Mortgage question
What are local authority searches and can I skip them?
Local authority searches are the bundle of checks your conveyancer orders to uncover planning permissions, building regs history, road adoptions, contaminated land and drainage connections that a viewing can’t reveal. In April 2026 they cost £80-£300 and take 10-20 working days. You cannot skip them on a mortgaged purchase — every mainstream UK lender in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requires them before releasing funds.
What is in a “local authority search”?
Three separate searches usually get grouped under that label:
- LLC1 and CON29 — the official local authority search. LLC1 pulls everything registered against the property in the Local Land Charges Register (listed-building status, tree preservation orders, financial charges). CON29 asks the council standard questions about planning, building regs, roads, nearby developments and enforcement notices.
- Water and drainage (CON29DW) — run by your local water company. Confirms the property is connected to mains water and public sewers, and whether any public drain runs under the house (which would limit extensions).
- Environmental — a third-party report (Landmark, Groundsure) that flags contaminated land, flood risk, radon, historic landfills and ground stability.
Between them, these three reports cover roughly 95% of the post-contract “what did we not know?” problems.
How much do searches cost and how long do they take?
Prices are set by councils and water companies, not by your solicitor. The 2026 norm:
| Search | Cost | Turnaround (April 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| LLC1 + CON29 (council) | £80-£250 | 5-20 working days |
| Water and drainage (CON29DW) | £55-£95 | 5-10 working days |
| Environmental | £45-£80 | 1-3 working days |
| Typical bundle | £180-£425 | 10-20 working days |
Most councils have modernised onto Land Registry’s Local Land Charges digital register and now return searches in under a week, but a handful — Liverpool, Bristol and parts of inner London — still take six weeks or more during peaks. Your conveyancer should order searches on day one of instruction; any delay here delays exchange.
Can I use a “personal” search or indemnity insurance instead?
Sometimes, but not to dodge due diligence. Two legal alternatives exist:
- Personal (regulated) search — an independent search agent physically inspects the council’s records and produces a report to CON29 standard. Lenders accept these under the UK Finance Handbook if the agent is regulated and insured. Handy when the council’s in-house service is running six weeks behind.
- Search indemnity insurance — a one-off policy (around £30-£150) that covers you against financial loss from something a search would have revealed. Mostly used in time-critical scenarios such as auction buys or probate sales. It is NOT a substitute for due diligence — it only pays out if you suffer a provable loss, and most lenders will not accept it in place of a full search on a standard mortgaged purchase.
If you’re buying in cash, you can legally skip searches altogether. It’s still reckless on anything more complex than a flat you’ve owned previously.
What do searches actually catch?
Real examples a surveyor won’t spot:
- Planning permission granted next door for a three-storey extension that will block your light.
- A section of pavement outside the house which is unadopted — meaning you, not the council, will pay to resurface it.
- An old Section 106 agreement from a 1990s development that restricts use to “principal residence only” — knocks out buy-to-let plans.
- A public sewer running three feet under your kitchen extension (and therefore needing a build-over agreement).
- Historic landfill within 250 metres — triggering a contaminated-land investigation.
Each of these is the kind of discovery that either kills the deal, justifies a price renegotiation, or needs a specialist indemnity before your lender will release funds.
The misconception worth clearing up
Lots of buyers assume “the council” runs all three searches. It doesn’t — only LLC1 and CON29 are official. The water search is run by Thames Water, Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water or whichever company supplies the area, and the environmental report comes from a private data provider. That matters because the three have different turnaround times and different complaint routes if something is missed. Ask your conveyancer on day one which providers they are using and push for early ordering, especially in the slower councils. Our conveyancing timeline guide maps out where search delays typically bite.
This is information, not regulated advice — your conveyancer will confirm the exact search bundle required for your property and lender.
Sources
Information, not regulated advice. Mortgage Notes is not an FCA-authorised mortgage adviser. For a recommendation on your specific circumstances, speak to an FCA-authorised broker.