How Long Do Searches Take When Buying a House?
Drainage and environmental searches usually come back within a few days. The local authority search depends on the council. What is normal, and what affects the time.
Key takeaways
- Environmental and drainage and water searches usually come back within a few days, and some environmental reports within minutes.
- The local authority search is the one that varies: some councils return it within a few days, others take several weeks.
- In 2026, a few councils have been reported taking more than two months, so the council your property sits in matters more than anything else.
- A regulated search is usually quicker than the council's official search, because it does not wait in the council's queue.
- Searches are ordered once your solicitor has your instructions and payment, so the clock starts then, not at your offer.
Searches are one of the first things your solicitor orders, and the local authority search is often the one everyone is waiting for. How long it takes depends far more on the council than on the property.
This guide explains how long each search usually takes, why the local authority search varies so much, and what can make it quicker.
How long each search takes
- Environmental search. Usually within a few days, and some reports within minutes, because they are compiled from digital datasets.
- Drainage and water search. Usually within a few days, from the water company's records.
- Local authority search. It depends on the council. Some return it within a few days; others take several weeks. In 2026, a few councils have been reported taking more than two months.
- Other searches, such as a coal mining search, usually within a few days.
The local authority search usually decides when your searches are complete.
Why local authority searches vary so much
Each council answers its own searches, with its own staff and its own records. The time depends on:
- The council's workload and staffing. A backlog or a few unfilled posts can add weeks.
- How its records are kept. Older planning and building control records may be on paper and checked by hand.
- How many departments answer. Planning, building control and highways may each have to reply.
- Problems such as IT outages, which have caused some of the longest delays.
Your solicitor or their search provider can tell you what is normal for your council at the moment.
Official or regulated: which is quicker?
An official search waits in the council's own queue. A regulated search is compiled by an independent search agent from the same council records, answering the same enquiries, so it is usually quicker, though it still depends on how quickly the council makes its information available. Most lenders accept either. See regulated or official: which local search should you order?
When the clock starts
Searches are usually ordered once your solicitor has your instructions, your ID and your payment for the searches. Paying promptly is the easiest way to save time. If you are selling and buying, your estate agent may be able to order the searches on your sale before an offer, so the buyer's solicitor starts with them in hand. See who pays for searches when selling a house?
If your searches are taking longer than they should
Ask your solicitor when the searches were ordered and when they are expected back. If the local authority search is badly delayed, they may suggest a regulated search instead, or search delay indemnity insurance if your lender accepts it. See why are my searches taking so long?
Once they are back, searches are usually relied on for six months: see how long are searches valid for?
How Casera can help
Casera provides property searches to solicitors and conveyancers. We aim to return a local authority search within a day of the council's information arriving, and can tell your solicitor the council's current turnaround before they order. See property searches.
If your purchase is waiting on searches, tell us what is outstanding and who your solicitor is, and our search team will get in touch with them.
Frequently asked questions
How long do searches take to come back?
Environmental and drainage and water searches usually come back within a few days. The local authority search depends on the council: anywhere from a few days to several weeks, and longer at a few councils.
Which search takes the longest?
The local authority search, because it depends on the council's own staff and records. The others are compiled from digital records by specialist providers.
Can I speed up my searches?
Pay for them as soon as your solicitor asks, and ask whether a regulated local authority search would be quicker for your council. If a search is badly delayed, your solicitor may suggest search delay indemnity insurance, if your lender accepts it.
How long do searches take on a new build?
About the same as any other property, though a new address that the council has not yet recorded can slow the local authority search. Your solicitor may use the plot number and development name.
Does a long search mean something is wrong?
No. The time is about the council's workload and records, not about the property.
