We have created dedicated websites for various areas of our business. These are designed to give more infomation to the services offered by MJF CAD Solutions.
The new websites are as follows…
For Planning Permission and Building Regulation plans please visit:
http://www.ukplanningpermission.co.uk
For Measured Building Surveys please visit:
http://www.measuredbuildingsurveys.co.uk
For Floor Plans please visit:
http://www.floorplansuk.co.uk
So you have decided to have an extension on the rear of your property and you have had some quotes in to have the plans drawn up to apply for planning permission and building regulations. But have you been advised on all costs involved?
Firstly, have you been told how much the local authority charges to apply for planning permission? For household development this is currently £150 (March 2010) but you may not even need planning permission. My previous post explained if you do need planning permission and how to work out if you do or not. If your plans fall within the permitted development, then you may not need permission, thus saving you £150 and the cost of the plans!
However, as explained before, you may need to prove you didn’t need planning permission such as when you sell your home. This is when a certificate of lawfulness comes in to play.
OK, so you have decided weather or not to have planning permission and now you need building regulations approval. There are two types of building regulations applications you can submit; a building notice or a full plans submission.
With a building notice you just submit an application form, the fee and normally a site location plan and within about a week you can start work. These are great for simple projects and good if you need to start work ASAP. If your builder is happy to work without construction plans then this can save you hundreds by not having plans drawn up. There are conditions though. Your new development must not be within 3m of a public sewer. If this is the case then you will need a full plans application and there will be a fee payable to your local water company of around £350 for them to inspect the drains. This is known as a build-over.
If your development falls over 3m away from a public sewer, you can still apply for a full plans application, and this is normally prefered by builders.
With a full plans application you need to submit the application form and a set of construction plans that specify all the material that will be used for the project. You can also split the fee. You pay part of the cost to the local authority to check the plans and then once the plans have been approved (usally in around 5 weeks) you pay the balance once work starts.
The way building control fees are structured, for an extension in this case, is based on the internal size of the development. The fee range is..
up to 10m sqr.
between 10m sqr. and 40m sqr.
between 40m sqr. and 60m sqr.
between 60m sqr. and 80m sqr.
over 80m sqr.
The fee gets higher the larger the development. If money is tight and you are just over one of the ranges, and its possible, it may be worth reducing the size of your extension so you fall in to a lower price bracket. Not always possible I know.
One other cost you may need to bear in mind is structural engineer calculation costs. Just because someone can draw plans, it doesn’t make them a structural engineer. If you need to have steels put in to support load bearing walls then calculations may also be required.
So, when obtaining quotes for plans, make sure all the costs are explained including…
Planning Fee
Building Regulations Fee
Structual Calculations Fee
Build-over Fee
For more information on this or if you would like us to quote for plans, please visit our main website at www.mjfcadsolutions.co.uk or www.ukplanningpermission.co.uk.