How much do conveyancing searches cost in 2026?
Property searches cost £250–£450 for a standard pack in 2026 — and you pay only after you’ve committed to a solicitor. Here’s the full breakdown, and how to screen the deal-breakers first.
By Antony Riozzi BEng (Hons), flood-risk consultant · Updated September 2026
When you buy a house in England, your conveyancer orders a bundle of property searches once your offer is accepted. They’re paid as disbursements on top of the legal fee — and, crucially, they’re non-refundable if the purchase falls through. Here’s what the standard pack costs in 2026, and where you can save.
What a standard search pack costs
Why the local authority search swings so much
There is no national price for the local authority search: each council sets its own CON29 fee, which is why the same legal product can cost four times as much depending on where you buy. Personal (private) local searches from a regulated provider can cut this element to roughly £30–£80, which is how the cheaper packs get there — ask your conveyancer whether they use official or personal searches.
The catch: you pay after you’ve committed
Searches are ordered after your offer is accepted and you’ve instructed a solicitor — so you’re already several hundred pounds into legal fees. Around a third of agreed sales fall through before exchange, and search fees don’t transfer to your next property. That’s the case for a cheap upfront screen: spend £20 to check the obvious deal-breakers before you offer, not £250–£450 to discover them afterwards.
Where you can (and can’t) save
- Screen for flood & environmental risk before you offer — £20
- Ask whether personal local searches are an option
- Compare conveyancer quotes — some add mark-ups per search
- Don’t duplicate a standalone flood search if the environmental one covers it
- You can’t skip searches on a mortgaged purchase — lenders require them
- Cash buyers can technically skip, but it’s a serious risk
Frequently asked questions
How much are conveyancing searches in 2026?
A standard pack (local authority, drainage & water, and environmental) usually totals £250–£450, with add-ons such as coal mining or HS2 pushing complex cases past £500. The local authority search is the largest and most variable part.
Are search fees refundable if my purchase falls through?
No. Searches are paid to third parties when ordered and are non-refundable, and they can’t be transferred to another property. This is why many buyers screen for obvious problems before committing.
Can I do searches myself before instructing a solicitor?
You can check a lot for free (the GOV.UK flood map, the Coal Authority viewer, BGS geology) and buy a low-cost screening report like ours for £20. But the formal, lender-accepted searches must be ordered through your conveyancer — a screen sits before them, it doesn’t replace them.
Do I need searches if I’m a cash buyer?
Legally you can skip them with no lender to satisfy, but it’s risky — you could miss contaminated land, a nearby road scheme, or flood risk. Most cash buyers still commission at least the core searches.
See the flood & environmental picture for your property
Every open flood source, plus ground, environment, value and context — a plain-English PDF report for the exact plot you draw, for £20.