Free tool
Archaeology cost and programme calculator
An indicative band for a Cambridgeshire site, based on the four things that actually drive archaeological cost. It is a planning figure, not a quotation — and it says so.
- Inputs
- Area, landscape, disturbance, stage
- Output
- Method, duration and cost band
- Sends nothing
- Runs in your browser
- For accuracy
- Send the site details to us
Your site
Four inputs
Depth of disturbance matters as much as area, and landscape matters more than either.
Indicative output
- Indicative cost band
- £108k – £312k
- Fieldwork
- 2–6 weeks
- Approval to discharge
- 11–34 weeks
Likely method
Evaluation, then targeted open-area excavation where required
What produced this
- River gravel terrace (e.g. Great Ouse, Cam valley) — potential weighting applied
- Moderate (slab, drainage, standard foundations) — disturbance weighting applied
- No evaluation data yet, so the range stays wide
- Indicative area 2 ha
This is an indicative planning band, not a quotation, and assumes no nationally significant remains.
Post-excavation analysis, archive and any publication commitment are included in the band but vary widely with what is found.
Written approval of a scheme should be assumed to take weeks, not days.
Project review
An indicative band is useful. A scoped figure is what you can build a budget on.
Send the planning position, site plan and any survey data. We will come back with the requirement, the method and the programme, with assumptions stated.