Building control fees

Building regulation charges (from 1 April 2025)

The Building Act 1984 The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 (as amended). 

Explanatory notes

1. Before you build, extend or convert a building, you or your agent (for example, Architect, Builder, Developer) must advise us either by submitting a Full Plans application or a Building Notice.
2. If you submit a Full Plans application we will examine your proposals and advise you of any necessary changes required to meet the Building Regulations. Our Building Control Surveyors will inspect the work at various stages during construction on receipt of inspection requests.
3. If you submit a Building Notice for an extension you should include a block plan indicating its outline.
4. If you submit a Building Notice with a notice of commencement, work can start two days later. Our Building Control Surveyors will then inspect the work at various stages during construction on receipt of inspection requests. We make a supplementary charge of 10% for administering Building Notices.
5. Inspections: It is the responsibility of the applicant or builder to contact Building Control to request inspections at the notifiable or other stages. We cannot consider refunds if inspections are not requested.
6. Our charges for receiving and administering Building Regulation applications, inclusive of inspections fees, are set out below.
7. Where Full Plans have been rejected but require little amendment, no further charge will be made. Where significant amendments are required to meet approval, a further charge may be levied.
8. If you apply for a Regularisation Certificate for work that has commenced or been completed but which requires Building Regulations approval, you will need to pay a Regularisation Charge for which there is a standard 50% supplement.
9. Where a “reversion” occurs pursuant to s.52 Building Act 1984 we will charge our standard fee.
   If our work needed to resolve any outstanding issues is disproportionate to our standard fee, we may make a further charge at our hourly rate of £96 (Net: £80 VAT: £16).
10. Except for Regularisation and Reversion charges, all charges are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate.
11. No application will be considered valid without full payment of the charge.
12. For a development of multiple units which are largely to the same design and specification we will consider a discount to our published charges.
13. Valid applications expire if work has not commenced within three years of the date of deposit.
14. Applications solely to provide facilities for disabled persons are exempt from charges. In the case of a private dwelling proof of disability will be required.
15. Where we have an established relationship with a builder or developer, we may be able to offer a discounted charge.
16. These charges may also be viewed on the Council’s website.
17. These notes are for guidance only and do not substitute for either Statutory Instrument 2010 No. 404, which contains the full statement of the law.

How the fee is calculated 

The fee is calculated by one of the following schedules depending on works being carried out:

• New Dwellings (Schedule 1)
• Extensions (Schedule 2) and
• Any Other Works (Schedule 3).

All fees shown are inclusive of VAT at 20%.

Building Control Fees (1 April 2025) pdf format

Discounts

We can offer discounts to repeat and high-volume customers and where you can provide evidence of previous high- quality workmanship and ready compliance with the Regulations, or where there are multiple works in the same application.

How can I pay?

Payment of all charges should preferably be made by debit or credit card:

• Pay online 
• Call us on 01295 227006.

We can accept cheques made payable to “Cherwell District Council”, but they must have the reference number or site address written on the back.  We also accept payments made by BACS.

Schedule 1 - Table for New Dwellings of no more than 2 Storeys and less than 300m2 Total Floor Area

(Q = request quotation)

Note:  Where developments containing the same house types are being proposed, we can consider a reduction in the indicated fee.

Schedule 2 - Table for Outbuildings, Extensions and Conversions 

(Q = request quotation)

Schedule 3 - Table for all other works 

(Q = request quotation)

Structural alterations and other works based on estimated building cost

(Q = request quotation)

Note: The estimated building cost is an estimate of the amount that would be reasonably charged by a competent professional or Company for carrying out the proposed work but does not include VAT or professional charges paid to an Architect, Quantity Surveyor, Structural Engineer or any other person. The estimated cost must be specified with the application.

In cases where we consider an estimate to be unreasonable, or where no estimate is supplied, we cannot accept the deposited plans.

Other charges

• Building Notice Supplement 10%
• For Items not included in the above schedule, please contact us to advise the fee payable.
• Formal enquiries where an application is not lodged, or on historic, or expired applications from £75 (Net: £62.50 VAT: £12.50).
• Where an inspection is required three years or more after the previous inspection, a further charge may be applied. In some cases, a new retrospective (regularisation) application with the relevant charge may be required.
• Additional charges may apply for abortive or additional inspections and standing time at £96 per hour (Net: £80.00 VAT: £16).
• Copies of Certificates such as Completions, Full Plans Approvals, Regularisations etc. Fee for each copy is £60 (Net: £50 VAT: £10).

Contact Building Control

• Email: building.control@cherwell-dc.gov.uk
• Telephone: 01295 227006
• Post: PO Box 27, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 4BH