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Second-floor plan laid out on a drawing board with a parallel rule, pens and a scale

Blog: neighbours and checks

How much does an independent drawing review cost in London?

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

An independent review of someone else's drawings for a London home costs £289 from us, with no VAT to add, and rises with the number of sheets and the complexity of the project. A chartered technologist who had no part in the drawings reads every sheet and reports what is missing, what contradicts itself and what a council or builder is likely to query, while a fix still costs an afternoon.

From £289 total

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

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    Key takeaways

    What a review costs

    A review starts from £289. The figure depends on the number of sheets and on the project: a three-sheet householder set is a small job, a set with structure and details is a larger one. We agree the scope and the price in writing before we begin. See our independent drawing review page for how it runs.

    The report numbers each finding, ties it to a sheet and a reason, and grades it from must-fix to advisory. We report to you and do not redraw. If you want the sheets corrected afterwards, that is a separate step.

    What the fee includesEvery sheet read by someone who did not draw it; Findings numbered and tied to a sheet; Each finding graded from must-fix to advisory; A short call to walk you through the report; A dated record of the reviewWhat the fee includesEvery sheet read by someone who did notdraw itFindings numbered and tied to a sheetEach finding graded from must-fix toadvisoryA short call to walk you through thereportA dated record of the reviewFixed fee from £289, no VAT to add
    What our drawing review includes.

    When a second reader earns the fee

    The usual trigger is doubt. Builders' quotes for one set come back far apart, a council has returned an application, or the plans and the specification seem to describe different houses. A fresh reader sees what is actually on the page, which is what a builder will price and an officer will assess.

    It also works as a last read before issue. Whoever drew a sheet tends to read what they meant to draw. That is why our own rule is that the person who checks a set is never the person who drew it, and the review applies that rule to your drawings.

    A hand drawing a floor plan with a black pen on tracing paper
    The same plan can say different things on different sheets, which is the first thing a second reader finds. Photo: homegets.com, CC BY 2.0

    What the reader checks, in order

    Consistency comes first. Do the plans match the elevations, are dimensions the same on every sheet, does the section show the structure the plan implies? Mismatches of this kind are behind most of the costly questions asked on site.

    Validity is second. National guidance sets a baseline for application drawings: plans and drawings must be drawn to an identified scale, and plans must show the direction of northGOV.UK planning practice guidance, Making an application. Councils can ask for more through their local list: 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. We test a planning set against both so you know if it risks being returned as invalid.

    Third is the permitted development and building regulations check, where the drawings claim a right or a standard.

    Designers now carry legal duties

    Design work now carries personal obligations. Regulation 11F says: anyone doing design work must have the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours neededBuilding Regulations 2010, regulation 11F. The duty falls on the person who designs as well as the person who builds. The penalty for breaking the regulations is set in law: on conviction on indictment, imprisonment for up to two years or a fine, or bothBuilding Act 1984, section 35.

    Set against that, a review before construction is a modest cost, and it leaves a dated record that someone independent checked the information.

    Older drawings and changing guidance

    Guidance moves, and a set drawn last year can already lag. The government's own technical guidance for householder rights illustrates it: the householder permitted development technical guidance was last updated on 10 September 2019GOV.UK, Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance. A drawing that relies on a summary rather than on the Order itself needs checking against the current text.

    The report names the date that matters for each item and leaves you to decide how far to build ahead of it. If sheets then need revising, our building regulations drawings and planning drawings pick up from the review.

    How the job runs, step by stepSend the drawings and any specification as PDFs Then: Scope and price agreed in writing Then: A chartered technologist who did not draw them reads every sheet Then: Findings numbered, tied to a sheet and graded Then: Report issued with a short call to walk you through it Then: You decide what to correctSend the drawings and anyspecification as PDFsScope and price agreed in writingA chartered technologist who did notdraw them reads every sheetFindings numbered, tied to a sheet andgradedReport issued with a short call towalk you through itYou decide what to correct
    From sending the set to a numbered report.

    The figures, with sources

    What plans must show
    plans and drawings must be drawn to an identified scale, and plans must show the direction of northGOV.UK planning practice guidance, Making an applicationChecked 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
    Competence of designers
    anyone doing design work must have the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours neededBuilding Regulations 2010, regulation 11FChecked 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
    Age of the householder technical guidance
    the householder permitted development technical guidance was last updated on 10 September 2019GOV.UK, Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidanceChecked 25 October 2026

    Questions

    Do you redraw the sheets?

    No. The review reports on what you send. If you want the sheets corrected, that is a separate job, quoted separately.

    Can you review a set another firm drew?

    Yes, that is the usual case. We report only on what we are shown. If a drawing relies on an engineer's design or a survey that was not supplied, the report says so.

    Will the review tell me if the council will approve?

    No, because the decision is the council's. It tells you whether the set is likely to be returned as invalid and what an officer or builder is likely to query.

    How long does a review take?

    It depends on the number of sheets. We confirm the timing with the price, after we have seen the set.

    Header photo: A second-floor plan laid out on a drawing board with a parallel rule, pens and a scale by netan, CC BY 2.0.

    The fixed fee for independent drawing review

    Fixed fee
    from £289
    Total you pay
    from £289

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

    What you get

    • Every sheet read by someone who did not draw it
    • Findings numbered and tied to a sheet
    • Each finding graded from must-fix to advisory
    • A short call to walk you through the report
    • A dated record of the review
    • More about our independent drawing review
    Request your fixed quoteCall 020 7131 9703
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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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