Ecology Survey Cost: Published Prices and What Affects Them
UK firms that publish prices list a bat preliminary roost assessment from £350 to £895 plus VAT across the firms we checked. One firm lists a preliminary ecological appraisal from £450, and one lists bat emergence surveys from £525 per visit. No Sussex-area firm we checked publishes prices, so local costs are by quote.
Published ecology survey prices
The table lists prices that UK ecology firms publish on their own websites. It is not a price list for West Sussex. Each row names the firm, where it is based, the service, the VAT position and when we looked.
| Firm | Where based | Service | Published price | VAT status | Date accessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arbtech | Chester (HQ); UK-wide | Bat preliminary roost assessment | from £399 | Excluding VAT | 8 Nov 2026 |
| Arbtech | Chester (HQ); UK-wide | Bat emergence survey | from £799 | Excluding VAT | 8 Nov 2026 |
| Crossman Ecology | Bath and London | Bat PRA, Standard (5 to 15 working days) | £595 | Plus VAT | 8 Nov 2026 |
| Crossman Ecology | Bath and London | Bat PRA, Plus (1 to 5 working days) | £895 | Plus VAT | 8 Nov 2026 |
| Crossman Ecology | Bath and London | Bat emergence survey, per visit | from £525 | Plus VAT | 8 Nov 2026 |
| Crossman Ecology | Bath and London | Bat licence where a roost is affected | from £900 or from £1,600; ecological supervision from £400 | Not stated | 8 Nov 2026 |
| Aware Ecology | Herefordshire area; also covers other counties | Bat preliminary roost assessment | from £350 | Plus VAT | 8 Nov 2026 |
| Elton Ecology | Derbyshire; works nationally | Preliminary ecological appraisal | from £450 | Not stated | 8 Nov 2026 |
Where a firm says final price depends on the job, the figure above is a starting price. Arbtech says price depends on site size, complexity and number of consultants; Elton Ecology says it depends on site size, location, planning history and habitat complexity.
What affects the cost of an ecology survey
Cost mainly follows how much survey work a site needs. For bats that means the number of emergence visits, set by how suitable the building is, plus the season, the size and complexity of the site, and any further surveys a preliminary ecological appraisal recommends.
- Number of emergence visits. The Bat Conservation Trust guidelines recommend a minimum of one dusk visit for low roost suitability, two for moderate and three for high, with the ecologist able to adjust the number with justification (Table 7.2). See the visits and season table.
- Season. Emergence surveys run from May to September, so emergence visits have to be booked within those months.
- Site size and complexity. Two firms that publish prices, Arbtech and Elton Ecology, say final figures depend on these (see the note under the table).
- Further surveys. A preliminary appraisal can recommend more surveys, and councils such as Arun and Chichester expect those with the application. See what a PEA can lead to.
- Licence and supervision. One firm publishes separate prices where a roost is affected and a licence is needed (table above).
Why get local quotes
We read 14 Sussex-area ecology firm pages and none published a price for a preliminary appraisal, roost assessment or emergence survey. Local firms quote on request, so published UK prices are only a guide. Quotes from firms covering your site are the real comparison.
Ask each firm what its quote includes, whether VAT is included, how many visits it assumes and what happens if the appraisal recommends further surveys. Our bat survey page explains the survey types, and the appraisal page explains what the first step covers.
Sources and dates
Prices come from the firm pages listed here, accessed on 8 November 2026. Survey visit numbers and seasons come from the Bat Conservation Trust guidelines. Firm pages show no date, so prices may have changed since we looked. Treat them as guides only.
- Arbtech, Bat surveys (no date shown), accessed 8 November 2026.
- Crossman Ecology, Bat survey prices for buildings (no date shown), accessed 8 November 2026.
- Aware Ecology, Bat surveys (no date shown), accessed 8 November 2026.
- Elton Ecology, Preliminary ecological appraisal (no date shown), accessed 8 November 2026.
- Bat Conservation Trust, Bat Surveys for Professional Ecologists: Good Practice Guidelines, 4th edition (2023), copy hosted by Mid Sussex District Council (paras 7.2.1 and 7.2.38; Tables 7.1 and 7.2), accessed 8 November 2026.
- Chichester District Council, Local Validation List, November 2023 (Word document linked from the council's apply page), accessed 9 November 2026.
- Arun District Council, Planning application validation requirements (effective 17 October 2024), accessed 9 November 2026.