Payments – Ways to pay
Once your fee has been confirmed, you can choose from the payment options listed below or use the payment link sent to you by our Business Support Team.
Southern Building Control Partnership is a shared Local Authority Building Control service working on behalf of Tandridge District Council, Mole Valley District Council, and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council. While we provide the Building Control service, all payments are processed by Tandridge District Council on our behalf.
Visit: http://www.tandridge.gov.uk/pay
You will need your invoice number(s) and debit or credit card ready. Please note, this website is different from the one used to pay plan check fees.
Call our team on 0330 024 9355, or use the automated payment line on 03300 884684.
Make sure you have your invoice number(s) and a debit or credit card to hand.
Take your invoice to your bank or any HSBC branch and make a payment.
Please quote your invoice number(s) as the payment reference.
You can also pay by bank transfer using the details below. Please note that “TDC Ctax” will appear as the payee name when making payment via internet banking.
- Bank: HSBC Oxted Branch
- Sort code: 40‑35‑40
- Account number: 91098098
- Reference: Invoice number(s)
If applicable, please email remittance advice to: remittances@tandridge.gov.uk as this helps ensure your payment is allocated quickly and correctly.
Building Control Charges Guidance Notes
The fees you pay depend on the type of building work you are doing.
Fees are worked out using the charge scheme information and our fee charts and follow the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010.
Application Charges Explained
Fees are split into two parts:
- Plan Check fee – Paid when you submit your application. This covers checking your plans.
- Inspection fee – Covers all required site inspections. This is payable once the first inspection has taken place. An invoice will be issued if needed.
For commercial projects, the full fee must be paid when you submit the application. If you need an invoice before paying, please include full purchase order or billing details with your application.
For Building Notice applications, the full fee must be paid when you apply. This covers all necessary checks and site visits for the work described in the Building Notice.
If building work started on or after 11 November 1985 without approval, a regularisation charge applies. This charge covers assessing the work and carrying out inspections. It is equal to the Building Notice fee (excluding VAT), plus 50%. VAT does not apply to regularisation charges.
If work started under a private building control provider and is later passed back to us, the Local Authority, a reversion fee will apply. Reversion fees are worked out case by case and do not include VAT.
Exemptions and Charges
If an application is withdrawn or cancelled more than 24 hours after submission, a fee will be charged for work already done.
- Officer time is charged at £140 per hour (including VAT)
- A minimum fee of £155 (including VAT) applies
- A higher fee may be charged if more work has been carried out
Standard charges assume that:
- The work is designed and carried out by competent people
- The project is typical in size, complexity, and length
If building work takes longer than 12 months, extra charges may apply.
If more than three years have passed since the last inspection, a fee of £186 (including VAT) is required to continue the application.
If Full Plans are rejected, we may charge a fee to assess a resubmission. Further resubmissions may also be charged.
No extra fee will be charged if the resubmission is largely the same as the original design.
Building work carried out only to provide access or facilities for a disabled person in their existing home is free of Building Control charges. This includes work that supports the person’s health, safety, independence, or access in and around the home.
We may ask for evidence to confirm eligibility. A Blue Badge on its own is not enough.
If the exemption rules are not met, standard fees will apply.
A fee of £260 is payable upon submission of a demolition notice. No VAT is payable.
Charge Scheme
Our Charging Scheme explains how Building Control fees are set, what they cover, and when they are payable. It ensures fees are charged fairly and consistently for different types of building work.
Our charges follow the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010.
We set fees to cover the full cost of Building Control services where we are allowed to charge.
Chargeable services are services that the law allows us to charge a fee for. Some services must be paid for. Others are free.
When we support the Building Safety Regulator on certain projects, work is charged at £140 per hour (including VAT).
Standard fees, refunds, and any extra charges are worked out using an hourly rate of £140 (including VAT).
All fees set out in this charge scheme are calculated in pounds sterling (£) and rounded to the nearest whole pound.
We do not charge for work notifications from installers who are registered with an approved Competent Person Scheme (a government approved register).
Standard fees are based on the following assumptions:
- The Building Control work needed is in line with the average time used to calculate the fee.
- The project does not include unusual, experimental, or highly complex designs or materials.
- The work will be finished within 2 years.
- All design and construction work is carried out by suitably competent people.
- Any electrical work is carried out by someone registered with a Competent Person Scheme (a government‑approved register)
- For minor domestic projects, the Building Notice fee covers both plan checking and inspections.
- Each basement level is counted as one storey.
- If more than one extension is built at the same time, their internal floor areas can be added together to work out the fee.
- If part of an existing building is demolished and rebuilt as part of an extension, the fee is based on the total rebuilt area plus the new extension.
If a project does not fit within the standard fee tables, such as complex or unusual work, we will set a fee based on the cost of the work.
Please email your project details to theteam@southernbcp.co.uk
We may charge extra fees if:
- The application takes longer to process than expected.
- Approved plans are changed and need further checks.
- More site inspections are needed.
- An external specialist is needed to check or verify the work.
On request, we will refund any inspection fee paid in advance if the work does not go ahead under that application.
We cannot treat an application as submitted until the required fee is paid. If a charge is not paid, the Council’s debt recovery team will take action to recover it.
If you are unhappy with our fees, please contact us first.
Each Council has a formal complaints process. If your complaint is not resolved, information on how to take it further is available on request or on your Council’s website.
