Note: This is a general guide for UK commercial property owners and professionals. Non-domestic EPC regulations, registers and processes differ across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Always check the current position on GOV.UK and the relevant national register before acting on any specific matter.
Why there is no fixed price list
Commercial EPCs are quoted per building because the work involved varies enormously. A small high-street shop with a single heated sales area can be surveyed and modelled quickly; a multi-let office block with fan-coil air conditioning and dozens of tenancies may take days of modelling. Any provider advertising a single fixed price for all commercial EPCs is either assessing very simple buildings or cutting corners.
A reputable assessor will ask about the building before quoting and will explain what the fee covers — the site survey, the SBEM or DSM modelling, lodgement on the national register and the recommendation report.
The factors that affect the fee
Floor area is the biggest driver, followed by the complexity of the building services. Air-conditioned buildings are assessed at Level 4 and take longer to model than naturally ventilated Level 3 buildings. Buildings with atria or unusual services may need Level 5 Dynamic Simulation Modelling, which is a more involved exercise again.
The number of separate units or demises matters too: each separately let part of a building may need its own certificate. Finally, the information you can supply changes the cost — accurate floor plans, a previous EPC and details of heating and lighting systems reduce both survey time and modelling assumptions.
How to get an accurate quote
Send the property address, the approximate floor area if you know it, the property type and any plans or previous certificates you hold. If you do not know the floor area, say so — the assessor can measure on site. A quotation based on real information is far more reliable than an online calculator estimate.
Next steps
If you'd like specific advice about a property or portfolio, request a quote and our in-house assessors will come back to you.