Environment Act 2021
What does a biodiversity net gain assessment cost?
BNG cost splits into two: the fee for the ecology work that produces your metric calculation and biodiversity gain plan, and the cost of actually delivering the gain, on site, off site or through statutory credits. gov.uk states developers must deliver a BNG of 10 percent and maintain created or enhanced habitats for a minimum of 30 years. This page sets out the official rules and every fee driver, then puts your site in front of ecology consultants.
What happens next
- Tell us about the site, the habitats on it and what you need quoting. Two minutes, no account.
- We pass your details to ecology consultants covering the site, and to no one else.
- They contact you with a fee proposal and a realistic survey window. Compare, appoint, or walk away.
BNG Quotes is an independent site and free introduction service operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd; we pass your details to ecology consultants who quote you directly. We may receive a fee from those consultants; you pay nothing and are under no obligation. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Defra, Natural England, any local planning authority or any body named on this site, and nothing here is planning, legal or ecological advice. Statutory requirements, exemptions and credit prices on this site are quoted from gov.uk guidance current at the date shown; BNG guidance changes, so check gov.uk before relying on any figure.
Statutory biodiversity credit prices and the BNG rules, 2026
Last updated
Statutory biodiversity credits are the government's last-resort route to compliance, and unlike the private off-site market their prices are published. Those published prices act as a ceiling reference for the whole discussion: they are what compliance costs if nothing else can be arranged. The tiers and prices below are as published by gov.uk.
Credit tiers and prices are reproduced from gov.uk guidance on statutory biodiversity credit prices, current at the date shown above; check the gov.uk page for the current figures before relying on them. gov.uk states that you must buy 2 statutory credits for every 1 biodiversity unit you need to compensate for, and that VAT will not be charged on BNG credits. The statutory requirement to deliver a BNG of 10 percent, the minimum 30 year maintenance period and the exemption thresholds are quoted from gov.uk guidance on understanding biodiversity net gain and on exempt developments, both linked in the sources below. We do not publish private off-site unit prices or consultants' fees, because neither is officially published and both vary by habitat, location and site. Get quotes through the form above for your own site.
| Credit tier | Price per credit (gov.uk published price) | Habitats in the tier |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | £42,000 | All low distinctiveness habitats, plus medium distinctiveness heathland, grassland, individual trees, urban and cropland, and high distinctiveness reedbeds and traditional orchards |
| A2 | £48,000 | Medium distinctiveness woodland and forest and intertidal sediment, plus high distinctiveness calcareous grassland, tall herb communities, heathland types and open mosaic habitats |
| A3 | £66,000 | High distinctiveness wet woodland, felled woodland, upland birchwoods, littoral mud and mixed sediments, and biogenic reefs |
| A4 | £125,000 | Medium distinctiveness lakes including reservoirs and ponds, and sparsely vegetated land, plus high distinctiveness wetland mosaic, priority ponds, coastal lagoons, rocky shores, saltmarsh, seagrass and woodland types |
| A5 | £650,000 | High distinctiveness lakes: high alkalinity, low alkalinity, marl, moderate alkalinity and peat lakes |
| H, hedgerow | £44,000 | Linear hedgerow habitats |
| W, watercourse | £230,000 | Linear watercourse habitats |
- gov.uk states that developers must deliver a BNG of 10 percent, measured using the statutory biodiversity metric, and must create a biodiversity gain plan showing how they will achieve it.
- gov.uk states that you must maintain the habitats you create or enhance for a minimum of 30 years, with responsibilities set out in a legal agreement.
- gov.uk states that from 6 August 2026 BNG does not apply to planning applications for developments where the site area within the red line boundary is 0.2 hectares or below.
- gov.uk states that you must buy 2 statutory biodiversity credits for every 1 biodiversity unit you need to compensate for, and that VAT will not be charged on BNG credits.
- gov.uk states that the local planning authority must approve or refuse your biodiversity gain plan within 8 weeks.
Cite this page
“Statutory biodiversity credit prices and the BNG rules, 2026”, BNG Quotes, https://bngquotes.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). Credit tiers and prices are reproduced from gov.uk guidance on statutory biodiversity credit prices, current at the date shown above; check the gov.uk page for the current figures before relying on them. gov.uk states that you must buy 2 statutory credits for every 1 biodiversity unit you need to compensate for, and that VAT will not be charged on BNG credits. The statutory requirement to deliver a BNG of 10 percent, the minimum 30 year maintenance period and the exemption thresholds are quoted from gov.uk guidance on understanding biodiversity net gain and on exempt developments, both linked in the sources below. We do not publish private off-site unit prices or consultants' fees, because neither is officially published and both vary by habitat, location and site. Get quotes through the form above for your own site.
Guides
Every figure sourced and dated.
- Biodiversity net gain cost: assessment fees and delivery cost
BNG cost has two halves: the ecology fee for survey, metric and gain plan, and the cost of delivering the units on site, off site or through statutory credits.
- Biodiversity net gain requirements: what gov.uk actually says
The statutory 10 percent, the biodiversity metric, the biodiversity gain plan and its 8 week determination, the 30 year maintenance period and the delivery hierarchy.
- Biodiversity net gain exemptions: the full gov.uk list for 2026
Which developments are exempt from BNG: the 0.2 hectare threshold from 6 August 2026, the de minimis rule, householder, self-build, temporary and other exemptions.
- BNG units and statutory credits: how the fallback hierarchy prices out
On-site habitat, off-site units and statutory biodiversity credits: how the hierarchy works, the published credit prices, and the 2 credits per unit rule.
Questions, answered directly
How much does biodiversity net gain cost?
BNG cost has two halves. The assessment fee is professional time for the habitat survey, the statutory biodiversity metric calculation and the biodiversity gain plan, scoped on site size, habitat complexity and survey season. The delivery cost is what it takes to produce the 10 percent gain: on-site habitat with a minimum 30 year management obligation, off-site units, or statutory BNG credits at gov.uk published prices with 2 credits required per unit.
What is biodiversity net gain?
A statutory requirement in England, introduced under the Environment Act 2021, that development leaves habitats in a measurably better state than before. gov.uk states developers must deliver a BNG of 10 percent, measured with the statutory biodiversity metric, set out in a biodiversity gain plan approved by the local planning authority, and maintained for a minimum of 30 years.
Do I need an ecologist for BNG?
Not always. gov.uk states that for small developments you do not need an ecologist: you can use the simpler small sites biodiversity metric tool yourself, or someone familiar with the site can do a survey and make a calculation. For anything with mixed or higher distinctiveness habitat, linear habitats, or a contested condition assessment, an ecology consultant is usually the cheaper route once delay is counted.
When does BNG not apply?
gov.uk lists a number of exemptions, including developments of 0.2 hectares or below from 6 August 2026, householder applications, impacts below the de minimis threshold of 25 square metres of habitat or 5 metres of linear habitat, temporary developments permitted for 5 years or less from 6 August 2026, self-build with permission obtained before 6 August 2026, off-site gain sites and high-speed rail development. Check the gov.uk exempt developments page and your local planning authority's validation requirements.
How do I buy statutory biodiversity credits?
Only as a last resort, once on-site and off-site units cannot deliver the gain, and your local planning authority should confirm you can use them first. Knowing how to buy biodiversity credits is then short: you apply to Natural England yourself (an agent or representative cannot buy them for you), it runs identity and anti-money laundering checks and aims to contact you within 4 weeks, up to 8 in total, then sends a proforma invoice, and once you pay you receive a proof of purchase to use towards your BNG requirement. (GOV.UK, buy statutory biodiversity credits)
How long does a BNG assessment take?
The binding constraint is usually survey season rather than desk time, because habitat condition assessment is only reliable within the growing season. Build the survey window into the programme rather than the report turnaround, and note that gov.uk states the local planning authority must approve or refuse a biodiversity gain plan within 8 weeks.
Is this quote service really free?
Yes, free to you, with no obligation to appoint anyone. We pass your details only to ecology consultants covering your site, who quote you directly. We may receive a fee from those consultants, which is how the service is funded.
Sources
- gov.uk, understanding biodiversity net gain
- gov.uk, biodiversity net gain exempt developments
- gov.uk, statutory biodiversity credit prices
- gov.uk, buy statutory biodiversity credits
- gov.uk, statutory biodiversity metric tools and guides
- legislation.gov.uk, Environment Act 2021
- legislation.gov.uk, Environment Act 2021, Part 6 (nature and biodiversity)
- gov.uk, biodiversity net gain guidance collection