Extension
Erection of a single storey side/rear extension.
CR7, Croydon
Typical value £40k–£90k (typical for an extension)
Quoting and job software for builders in London
EstiMate is quoting and job software for builders working across London's 32 boroughs and the City. Price the job with materials and labour itemised, send a quote the client accepts online, and keep the contract, variations, invoices and accounts on the same record.
The planning section below reads the latest approvals from every London borough's planning register, and the labour section shows the two London rates EstiMate's AI uses, one for central postcodes and one for the outer boroughs.
- 33 councils
- Postcodes E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W, WC, BR, CR, DA, EN, HA, IG, KT, RM, SM, TW, UB
- Labour index 1.28 / 1.18
Live from the planning registers
What's being approved in London
Applications for building work that London's 32 boroughs and the City of London approved between 29 September 2026 and 17 October 2026. This is a busy area, so the figures cover the newest decisions on the register rather than a full month.
1,240
applications for building work approved
19
days of decisions counted
33 of 33
councils' registers answered
By kind of work
- Extension734
- Loft conversion95
- Commercial fit-out / change of use75
- Garage / outbuilding75
- Landscaping / external52
- Refurbishment46
- New build42
- Demolition34
- Commercial new build21
- Basement18
- Commercial refurbishment18
- Conversion / change of use16
- Structural work12
- Conservatory / orangery1
- Annexe1
By council
- Havering90
- Enfield87
- Redbridge84
- Southwark76
- Brent73
- Bromley73
- Ealing72
- Hillingdon68
- Bexley65
- Croydon60
- Hounslow53
- Sutton49
- Kingston upon Thames48
- Camden47
- Haringey45
- Richmond upon Thames45
- Greenwich39
- Lambeth33
- Lewisham32
- Tower Hamlets26
- Newham21
- Hammersmith and Fulham20
- Islington19
- City of London12
- Westminster2
- Barnet1
- Barking and Dagenham0
- Hackney0
- Harrow0
- Kensington and Chelsea0
- Merton0
- Waltham Forest0
- Wandsworth0
Barking and Dagenham, Hackney, Harrow, Kensington and Chelsea, Merton, Waltham Forest and Wandsworth showno recent decisions on the register. That usually means the council's feed is behind rather than that nothing was approved, so check its own planning portal.
Recent examples
Commercial fit-out / change of use
Change of use from Retail (Use Class E (a)) to Restaurant (Use class E(b)) and installation of flue duct at rear elevation
UB2, Ealing
Typical value £50k–£250k (typical for a commercial fit-out)
Garage / outbuilding
Erection of an outbuilding to the rear garden
Hillingdon
Typical value £20k–£60k (typical for a garage/outbuilding)
Conversion / change of use
Retrospective conversion of ground floor unit to dwelling house (Class C3).
SE2, Bexley
Typical value £80k–£200k (typical for a conversion)
Structural work
Proposed works to install 6 no. antennas situated on new steel beams, 2 no. 0.3m transmission dishes contained within a fabric shroud concealment on top of antennas…
N1, Islington
Typical value £10k–£40k (typical for structural work)
Refurbishment
Refurbishment and external alterations to existing buildings.
E2, Tower Hamlets
Typical value £30k–£100k (typical for a refurbishment)
Loft conversion
Loft conversion with a rear dormer. Hip to gable roof alterations. Two front rooflights. (Summary).
IG2, Redbridge
Typical value £45k–£75k (typical for a loft conversion)
New build
Demolition of garage and erection of an attached two storey dwelling with accommodation in roof space and raised patio with steps to rear, alterations to roofline of…
KT4, Sutton
Typical value £180k–£400k (typical for a new build)
Source: the councils' public planning registers, collected by PlanIt and searched by TenderPilot. Checked 17 October 2026 at 15:16 and refreshed about twice a day. Building work leaves out trees, signs and paperwork on existing consents. Locations are shown to postcode district only, no applicant details are shown, and value bands are typical ranges for that kind of work rather than quotes.
See them all on TenderPilot, free to searchLabour rates
How labour is priced for a site in London
×1.28
Central London
Postcode areas E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W, WC: 28% above the national guide
×1.18
Outer London
Postcode areas BR, CR, DA, EN, HA, IG, KT, RM, SM, TW, UB: 18% above the national guide
When EstiMate Pro's AI take-off prices a job, it multiplies its national labour day-rate guide by the index for the site's postcode area: 1.28 for Central London (E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W, WC) and 1.18 for Outer London (BR, CR, DA, EN, HA, IG, KT, RM, SM, TW, UB). If you set your own day rates in Settings, the AI prices labour from those instead and the index no longer applies.
What you get
What EstiMate does for a builder in London
Quotes clients accept online
Materials and labour itemised with your markup and margin, sent as a link the client can accept, decline or query on their phone, with optional extras they can tick.
Contracts with e-signature
A build contract generated from the accepted quote, with your payment terms, signed online. Variations are added as signed addenda.
Variations and extras
Price additional works from site and send a one-tap approval link. The contract total and invoices update, with a full audit trail.
Invoicing and getting paid
Invoices with card payment links, payment milestones from the quote, and automatic chasing when an invoice falls overdue.
P&L, VAT and CIS
Receipts, supplier invoices and bank imports land in one ledger: profit and loss for any period, a VAT return helper, the CIS register and aged debtors.
Finding the work
TenderPilot, the sister product, searches live tenders and every council's planning register. Searching is free on any plan.
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EstiMate
£15.99/ month
Unlimited jobs: quoting, contracts, invoicing, site documents and the accounts.
EstiMate Pro
£39.99/ month
Everything, plus the full AI suite and the site tools.
Every price is per business, not per user. No contract; cancel any time.
Councils and postcodes covered
- City of London
- Barking and Dagenham
- Barnet
- Bexley
- Brent
- Bromley
- Camden
- Croydon
- Ealing
- Enfield
- Greenwich
- Hackney
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Haringey
- Harrow
- Havering
- Hillingdon
- Hounslow
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Kingston upon Thames
- Lambeth
- Lewisham
- Merton
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Richmond upon Thames
- Southwark
- Sutton
- Tower Hamlets
- Waltham Forest
- Wandsworth
- Westminster
Main postcode areas: E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W, WC, BR, CR, DA, EN, HA, IG, KT, RM, SM, TW, UB.
TenderPilot can search any of these councils' planning registers, or all of them at once, free. Search local applications or browse live tenders.
Questions builders in London ask
Where do the London planning figures come from?
From the public planning registers of London's 32 boroughs and the City of London, collected by PlanIt, which gathers UK council registers into one search, and read by TenderPilot about twice a day. Councils publish at different speeds, so one that shows few decisions may simply be behind; its own planning portal has the full record.
How does EstiMate price labour for a job in London?
When EstiMate Pro's AI take-off prices a job, it multiplies its national labour day-rate guide by the index for the site's postcode area: 1.28 for Central London (E, EC, N, NW, SE, SW, W, WC) and 1.18 for Outer London (BR, CR, DA, EN, HA, IG, KT, RM, SM, TW, UB). If you set your own day rates in Settings, the AI prices labour from those instead and the index no longer applies. Once you know your rates, entering them is the better option.
Do I need to be based in London to use EstiMate?
No. EstiMate is an online app for builders and trades anywhere in the UK, on the web and on iPhone. This page adds what is local: the councils, their recent approvals and the labour index for the area's postcodes.
What does EstiMate cost?
Free for up to 3 jobs a month. EstiMate is £15.99 a month for unlimited jobs with quotes, contracts, invoicing and the accounts, and EstiMate Pro is £39.99 a month with the AI quote writer, take-off and Construction Copilot. Prices are per business, not per user, and there is no contract.
Quote, contract and invoice your London jobs in one place.
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