What you actually pay for
The ecologist deliverable comprises a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) and a UKHab baseline survey. Headline bands are £1,500 to 4,000 plus VAT; the cheaper end covers a single small parcel with simple habitat composition surveyed inside the optimal window. The higher end reflects multi-day survey, complex mosaics, and write-up of condition assessments per habitat row in the JP039 spreadsheet.[S6]
Survey window
UKHab condition assessment is reliable from April to September; outside that window the surveyor either defers, or surveys at indicative condition and flags a re-visit at planning condition discharge. April / May surveys command a premium in pinch years.
What feeds the JP039 calculator
- UKHab Level 3 habitat polygons.
- Condition score per polygon (poor / moderate / good) with evidence pack.
- Hedgerow and watercourse modules where applicable.
- Strategic significance proposal mapped against the LNRS.
When Phase 2 species survey is triggered
If the PEA flags potential European Protected Species (great crested newt, bats, dormice, water vole) presence, Phase 2 species surveys are triggered; these add £1,500 to 8,000 per species depending on survey effort. The cost is a separate line item from the BNG baseline.[S6]