Listed Building Consent DrawingsFrom £1,895
How much does listed building consent cost in London?
Drawings and the application for listed building consent in London cost our fixed £1,895, with the measured survey visit included. The council charges no fee for the consent itself, so the bills that follow ours are a heritage statement and, if the work also needs it, a planning application.
The short answer: our fee, and no council fee
Our listed building consent package is £1,895. For that we measure the house, draw the existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections to the detail a conservation officer reads, and make the application as your agent. The price is higher than for an ordinary householder job because a listed building is drawn in more detail: the officer needs to see how each new opening, wall and finish meets the old fabric.
Government guidance is plain on the council's charge: there is no fee for submitting an application for listed building consent. That is a saving against an ordinary planning application, which is £548 for a householder one. It does not remove the cost of the heritage evidence, which is below.
- Our consent drawings
- £1,695
- Our measured survey visit
- £200
- Total
- £1,895
When you need consent at all
Consent is needed for works to a listed building that would affect its character. The Act says no person shall execute works for the demolition of a listed building or for its alteration or extension in any manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, unless the works are authorised.
People are caught out by how much that covers. For all grades the listing status covers the entire building, internal and external, unless the list entry says otherwise. A new kitchen opening, a removed chimney breast, replaced windows or a repainted plaster ceiling can all affect character, which is why we read the list entry on the first visit and say which of your plans need consent.
The cost that comes with it: a heritage statement
A listed building application should say what is significant about the building and how the work affects it. Our heritage statement starts at £595, and the post on what a heritage statement costs explains what goes into it. Councils must give special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting, so the statement does a lot of the work.
If the work is substantial, a separate planning application may also be needed, for an extension for example. That one is charged by the council, at £548 for a householder application. We tell you on the first visit which applications your plans need, so you do not find out from a refusal.
How the council weighs it
National policy tells the council that substantial weight should be given to the asset's conservation, and that the more important the asset, the greater the weight. That is a harder test than an ordinary extension meets, and it is why a modest design that respects the existing plan form tends to have a better chance than an ambitious one.
We do not promise a decision. We draw what the policy supports, show how each change preserves the fabric that matters, and tell you honestly if a change is likely to be a problem. Sometimes that is cheaper than a refusal.
What happens if you do the work without consent
Doing work that needs consent without it is an offence under section 9 of the Act, and on conviction on indictment the penalty includes imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both. It applies to the person who carried out or caused the works, which can be the owner as well as the builder.
Once granted, consent is not open-ended. It is subject to the condition that works begin within three years of the grant, so a consent that sits in a drawer for a few years is worth nothing. We tell you the date on the day it arrives.
Sources
Every figure in this article, where it comes from and a link to the original.
- special architectural or historic interest: Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 s7(1): (source wording: "any works for the demolition of a listed building or for its alteration or extension in any manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, unless the works are authorised under section 8"). www.legislation.gov.uk
- no fee: PPG Historic environment, para 044: (source wording: "There is no fee for submitting an application for listed building consent"). www.gov.uk
- entire building, internal and external: PPG Historic environment, para 044: for all grades unless the list entry says otherwise (source wording: "the listing status covers the entire building, internal and external"). www.gov.uk
- special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting: Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 s66(1): (source wording: "shall have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting"). www.legislation.gov.uk
- substantial weight should be given to the asset's conservation: NPPF (29 September 2026) policy HE6(1): (source wording: "substantial weight should be given to the asset's conservation (and the more important the asset, the greater the weight should be)"). www.gov.uk
- imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years: Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 s9(1) and (4)(b): contravening s7 is an offence; on conviction on indictment (source wording: "imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both"). www.legislation.gov.uk
- three years: Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 s18(1)(a): works must be begun (source wording: "three years beginning with the date on which the consent is granted"). www.legislation.gov.uk
- £548: Statutory householder planning application fee, single dwellinghouse, from 1 April 2026. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
Questions people ask
Is there a council fee for listed building consent?
Do I pay VAT on your fee?
Does painting or repairing need consent?
Can you also do the heritage statement?
What if the council refuses?
Photographs: Paul Bryan (Unsplash License); Martti Salmi (Unsplash License).
Listed Building Consent Drawings: a fixed fee from £1,895
Read more on the listed building consent drawings service page, or send your address below and we reply within one working day.
Listed Building Consent Drawings
from £1,895
£1,695 drawings + £200 survey (£1,895 total)
Every price is the full fixed fee you pay. No VAT is charged. Council application fees are paid to the council separately.
What you get
- Measured survey of the whole house, included in the fixed fee
- Existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections to conservation officer detail
- A review of the list entry and what it protects
- Application forms and submission as your agent
- A plain answer on whether the work also needs planning permission