Commercial property assessments across Greater Manchester
Manchester's commercial stock is unusually varied: Victorian warehouse conversions in the Northern Quarter, post-war office blocks around Spinningfields and Piccadilly, retail units across the Arndale and Market Street, and large distribution sheds along the M60 and M62 corridors. Each type presents different assessment considerations, and the certificate level required depends on the building's services and complexity.
We assess offices, shops and retail units, warehouses and industrial buildings, restaurants, cafés and hospitality premises, commercial units and multi-let properties, and commercial portfolios of any size. Level 3 and Level 4 assessments are routine; Level 5 (Dynamic Simulation Modelling) requirements are reviewed against assessor capability before we quote.
- Office EPC assessments — single suites through to multi-let blocks
- Retail and shop EPCs — high-street units, parades and retail parks
- Warehouse and industrial EPCs — including large-span distribution buildings
- Restaurants, cafés and hospitality premises with commercial kitchens
- Commercial units and multi-let properties requiring separate certificates
- Commercial property portfolios with coordinated renewal programmes
When a commercial EPC is required
A commercial EPC is required when a non-domestic building is sold, let to a new tenant, or newly constructed. It must be commissioned before marketing begins and made available to prospective buyers or tenants. Certificates are valid for ten years, but an expired certificate must be replaced before a new sale or letting.
Since April 2023, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) mean most let commercial properties in England and Wales must hold an EPC rating of E or better — including existing tenancies, not just new lettings. Buildings rated F or G generally cannot be let unless a registered exemption applies. Where the legal position depends on the circumstances of the building or tenancy, we explain the qualification rather than oversimplify it.
The assessment and quotation process
Send us the property address, type and approximate floor area and we come back with a tailored quotation — we do not use an online price calculator because commercial buildings vary too much for one to be meaningful. Once instructed, an accredited assessor attends the property to record the construction, heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting systems, then models the building using approved software and lodges the certificate on the national register.
Price is affected mainly by floor area, the number of separate units or demises, the complexity of the building services, and whether floor plans and specifications are available. Providing plans, a previous EPC and details of any recent refurbishment usually reduces both the fee and the time on site.
Commercial versus domestic EPCs
A commercial (non-domestic) EPC is produced using SBEM or DSM methodology and assesses the building's services and fabric against a notional building of the same type — it is not the same calculation as a domestic EPC, and a domestic assessor cannot lodge one. Mixed-use buildings frequently need both: a domestic EPC for each self-contained dwelling and a commercial EPC for the non-domestic parts.