Planning Application Fee Calculator — How Much Does Planning Permission Cost?

A householder planning application in England is a flat fee of £548 from 1 April 2026 (it was £528 up to 31 March 2026). England planning fees are index-linked under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 and rise by CPI every 1 April, so always confirm the current figure on the Planning Portal. It covers extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings, porches and other alterations to a single dwelling, regardless of size. An application covering two or more dwellinghouses is £1,083. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different fee structures.

Many extensions can be built under Permitted Development Rights without planning permission, provided they meet certain size and location criteria. Single storey rear extensions up to 3m (semi-detached) or 4m (detached) depth generally do not need planning. However, if you are in a Conservation Area, AONB, or your home has Article 4 restrictions, you may still need to apply. Always check with your local planning authority.

Householder applications: 8 weeks. Full/outline applications: 8 weeks (or 13 weeks for major developments of 10+ dwellings). Listed building consent: 8 weeks. In practice, many applications take longer due to additional information requests, amendments or delays. You can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate if no decision is made within the statutory timeframe.

No. Listed building consent applications are free (£0). However, if the works also require planning permission (which is often the case), you will need to pay the relevant planning fee for that separate application. The two applications are usually submitted together.

Yes. Planning fees are set by each devolved administration and differ from England. Scotland has its own fee schedule (generally similar but not identical), Wales has separate regulations, and Northern Ireland has its own fee structure. This calculator uses England fee rates.

No, planning application fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome. The old "free-go" provision — which let you resubmit a revised application for the same site within 12 months without paying a fee — was abolished by the Town and Country Planning (Fees) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. The concession ended for applications made on or after 6 December 2024, so a fee is now payable on every resubmission, including a revised application after a refusal.

It depends entirely on what you are applying for and where. In England, from 1 April 2026 the main planning application fees are: householder applications (extensions, loft conversions, outbuildings, porches) £548; full applications for new dwellings £610 each for fewer than 10 dwellings, rising to £659 each for 10 to 50 dwellings; a general change of use £610; listed building consent and tree works (TPO) applications are both free. If you only need prior approval for a larger single-storey rear extension under permitted development rather than a full householder application, that fee is £249. Use the calculator above to get the exact fee for your specific project. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own fee schedules. This calculator covers England only.

Not always as a full application. A single storey rear extension is often possible under permitted development with no planning application at all. If it is larger, up to 6 metres for a terraced or semi-detached house or up to 8 metres for a detached house, you can usually use the prior approval, larger home extension scheme instead of a full householder application (Town and Country Planning General Permitted Development Order 2015, Part 1 Class A). This route has its own fee of £249 from 1 April 2026, lower than the £548 standard householder application fee. The council writes to your neighbours, who have 21 days to object; if nobody objects, the extension is treated as approved without a full planning decision. Confirm which route applies to your specific extension with your local planning authority before you build.

A general material change of use application in England costs £610 from 1 April 2026. Where the change of use creates new dwellings, for example converting a shop, office or barn into flats or houses outside permitted development rights, the fee follows the same scale as a full application for new dwellings: £610 per dwelling for fewer than 10 dwellings, rising to £659 each for 10 to 50 dwellings. Some changes of use, such as certain office-to-residential conversions, are covered by permitted development rights with their own prior approval fee instead of the full change of use fee, so check with your local planning authority which route applies before assuming the standard fee is payable.

No, they are two separate fees for two separate approvals. The planning application fee (for example £548 for a householder application) is paid to your local planning authority to assess whether the development itself is acceptable: its design, scale and impact on neighbours and the local area. Building Regulations approval is a separate, usually later, process that checks the construction meets technical standards for structure, fire safety, insulation, drainage and accessibility. It is charged separately by your council's Building Control team or by a private Approved Inspector, and those fees are not centrally fixed. They vary by local authority or inspector and by the size and type of the works, so get a quote directly from Building Control or an Approved Inspector. Most extensions, loft conversions and many change of use projects need both planning permission and Building Regulations approval. Paying one fee does not cover the other.

This calculator uses the England fee schedule only. In Scotland, applications are submitted through the ePlanning Scotland portal (eplanning.scot), and Scottish Government fee regulations apply, with their own fee calculator on that site. In Wales, applications are usually submitted through Planning Portal Wales (planningportal.wales), under Welsh Government fee regulations. In Northern Ireland, applications go through the Planning Portal for Northern Ireland (the NI Planning Portal, reachable via nidirect.gov.uk), with fees set under separate Department for Infrastructure regulations. None of these follow the England fee schedule shown here, so check the relevant national portal for the current fee before you apply.