Is there a fixed government price for an EPC?

No. Assessors set their own prices. The only thing fixed by government is the methodology and the requirement to lodge the certificate on the national register.

Why is my quote higher than the advertised price?

Usually property size or travel. Advertised prices generally apply to a standard property up to three bedrooms within a normal service area.

Do I pay before or after the assessment?

That varies by assessor. Paying on the day or by invoice is common for domestic work and there is no reason to pay up front before a time has even been agreed.

Can I get an EPC for free?

Not normally, though some grant-funded retrofit schemes include an assessment. If you already hold a valid certificate, checking the register costs nothing and may save you the fee entirely.

How much does an EPC cost in Birmingham?

There is no government-set price for an EPC. It is a market rate, and across Birmingham and the Black Country it currently runs from about £30 to about £120 for a standard home.

That is an enormous spread for an identical statutory document, so it is worth understanding what actually moves the number.

£30 – £120

Range across Birmingham and the Black Country

For the same statutory document

What changes the price

Size. A three-bedroom semi and a six-bedroom detached take very different amounts of time on site.
Property type. Flats are usually quicker. HMOs and converted buildings are usually slower.
Travel. An assessor already working your postcode that morning can price differently to one driving across the county.
Turnaround. Same-day attendance costs more than fitting into next week's route, and reasonably so.

What the very cheap prices usually mean

A £30 EPC is real, but it is rarely the whole story. Typically it is a headline rate that applies to the smallest flat, or it is a lead generation site selling your enquiry to an assessor who is paid £29 for the visit. Neither is dishonest, but the price you are quoted and the price you pay are often different.

Before you pay for anything

Check whether you already have a valid certificate. An EPC lasts ten years, and a great many people buy one they did not need because nobody told them to look. The national register is public and free.

Enter a postcode and we will show you what the register holds, including when it expires.

Check your property

When a new one is genuinely required

Marketing a property for sale or for let, if there is no valid certificate.
The existing certificate has passed ten years.
You have carried out improvement work and want the better rating recorded.
A new build, where the certificate comes from design-stage SAP rather than a survey.

Note the third one. An EPC does not update itself. If you insulated the loft in 2022, the register still shows the rating from before you did it until somebody reassesses.