden or grounds of a house, such as some outbuildings, walls and fences: £272
- Building new houses (fewer than 10): £610 for each house
- Prior approval for a larger rear extension: £249
- Prior approval for adding storeys to a house: £249
The Planning Guarantee gives you your fee back if the council has not made a decision within 16 weeks for a non-major application made on or after 6 December 2023, unless you agreed a longer period in writing.
There is no fee where a disabled person who lives, or will live, in the house wants to alter or extend it to create access or to improve their safety, health or comfort.
If you want to know what happens after you pay, our guide to the householder planning application walks through the forms and drawings you need.
The route you choose changes the fee
Not every project needs a full planning application. Some extensions and loft conversions can go ahead under permitted development rights, and the cost of getting it confirmed is lower:
- A lawful development certificate for proposed work costs half the normal application fee. For an extension to a single house that is half of £548, so £274. Our guide to lawful development certificate cost covers the other certificate fees.
- A certificate for something already built or already in use costs the same as a full application for that work.
- A single storey rear extension under the larger home extension scheme needs prior approval at £249. See our guide to prior approval for a larger home extension for how that process works.
Choosing the cheaper route only saves money if it is the right one. If the project does not meet the permitted development limits, the certificate or prior approval will be refused and you will then need a householder application as well, so you end up paying twice.
This is why we confirm the route before we quote. When a homeowner asks us for help, we send a free planning report and ask for a few phone photos of the house and the area being changed, so we can tell them which route fits before they spend anything on drawings or council fees.
Fees after the decision
Approval is not always the last payment. If your permission has conditions, or the design changes during the build, there are further fees. From 1 April 2026 they are:
- Asking the council to confirm you have met a condition (discharge of conditions): £89 for householder permissions, £309 for others
- Applying to vary or remove a condition under section 73: £89 for householder permissions
- A non-material amendment, for a small change to the approved plans: £46 for householder permissions, £309 for others
If the council does not decide a discharge of conditions request within 12 weeks, the fee is refunded. These sums are small next to the application fee, but it is worth reading the conditions on your decision notice as soon as it arrives so you can plan for them.
Pre-application advice
Many councils offer advice before you apply. Government guidance allows councils to charge for this service, but the charge must not be more than the cost of providing it, and councils are strongly encouraged to offer at least a basic level of advice free. Prices therefore vary from council to council, so check your council's website.
The advice is not binding on the final decision, although the council can take it into account. It is most useful for projects where the outcome is uncertain, such as a large dormer, a site in a conservation area or a scheme that has been refused before.
Drawings and professional fees
For most homeowners the biggest cost of planning permission is not the council fee but the drawings. Checkatrade's planning permission cost guide (updated March 2026) gives these typical ranges:
- Planning application drawings for a single storey extension: £1,000 to £2,500
- Planning application drawings for a double storey extension: £2,000 to £3,500
- Planning plus building regulations and construction drawings: £3,000 to £5,000 for a single storey extension and £4,000 to £6,000 for a double storey extension
- Architect fees: 5% to 12% of the construction cost
- A planning consultant: about £215 per hour
Drawings usually start from a survey of the existing house. Our guide to the measured building survey explains what that involves.
Some sites also need specialist reports, such as a tree survey, ecology report, flood risk assessment or archaeological survey. Their cost varies by the specialist and the council's requirements, and whether you need one depends on the site, so ask early.
Building regulations are a separate cost
Planning permission and building regulations approval are separate. Local authority building control teams base their fees on their costs and on the type of work, while private registered building control approvers agree their fees with you directly. Budget for both if your project needs both.
Is the council fee included in a planning quote?
It depends on the firm, so ask. When you compare quotes, check that each one says clearly:
- whether the council fee is included or paid by you on top
- which drawings and documents are included (existing and proposed plans, elevations, site and block plans, any statement)
- whether the survey is included
- how many design revisions are included
- whether the firm deals with the council through to a decision
Our own quotes set out what is covered from the drawings and statements through to the council's decision, so homeowners can see what they are paying for before they agree.
Frequently asked questions
How much does planning permission cost for an extension?
The council fee for a householder application to extend one house in England is £548 from 1 April 2026. Drawings are extra: Checkatrade's March 2026 guide puts planning drawings for a single storey extension at £1,000 to £2,500.
Do planning fees differ between councils?
No, not in England. Planning fees are set nationally, so the same application costs the same in every English council. Pre-application advice charges and building control fees do vary, because each council (or private building control approver) sets those itself.
Can I get my planning fee refunded?
Under the Planning Guarantee, yes, if the council has not decided a non-major application within 16 weeks, unless you agreed more time in writing. A fee for confirming you have met a condition is refunded if the council has not decided it within 12 weeks. Separately, no fee is charged at all for works that create access for, or improve the safety, health or comfort of, a disabled person living in the house.
Is a lawful development certificate cheaper than planning permission?
Yes. A certificate for proposed work costs half the full application fee, so £274 for an extension to one house in 2026. It only works if the project meets the permitted development limits.
Get a clear answer before you spend
If you are not sure which route your project needs, or what it will cost to get a decision, we are happy to talk it through. Book a free advice call and we will tell you which route fits and what the council will expect to see.
