- 30–45 minFor a typical home
- No drillingIt's a visual, non-invasive check
- OptionalYou don't need to be there
Before the visit
- Make sure every room can be opened, including any locked ones.
- Clear the way to the loft hatch, boiler, hot water cylinder and meters.
- Find paperwork for anything the assessor can't see: cavity or loft insulation guarantees, window certificates, boiler details, solar panel documents.
- If someone else is letting them in, pass that paperwork on.
Room by room
- OutsideThe type of walls, the age of the home and any extensions. They'll take photos.
- Every roomMeasurements, the type of glazing, the lighting, and any fires or heaters.
- LoftThe depth of insulation, seen from the hatch. They won't go in if it isn't safe.
- Boiler and heatingMake and model, fuel, radiators, and the controls: programmer, thermostat, valves.
- Hot waterThe cylinder, if there is one, and how well it's insulated.
- MetersIncluding whether the electricity is on a dual-rate tariff.
- ExtrasSolar panels, a heat pump or other renewables.
After the visit
The assessor enters what they found into government-approved software, which works out the rating. The certificate is lodged on the register, usually within a day or two, and we email you the link. See what each part of an EPC means.