England: building control charges change on 6 November — prepare your quotations

1. Separate the announcement, the law and the local price

The instrument is SI 2026/1094, made on 14 October and laid before Parliament on 15 October. MHCLG published Circular 05/2026 and the consultation response on 16 October. These are adopted regulations, rather than a fresh consultation. Although the instrument extends to England and Wales, its new charging regime applies to England. Do not apply it to a Welsh project merely because the legal title mentions both countries.

Most provisions take effect on 6 November. The environmental relaxation provisions in regulation 11 have separate dates: 24 March 2027, or 24 September 2027 for higher-risk buildings. Those dates do not postpone the general charging changes and do not grant an automatic relaxation to an individual project.

UK legislation — SI 2026/1094

MHCLG — Circular 05/2026

2. Check the council scheme before putting a fee in the quote

The reform broadens the functions for which local authorities can recover costs. The amount payable still depends on the authority’s charging scheme and the relevant service; the government response does not establish a uniform percentage increase. A new or revised scheme must be published on the authority’s website at least seven days before it takes effect. Existing schemes can continue during transition, but the previous free first hour of advice provision ceases from 6 November.

Save the scheme or written fee quotation used, its date and the description of the proposed work. A kitchen alteration, a conversion and a reversion application do not become interchangeable simply because the floor areas match. Ask the authority to resolve the application category where your planned scope is uncertain, then update the commercial estimate with the answer.

UK legislation — SI 2026/1094

MHCLG — Building charges reform: government response

3. Allocate payment and do not confuse it with approval

The regulations assign responsibility according to the function involved. A client, owner or other relevant person may be responsible; it is unsafe to assume that every charge is payable by the contractor. Relevant notices or applications can be invalid without payment, and the amendments also connect certain decision periods for registered building control approver notices and certificates to payment.

Set out whether the customer pays the authority directly or whether an agreed amount is handled through your business. Record the application reference and payment evidence. A paid invoice establishes payment, not permission to build or acceptance of the finished work. If a private approver is involved, check which council functions and charges still arise rather than deleting the council allowance automatically.

UK legislation — SI 2026/1094

4. Keep an uncertain fee separate from a confirmed work item

Imagine a hypothetical domestic refurbishment quote where the work is defined but the council has not confirmed the application category. Record the building control allowance as awaiting that decision, identify the decision-maker and state when the quote will be reviewed. Do not manufacture a fixed council price from a past project or quietly absorb the uncertainty in the electrical labour rate.

Once the authority responds, retain the original quote and issue a clearly identified revision. Compare like with like when the client obtains another offer: does it include application charges, inspections, preparation of information and attendance, or only the installation itself? Separating these items makes the scope easier to understand without suggesting that every task is a new statutory fee.

5. Treat exemptions and refunds as specific checks

The instrument retains a targeted exemption for certain work undertaken solely for disabled people in their existing permanent residence. This is not an exemption for every adaptation or every public building. Refund rules also have conditions and exceptions, including circumstances involving missing information. A missed decision deadline is not a reliable basis for promising the client a full refund in advance.

Where an exemption or refund could materially affect the price, obtain the authority’s assessment of the actual facts and retain it with the project. Keep your own professional fee for drawings, coordination or attendance distinct from a public charge. Avoid presenting a potential refund as certain income or using it to reduce the amount the customer is told to budget.

UK legislation — SI 2026/1094

6. Update the administrative process once, then use it on each job

Add three fields to the quotation review: charging scheme date, person responsible for payment and unresolved authority decision. Link them to the project reference and set a review when a revised scope changes the application. This is more useful than inserting a blanket “new regulations surcharge” with no explanation.

With Vocalys, dictate the work scope, quantities and the separate building control assumption, then review every amount before sharing. The tool helps organise the quotation; the authority remains responsible for its charges and decisions, and your business remains responsible for the accuracy of the offer.

Reusable job sheet

• Confirm the site is in England
• Identify the application and authority
• Save the applicable charging scheme
• Name the person paying each charge
• Keep payment evidence separate from approval
• Resolve exemptions and uncertain fees before finalising

Site / authority: […]
Application or notice: […]
Charging scheme and date: […]
Fee confirmed / awaiting confirmation: […]
Person paying: […]
Decision needed and review date: […]

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