Guide
Transport Assessment cost: 2026 fees and what drives them
Updated
Transport Assessments are the expensive sibling because they carry measured data: surveys, trip generation work, and sometimes junction modelling. The fee tracks the evidence the highway authority wants, which is why scoping before quoting matters.
Typical fees at a glance
| Scope | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Transport Statement, smaller scheme | £1,500–£3,500 |
| Transport Assessment, straightforward scheme | £5,000–£10,000 |
| Transport Assessment with junction modelling / contested highway issues | Well beyond £10,000, scoped per scheme |
| Travel Plan alongside | Often £1,000–£2,500 standalone (typical 2026 quotes) |
The £5,000–£10,000 band for a straightforward Transport Assessment is our reading of typical 2026 quotes and varies with survey needs; treat it as a planning figure to verify against real quotes for your scheme, not a promise.
What moves the fee
- Traffic surveys: commissioned counts (junction turning counts, automatic traffic counts) are a real cost with their own lead time, and some authorities specify when and where counts must be taken.
- Junction modelling: where capacity is contested, modelling individual junctions adds specialist time; network-level modelling more again.
- Scoping with the highway authority: an agreed scope before work starts prevents the expensive loop of assess, object, re-assess. Pre-app advice may carry the authority's own fee; check its schedule.
- Mitigation design: where the assessment shows impact, junction improvements or contributions need designing and negotiating, usually as an addendum to the original fee.
Comparing quotes fairly
- Ask each consultant to state what surveys are included, excluded, or assumed already available; survey costs are where identical-looking quotes diverge.
- Ask whether responding to highway authority comments is included, and for how many rounds.
- Ask who fronts the work: assessments defended at committee or appeal need an author prepared to stand behind them.
The framing for all of these documents is the government's guidance on travel plans, transport assessments and statements (gov.uk). Get quotes for the document your scheme actually needs.