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Row of tall Victorian brick houses with bay windows and white sash frames facing Richmond Green in south-west London

Blog: planning

How much does a daylight and sunlight report cost in London?

By Property Architecture drawing team, chartered architectural technologists (MCIAT). Published . 3 minute read.

A daylight and sunlight report for a London extension or small scheme costs £895 from us, with no VAT to add, produced through accredited partners. Most householder extensions do not need one. A report earns its fee when a planning officer, a neighbour or a policy asks for evidence of the light a neighbouring window will lose.

From £895 total

  • MCIAT chartered
  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, no VAT to add

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    Key takeaways

    What the report costs

    Our fee is £895, with the report prepared by an accredited partner and coordinated by us so it uses the same model as your drawings. It is one of the more expensive items we offer, which is why we do not sell it by default. See our daylight and sunlight report page for how we decide.

    Before any fee, we tell you whether your council is likely to ask for one. For many house extensions the answer is no, and the money is better spent elsewhere.

    What the fee includesA check of whether your council is likely to ask for a report; A first test on your section drawing; The report prepared by an accredited partner; Results fitted to your planning application; Plain-English explanation of the numbersWhat the fee includesA check of whether your council islikely to ask for a reportA first test on your section drawingThe report prepared by an accreditedpartnerResults fitted to your planningapplicationPlain-English explanation of the numbersFixed fee from £895, no VAT to add
    What our daylight and sunlight service includes.

    Why a council might ask for one

    Planning policy expects new development to protect neighbours' light. The national policy asks for acceptable living standards for residents and neighbours in terms of access to daylight and sunlightNational Planning Policy Framework, chapter 12. That is general, so a report is how an applicant shows the effect is acceptable.

    Whether a report is a validation requirement depends on the council: plans and other information may be requested through the local list where it is reasonable to do soGOV.UK planning practice guidance, Making an application. An officer can also ask for one during the application if a neighbour complains. Knowing what your council asks for is one of the first questions at the constraints check.

    Aerial view of rows of brick terraced houses with rear outriggers and roof windows along a suburban London street
    On a terrace, an extension sits close to the neighbour's rear windows, which is what the tests look at. Photo: Altaf Shah, Pexels License

    How the assessment works

    The standard method is a guide published by the Building Research Establishment. a third edition was published in June 2022, widely used by local authorities for planning assessmentsRICS Built Environment Journal, 8 May 2024. It starts with simple tests and moves to detailed ones only if needed. The first is a rule of thumb: the 25° obstruction angle as a basic measure of external obstruction to a windowRICS Built Environment Journal, 8 May 2024. Beyond that it measures the share of sky visible from each window, how much of a room still gets direct light, and the hours of sun a window or garden receives.

    Some councils add their own rule of thumb for house extensions. One London borough's design guide says: a multi-storey rear projection should not exceed 45 degrees from the nearest neighbouring habitable roomLondon Borough of Merton, Small Sites Toolkit 01: Design Guidance. A simple section drawing can often show whether an extension passes that, without a full report.

    What a report does not do

    A planning report is not a rights-to-light opinion. rights to light are a separate area of law, not part of deciding planning applicationsRICS Built Environment Journal, 8 May 2024. A neighbour can have a legal right to light that is separate from anything the council considers, and a report prepared for planning does not settle it.

    It also does not decide the outcome. An officer weighs the result with other matters, and the guide itself is meant to be applied with judgement. We explain what the numbers mean for your case in plain words.

    How the job runs, step by stepFree constraints check, including what your council asks for Then: Quick test on the section drawing Then: Design adjusted if the quick test fails Then: Full report commissioned from a partner if required Then: Report added to the planning application Then: Results explained in plain wordsFree constraints check, including whatyour council asks forQuick test on the section drawingDesign adjusted if the quick testfailsFull report commissioned from apartner if requiredReport added to the planningapplicationResults explained in plain words
    From a quick check to a full report, if one is needed.

    Ways to avoid needing one

    The least expensive report is the one a design makes unnecessary. A lower eaves line, a stepped rear wall or a roof that slopes away from the boundary can bring an extension inside the rules of thumb. We test options on the section drawing as part of our planning drawings, before spending on a report.

    If the design cannot change and a report is required, we commission it with the drawings in hand so there are no delays between the two.

    The figures, with sources

    BRE guide on daylight and sunlight
    a third edition was published in June 2022, widely used by local authorities for planning assessmentsRICS Built Environment Journal, 8 May 2024Checked 25 October 2026
    Rule of thumb for obstruction of daylight
    the 25° obstruction angle as a basic measure of external obstruction to a windowRICS Built Environment Journal, 8 May 2024Checked 25 October 2026
    Planning assessments and rights to light
    rights to light are a separate area of law, not part of deciding planning applicationsRICS Built Environment Journal, 8 May 2024Checked 25 October 2026
    National policy on living standards
    acceptable living standards for residents and neighbours in terms of access to daylight and sunlightNational Planning Policy Framework, chapter 12Checked 25 October 2026
    A London borough's rule of thumb for rear projections
    a multi-storey rear projection should not exceed 45 degrees from the nearest neighbouring habitable roomLondon Borough of Merton, Small Sites Toolkit 01: Design GuidanceChecked 25 October 2026
    Information councils may require with an application
    plans and other information may be requested through the local list where it is reasonable to do soGOV.UK planning practice guidance, Making an applicationChecked 25 October 2026

    Questions

    Will every extension need a daylight report?

    No. Most house extensions do not. It is asked for when a policy, an officer or a neighbour's objection raises the issue. We tell you our view before you pay.

    Does the report cover rights to light?

    No. Rights to light are a separate legal matter. A planning report only addresses what the council considers.

    Who prepares the report?

    An accredited partner, coordinated by us, using the same model as your drawings. We explain the result.

    What if the report shows a loss of light?

    The guide is applied with judgement, and a loss does not automatically mean refusal. We discuss whether to alter the design or to present the case as it is.

    Header photo: A row of tall Victorian brick houses with bay windows and white sash frames facing Richmond Green in south-west London by Maxwell Hamilton, CC BY 2.0.

    The fixed fee for daylight and sunlight reports

    Fixed fee
    from £895
    Total you pay
    from £895
    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 check of whether your council is likely to ask for a report
    • A first test on your section drawing
    • The report prepared by an accredited partner
    • Results fitted to your planning application
    • Plain-English explanation of the numbers
    • More about our daylight and sunlight reports
    Request your fixed quoteCall 020 7131 9703
    Back of a semi-detached house with a single-storey rear extension being built in grey blockwork, with scaffolding alongside

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    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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