Question answered
How much does Start Ready cost and which service level is appropriate?
The direct answer
Start Ready begins free. Professional help is priced by the depth of judgement and evidence required.
The Start Ready Check is free and requires no card. It provides an answer-based preliminary diagnosis, the five-gate position, suggested actions, relevant guides and a saved project record.
The £395 Decision Pack adds professional interpretation and prioritisation based principally on the completed assessment. The £950 Resolution Plan is evidence-led and reviews the agreed relevant project evidence. Project Activation is separately scoped because the work required to coordinate a live project varies materially.
Decision ruleUse the lowest level that answers the real decision. Do not buy a professional product simply because the free result is available, and do not use an assessment-led product when the actual evidence must be checked.
Why this matters
The decision sits across several workstreams.
Transparent pricing helps an owner compare the service with the decision at stake before making contact.
The products are separated by work performed, not by withholding the free answer. The free check remains useful on its own.
Other professional, authority and third-party fees are outside Start Ready unless expressly included in a separate proposal.
Compare the routes
| Route | What it answers | Evidence basis | Current fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Start Ready Check | What appears to be stopping us? | Answers supplied | Free |
| Decision Pack | What matters most, and what should we do next? | Assessment-led professional interpretation | £395 |
| Resolution Plan | What does the agreed evidence show, and how do we close the gaps? | Evidence-led professional review | £950 |
| Project Activation | Can you take control of moving this forward? | Agreed implementation scope | By proposal |
The readiness test
Five checks to put on the record.
Free Start Ready Check
Best where the owner needs a structured first view and can take the questions to the existing team.
Evidence to identify: Answers supplied by the user. No project evidence is professionally reviewed.£395 Decision Pack
Best where one decision needs professional prioritisation, ordered actions and an immediate route.
Evidence to identify: The completed assessment and clarification provided for the assessment-led review.£950 Resolution Plan
Best where the owner needs relevant actual evidence checked and several connected gaps resolved into a controlled plan.
Evidence to identify: The agreed evidence allowance and material project documents.Project Activation
Best where the owner wants the agreed route coordinated, requests prepared or the project actively moved forward.
Evidence to identify: A separate scope, authority mode, programme and fee proposal.External costs
Specialist design, legal, surveyor, authority, application, contractor and other third-party costs remain separate.
Evidence to identify: Appointments, quotations and authority fee schedules.What to do now
A controlled sequence for the owner.
Complete the free check
Establish whether the answer-generated route is enough.
Define the unresolved decision
Is the problem prioritisation, evidence verification or implementation?
Choose by scope
Match the product to the work required rather than the overall size of the project.
Check exclusions
Confirm which specialist advice or third-party work sits outside the chosen product.
Escalate only when justified
A green or actionable free result does not require a paid pack.
Warning signs
Pause and ask for clarity if any of these appear.
- A buyer expects the £395 Decision Pack to verify drawings, licences or approvals.
- Several connected technical and legal matters are forced into a one-issue assessment-led product.
- The owner buys advice without first completing the information needed to frame the problem.
- External professional or authority fees are assumed to be included.
- A bespoke coordination requirement is treated as unlimited support within a fixed-fee plan.
From project experience
The practical pattern.
The right commercial outcome is not always a sale. If the free check gives the owner a clear and supportable route, it has done its job.
This is a professional observation, not a statistical claim or a project-specific conclusion.Questions to put on the record
Ask for answers that can be checked.
- Can my existing team answer the free actions?
- Do I need professional prioritisation or actual evidence verification?
- Is there one central issue or several connected matters?
- Do I need a written plan only, or somebody to coordinate the work?
- Which specialist or authority costs may arise separately?
- What would make a paid product unnecessary?
Frequently asked questions
What owners usually ask next.
Is VAT added?
The checkout and proposal state the tax treatment applying to the purchase. Check the displayed total before payment.
Can the £395 fee be credited later?
A qualifying £395 Activation Credit is included with the Decision Pack, subject to its stated project, expiry and appointment terms.
Why is Project Activation not fixed at £950?
The Resolution Plan is a defined evidence-led review. Active coordination can vary by number of parties, authority required, duration and project complexity, so it is separately scoped.
Sources, editorial responsibility and boundaries
This guide explains the Start Ready method and current product scope. No statutory source is presented as governing it. Project documents and appropriately qualified advice remain necessary.
Published by: Planning & Project Advisory Ltd.
Editorial lead: Anthony Lilley. Planning, design coordination and owner-side project context.
Publication record: Published 3 September 2026. Professionally reviewed 3 September 2026. Geographic scope: England.
Method: Primary sources, professional observations and the use of drafting tools are explained in the editorial policy.
Limit: This material is general information. It is not legal advice, technical approval, a compliance certificate or authority to commence work.