Heritage Consultancy Directory UK 2026

Reviewed by

Oliver Wakefield-Smith

Founder, Digital Signet

Last reviewed 22 June 2026 · Refreshed quarterly

Direct answer

Which UK consultancies write HIAs?

The UK heritage-consultancy market has roughly 60 to 80 active firms writing HIAs, ranging from one-person IHBC-accredited practices charging £400 for a Heritage Statement up to multi-disciplinary planning groups charging £20,000+ for a strategic HIA. The directory below lists the 16 most-referenced consultancies, plus the two statutory and two credential bodies relevant to commissioning.

Consultancies

Pricing convention. Where the entry below ends "Quote-only", the consultancy does not publish per-project rates; the vendor page sets out which of the four home-page fee bands the firm typically falls into, with the underlying market-observation context. No heritage consultancy in this list publishes a per-project rate; discrete £-figures below belong to the statutory advisor and credential bodies (Historic England, IHBC, RICS-BCA).

Heritage Collective, Residential and small-commercial conservation-area work in London and Bristol. RIBA-CA principals. Quote-only (Statement / Full HIA bands).
Orion Heritage, Strategic and large-scale residential, retail and infrastructure. CIfA-Registered Organisation. Quote-only (Full HIA / HIA+DBA bands).
RPS (formerly CgMs), Multi-discipline heritage plus archaeology plus EIA chapter. Tetra Tech ownership since 2023. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).
Arbtech, Heritage Statements arranged via a partner consultancy; strong online presence. Former from-£695 published fixed fee withdrawn, now Quote-only (Statement band).
Urbanist Architecture, Heritage Statement bundled with planning and architectural service. London focus. Quote-only (Statement / Full HIA bands).
The Heritage Practice, Significance statements and Grade I/II* cases. IHBC-led team. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).
Montagu Evans, High-value London and WHS work. Frequent appearer at appeal and inquiry. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).
Donald Insall Associates, Architects plus heritage consultancy. RIBA Conservation Architect heavy. Quote-only (Full HIA / HIA+DBA bands).
Purcell, National practice with conservation-accredited principals; cathedral and listed-estate work. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).
Alan Baxter, Multi-disciplinary engineering, heritage and urban design. WHS active. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).
Beacon Planning, Mid-size practice with national footprint. Appeal work on less-than-substantial-harm. Quote-only (Full HIA / HIA+DBA bands).
Built Heritage Consultancy, Residential and small-commercial Grade II work. IHBC-accredited principals. Quote-only (Statement / Full HIA bands).
Pegasus Group, Planning consultancy with heritage team. Combined with planning retainer. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).
Iceni Projects, London-led national practice. Heritage as sub-discipline of planning. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).
Wessex Archaeology, Archaeology and heritage charitable company. CIfA-Registered Organisation. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).
Cotswold Archaeology, Archaeology-led heritage consultancy. CIfA-Registered. Quote-only (HIA+DBA band).

Statutory advisor and credential bodies

Historic England (Enhanced Advisory Services), Statutory advisor. Enhanced Advisory Services is the chargeable pre-application route. £127/hour ex VAT from 1 April 2026. Fast-track Listing typically £2,000 to £6,000.
RICS Building Conservation Accreditation, Accreditation scheme for surveyors. Not a heritage-statement vendor. £200 plus VAT one-off accreditation application fee.
IHBC (Institute of Historic Building Conservation), Professional body; HESPR-listed firms (consultancy register) quote per project. Membership £160/yr standard, £80 concessionary 2026/27.

How to choose

Match the consultancy's typical asset-grade focus to your case. A firm specialising in cathedral and Grade I work is over-scoped for a Grade II rear extension.
Check accreditation: RIBA-CA, IHBC full member, CIfA Member, RICS BCA.
Confirm whether the fee is fixed or day-rate, and whether site visit, travel, photography and DBA add-ons are included.
Ask for two recent comparable case studies, recency matters more than total years in practice.
Establish the named author up front; firms sometimes substitute a junior at delivery.