EPCs for Barns, Pubs, Hotels & Other Building Conversions

Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings Converted Into a Home

When a barn, pub, hotel, chapel, mill or other non-residential building is converted into a dwelling, its Energy Performance Certificate must be produced using the full SAP methodology, the same method used for a new-build home. RdSAP is designed for existing dwellings and is the wrong route for a conversion. The assessment is carried out as a desktop exercise from your drawings and specification, supported by photographs of key elements such as insulation, glazing, and the heating and hot water system, and I'll tell you exactly what to capture. Backed by 45 years' experience in Building Control and Building Standards, including senior local authority roles.

Get a Quote How It Works

Why Get It Assessed Properly First Time

Converted buildings are where generic EPC assessments go wrong — an assessor unfamiliar with non-standard construction can end up applying the wrong defaults, giving you a rating that misrepresents the building.

Assessed for What It Actually Is

Stone, rubble, timber-frame and other non-standard construction is modelled from its actual specification in a full SAP calculation, not defaulted to a standard age-band assumption that doesn't fit the building.

45 Years' Regulatory Insight

Having spent decades assessing conversions from the other side of the desk in Building Control and Building Standards, I know what these buildings actually are, not just what a standard form assumes.

Listed Building Check Included

Where the original building is listed or in a conservation area, I'll flag whether an EPC exemption might apply before you pay for an assessment you may not need.

Advisory Support

If Building Standards or a lender queries the rating once it's lodged, I'm on hand to help you respond.

How It Works

A full SAP assessment carried out remotely, using your drawings, specification and photographs.

Tell Me About the Building

Send the property address, the original use (barn, pub, hotel, chapel, mill, etc.), the drawings and specification for the conversion, and whether it's listed or in a conservation area, plus your timescale.

Photographic Evidence

I'll send you a checklist of what to photograph: wall, roof and floor insulation, windows and doors, the heating and hot water system, ventilation and any renewables. These photographs provide the evidence that supports the assessment.

SAP Assessment & EPC

I complete the full SAP calculation and lodge the EPC on the register, along with a summary of the rating and what would improve it.

Advisory Support

Available afterwards if Building Standards, a lender or a solicitor queries the rating or the construction recorded.

Coverage Area

Because the assessment is a desktop exercise, this is a nationwide service.

Scotland
England
Wales
Northern Ireland
Wherever the building is, send the postcode and I'll confirm the correct regulatory framework for your project

Is This the Right Service for You?

This service is specifically for a building changing use to a residential dwelling for the first time.

Barns, agricultural buildings and outbuildings being converted into a house
Pubs, hotels, chapels, mills, schools and similar buildings being converted into one or more dwellings
Any change-of-use conversion needing an EPC for Building Standards completion, a mortgage, or a sale

This service is NOT for:

Existing houses or flats being sold or let — that's a standard domestic EPC, and any local domestic energy assessor can help
Holiday lets and self-catering accommodation — these can fall under different rules on whether a domestic or non-domestic EPC applies, and Scotland's EPC requirements for self-catering are currently changing; please see a specialist in short-term let compliance for these

Guide Pricing

The final price depends on the building's size, how many separate dwellings it's being split into, but here's a guide to what most jobs cost.

From £552

Single dwelling conversion

One barn, outbuilding or similar converted into a single dwelling
Full SAP assessment from drawings, specification and photographs
EPC lodged on the register

On request

Multiple dwellings / larger buildings

Pub, hotel or similar building split into more than one dwelling
Full SAP assessment per dwelling, with reduced rates where unit types repeat
EPCs lodged on the register for each unit

These are guide prices — get in touch with the property address, the original use, and how many dwellings are being created, and I'll confirm a fixed price before any work begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to visit the building?

No. The assessment is a desktop exercise based on your drawings and specification. I'll ask for photographs of key elements, such as insulation, glazing, and the heating and hot water system, as evidence, and I'll send you a clear list of what's needed.

What counts as a "conversion" for this service?

Any building that wasn't previously a home — a barn, byre, steading, pub, hotel, chapel, school, mill or similar — that is being, or has been, converted into one or more dwellings. If you're not sure whether your project qualifies, just describe it and I'll tell you honestly.

Why is SAP used rather than RdSAP?

RdSAP is a reduced method designed for existing dwellings, and it relies on default assumptions based on a building's age and type. A building converted into a dwelling for the first time is assessed in the same way as a new build, so the full SAP methodology applies. SAP uses the actual specification of the walls, roof, floor, glazing and services, which matters for thick stone or rubble walls, solid masonry and historic roof structures that standard assumptions often get wrong.

Is my listed building exempt from needing an EPC?

Possibly. Listed buildings and those in conservation areas can be exempt where meeting minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter their character. I'll check this as part of the initial conversation, before any work begins, so you're not paying for something you may not need.

Do you cover holiday lets or self-catering accommodation?

No. Short-term let and self-catering EPCs sit under a different, currently changing regulatory framework in Scotland, with new-style ratings being phased in through 2026–2027. That's a specialist area in its own right, so I'd point you towards an assessor who focuses on short-term let compliance rather than take it on here.

Do you cover my area?

Yes. Because the assessment is carried out remotely, I can take on conversions anywhere in the UK.