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.
What the assessor will need on site
The assessor needs access to every part of the building: plant rooms, roof spaces, meter cupboards, server rooms and any tenanted areas. Arrange access with tenants in advance and make sure someone on site can unlock everything — a return visit because a plant room was locked adds time and cost.
Documents to gather beforehand
Floor plans are the single most useful document — even a marked-up lease plan helps. Beyond that, gather any previous EPC, the building services specifications if you have them, details of recent refurbishments, and the make and model of boilers, chillers and air-conditioning units where known.
None of this is essential: the assessor can measure and record everything on site. But good documentation shortens the survey, reduces conservative assumptions in the calculation and often improves the accuracy of the rating.
How long it takes
A small retail unit may take under an hour on site; a large or complex building can take most of a day. The modelling and lodgement happen afterwards, and the certificate is issued once the calculation is complete and quality-checked.
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.