EMAQ+ Kitchen Extract Odour Assessment Cost
Transparent, fixed-fee pricing for EMAQ+ kitchen extract odour assessments for UK restaurants, takeaways, hotels and food businesses. From £800 + VAT, usually turned around in under a fortnight.
Malcolm Pounder CEnv MIAQM, Chartered Environmentalist. Kitchen odour assessments from £800 + VAT.
How Much Does an EMAQ+ Assessment Cost?
An EMAQ+ kitchen extract odour assessment is the document most UK planning authorities expect when you apply for permission to open a restaurant, takeaway, dark kitchen, hotel kitchen or food production unit, or when an environmental health officer responds to a complaint. It scores the odour risk from your kitchen on dispersion from the discharge, proximity of receptors, kitchen size and cooking type, and states the level of odour control the extract system needs to provide.
We price these openly. A typical EMAQ+ assessment for a small restaurant or takeaway starts at £800 + VAT. Larger or more complex commercial kitchens and multi-flue arrangements typically range from £900 to £1,800 + VAT. Fixed fee, no surprise extras, signed off by Malcolm Pounder CEnv MIAQM. We assess and state the level of odour control required; your extract specialist designs and installs the system.
We turn these around quickly: usually within 5–10 working days, and inside a week if your fit-out date is bearing down on you.
EMAQ+ Pricing at a Glance
Typical UK fixed-fee starting prices for 2026. All prices exclude VAT and are confirmed in writing in your fixed-fee quote.
| Service | Typical Use Case | From | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMAQ+ Standard Assessment Single-kitchen restaurant or takeaway |
Restaurants, takeaways, cafes, dark kitchens | £800 | £800–£1,200 |
| EMAQ+ Detailed Assessment Larger or higher-risk kitchen |
Larger commercial kitchens, multi-flue, mixed cuisine, complex receptors | £900 | £900–£1,800 |
| Hotel / Mixed-Use Kitchen Assessment Multiple kitchens or large hotel |
Hotel kitchens, food courts, mixed-use developments | £1,500 | £1,500–£3,500 |
| Discharge of Planning Condition EMAQ+ tailored to specific condition |
Post-permission condition discharge, often with abatement evidence | £800 | £800–£1,500 |
All prices exclude VAT. Any site visit or travel is agreed in your fixed-fee quote. Bundled discounts available for multi-unit operators.
Factors That Affect EMAQ+ Pricing
Six factors typically drive variation in EMAQ+ price.
1. Kitchen size and meal volume
A 30-cover restaurant kitchen is a different scale of assessment than a 200-cover hotel kitchen. More cooking equipment = more odour mass-flow to characterise.
2. Cuisine type
EMAQ+ scores cuisine by odour risk. Indian, Chinese and chargrill kitchens score higher than coffee shops or sandwich bars and need more rigorous treatment.
3. Receptor proximity
Flats above and beside the unit, hotel windows, schools and care homes nearby all drive the assessment intensity. Dense urban settings need a closer look at where the discharge sits relative to windows and gardens.
4. Flue configuration
A vertical flue discharging above the roof ridge is the simplest case. Side-discharge, multi-bend, partial-height or shared flues need more work.
5. Extract design information
If your extract specialist has already designed the system, we assess the details they supply against the level of odour control the EMAQ+ method requires. If not, the assessment states that level for them to design and install to. We do not design or specify extract or odour control equipment.
6. Programme
Standard turnaround is 5–10 working days. Urgent work tied to fit-out programmes or licensing hearings is achievable for a small uplift.
What a Typical Fixed-Fee EMAQ+ Covers
Our standard EMAQ+ fixed fee covers everything you need to submit a planning-ready assessment or discharge an odour condition, from receptor mapping through to risk scoring and report sign-off by a Chartered Environmentalist.
We're used to the awkward cases: converted retail units, listed buildings, basement kitchens, and locations where a high-level discharge is not possible. Send us the trickiest details first.
- ✓ Initial scoping call and condition review
- ✓ Site context, surrounding receptor mapping
- ✓ Cuisine type & cooking method risk characterisation
- ✓ Flue height, terminal location, dispersion review
- ✓ Level of odour control required, for your extract specialist to design to
- ✓ EMAQ+ scoring tables & written report
- ✓ Signed off by Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv MIAQM)
- ✓ Reasonable revisions to address LPA/EHO comments
Expedited turnaround for fit-out deadlines
We know restaurant fit-outs are unforgiving on programme. If your opening date is fixed and the environmental health officer has just thrown in an odour condition, send everything you have over and we can usually deliver a planning-ready EMAQ+ within 3–5 working days. There's a small uplift for expedited work but no surprise charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an EMAQ+ kitchen extract odour assessment cost?
An EMAQ+ kitchen extract odour assessment typically costs between £800 and £1,800 + VAT in the UK. A standard EMAQ+ assessment for a small takeaway or single-kitchen restaurant starts from £800 + VAT. A more involved assessment, such as a larger commercial kitchen, multiple flues or complex receptor surroundings, typically ranges from £900 to £1,800 + VAT. We provide fixed-fee quotes with no hidden extras, usually the same working day, and can often turn an EMAQ+ around within 5 working days for urgent planning condition discharge.
What's included in an EMAQ+ assessment?
Our fixed-fee EMAQ+ assessment includes: initial scoping call and condition review; site context and receptor mapping; cuisine type and cooking method characterisation; assessment of the flue or stack location and discharge height against the EMAQ+ dispersion criteria; tabulated EMAQ+ risk scoring; a clear statement of the level of odour control the EMAQ+ method requires, for your extract specialist to design and install; written report to planning standard; signed off by Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv MIAQM); and reasonable revisions to address planning officer or environmental health comments.
Do I need a full EMAQ+ assessment?
It depends on the planning condition wording and the local planning authority's requirements. Many authorities, particularly in urban areas, ask for an assessment following the EMAQ+ method for a new restaurant or takeaway with a commercial kitchen extract. Send us your condition wording and we'll tell you what it asks for before you commit.
Can you design or specify the extract plant for me?
No. We assess; we do not design or specify kitchen extraction or odour control equipment. The EMAQ+ assessment states the level of odour control the method requires for your kitchen, and your extract specialist designs and installs a system to meet it. Where your extract specialist has already prepared a design, we assess the details they supply against that level of control.
How fast can you turn it around?
Standard turnaround is 5–10 working days from receiving site plans, kitchen layout, extract specification and any planning condition wording. For urgent work tied to a fit-out deadline or licensing application, we can often deliver an EMAQ+ within 3–5 working days for a small uplift. We confirm programme upfront in writing as part of the fixed-fee quote, and we communicate openly throughout.