Air Quality Assessment Cost UK
Transparent, fixed-fee pricing for UK air quality assessments. Screening assessments from £500, detailed dispersion modelling from £1,500. No hidden extras — just a clear quote, usually the same working day.
How Much Does an Air Quality Assessment Cost?
The honest answer: it depends on what your planning officer actually needs. A simple screening assessment for a small infill scheme can be done for a few hundred pounds. A full EIA air quality chapter with baseline monitoring, dispersion modelling and significance assessment for a major development can run to several thousand. Most planning applications sit somewhere in between — and most fall within a relatively predictable range once we understand the site.
Air Dust Odour believes in transparent pricing. We give fixed-fee quotes wherever possible, usually within the same working day. There are no hidden line items, no charges for reasonable revisions to address planning officer comments, and no surprises at invoice. Malcolm Pounder CEnv MIAQM personally scopes every job, so you talk to the consultant doing the work — not a sales team.
Below you'll find the price range for each type of air quality assessment we provide, the factors that drive cost, and what's included in a typical fixed-fee quote.
Air Quality Assessment Prices at a Glance
The figures below are typical UK fixed-fee starting prices for 2026. Final pricing depends on site complexity — we'll confirm in writing.
| Assessment Type | Typical Use Case | From | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screening Assessment IAQM/EPUK criteria, no modelling |
Small residential schemes, low-traffic commercial, discharge of low-risk condition | £500 | £500–£900 |
| Detailed Dispersion Modelling ADMS-Roads or AERMOD |
Medium to large residential, traffic-generating developments, junction schemes | £1,500 | £1,500–£3,500 |
| Baseline Monitoring NO2 diffusion tubes |
Sites near AQMAs, complex receptor patterns, validation of modelled background | £900 | £900–£2,500 3–12 months |
| EIA Air Quality Chapter Standalone chapter with significance |
Major developments requiring EIA, large mixed-use, industrial | £3,500 | £3,500–£6,000+ |
| Industrial Source Modelling Point/volume source ADMS or AERMOD |
Permit applications, industrial planning, energy plant | £2,000 | £2,000–£6,000+ |
| Air Quality Neutral Assessment London Plan / LPA-specific |
London Plan compliance, AQN/AQP statements | £750 | £750–£1,800 |
Prices exclude VAT. Indicative only — please contact us for a fixed-fee quote tailored to your project.
Factors That Affect Air Quality Assessment Pricing
Every project is different, but six factors account for most of the variation in price.
1. Site size and scheme scale
A 5-dwelling infill is fundamentally less work than a 500-dwelling allocation. More dwellings = more receptors, more traffic-generated emissions to model, more sensitivity testing.
2. Complexity of dispersion modelling
Number of modelled sources (roads, stacks, vents), extent of the receptor network, whether short-term/long-term assessments are needed, and whether building downwash or terrain effects matter.
3. Receptor count and sensitivity
Schools, hospitals and care homes are more sensitive receptors than offices or warehouses. Designated nature conservation sites (SAC, SPA, SSSI) trigger additional ecological assessment requirements.
4. Monitoring requirement
If the LPA requires baseline NO2 monitoring (typical near AQMAs), that adds 3–12 months of tube deployment, lab analysis and reporting on top of the modelling work.
5. EIA scope
A standalone air quality assessment is a fraction of the cost of a full EIA air quality chapter. EIA chapters require formal significance assessment, cumulative effects, mitigation proposals and matrix tables.
6. Programme and revisions
Standard turnaround is built into our quoted price. Urgent work outside normal lead times may carry an uplift. Reasonable revisions to address planning officer comments are included — we don't nickel-and-dime.
What a Typical Fixed-Fee Quote Covers
We bundle everything you need to submit a planning-ready assessment into a single, transparent fee. No add-ons for "reviewing the comments" or "uploading the PDF".
If your scheme needs extras — long-term monitoring, additional sensitivity runs, attendance at a public inquiry — we agree those upfront in writing so you know exactly where you stand.
- ✓ Initial scoping call to confirm requirements
- ✓ Data gathering (DEFRA background, traffic, met data)
- ✓ All modelling runs and sensitivity testing
- ✓ Full written report to IAQM 2024 V2.2 standard
- ✓ Site location and receptor mapping figures
- ✓ Signed off by Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv MIAQM)
- ✓ Reasonable revisions to address LPA comments
- ✓ Direct liaison with the LPA/EHO where helpful
A word on "free template" assessments
Free or generic air quality assessment templates — the kind sometimes floating around developer forums — almost always get returned by the planning officer. They use out-of-date background data, miss the IAQM 2024 V2.2 methodology, fail to address site-specific receptors, and are not signed off by a competent professional.
The cost of a returned application — weeks of planning delay, repeated revision rounds, sometimes a refusal — usually dwarfs the saving. A properly scoped fixed-fee assessment from a chartered consultant is normally the cheapest route in the round.
How to Brief Us for a Quote
We can usually quote within the same working day. The more of the following you can share, the sharper the quote.
Site address & postcode
So we can check background concentrations, AQMA proximity, busy roads and pre-application planning history.
Scheme description
Number of dwellings or floor area, land use, plant (boilers, generators, kitchen extracts), parking spaces.
Planning context
Pre-application advice, scoping opinion, LPA consultation responses, EIA screening determination.
Programme
Target submission or determination date — we'll work around your planning timetable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an air quality assessment cost in the UK?
UK air quality assessment costs typically range from £500 for a simple screening assessment to £6,000+ for a full EIA air quality chapter. A standard screening assessment for a small residential or commercial scheme starts from £500. A detailed dispersion modelling assessment using ADMS-Roads starts from £1,500. Baseline monitoring (NO2 diffusion tubes for 3+ months) costs from £900. Full EIA air quality chapters for major developments typically range from £3,500 to £6,000+. Air Dust Odour provides fixed-fee quotes with no hidden extras.
Why are some air quality assessments more expensive than others?
Cost is driven primarily by scope. Key factors include: (1) whether dispersion modelling is required, and how many sources and receptors are modelled; (2) whether baseline monitoring is needed, and for how long; (3) site complexity — proximity to AQMAs, busy roads, designated habitats; (4) the number of receptors and emission sources requiring assessment; (5) whether the assessment forms a standalone planning document or part of a wider EIA chapter requiring significance assessment; (6) programme — urgent work commissioned outside normal lead times may carry an uplift. A pre-quote conversation usually pins this down quickly.
Do you offer fixed-fee quotes?
Yes — almost all our quotes are fixed-fee. We review your site location, scheme description, planning context and any pre-application correspondence, and then provide a single all-in price. There are no hidden charges for revisions to address planning officer comments, no separate line items for postage or reporting, and no surprise add-ons. Where the scope genuinely cannot be fixed (e.g. open-ended monitoring campaigns), we agree day rates upfront in writing.
What's the cheapest type of air quality assessment?
An IAQM/EPUK screening assessment is the cheapest option, typically from £500 to £900. This is appropriate where the development is below the IAQM/EPUK screening thresholds (e.g. fewer than 10 dwellings near a quiet road, low traffic generation, no on-site combustion plant). The screening assessment uses published background data, traffic estimates and IAQM criteria to demonstrate that detailed modelling is not required. If your scheme exceeds the screening thresholds, a detailed assessment with dispersion modelling will be needed — see our screening vs detailed guide.
Can I write my own air quality assessment to save money?
Technically yes, but it is rarely a good idea. Planning officers and environmental health teams expect assessments to be prepared in accordance with IAQM/EPUK guidance and to be signed off by a competent professional, ideally a chartered environmentalist (CEnv) or member of the Institute of Air Quality Management (MIAQM). Assessments that don't meet these standards are routinely returned by the LPA, which delays your application by weeks or months — far more costly than the consultant's fee. Free templates do not account for site-specific conditions, current background data, or the latest 2024 IAQM guidance.