Email yourself a copy too?

No spam. We’ll only email you about your list. Unsubscribe in one click.

Ready Steady Rules — Launch Checklist

England · 0 of 66 done

Property, planning & consents

Check you have the right planning use classChecking is free. A change of use planning application typically costs a few hundred pounds · 20 weeks out

Confirm the use class with your local council — https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council

Listed building & conservation area consentNo fee for the consent application itself in most cases · 20 weeks out

Check listing status — https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/

Asbestos management surveyTypically £300–£800 for a management survey depending on building size · 18 weeks out

Find an asbestos surveyor

Building warrant / building regulations approvalFees are set by building control / the council and scale with the value and type of the work · 18 weeks out

Find a building control body or architect

Landlord consents & licence to alterLandlords often charge their reasonable legal and surveyor costs for reviewing a licence to alter · 18 weeks out

Send your landlord a written request for consent

Advertisement consent for your signageApplication fee typically £145–£165 in England · 16 weeks out

Check advertisement consent rules — find your council — https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council

Company, tax & registrations

Incorporate the company£50 for standard online same-day incorporation · 18 weeks out

Open a business bank accountVaries by provider · 17 weeks out

Compare business bank account options — https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business

VAT registrationFree to register. Ongoing VAT return filing is required once registered. · 16 weeks out

Tell the council you've moved in, and claim your reliefNo cost to notify or apply for relief. Rates due depend on rateable value and relief awarded. · 12 weeks out

Notify your council and apply for relief — find yours — https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief

Pay the ICO data protection fee£52–£78 a year for most small and micro businesses · 8 weeks out

Run the fee self-assessment and pay — https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-fee/data-protection-fee-self-assessment/

Check your alcohol wholesalers are AWRS approvedFree to check. · 6 weeks out

Check a wholesaler's AWRS registration — https://www.gov.uk/check-alcohol-wholesaler-registration

Licensing

Apply for your premises licenceVaries by rateable value band · 16 weeks out

Apply for your premises licence — https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/premises-licence

Get a personal licence (and name your DPS / premises manager)Course roughly £100–£200 · 14 weeks out

Find an APLH course and apply for your licence — https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/personal-licence-to-sell-alcohol

Late hours catering licenceFees vary by council. Licences typically run 1–3 years once granted. · 12 weeks out

Apply for a late hours catering licence — find your council — https://www.gov.uk/find-licences/late-hours-catering-licence-scotland

Pavement licence for tables and chairsCapped fees · 10 weeks out

Apply for a pavement licence — find your council — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pavement-licences-guidance/pavement-licences-guidance

Notify the council about gaming machinesNotification fee around £50 for the automatic two-machine entitlement · 6 weeks out

Notify your council about gaming machines — find your council — https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-licence-your-area

Business TV LicenceStandard licence £180 a year · 4 weeks out

Get a business TV Licence — https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/business-and-organisations

CCTV policy, signage and retentionFree to write yourself · 4 weeks out

ICO guidance on video surveillance (including CCTV) — https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/cctv-and-video-surveillance/guidance-on-video-surveillance-including-cctv/

Get TheMusicLicenceBased on venue size · 4 weeks out

Get TheMusicLicence — https://pplprs.co.uk/get-themusiclicence/

Train every member of staff who serves alcoholRoughly £15–£40 per person for an accredited online or in-person course. · 3 weeks out

Alcohol licensing guidance (Scotland) — staff training duty — https://www.gov.scot/publications/alcohol-licensing-guidance/

Fit-out & building control

Food-safe surfaces, wash-hand basins and WC ratiosFree to get advice · 10 weeks out

Email your council's environmental health team for pre-application advice

Accessible entrance, WC and menu checkFree to assess yourself · 6 weeks out

Equality Act 2010: guidance — https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

Collect your building completion certificatesUsually included in your original building control or warrant fee. · 2 weeks out

Building regulations approval and completion certificates — https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval

Electrical

EICR — get the fixed wiring tested£150-£600 for a typical small unit · 8 weeks out

Find an electrician

Emergency lighting to BS 5266£400-£1,500 for a small venue · 8 weeks out

Find an electrician or fire protection installer

Fire alarm and detection to the FRA's category£800-£4,000+ for a small-to-medium venue · 8 weeks out

Find a fire alarm installer

PAT test everything portable£1-£3 per item tested · 3 weeks out

Find a PAT testing contractor

Gas

Commercial catering gas certificate (CP42) and interlock£150-£450 depending on the number of appliances and whether an interlock needs commissioning · 8 weeks out

Find a Gas Safe registered engineer (catering) — https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/find-an-engineer-or-check-the-register/find-by-location/

Cellar CO2 / mixed gas monitor and cylinder storage£150-£500 for a monitor installed · 6 weeks out

Find a gas safety installer

Plumbing & water

Grease trap or dosing system£500-£3,000 for a passive grease trap · 10 weeks out

Find a grease trap installer

Trade effluent consentOften free to apply · 10 weeks out

Ask your business water retailer about trade effluent consent

Legionella risk assessment and control scheme£150-£400 for a small venue risk assessment · 8 weeks out

Find a legionella risk assessor

Choose a business water retailerNo fee to switch · 6 weeks out

Compare business water retailers (England) — https://www.open-water.org.uk/

Ventilation & extract

Prove the extract meets the gas interlock and planning conditionsUsually covered within your extract installation/commissioning cost · 8 weeks out

Coordinate extract, make-up air and interlock commissioning — https://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/

TR19 Grease baseline clean and certificate£450-£2,500 depending on the length and access of the duct run · 6 weeks out

Find a TR19 duct cleaning specialist

Commission refrigeration and air-con properly£300-£1,200 for commissioning a small-to-medium system · 4 weeks out

Find an F-Gas registered engineer

Fire safety

Get a recorded fire risk assessment£300-£1,500 depending on venue size and complexity · 10 weeks out

Find a fire risk assessor

Extinguishers to BS 5306£25-£70 per extinguisher supplied and commissioned · 4 weeks out

Find a fire extinguisher installer

Fire doors, escape signage and action notices£150-£450 per fire door supplied and fitted · 4 weeks out

Find a fire door and signage installer

Write the evacuation plan and brief the teamFree · 2 weeks out

Fire safety risk assessment: 5-step checklist (covers the emergency plan) — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-5-step-checklist

Waste

Glass collection£15-£50 a month depending on bin size and collection frequency · 6 weeks out

Find a glass collection service

Set up general waste and recycling£20-£90 a month per bin depending on size · 6 weeks out

Find a commercial waste contractor

Used cooking oil collectionOften free · 4 weeks out

Find a used cooking oil collector

Start your waste transfer note fileFree · 1 weeks out

Waste transfer note template — https://www.gov.uk/how-to-classify-different-types-of-waste

Food safety

Pest survey, proofing and a visit contractInitial survey £75–£200 · 5 weeks out

Find a BPCA-accredited pest controller — https://bpca.org.uk/find

Put your HACCP system in placeFree · 5 weeks out

Get the Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) pack — https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-for-caterers

Build your 14-allergen matrixFree · 4 weeks out

Build your allergen matrix with FSA guidance — https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses

Natasha's Law labelling for pre-packed foodFree to comply · 4 weeks out

PPDS allergen labelling guidance — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prepacked-for-direct-sale-ppds-allergen-labelling-changes-for-restaurants-cafes-and-pubs/prepacked-for-direct-sale-ppds-allergen-labelling-changes-for-restaurants-cafes-and-pubs

Probes, thermometers and the temperature logProbe thermometer £15–£40 · 3 weeks out

Temperature log template — https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-for-caterers

Get ready for your first inspectionFree · 1 weeks out

Look up your rating on the FHRS — https://ratings.food.gov.uk/

People & training

Payroll, auto-enrolment and a written tips policyPension: employer minimum contribution 3% of qualifying earnings · 4 weeks out

Check your pension duties as a new employer — https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/new-employers

Right-to-work checks before the first shiftFree · 4 weeks out

Run an online right-to-work check — https://www.gov.uk/view-right-to-work

Written statement of particulars, day oneFree to build from templates · 4 weeks out

Build your contract from ACAS templates — https://www.acas.org.uk/employment-contracts

H&S policy, risk assessments, first aid and the posterFree to write using HSE templates · 3 weeks out

HSE risk assessment and policy templates — https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/index.htm

Level 2 food hygiene for every handlerLevel 2 online course typically £10–£25 per person · 3 weeks out

Food hygiene training requirements — https://www.gov.uk/running-food-business/staff-training-illness-hygiene

Fire marshal training and the first drillHalf-day fire marshal/warden course typically £50–£120 per person. · 2 weeks out

Fire marshal and warden training guidance — https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities

Insurance & payments

Build your commercial insurance packageTypically £400–£2,000+ a year for a small venue · 3 weeks out

What a hospitality insurance package usually covers — https://www.mygov.scot/business-insurance

Employers' liability insuranceTypically £80–£300 a year for a small hospitality venue · 3 weeks out

What employers' liability insurance covers — https://www.gov.uk/employers-liability-insurance

Set up card payments, EPOS and your first PCI self-assessmentCard machine/EPOS fees vary by provider · 3 weeks out

What PCI-DSS requires and who it applies to — https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/

Utilities & connectivity

Get a real electricity and gas contractUnit rates and standing charges vary by supplier · 4 weeks out

Ofgem — setting up a business energy contract — https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-businesses/guidance-microbusinesses

Sort out broadband and phoneTypically £25–£80 a month for business broadband · 4 weeks out

Ofcom — advice for businesses — https://www.ofcom.org.uk/advice-for-businesses

Opening week

Put up everything you're legally required to displayFree to low cost · 0 weeks out

Download the opening-week notices checklist — /downloads/opening-week-notices-checklist.pdf

Start the logbook on day oneFree · 0 weeks out

Open your Compliance Calendar — /calendar

Ready Steady Rules is a free guide, not legal advice. Costs are indicative and were last checked on the date shown on readysteadyrules.com. Printed 11 Sep 2026.