How fees are calculated
Highland Council uses the BCIS Guide (published by RICS) to determine average market construction costs. Applicants must use these rates, even if they can achieve lower costs.
Why BCIS rates are used
Using BCIS rates helps:
- ensure consistency across applications
- avoid underestimating the value of work
- provide a fair basis for calculating fees
If the fee submitted with your application is incorrect, you will be asked to:
- adjust the fee, or
- provide a breakdown of proposed costs from a certified chartered surveyor
Your application may remain invalid and will not be processed until the costs are agreed.
Examples of building prices from the BCIS guide
To estimate the cost of your building work, multiply the floor area by the relevant cost per square metre (£/m²).
| Type of work | Cost per m² |
|---|---|
| One-off detached house (ground and upper floors) | £2,859 |
| Estate housing (2-storey, incl. semi-detached) | £1,576 |
| Flats (2–5 storey) | £1,834 |
| Extensions to housing | £2,309 |
| Domestic garages | £1,019 to £1,668 (for instance with stairs or floored attics) |
| Industrial buildings (factories, offices, garages) | £1,274 to £1,596 |
| Offices (non-air conditioned) | £2,456 |
| Shops | £1,861 |
| Supermarkets | £1,891 |
| Agricultural storage buildings | £938 (£649 for non-thrust resistant walls) |
| Conversion of non-domestic to domestic (flats, 1–2 storey) | £2,370 |
| Conversion to single domestic unit | £2,679 |
| Attic or garage conversions in domestic buildings | £1,200 to £1,600 |
Use internal measurements to calculate the floor area:
Example:
- length = 12m
- breadth = 8m
- area = 12 × 8 = 96m²
If you are building a single detached house:
- ground floor cost = 96 × £2,859 = £274,464
- each additional storey of the same size = £274,464