HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a PR consultant in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to PR consultants. Here is what to check, what to ask and what the monthly retainer should say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a PR consultant in five steps

  1. Look at coverage they securedArticles, interviews and broadcast slots for clients like you, with dates, not a logo wall.
  2. Agree goals you can measureTarget publications, audiences and the stories you want told, not just "more coverage".
  3. Fix the days and deliverablesPR days per month, releases, pitches, reports, and whether crisis cover is included.
  4. Own what you pay forPress releases, images and media lists made for you, with copyright passing to your business.
  5. Start with a short termThree to six months is common; check the notice period before signing.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or qualification is needed to practise as a PR consultant in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Judge them on coverage they have secured, the journalists who know them and a client reference.

Ask for three recent pieces of coverage and a client you can speak to.

Honest claims in releases

Press releases and media pitches are often marketing. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 a business must not mislead consumers with false or deceptive messages, and advertising codes of practice apply to marketing too.

Give the PR consultant the evidence for every claim, and sign off releases before they go out. gov.uk →

Copyright in the materials

Press releases, articles and images are protected by copyright, which belongs to the author unless assigned in writing under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Without an assignment, a former PR consultant may object to you reusing their work.

Have the agreement assign copyright in materials made for you on payment, signed by the consultant. legislation.gov.uk →

Journalists' and contacts' data

Media lists contain personal data about journalists and contacts. A PR consultant processing it as a business must pay the ICO data protection fee unless exempt.

Check the ICO register and agree in writing who keeps any media list built for you. gov.uk →

VAT

PR consultancy is standard-rated, so a registered PR consultant adds 20% to the monthly retainer, crisis hours and costs such as monitoring rebilled to you. Registration becomes compulsory once a PR consultant has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the PR consultant for the VAT number with the proposal and for the retainer, rebilled costs and VAT shown apart. gov.uk →

“What PR coverage have you secured for businesses like mine?”

A good answer: Specific articles and slots, with the publication and date, and an honest account of what the PR consultant did to get them.

“Which publications and journalists would you approach for us as our PR consultant?”

A good answer: A named list of titles and the type of story each would take, not a promise of "national press".

“How many consultant days and press releases are in the retainer?”

A good answer: A number of days per month and the expected outputs: releases, pitches, interviews arranged, reports.

“Is crisis cover included, and what does it cost?”

A good answer: A clear answer from the consultant: included for a set number of hours, or charged at a day rate when needed.

“Who signs off what goes to journalists?”

A good answer: You do, before the consultant sends anything, with a fast route for urgent statements.

“Who owns the press materials and media lists at the end?”

A good answer: Your business owns materials made for you; the agreement says what happens to media lists.

“How will you report results each month?”

A good answer: Coverage secured, pitches sent and responses, with links and what is planned for next month.

Getting the quote right

  • PR days per month and the deliverables expected from them
  • Who actually attends to the press work: the PR consultant you met, an employed account executive, or a subcontractor
  • Target media and the measures of success
  • Crisis cover: included hours or the rate when called on
  • Extra costs: media monitoring, distribution, photography, events
  • Copyright in materials assigned to your business, and the position on media lists
  • Minimum term, notice period
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the retainer and crisis hours

Walk away if

  • Guaranteed coverage in named national titles
  • No examples of coverage they secured themselves
  • A long minimum term with no break clause
  • Press releases sent without your sign-off
  • Claims in releases that you cannot back up
  • Paid-for placements presented as earned coverage
LOW
£1,000
TYPICAL
£2,000
HIGH
£10,000

What a PR consultant costs: £1,000–£10,000 per month

PR consultants usually charge a monthly retainer built on a set number of PR days; project fees are used for launches. PR Consultant price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

PR consultants near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. StrategyGoals, audiences, key messages and target media agreed.
  2. Story findingThe PR consultant draws out stories, data and spokespeople from the business.
  3. MaterialsReleases, pitches and background notes drafted for your sign-off.
  4. Media relationsJournalists pitched, interviews arranged and enquiries answered.
  5. ReportingCoverage tracked and reported monthly, with the next month's plan.

Earned media
Coverage gained through pitching a story, not paid for.
Press release
A written news announcement sent to journalists.
Embargo
A request that journalists do not publish before a set date and time.
Media list
The journalists and outlets targeted for a story.
Holding statement
A short prepared response used while a developing issue is clarified.
Retainer
A monthly fee for an agreed amount of ongoing PR work.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep a coverage fileLinks, PDFs and dates of every piece of coverage, with the release that led to it.
Collect the materialsFinal releases, statements, images and any agreed media list, saved in your own files.
Review against the goalsCompare coverage with the targets agreed at the start before you renew the retainer.
Share how it wentBooked work is the only kind reviewed on Locufy, which makes each review of the PR consultant worth reading. Use the make-it-right step first if anything is unresolved.

STEP 1Put it to the PR consultant in writingEmail the PR consultant with the facts, the evidence and a date for a reply. Reasonable care and skill is a term the Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads into every service a trader sells you, and a shortfall entitles you to have it redone or pay less.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the job under four stars and you can send it to the PR consultant through the make-it-right step. We keep track of it, then you post the review.
STEP 3Report it through the consumer helplineNo regulator oversees PR consultants. If the PR consultant will not respond, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Go to small claimsWhen the PR consultant has had a fair chance and nothing has changed, small claims is built for you to use yourself: £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a PR consultant: questions people ask

No. Public relations has no licence, register or required qualification in any UK nation.

No honest one will. Journalists decide what runs. Ask for a target list and how they will pitch, not a guarantee.

The writer owns the copyright unless it is assigned to you in a signed document. Put the assignment in the agreement.

Between £1,000 and £10,000 per month, most often near £2,000. Days per month, national or broadcast targets and crisis cover set the retainer. For the reasons behind the range, read the PR consultant price guide; for local PR consultants, enter your town above.

Marketing claims must not mislead consumers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Check every claim against your evidence before a release goes out.

Often three to six months at first, because pitching and relationships take time to produce coverage.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Social Media ManagerHow to hire: Content CreatorHow to hire: CopywriterHow to hire: Influencer MarketingHow to hire: Digital Marketing ConsultantHow to hire: Brand DesignerHow to hire: Blog WriterHow to hire: Email Marketing SpecialistAll 701 hiring guides →

PR consultants near you

PR consultants in LondonPR consultants in ManchesterPR consultants in BirminghamPR consultants in GlasgowPR consultants in BelfastAll pr consultants on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — regulations that affect advertising
  2. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
  3. gov.uk — pay the data protection fee
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  6. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register