A commercial (non-domestic) EPC is required when a commercial building is sold, let or newly constructed, with the familiar exclusions for places of worship, small stand-alone buildings and short-life buildings GOV.UK. It looks like the domestic certificate, but is produced by a different kind of assessor running a different calculation.
Levels 3, 4 and 5
Non-domestic assessors are graded by building complexity GOV.UK:
| Level | Covers |
|---|---|
| Level 3 | Simple buildings with standard heating and ventilation: small shops, offices |
| Level 4 | More complex buildings and services outside the simple category |
| Level 5 | The most complex buildings: bespoke designs, complex HVAC, atria |
SBEM, not SAP
Domestic EPCs run on SAP or RdSAP. Non-domestic certificates run on SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) or approved dynamic simulation software for complex buildings. Same A to G presentation, entirely different engine; the domestic vs commercial comparison puts the regimes side by side.
What a commercial EPC costs
No fixed fee exists, and commercial pricing varies with building complexity far more than domestic pricing does: a lock-up shop and a hospital are both "commercial". We could not verify a national price range against a primary source at build time, so, per the policy that runs this site, we publish none. Get level-appropriate quotes.
Commercial MEES
Non-domestic MEES has its own track: since 1 April 2018 new commercial leases have needed band E; since 1 April 2023 the floor covers continuing leases too GOV.UK non-dom MEES. Exemption categories parallel the domestic regime, with registration on the same PRS Exemptions Register. Domestic landlords should note the commercial floor is on nobody's 2030 timetable: the confirmed band C deadline is a domestic PRS rule; see EPC C by 2030.
Related: the domestic certificate, MEES explained, and domestic assessment costs.