Obtain a project-specific total covering plan checking and inspections, rather than comparing only the first payment. A Building Safety Levy payment, where applicable, is separate from the building-control fee. [1][2]
Council and private charges
For council building control, charges reflect the cost of the service. GOV.UK identifies factors including the type of work, the number of dwellings, the floor area and the inspections required. A registered building control approver sets its own fee, which you agree directly with that provider. [1]
There is therefore no single English fee for “a loft conversion” or “an extension”. Give each provider the same drawings, floor areas and structural scope before comparing quotations. Record whether the quoted total covers both reviewing the design and checking the work on site.
Full-plans fees may be collected in stages. In Epping Forest, the published schedule separates the plan and inspection charges, while the building-notice column shows the combined charge. The council states that the overall fee is the same for those two routes under its schedule. That is a local charging arrangement, not a rule that all providers must price identically. [3][4]
A dated council example
Epping Forest's new standard charges took effect on 1 October 2026. For a qualifying single-storey extension not exceeding 40 m² to a single dwelling within the schedule's scope, the plan charge is £336 and the inspection charge £616: a combined £952 including VAT. The building-notice charge for that category is also £952. [4]
This example comes from the schedule for work to a single dwelling not exceeding three storeys. It is not a quotation for multiple projects, unusual structural work or every extension measuring less than 40 m². The schedule also includes assumptions about how controlled electrical work is certified. Ask the council to confirm the correct category and any additions for the actual package. [4]
Questions to resolve in the quotation
Ask the provider to confirm the work included, the basis of the charge, payment stages and any assumptions about complexity or inspections. Also ask how it handles a substantial design change or additional work introduced later. A written scope makes a meaningful comparison possible; a low initial plan-check payment alone does not identify the lowest total charge. [1][4]
Building-regulations approval does not include the cost of preparing technical drawings, obtaining structural calculations or carrying out the work. Keep those appointments separate in the budget and identify who is supplying the information the checking body needs. [1]
Exemptions and separate levy paperwork
GOV.UK identifies a charge exemption for qualifying work solely for a disabled person's benefit. Ask the council whether the proposed work meets the exemption; do not assume that an entire mixed refurbishment becomes free because it includes an accessible feature. [1]
Since 1 October 2026, new-housing applications within the Building Safety Levy procedures may also need levy information, even where an exemption means no levy is payable. Epping Forest collects that levy separately, including for relevant projects using a private approver. The approval fee and the levy should remain distinct lines in the project budget. [2]