How Much Do Film Companies Pay for Locations in the UK?

Booking the “right” shooting location is one of the first big decisions on any film, TV or commercial production. London and the UK boast some truly brilliant backdrops, from historic streets to grand estates, but with that charm comes a cost – both financial and logistical.

When a production wants to film in council-owned parks, streets, estates or buildings, there are often location fees on top of any permit or notice fee. These fees vary widely depending on the council, the crew size, and the impact of the production.

As an example, council-owned locations (such as parks, cemeteries or estates) in Brent Council in London can range from about £2,000 to £3,500 per day for small to large crews, with large drama and feature pricing starting from £5,000 per day or more. There are also charges for temporary structures and traffic management; a £100 facilitation fee generally also applies.

Similarly, Merton Film Office has a scale of location charges based on cast and crew size – from around £100 per hour for very small shoots to a day rate of £4,000 – £12,000+ for productions with 75+ people.

These figures show two important things:

• The first is that charges can vary significantly, and not for visibly obvious reasons (Brent’s cemeteries probably aren’t worth twice the price of Merton’s, for example!) But unlike private locations, these fees are set by local authorities and represent a combination of land use, disruption cost, and administrative overheads.
• The second is that even filming in fairly ordinary council property can be a significant line item in a budget, especially for mid-sized or large productions.

Many London filmmakers choose to book locations through location agencies or libraries – services that represent private homes, warehouses, halls, and other commercial spaces. These locations tend to command higher fees because they’re typically used exclusively for a production’s shoot day(s).

Here’s what you can expect when booking a private location for a shoot:

• Smaller residential properties can be £1,000 – £1,500 per day for mid-size crews
• Larger houses, unique period homes or more distinctive spaces might be £3,000 – £5,000 per day, sometimes more for very premium properties
• Low-impact shoots with 1-10 people might negotiate fees below £1,000, depending on the space

Some luxury or historically significant sites will have much higher rates, too. For example, Hatfield Park, which is a historic estate with multiple filming zones, lists rates around £10,000 per day for filming in the house, with gardens and other areas ranging from £5,000 per day, and additional holdover costs for extended use.

It’s also useful to know that prep and strike days (the setup and clear-down) are often billed at half of the shoot day rate, so producers may need to budget for more than just the days they’re filming.

While council fees and a handful of location card examples are out there on the internet, comprehensive UK-wide pricing for most private film locations doesn’t exist in one place; it’s almost always negotiated case by case.

Most museum, heritage site, stately home or private estate location fees are not publicly listed and will depend on:

• How exclusive the location is
• Whether the production is commercial, TV or feature
• The duration of the shoot
• Impact on day-to-day operation of the space
• Crew size and disruption
• Insurance and indemnity requirements

Because of this variability, many productions work with location managers and scouts who use experience and market knowledge to negotiate appropriate day rates well ahead of shooting.

Now that we’ve established that you’ll likely need an agent of some sort, let’s look at the inevitable costs, because there’s likely a booking or administration fee on top of the location rate.

As an example, some London-based agencies charge around £250 + VAT per filming location booked as a booking fee. If a production finds a location through a library service instead, there may also be a library fee or agency commission, which is typically a few percent of the hire fee, or a flat amount added to the rental.

These fees cover the scouting, negotiation time, contracts and coordination between production and property owner.

So, with all this taken into account, how do you actually budget for your shoot location? The unfortunately wishy washy answer is – it depends largely on your production type.

For indie or low-budget films, location hire is often one of the higher variable costs. Smaller shoots might get deals under £1,000 per day for a residential property, or less if they film in public areas with minimal disruption.

For TV & mid-budget productions, fees in the £2,000 – £5,000 per day range are common, especially when using interesting private homes or pretty council-managed spaces.

High-end commercials and feature films should budget £5,000 – £15,000+ per day, particularly for unique properties, historic estates, or when exclusivity (closing a space for a whole day) is required.

It’s worth remembering that for most locations, especially public-sector ones like parks, councils expect to see additional costs for traffic management, parking suspensions and other impact-related charges – all of which stack on top of the base fee.

When you add everything up, it’s rarely just the headline location fee that determines whether a shoot is affordable. Real-world locations come with a stack of related costs that can quietly inflate a budget – especially as crew size and complexity increase.

Alongside the base hire rate, productions often need to factor in prep and strike days, permit or notice fees, traffic management, parking bay suspensions, additional insurance requirements, and the cost of a location manager to coordinate it all.

Individually, these charges are mostly manageable. Together, they can turn a “reasonable” £2,000 – £3,000 day rate into something far more intimidating.

This is where studios start to look less like a compromise and more like the winning option.

Unlike most “real” locations, film studios operate on transparent, predictable pricing. You’re usually booking a clear day rate that already includes power, controlled access, parking, and basic facilities – without needing council approvals, road closures or negotiations with multiple stakeholders. You also remove a lot of the uncertainty: no weather delays, no public interference, and no risk of being asked to wrap early because a location’s tolerance has been reached.

Even when a real-world location appears cheaper on paper, the additional operational spend can quickly tip the balance in favour of a film studio.

A Final Note on Negotiation and Pricing Transparency

Even when councils or agencies publish guide rates, always keep in mind: most filming fees are still negotiable.

Much depends on how a production presents itself, and experienced location managers and scouts know how to frame a shoot in a way that reassures owners, clearly communicates impact, and helps arrive at a rate that works for everyone involved.

If you’re sourcing locations yourself, starting conversations early and being upfront about crew size, schedule, access requirements and disruption can make a real difference in your costs.

It’s also worth acknowledging that while we’d love to give you clear, useful answers to all your cost-related questions, there’s no single, reliable source listing UK filming fees across all location types. Many premium or historically significant sites never publish their rates publicly at all, instead quoting on a case-by-case basis.

So, if you’re budgeting for a specific property, like a Grade I listed house, private estate or landmark building, the only reliable way to get accurate figures is through direct contact with the location owner, manager or their appointed agent.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a London film studio, please do get in touch for a chat about your project, or to arrange a time to come visit us in the studios!

Thanks to Jose P. Ortiz, Brian Erickson and Levi Stute for the photos.