Typical 2026 price ranges by premises type.
| Premises | Indicative range | Main cost drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Small office / shop | £250 – £500 | Floor area, storage risk, alarm documentation |
| Shared-house HMO (up to 6 lets) | £200 – £450 | Storeys, detection grade, licensing conditions |
| Larger HMO / bedsit house | £350 – £650 | Unit count, cooking-in-rooms risk, Grade A systems |
| Block of flats — Type 1 common parts | £300 – £700 | Core count, storeys, external wall review scope |
| Type 3 (into flats, sampled) | £600 – £1,500+ | Sample size, access coordination |
| Type 2 / Type 4 (destructive) | £1,500 – £5,000+ | Opening-up, contractor attendance, making good |
| Restaurant / pub | £300 – £600 | Kitchen suppression, sleeping accommodation above |
| Warehouse / industrial | £450 – £1,000 | Area, racking height, processes, dangerous substances |
| Hotel / guest house | £500 – £1,500 | Bedroom count, storeys, night staffing analysis |
| Care home / school | £600 – £2,000 | PEEP complexity, phased evacuation, estate size |
Ranges reflect the general UK market; London and premises requiring out-of-hours access price toward the top. Multi-site portfolios attract per-site discounts of 10–25% on programmed work.
What moves the price — and what shouldn't.
Legitimate drivers
- Sleeping risk — the single biggest factor. Hotels, HMOs and care settings demand longer inspections and deeper reporting.
- Size and complexity — storeys, cores, roof voids, basements, plant.
- Scope extensions — external wall review, Type 3/4 escalation, Regulation 7 check audits in high-rise.
- Documentation burden — post-Section 156 full recording, licensing evidence packs.
The false economy
Sub-£150 "assessments" for sleeping-risk premises are almost always template documents produced from a rapid walk-through or remotely. If the document fails the suitable and sufficient test at audit, the money is lost and the exposure — unlimited fines, custody, voided insurance — remains. The relevant comparison is not £150 vs £400; it is £400 vs a six-figure fine band.
What the fee should include
- Physical inspection of all accessible areas, with limitations recorded.
- A full recorded report to PAS 79 methodology with photographic evidence, assessor identity and competence credentials.
- A prioritised, costed-in-principle action plan.
- Post-report clarification — a phone call to walk through findings should not be an extra.
Key fact: Quotes should be fixed against a clear scope statement (premises type, floor area, storeys, assessment type). Ambiguous scope is how a £300 quote becomes a £700 invoice — or a £300 report that covers half the building.