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Brick house under construction with a large new opening in the rear wall spanned by a steel beam

Blog: building regulations

How much do building regulations drawings cost in London?

By Property Architecture drawing team, chartered architectural technologists (MCIAT). Published . 4 minute read.

Building regulations drawings for a London extension or loft cost £529 drawings + £200 survey (£729 total). Separately, building control charges for checking the work: Richmond upon Thames, for example, charges £1,069London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, building control charges from April 2026 for an extension under forty square metres, while other councils set their own scale. The drawings are what the inspector approves, and the charge is what the inspection costs.

From £729 total, survey included

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    Key takeaways

    Two bills: the drawings and the building control charge

    Building regulations approval is separate from planning permission, and the cost is split the same way. We charge for the survey and the technical drawings: £529 drawings + £200 survey (£729 total). The building control body charges for checking them and inspecting the work, and that charge is not ours to set.

    In London most people use the council's building control team, although a private inspector is an alternative. A private firm has to be registered: private businesses must register with the Building Safety RegulatorGOV.UK, Register your business as a building control approver. Either way the charge is set by a published scale, and the drawings are the same.

    What the job costs: our fee from £729Drawings: £529. Measured survey: £200. Richmond building control charge, extension under 40 m²: £1,069 (paid to others)Drawings£529Measured survey£200Richmond building control charge, extensionunder 40 m²£1,069Total to us, from £729; other costs are paid direct
    Our fixed fee beside Richmond's building control charge for a small extension. Other councils set their own scales.

    What building regulations drawings show that planning drawings do not

    Planning drawings show what the building will look like. Building regulations drawings show how it will be built: foundation depths, the beam over the new opening, wall build-ups and insulation, the fire escape from a loft, the drainage and the ventilation. They are the set the builder works from and the inspector signs off against.

    A beam over a new opening needs its own calculation, which is our structural calculations item from £385. Where the energy rules need a calculation, SAP calculations start from £225. Our building regulations drawings pull these into one pack.

    Glazed double doors in a new blockwork rear extension, with a scaffold tower and a wheelbarrow on the unfinished floor
    Building regulations drawings cover what is hidden in the finished job: foundations, beams, insulation and drainage. Photo: Brett Jordan, Pexels License

    Full plans or building notice: how the charge is paid

    There are two ways to apply. A full plans application sends the drawings in first. The council must reply within five weeks, or longer if agreed in writingBuilding Regulations 2010, regulation 14A, so you know the design passes before the builder starts. A building notice skips the approval of drawings and relies on the inspector's visits instead, which suits small jobs but leaves any problem to be found on site.

    In Richmond the charge for an extension under forty square metres is £1,069London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, building control charges from April 2026 whichever way you apply, a figure that already has the council's VAT added, though a full plans application is paid in two parts, a plan fee when it is deposited and an inspection charge after the first inspection. Check your own council's scale; the figures differ from borough to borough.

    The rules you must follow once work is under way

    You cannot just start. The regulations say building control must hear first: notice of intention to start work, with at least two days elapsed after it is givenBuilding Regulations 2010, regulation 16. Later notices follow as the work reaches key stages, and the council issues a completion certificate at the end, which is the document a buyer will ask for.

    If the notification is missed, the answer is not a quiet fix. Contravening the regulations is an offence: on conviction on indictment, imprisonment for up to two years or a fine, or bothBuilding Act 1984, section 35. In practice the cost is usually higher than a fine, because unapproved work has to be opened up and regularised later. Our regularisation drawings exist for that situation, but approving work before it starts is always the cheaper route.

    How the job runs, step by stepFree constraints check and a fixed quote Then: Measured survey of the house Then: Construction details drawn: structure, fire, insulation, drainage Then: Second person checks the pack Then: Full plans application sent to building control Then: Free redraws if building control asks for changesFree constraints check and a fixedquoteMeasured survey of the houseConstruction details drawn: structure,fire, insulation, drainageSecond person checks the packFull plans application sent tobuilding controlFree redraws if building control asksfor changes
    From survey to a building control application.

    How to keep the cost down without cutting corners

    Ask for the planning and building regulations drawings together, because the same survey serves both. Choose the specification before the drawing is finished, since a late change to the insulation or the beam means redrawing and sometimes recalculating. And keep the application alive: a building notice lapses if work does not begin, because it ceases to have effect after three years unless the work has begunBuilding Regulations 2010, regulation 13.

    If you are not sure which of your plans need approval, our free constraints check is the place to start, and we will quote a fixed fee once we know the answer.

    The figures, with sources

    Richmond building control charge, extension under 40 m²
    £1,069London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, building control charges from April 2026Checked 25 October 2026
    Time for the council to decide a full plans application
    five weeks, or longer if agreed in writingBuilding Regulations 2010, regulation 14AChecked 25 October 2026
    Notice before starting building work
    notice of intention to start work, with at least two days elapsed after it is givenBuilding Regulations 2010, regulation 16Checked 25 October 2026
    When a building notice lapses
    it ceases to have effect after three years unless the work has begunBuilding Regulations 2010, regulation 13Checked 25 October 2026
    Who can do private building control
    private businesses must register with the Building Safety RegulatorGOV.UK, Register your business as a building control approverChecked 25 October 2026
    Penalty for contravening building regulations
    on conviction on indictment, imprisonment for up to two years or a fine, or bothBuilding Act 1984, section 35Checked 25 October 2026
    Building regulations and planning
    building regulations approval is different from planning permission, and you might need bothGOV.UK, Building regulations approvalChecked 25 October 2026

    Questions

    Do building regulations drawings include the structural calculations?

    No. A beam or an opening needs its own calculation, priced separately as our structural calculations item. We tell you at the start whether your job needs one.

    Can I use a private inspector instead of the council?

    Yes, if the firm is registered. The drawings are the same either way. The charge is agreed with the inspector instead of coming from the council's published table.

    Do I need building regulations drawings if I only have planning permission?

    Yes: planning permission and building regulations approval are different, and a project can need both. Planning drawings do not show how the building is built, which is what building control checks. In short, building regulations approval is different from planning permission, and you might need bothGOV.UK, Building regulations approval.

    How long do the drawings take?

    Normally about a week after the survey. The council's five-week decision window on a full plans application is separate.

    Header photo: A brick house under construction with a large new opening in the rear wall spanned by a steel beam by Brett Jordan, Pexels License.

    The fixed fee for building regulations drawings

    Drawings
    from £529
    Measured survey
    £200
    Total you pay
    from £729
    Council fee
    paid to the council separately

    No VAT to add. The fee is fixed in writing after a free constraints check of your address.

    What you get

    • A measured survey of your house
    • Construction plans, sections and details
    • Specification notes for the builder
    • Full plans application prepared and submitted for you
    • Free redraws until approval
    • More about our building regulations drawings
    Request your fixed quoteCall 020 7131 9703
    Glazed double doors in a new blockwork rear extension, with a scaffold tower and a wheelbarrow on the unfinished floor

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