Business rates services that make sure you pay the right amount
Your bill changed at the 2026 revaluation, and the figure behind it came from a valuation somebody else made about your property. If that valuation is wrong, you are the one paying for it. We check it, challenge it, and handle the whole thing for you.
- Qualified surveyors, not salespeople
- Free first check
- England and Wales
Which of these sounds like you?
My bill has gone up and I think the valuation is wrong.
Business rates appeal
I want the official process started, properly and on time.
Check and Challenge
I might qualify for a discount I am not getting.
Business rates relief
- RICS and IRRV qualified surveyors
- England and Wales coverage
- Appeals, relief and arrears handled for you
- Cheltenham office, national clients
What the 2026 revaluation means for your business rates
On 1 April 2026 every commercial property in England and Wales was given a new rateable value, and that list runs until March 2029. If your bill looks different this year, the revaluation is why.
Here is the part that catches people out. Your new valuation is based on what your property could have been let for on 1 April 2024, not on what the market looks like today. If your trade, your street or your premises have moved on since then, the figure you are paying against may already be out of step with reality.
Valuations go wrong in plainer ways too. An out of date floor area, the wrong description of the space, or something about the property that makes it harder to occupy than the paperwork suggests. Nobody at the Valuation Office is going to spot any of that on your behalf.
That is where a business rates consultant earns their keep. A qualified rating surveyor looks at your property and the evidence behind its valuation, tells you honestly whether there is a case, and if there is, takes the work off your hands. You keep running your business while we deal with the Valuation Office.
Our business rates services
Four routes to a fairer bill, each handled by a qualified surveyor from start to finish. We work across offices, shops, pubs, warehouses, factories and surgeries, from a single unit to a portfolio across several sites. If more than one service applies to you, that is normal, and the first conversation will sort out the order to tackle them in.
Business rates appeal
For occupiers who believe their rateable value is too high
If your valuation does not reflect your property, an appeal is how you put it right. We build the evidence, submit the case and negotiate with the Valuation Office on your behalf.
- Full evidence review before anything is submitted
- All negotiations handled for you
- Reductions can be backdated where they apply
Check and Challenge
For occupiers who want the formal route run properly
Check, Challenge, Appeal is the official three stage system for correcting a rateable value. Each stage has its own evidence rules and deadlines, and missing one can close the door for the rest of the list.
- Property facts checked and corrected first
- Challenge built on comparable evidence
- Every deadline tracked so nothing lapses
Business rates relief
For occupiers who may qualify for a discount they are not getting
Reliefs are not always applied automatically, and plenty of businesses pay in full when they were entitled to a reduction. We check which reliefs apply to you and make the claim.
- Small business, retail, charitable and empty property relief
- Claims usually backdated up to six years from the date you apply
- Council paperwork handled on your behalf
Been contacted by a named enforcement agency?
We have specific guidance on what to do if you hear from Newlyn or Equita about business rates arrears, including what they are allowed to do and what your options are.
How working with us actually goes
No long forms, no commitment at the start, and no jargon you have to decode.
You tell us about the property
A short conversation or the online form is enough to get started. We need the address and a few basics, not a filing cabinet.
A surveyor checks the valuation
We look at your rateable value against the evidence and comparable properties, then tell you plainly whether there is a case. If there is not, we say so.
We take on the work
If there is something worth pursuing, we handle the submission, the evidence and the negotiations, and keep you updated as it moves.
How to tell a rating surveyor from a cold caller
A revaluation year brings the cold callers out. Business rates advice is not a regulated industry, so anyone can set themselves up as a consultant, ring round local businesses and promise a reduction. These are the four things worth checking before you sign anything, with us or with anyone else.
- Look for RICS or IRRV after the name
Our surveyors belong to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation, the two recognised bodies in this field. Membership means professional standards to work to and somewhere independent to complain to. An unqualified adviser gives you neither.
- Be wary of a guaranteed saving
Our surveyors belong to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation, the two recognised bodies in this field. Membership means professional standards to work to and somewhere independent to complain to. An unqualified adviser gives you neither.
- Ask who actually does the work
Some firms sign you up, hand you a form and leave you to it. From the first check to the final negotiation the case sits with us, and it stays with the same surveyor throughout, so you are not re-explaining your property to a new voice every time you ring.
- Read what you are tying yourself into
Some firms sign you up, hand you a form and leave you to it. From the first check to the final negotiation the case sits with us, and it stays with the same surveyor throughout, so you are not re-explaining your property to a new voice every time you ring.
What we cannot promise
We cannot promise a reduction. Nobody honestly can. What we can promise is that a qualified surveyor will look properly at your valuation and give you a straight answer about whether it is worth pursuing.
It is also worth knowing that a review works both ways. If your property has changed in a way the Valuation Office has not been told about, such as an extension or a significant improvement, a review could in some cases increase your rateable value rather than reduce it. We will always flag that risk before anything is submitted, so you decide with the full picture in front of you.
Common questions
The things people ask before they pick up the phone.
Which business rates service do I need?
If you think your bill is too high, start with an appeal or Check and Challenge. If you may qualify for a discount you are not getting, start with relief. If enforcement agents have been in touch, start with the bailiffs page. If you are not sure, the free first check will tell you which route applies to you.
Do you charge for the first check?
No. The first check costs you nothing. A qualified surveyor looks at your rateable value and the evidence behind it, and tells you honestly whether there is a case worth pursuing.
Are your surveyors qualified?
Yes. Our surveyors are members of RICS and the IRRV, the recognised professional bodies for surveying and rating. Because business rates advice is an unregulated market, checking for those letters is the simplest way to avoid a rogue agent.
Can I claim back overpaid rates from previous years?
Sometimes. Where a reduction is agreed it can be backdated, and relief claims can usually be backdated up to six years from the date you apply. What you can recover depends on your property and the dates involved, which is part of what the first check establishes.
What does a business rates consultant actually do?
A good one starts by checking whether your rateable value stands up, using the same evidence the Valuation Office works from. If it does not, they build the case, submit it and argue it through to a conclusion, so the deadlines, the evidence and the negotiation stop being your problem. The other half of the job is telling you when there is no case, which is the part that separates an adviser from a salesperson.
Which areas do you cover?
We work with commercial occupiers across England and Wales, from a single shop or unit to portfolios across several sites. Our office is in Cheltenham and most of the work is handled remotely, so where you are based is not a barrier.
Find out if you are paying too much
A free rates check takes minutes and could save you thousands. No obligation, and no pressure.