How to pay / charges and fees
Please note: Building control fees are due to increase from 1 January 2025.
The charges for building regulation applications are a standard charge or, for larger schemes, individually determined on a scheme-by-scheme basis.
Paying for an application
Online payments for full plans, building notice and building regularisation applications (and additional charges)
Calculate the fee due before making payment by viewing our fees and charges (PDF). VAT will need to be added to the fees shown for all except building regularisation applications and additional charges.
Please note: Additional charges are for work when the relevant building work, or part thereof, has not been carried out by a person referred to in regulation 7(5) (g) or (h) of the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 applies. It is additional to the inspection charge, building notice charge or regularisation charge.
On the payments page:
- select Miscellaneous
- select Building Control
- choose the type of application you are applying for
Please note: crucial information for matching the payment with the application follows. In the message box field of the payment form, please enter the site address and any online / application reference number (if known) relating to the application being paid.
Other ways to pay
To pay by telephone, please call us on 0300 300 8635.
To pay by cheque, please make cheques payable to 'Central Bedfordshire Council' and send, along with the detachable slip from your invoice, to:
Payments Team
Central Bedfordshire Council
Priory House
Monks Walk
Chicksands
Shefford
Bedfordshire
SG17 5TQ
Paying invoices
Online payments for invoices
You will receive an invoice telling you how much to pay for your inspection(s).
On the payments page:
- select Sundry Invoices
- enter your invoice number into the Account Number field
- enter name and address
- if the amount is not automatically entered, please enter the amount (including VAT)
- choose Continue (this will open up the shopping cart/basket page)
If you are paying for more than one inspection, please select Add Another item (this will return you to the payment options list).
- select Sundry Invoices, then add the next invoice number and details as above (you can return to View Cart from this page)
- once all payments are added, choose Continue
- enter your name and address (this will take you to the card details page)
Other ways to pay
To pay by telephone, please call us on 0300 300 8635.
To pay by cheque, please make cheques payable to Central Bedfordshire Council and send, along with the detachable slip from your invoice, to:
Payments Team
Central Bedfordshire Council
Priory House
Monks Walk
Chicksands
Shefford
Bedfordshire
SG17 5TQ
Standard charges
Read our fees and charges (PDF), for information about:
- domestic extensions and alterations
- new dwellings
- most other work
We give reductions on standard charges for repetitive or repeated work from an owner of plans which have already been approved by us. Please email building.control@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk for an individual assessment of the charge for this type of work.
Individually determined charges
If the charge for your building work is not listed in the fees and charges (PDF), it will be calculated individually. In this instance, please email building.control@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk, (with "Request for building regulation charge" in the subject line) with a description of the intended work. We will contact you within 24 hours. You can also telephone us on 0300 300 8635.
Involve us early
We welcome early involvement, particularly on larger projects, prior to you submitting a building regulations application. Involving us early will give you the maximum amount of support to achieve a rapid approval of your scheme.
Payment of charges
- plan charge - This charge is payable when you submit your application
- building notice charge - This charge is payable when you submit your application
- inspection charge - This charge is payable after the first inspection on site by our surveyors. You will be invoiced for the charge and it will cover all subsequent inspections
If you'd like to see our full charges scheme, please email building.control@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk and we will contact you to arrange an appointment.