The short answer
For a planning permission application, an architect's fee is usually a fixed fee covering the design work and the drawings the council needs — existing and proposed plans and elevations, a location plan and a site plan — typically in the four-figure range for a residential extension or loft, scaling with the project's size and complexity. This is separate from the council's own statutory planning application fee, which is a fixed government-set charge paid directly to the local authority. The architect prepares and often submits the application via the national Planning Portal; the council then assesses it. The architect's fee does not include the later building-regulations drawings, a structural engineer, or any specialist reports (such as ecology or drainage) the council might require. Always confirm whether the fee covers submission and dealing with the planning officer's queries, or just producing the drawings.
Two separate 'planning' costs catch people out: the architect's fee for the drawings, and the council's fee for processing the application. Here's how each works.
Architect cost — planning application
- Architect feeFixed fee, four figures
- Council feeSeparate, government-set
- CoversDesign + planning drawings
- Submitted viaPlanning Portal
- ExcludesBuilding-regs, engineer, reports
Two separate fees: architect and council
The single biggest source of confusion is that there are two different planning costs:
- The architect's fee: for the professional work of designing the proposal and producing the drawings the council assesses. This varies by practice and project and is usually a fixed fee.
- The council's planning application fee: a statutory, government-set charge paid to the local authority to process the application. It's the same regardless of who drew your plans, and it's published on the council's website and the Planning Portal.
So when budgeting, you need both figures. A quote of 'X for the planning application' from an architect almost always means their drawing fee, with the council's fee on top. Ask explicitly so there's no surprise.
| Cost | Paid to | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Architect's fee | The architect | The practice (varies) |
| Planning application fee | The council | Government (fixed scale) |
| Specialist reports (if needed) | Consultants | Each consultant |
Indicative breakdown of planning-application costs. Source: Planning Portal fee guidance.
What the architect's fee covers
For a typical householder application, the architect's fee covers:
- Design: developing the proposal to a point where it's ready to submit.
- Drawings: existing and proposed plans and elevations, a location plan and a site/block plan at the scales the council requires.
- Submission (often): lodging the application through the Planning Portal on your behalf, or providing the drawings for you to submit.
- Managing the process (sometimes): responding to the planning officer's queries and any requests for amendments — check whether this is included or charged separately.
What it does not cover is the later building-regulations stage, a structural engineer, or any specialist reports (ecology, arboriculture, drainage, flood risk, heritage) the council might require on a more sensitive site. Those are separate costs, and on a straightforward extension usually aren't needed at all.
Getting good value from the planning stage
The planning stage is where an architect who knows the local context earns their fee, because a well-judged application is more likely to be approved first time — and a refusal or a forced redesign costs far more than the fee saved by cutting corners. When you appoint for planning, clarify three things: whether the fee includes submission or just the drawings; whether it includes dealing with the planning officer if they ask for changes; and what happens if the application is refused and needs reworking or appealing.
It's also worth being clear about what comes next. Planning permission establishes that your proposal is acceptable in principle, but you generally can't build from planning drawings alone — most projects then need building-regulations approval, which is a separate set of technical drawings and fees. Budgeting for both stages from the start avoids the common shock of thinking 'I've paid for the plans' only to find the building-regs drawings are a further cost. A good architect will set out the whole journey — planning, building regs, structural engineer where needed, and the statutory fees — so you can see the full picture rather than just the planning-stage number.
Permitted development, lawful-development certificates and when you can skip planning
Not every project needs a full planning application, and knowing the difference can save both the architect's drawing fee and the council's application fee. Several common home projects fall under permitted development — rights that allow certain works within set limits without a full planning application:
- Many single-storey rear extensions within size limits, loft conversions within volume limits, and some outbuildings can be permitted development rather than needing full permission.
- A lawful-development certificate (LDC) is a separate, lighter application that asks the council to confirm in writing that your project is lawful permitted development. It's often worth obtaining as proof for the future — a buyer's solicitor may ask for it — even though it isn't strictly required to build.
- Conservation areas, listed buildings, flats and previously-extended homes can remove or reduce permitted development rights, so the same project that's permitted development on one house needs full permission on another.
An architect or technologist who knows the system will tell you early which route applies, because it changes both the cost and the timetable. A full planning application brings a formal consultation period and a decision timescale; a lawful-development certificate is usually quicker; and a genuinely permitted-development project with no LDC needed is quickest of all. The drawings still have to be produced either way — the council needs to see what's proposed — so the architect's fee for the design work is broadly similar, but the council fee and the time involved differ. The practical advice is to ask, before any drawings are commissioned, which planning route your specific project takes, what each one costs in council fees, and how long each typically takes in your local authority, so the whole picture is clear from the start rather than emerging stage by stage.
Frequently asked questions
Is the architect's fee the same as the planning application fee?
No. The architect's fee is for designing and drawing up the application. The planning application fee is a separate, government-set statutory charge paid directly to the local council to process it. You need to budget for both, and the council's fee is the same whoever draws your plans.
What drawings does a planning application need?
Typically existing and proposed plans and elevations, a location plan and a site or block plan, at the scales the council requires. For more sensitive sites the council may also ask for specialist reports such as ecology, heritage or drainage, which are separate costs.
Does the planning fee include building-regs drawings?
No. Planning and building regulations are separate stages with separate fees. The planning application proves your proposal is acceptable in principle; building-regulations approval, with its own technical drawings, governs how it's built safely. Budget for both from the outset.
Sources & further reading
- Planning Portal — fee calculator and applications
- GOV.UK — planning permission
- HomeOwners Alliance — planning permission guide
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific project. They are guidance, not a quotation.