Planning fees in England are set nationally and rise each April. Government figures show what a householder application, a prior approval notification and a lawful development certificate cost for a conservatory.
In this guide
A conservatory that needs a planning application, a prior approval notification or a lawful development certificate attracts a fee that the council cannot vary. The figures below apply in England from 1 April 2026, as published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own planning fees. This guide is general information, not planning advice.
The householder application fee
Planning fees in England are set nationally under the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended. A conservatory attached to a house falls under the category for the enlargement, improvement or other alteration of existing dwellinghouses. From 1 April 2026 the fee is £548 where the application relates to a single dwellinghouse and £1,083 where it relates to two or more dwellinghouses.
The government’s schedule says every fee value from 1 April 2025 was increased by 3.8% for the April 2026 uplift, which reflects September 2025 inflation measured by the Consumer Prices Index. A separate, detached building in the garden used for purposes ancillary to the house sits in a different category, with a listed fee of £272. The process that follows submission is covered in the guide to householder planning applications.
Prior approval, certificates and later changes
Several other routes carry their own fees, all taken from the same April 2026 schedule:
- Prior approval for a larger rear extension (Part 1, Class A): £249. This is the notification route explained in the guide to larger single-storey rear extensions.
- Lawful development certificate for a proposed conservatory: half the full application fee.
- Lawful development certificate for an existing conservatory: the same as the full application fee. See the guide to lawful development certificates.
- Non-material amendment to a granted permission: £46 for householder development.
- Discharging a condition or varying one under section 73: £89 each where the application relates to householder development.
GOV.UK planning guidance adds that retrospective applications, where the development has already taken place, are subject to a planning application fee. The route for regularising a finished conservatory is described in the guide to retrospective planning permission.
When no fee is due
Regulation 4 of the 2012 Fees Regulations waives the planning application fee for a disabled person who lives, or intends to live, in a dwelling and wants to alter or extend it, or carry out works in its curtilage, to create an access or to improve their safety, health or comfort. GOV.UK guidance states there is no equivalent exemption for building a new dwelling for a disabled person.
Some applications carry no fee at all, including listed building consent and applications to demolish an unlisted building in a conservation area, according to the same guidance. A permitted development extension that needs neither permission nor a prior approval notification involves no planning fee, although a lawful development certificate remains optional and is charged.
Paying correctly and what happens to the money
The correct fee must be paid when the application is submitted. GOV.UK guidance says the council cannot begin to process the application, and it is not valid, until the right amount is paid. If an application cannot be validated, the council must tell the applicant and return the fee. No VAT is charged on planning fees because the service is treated as a non-business activity.
Once paid, most planning fees cannot be refunded, with limited exceptions. One is the Planning Guarantee: for non-major development submitted on or after 6 December 2023, the fee must be refunded where no decision has been made within 16 weeks, unless the applicant and council have agreed a longer period in writing. A fee also does not cover everything a conservatory project needs. Building Regulations charges are fixed locally under separate legislation, and the guidance lists them among items outside the planning fee system. Choosing between a council and a registered approver is explained in choosing building control.
How the figures change
Since April 2025, planning fees rise automatically on 1 April each year. GOV.UK guidance explains that all fees increase by the rate of inflation measured by the Consumer Prices Index for the preceding September, capped at 10%, and that fees do not fall if there is deflation. The government publishes each year’s schedule in advance on its planning fees indexation page. Fees can also change through amendments to the 2012 Regulations. Any figure quoted before 1 April 2026 may therefore be out of date, and a quote taken from the council’s own page or the Planning Portal should be checked against the current schedule.
FAQs
How much is a planning application for a conservatory in England?
From 1 April 2026 the fee for enlarging a single dwellinghouse is £548, according to the government’s fee schedule.
Is there a fee if my conservatory is permitted development?
No planning application is needed, so no planning fee applies. A prior approval notification for a larger rear extension costs £249, and an optional lawful development certificate for a proposed conservatory costs half the full application fee.
Can the fee be refunded if the council is slow?
For non-major development submitted on or after 6 December 2023, GOV.UK guidance says the fee must be refunded where no decision is made within 16 weeks, unless a longer period was agreed in writing.
Do the same fees apply in Wales or Scotland?
No. The figures here apply to England only; each nation sets its own planning fees.
The bottom line
A conservatory that needs permission costs £548 to apply for in England from 1 April 2026, with £249 for a larger-extension prior approval and half the full fee for a proposed-use lawful development certificate. Fees are set nationally, must be paid in full for an application to be valid, rise each 1 April, and are waived for qualifying disabled-access work. Checking the current schedule before budgeting avoids surprises.
Sources
This guide draws on the following sources, current as of 9 October 2026:
- GOV.UK, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, "Planning fees: annual indexation from 1 April 2026" (gov.uk)
- GOV.UK, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, "Fees for planning applications" (gov.uk)
Related guides
Householder planning applications
Lawful development certificates
Larger rear extensions
Compare Conservatories is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write. This article is general information, not legal or planning advice on any specific property — always confirm requirements directly with your local planning authority.