There is no fixed price for a Level 5 EPC, because the fee is driven almost entirely by how long the assessment takes, and that varies enormously with the building, who is working on it and the information available.
What can be explained is how the cost is built up, and roughly where a sensible figure lands.
Why Level 5 costs more
Generally, Level 5 EPCs cost more than Level 3 or Level 4 assessments because a building that would typically require a Level 5 assessment will usually be more complex, and it is that complexity that drives the fee.
A more complex building usually means more zones, services and controls to understand, more detailed information to review, and a more intricate model to build and check. The site visit can also take longer because there is simply more to inspect and note.
This means more assessor time across the whole job, not just the modelling itself.
An easy way to show the difference is to look at two buildings of the same size: one that requires a Level 5 assessment and one that does not.
Two worked examples
The following examples are for illustrative purposes only. They are intended to show how the amount of work involved can affect the fee.
Building A: 2,000 m² hotel refurbishment
- 40 bedrooms
- Reception, back-of-house areas and circulation
- Centralised air handling providing fresh air
- Ducted VRF system serving the bedrooms
- Zoned controls to other areas
- Automatic blind control in some key areas
The automatic blinds alone mean this building requires a Level 5 assessment.
Building B: 2,000 m² big box warehouse refurbishment
- Predominantly unheated storage space
- Around 100 m² of ancillary accommodation
- Reception, staff room, kitchenette, WCs, shower and circulation
- Electric panel radiators in the heated areas
- No air conditioning
- No centralised ventilation
Working through the assessment-level checks, nothing triggers a higher assessment level, so this would be a Level 3 assessment.
Two buildings of the same size, but two very different pieces of work.
How the fee builds up
Using the two examples above, assume both assessments are completed by a competent assessor charging around £70 per hour.
This is an indicative consultancy rate only and will vary depending on factors such as location, experience and the consultancy carrying out the work (read more on consultancy fees here).
The table below shows how the difference in time can translate into the overall assessment fee.
| Hotel (Level 5) | Big box warehouse (Level 3) | |
|---|---|---|
| Site visit and evidence gathering | Longer, complex services, more zones | Short, largely unheated, few systems |
| Modelling | Dynamic simulation | Simplified calculation |
| Indicative time | ~2 to 3 days | ~1 to 1.5 days |
| Assessment fee | ~£1,100 to £1,700 | ~£550 to £850 |
| Lodgement | ~£30 per credit, plus VAT | ~£30 per credit, plus VAT |
| Travel and disbursements | At cost | At cost |
What about the £200 quotations?
You may see Level 5 EPCs advertised from a few hundred pounds. It is worth doing the arithmetic before accepting one.
A Level 5 assessment on a building like the hotel above is realistically two days of work, and sometimes more. Two days is sixteen hours. At £200, that is £12.50 an hour before the lodgement credit, before travel, before insurance and accreditation costs, so under £10 an hour once those come out.
At that point, it becomes difficult to reconcile the fee with the amount of professional time normally required for a building of this complexity. Either the price is a headline figure that rises once the building is seen, or significantly less time is being allowed for the assessment than the example above assumes.
For a building like the hotel above, it would be difficult to reconcile a fee much under £900 with the amount of assessment time assumed here. That is not a minimum industry price, but simply what the worked example suggests when the time involved is taken into account.
What can increase the price of a Level 5 EPC?
- Building complexity; larger or multi-storey buildings, more complex or mixed services and a greater number of zones can all increase the amount of assessment work.
- Information quality; poor or missing drawings, specifications or commissioning information mean the assessor has to spend more time establishing what is actually in the building.
- Access; buildings in use, restricted areas or difficult-to-access plant can make the site assessment take longer.
- Travel; sites further from the assessor may attract additional travel time or expenses.
- As-built evidence; new build assessments can require more time to gather and review the final information needed to evidence what has actually been installed.
Good drawings and specifications, simple repetitive layouts, previous assessments or models to work from, or several buildings assessed in one visit can reduce the amount of time required.
The single biggest variable is information quality. The same building can take twice as long if nobody can find the drawings.
Looking for a Level 5 EPC assessor?
If you need a Level 5 EPC and want to be put in touch with someone who can quote, get in touch.
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