GUIDE
Region and access — why the same drawing changes price
Last checked September 2026 · Published by Rodway Labs
Not a quote. Figures in this guide are illustrative UK cost bands compiled for planning. They are not a tender, valuation or building-regulation ruling. Get written quotes for the property. Project Cost Lab (Rodway Labs) is not a contractor, architect or quantity surveyor. The mid figure is a band, not a price; the VAT toggle is a display choice, not a ruling.
Two blunt levers in the model
Project Cost Lab applies regional and access factors on top of a compiled works mid. They exist because labour rates, scaffold logistics and parking differ across the UK — and because a rear extension on an open plot is not the same logistic job as the same footprint on a tight terrace with no side access. Both levers are illustrations, not a price book for your postcode.
Regional factors used in the calculator
- UK mid-range — baseline
- Inner London — about +30%
- Outer London — about +22%
- South East outside London — about +12%
- East of England / South West — about +5%
- West Midlands — mid
- East Midlands — about −5%
- North West / Scotland — about −7%
- Yorkshire & Humber / Wales / Northern Ireland — about −10%
- North East — about −12%
A contractor in a “cheaper” region can still price above the band if the specification is high or the programme is awkward. London premiums do not mean every borough quotes the same.
Access options
- Easy — parking, skip space, side access for materials.
- Typical suburban plot — the default assumption.
- Tight terrace / no side access — more manual handling, scaffold complexity, neighbour coordination.
Access also interacts with occupation: living in during dusty or noisy works often slows the programme even when the pound figure looks similar.
Listed and conservation constraints
The listed / conservation uplift in the calculator (+15% when selected) is a blunt stand-in for extra design care and materials — not a heritage consultant’s fee quote. Planning risk still sits largely outside the band.
How to use these levers without fooling yourself
- Pick the region that matches where the property is, not where you wish rates were.
- Be honest about vans, skips and whether materials go through the house.
- Re-run the band when comparing a London quote with a regional one on the same drawing.
- Remember VAT display and contingency are separate knobs.
- Only written quotes settle the number — this lab sizes a conversation.