How it works

Five clear steps — and you always know the fee.

The planning process feels opaque. It needn’t. Here is exactly how we work, what’s included at each stage, and how our fees are set — agreed upfront, never by surprise.

The process

From first call to approved plans.

Five stages. At each one you know what happens, what’s included, and what it costs, before it begins.

01

Consultation call

Free · 30 minutes

A free, relaxed call to understand your home, how you live in it, and what you’re hoping to gain — more kitchen, better light, an extra bedroom, or simply room for the family to spread out. We’ll talk through the property itself, any constraints you already know about, your rough budget and timescale, and whatever questions have been holding you back. There’s no pressure and no jargon — just a straight conversation about whether, and how, your idea can work. And after the call we’ll send you a written feasibility report on your home — our honest read on what your council is likely to approve, the constraints on your site, and what’s been consented nearby.

Included —An honest read on whether your plans are likely to pass, which route applies — a full application or permitted development — and a realistic sense of timing.
02

Our own house survey

Included

We visit and measure your home ourselves — never subcontracted to a third party. Doing the survey in person is how we get to know both the building and you: we see how the rooms are actually used, where the light falls, and the small constraints a set of drawings alone would miss, and we talk options through on site as we go. We measure using the latest 3D laser-scanning technology, capturing the existing structure to millimetre accuracy so that every decision afterwards rests on a true record of the building rather than an estimate.

Included —Accurate measured drawings of the existing building — the foundation everything else is designed on.
03

Design & VR walkthrough

Included

We develop the design through detailed 3D renders and an immersive VR walkthrough, so you can stand inside the new space — sensing the proportions, the ceiling height, and the way daylight moves through it — long before a single wall is built. Experiencing the scheme this way makes the decisions concrete: you can judge whether a room genuinely feels right, not just whether it looks right on a plan.

Included —We iterate with you until it’s right. Nothing goes to the council until you’ve approved the design.
04

Planning submission

Fixed fee

We prepare and submit the full application on your behalf — the scaled drawings, the planning and design statements, and any supporting heritage, daylight or arboricultural work a particular site calls for. From the moment it’s lodged we act as your single point of contact with the council, presenting the scheme in the terms an officer needs to see and keeping things moving, so you never have to decode planning language yourself.

Included —Validation, registration, and liaison with your planning officer, so you don’t have to chase anyone.
05

Approval & building regs

Fixed fee

We see the application through to a decision, responding to officer queries and negotiating sensible amendments where they help the scheme over the line — the point at which knowing what a council will accept genuinely earns its keep. Once permission is granted we move straight on to building regulations, turning the approved design into the technical detail required to construct it safely and to standard.

Included —Once approved, the technical drawings your builder needs to price and construct the work.
What it costs

Fees, in plain terms.

We design the extension and secure the permissions — we don’t build. Our fee covers that work, quoted as a fixed price after the first call, with the stages above made clear. Council application fees are separate and paid directly to the council.

Fixed, agreed upfront

You approve the fee before any work begins. No hourly meters, no creep; the figure we agree is the figure you pay.

Staged, never all at once

You commit phase by phase, and never pay for the next stage before the current one is agreed. You stay in control throughout.

Council fees are separate

Set by the council and paid directly to them. We tell you what to expect, so there are no surprises.

Good to know

A few questions, before you commit.

The essentials are covered in the steps and fees above. These are the details people ask once they’re seriously considering signing up.

What’s not included in your fee?

Our fee covers the design and the permissions work. Separate from it are the council’s own application fees, any specialist consultants a particular project needs — typically a structural engineer, occasionally a party-wall surveyor or arboriculturist — and the build itself, since we don’t build. We flag whatever’s likely to apply to your project on the first call, so the full picture is clear before you commit.

When do I pay, and how is it staged?

You don’t pay everything upfront. The fee is broken across the stages above and invoiced phase by phase, so at any point you’re only committing to the next step, not the whole project.

What if I want changes after I’ve signed off the design?

Refining the design until you’re happy is part of the design stage — that’s what the VR walkthrough and iterations are for. Larger changes after sign-off, or after the application has been submitted, can mean extra work; if so we’ll agree any additional fee with you first, never spring it.

Can I stop after the design stage and take the drawings elsewhere?

The drawings we produce for you are yours to keep. Most clients stay with us through to approval because the permissions work is where our experience pays off, but you’re not locked in.

Do you work with my builder, or recommend one?

We’re happy to work alongside whichever builder you choose, and our construction-ready drawings are made to be handed straight to them. We don’t build ourselves, so we’ve no stake in who does.

If the council refuses, do I pay again for a resubmission?

It’s uncommon — 9 in 10 of our applications are approved first time, and with amended resubmissions that rises to around 99%. If a council does refuse, we prepare and submit the amended application free — you pay only the council’s resubmission fee, never us again.

Begin

Find out what your council will approve.

Book a free 30-minute consultation. We’ll tell you honestly whether your plans are likely to pass — then follow up with a personalised feasibility report on your home: your council’s recent decisions, what’s been approved nearby, and a straight read on your chances.

Book a callCall 01932 362810
We’ll usually pick up in office hours — Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm. The calendar works around the clock.

And if a council ever refuses, we rework and resubmit free — you only pay their fee.

Your free Planning Feasibility Report
Personalised to your home · sent after your call
An honest read on whether your plans are likely to be approved
Your council’s recent track record on extensions like yours
What’s been approved on nearby streets — with references you can check
The constraints on your site, and what they mean for your project
Whether you even need planning permission at all
Yours to keep · no obligation