How much do planning drawings cost?
Phase 1 planning drawings: rear or side extensions from £995 and loft conversions from £1,495, paid only when you are approved.
The £995 starting price is for a standard single-storey rear or side extension at one existing home. Loft conversions start from £1,495. Both prices cover phase 1 planning only. We agree the scope and fixed fee before instruction; combined, complex and developer projects are quoted individually.
Council and Planning Portal fees are separate and paid at submission.
Pay on approval for eligible homeowner projects
Phase 1 planning: standard single-storey rear or side extensions from £995; loft conversions from £1,495. Paid only when you are approved. Building regulations is a separate later stage, quoted individually and paid on instruction. Council and Portal fees are paid separately at submission. Refused under an agreed pay-on-approval service? No planning design fee to pay.
| Stage | Fee | When you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: standard single-storey rear or side extension | from £995 | Agreed fee due when you are approved |
| Phase 1: loft conversion | from £1,495 | Agreed fee due when you are approved |
| Combined or complex work, new homes and developer projects | Individual fixed quote | As agreed in your quote |
| Phase 2: optional building regulations | Quoted separately | If you go on to build, on instruction |
Approved means a grant of planning permission, prior approval, or a lawful development certificate for the submitted scheme, with or without conditions. Appeals are outside the fixed fee. The full definition is in the terms of service.
What affects your quote
The £995 starting price is for a standard single-storey rear or side extension at one existing home. A loft conversion starts from £1,495 for phase 1 planning only; that is its own starting price, not an addition to £995. A larger extension, several alterations together, a listed building or a basement can require more design work and supporting evidence.
We review the address, brief, available drawings and likely application requirements before quoting. Your written quote confirms the total design fee you pay us for the agreed scope, what is included, what is charged separately and when payment is due. A change to the agreed brief is priced and agreed before additional work starts.
Pay-on-approval eligibility is confirmed before instruction. The free check does not commit you to paid work or guarantee that we can offer that payment arrangement for every scheme.
Residential developer projects
Infill sites, replacement homes, small housing schemes and conversions into flats need a project-specific scope and fee. They are not covered by the homeowner starting price.
We agree the design and application work, specialist inputs and payment stages in writing. Pay-on-approval applies only if it is expressly included in your quote.
Planning drawings and applications for small residential developers.
What each stage includes
Phase 1: planning drawings and application, paid only on approval
- Design drawings for your planning or permitted development application
- The application prepared and submitted for you
- Council queries and amendments for the agreed scheme handled through to decision
Phase 2: building regulations, quoted separately
This optional later stage is not included in either phase 1 price. We quote its scope and fee separately. It is paid on instruction, before the measured survey. The fee is for that commissioned work even if you later decide not to start construction.
- Measured survey of your property, at the building regs stage
- Building regulations drawings
- Structural engineer calculations
- Party wall notices for your neighbours, where needed
The quote confirms the survey, structural calculations and notice work for your project. Heritage, tree, flood-risk, daylight or other specialist reports are agreed and priced separately if needed. Party wall notices do not include resolving a dispute or preparing an award.
If your application is refused
No planning design fee to pay under an agreed pay-on-approval service. You keep copies of the drawings and the council's reasons. Your written agreement sets out any reuse rights. We explain whether the scheme can be changed to address them or whether the answer is no.
The council's application fee is not normally refundable following a refusal. Council and Portal charges are separate from our design fee. Appeals are outside the fixed fee.
Council fees, paid separately
Not included: the council application fee and the Portal fee, paid separately at submission, and building control inspection fees when you build.
For a typical house extension in England, the householder application fee is £548. A lawful development certificate for proposed equivalent works costs £274 (April 2026 rates). The fee for existing works is different.
These charges are paid at submission, with the Planning Portal service charge when applying through the Portal. The amount depends on the application type and any exemption. Check the official fee calculator before submitting.
Start with the free check
Enter your full property address and tell us what you want to build. The check brings together available planning constraints and nearby decisions, and flags anything it cannot verify. If you go ahead, the drawings follow from the same record.
Who we are
Planning Approvals is the trading name of DINGIR LTD, company no. 16645723, registered office 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE. View our Companies House record. We are an independent drawing service, not a council or government service. We prepare planning and building regulations drawings for homes and residential developments in England. Payment terms are confirmed in your written quote.