Wren pricing: the free map, research credits, and a fixed fee per planning application.
01 · Pricing
What Wren costs.
Three charges, and nothing else. No subscription, and no markup on the council's own fees.
Fixed fee by case type
Four kinds of case, each priced openly.
The Wren fee is fixed before any instruction. Statutory charges are added at cost. Each card opens to its full itemisation.
Householder
£499+ councilRear extension, loft conversion, side return
≈ £1,138 with council fees
Householder
Rear extension, loft conversion, side return
≈ £1,138 with council fees
Minor
£1,995+ council1–9 units, small developments
≈ £5,136 for a five-unit scheme
Minor
1–9 units, small developments
≈ £5,136 for a five-unit scheme
Major
£6,995+ council10–25 units, large developments
≈ £16,971 for a fifteen-unit scheme
Major
10–25 units, large developments
≈ £16,971 for a fifteen-unit scheme
Appeal
£799fixedWritten representations, householder
No statutory fee for appeals
Appeal
Written representations, householder
No statutory fee for appeals
For the avoidance of doubt
What is never charged.
No subscription
Research tools are pay-as-you-go or free. Nothing recurs, and nothing renews on its own.
No markup on council fees
The £548 statutory fee and the £91 Portal charge are passed through at cost, exactly as published.
No hourly billing
The fee is fixed and shown in full before any payment is taken. There is no later invoice.
Detail
Questions of substance
What is the difference between credits and the application fee?
Credits are for research carried out independently, asking questions, generating a report, drafting a document to review oneself. The application fee is the full service: the documents are drafted, a chartered professional reviews and signs them, and Wren submits to the council and tracks the case to a decision. The two are separate, and credits can be used without ever proceeding to an application.
Do credits expire?
No. Unused credits remain on the account indefinitely, and nothing renews automatically.
What does the council fee cover?
The local authority charges a statutory fee to determine an application, £548 for a householder alteration, and the Planning Portal charges £91 to submit it. These are not Wren's charges. They are passed through at the published rate with no markup.
What happens if an application is refused?
The fee is for the work, not a guaranteed outcome. Three things stand behind it: every case is screened before acceptance, and a site below sixty per cent approval likelihood is declined; the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires re-performance of any work falling below reasonable care, at no charge; and the grant rate is published quarterly, so the record can be judged before any payment is made.
Can the cost be seen in full before committing?
Yes. The application wizard itemises every line, the Wren fee and the statutory charges alike, before any payment is taken.