Town planning fees vary widely. The cost depends on the complexity of the project, the type of service required, the experience of the planner, and whether the engagement is structured as a fixed fee or hourly rate. Preliminary planning reviews are typically fixed fee. Development application management is more complex and is usually quoted on a project basis. This article outlines the fee structures commonly used by private town planners in Queensland and what to expect when you ask for a written proposal.
Fixed-fee services
Preliminary planning reviews, sometimes called feasibility assessments or due diligence reviews, are usually offered on a fixed-fee basis. The work is structured: a review of the property, the planning scheme provisions, the applicable overlays, and the likely assessment level for a proposed development. Because the scope is contained, the fee is predictable.
Fixed-fee proposals typically range from low single-digit thousands for a straightforward residential review, up to several thousand for more complex sites or proposals. The fee should be set out in writing before any work begins, with clear deliverables and inclusions.
Project-based DA management
Development application management is rarely a single fixed fee, because the work scales with the application. A typical engagement includes: pre-application meetings with the council; preparation of the application material (planning report, plans, supporting reports); lodgement and management of the application; response to information requests; engagement with the assessing officer; and management of any conditions of approval.
The fee for DA management is usually structured as a project fee for a defined scope, with hourly rates for additional work outside scope. For a code-assessable application of moderate complexity, fees commonly sit in the mid-to-high single-digit thousands. Impact-assessable applications, applications involving multiple consultants, or applications likely to attract submitter objections are quoted higher.
What drives complexity (and cost)
Several factors increase the fee: impact assessment rather than code; multiple overlays applying to the site; the need for consultant input (traffic, acoustic, hydraulics, ecology, heritage); contested zoning or planning history; appeals and Planning and Environment Court involvement; and the volume of community engagement required.
Conversely, fees are lower for: code-assessable applications; sites with no overlays; well-resolved design at engagement; and projects where the developer or architect has done significant pre-work. Engaging a town planner early, before significant design effort, usually reduces overall cost, because reworking design to satisfy planning requirements is more expensive than designing to them in the first place.
What to expect from a written proposal
Before engaging any planner, you should expect a written proposal that sets out: the scope of work to be performed; the fee (or fee structure) and what is included; what is not included; assumptions on which the fee is based; the expected timeframe; how variations will be handled; and the planner's relevant experience.
Be cautious of unusually low quotes. Town planning is professional advisory work, and a quote substantially below market is often achievable only by reducing scope or rigour. The savings rarely outweigh the risk of an under-prepared application that fails or is conditioned in ways that compromise the project.
Planning fees are not standardised, and direct comparison between proposals requires careful reading of inclusions and exclusions. The most useful way to compare planners is to ask each for a written scope and fee, and compare them against each other, not just on price, but on what is actually included and how the planner intends to manage the work.