Documents Needed for an EPC: A Simple Checklist

A missing document should not hold up your sale or tenancy. In most cases, the documents needed for an EPC are helpful evidence rather than a long list of compulsory paperwork. Your assessor will inspect the property and record what can be seen, but clear supporting information can make sure improvements are correctly included in the rating.

For a straightforward home assessment, you may only need to provide access to the whole property. If you have had insulation, replacement windows, a new heating system or renewable technology installed, however, a few records can make a real difference. The key is to have useful evidence ready before the appointment, not to spend hours gathering paperwork that will not be used.

What an EPC assessor checks

An Energy Performance Certificate measures the energy efficiency of a building using a standard method. For a domestic EPC, the assessor looks at the age and construction of the property, walls, roof, floors, windows, heating, hot water, lighting and any renewable systems.

Some details are easy to confirm during a visit. Double glazing, loft insulation that is visible at the hatch, radiator controls and a modern boiler can often be recorded directly. Other work may be hidden behind plasterboard, beneath flooring or inside a roof void. That is where documents and clear installation evidence can help.

An assessor must follow the relevant assessment conventions. They cannot simply take a seller's or landlord's word that insulation was installed or that a heating system is more efficient than it appears. Good evidence protects the accuracy of the certificate and reduces the chance that a worthwhile improvement is missed.

Documents needed for an EPC at a home

There is no single folder of documents that every homeowner must produce. What is useful depends on the property and the work carried out. If available, have the following to hand:

• Building plans, property particulars or a previous EPC, particularly for unusual layouts, extensions or converted buildings.

• Building Regulations completion certificates for extensions, replacement windows, insulation upgrades or major heating work.

• Installation certificates, invoices and product specifications for boilers, heat pumps, solar panels, battery storage or underfloor heating.

• Guarantees or certificates for cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, internal wall insulation or loft insulation.

• Evidence for replacement glazing, including FENSA or CERTASS documentation where relevant.

• Documentation for renewable technologies, such as a Microgeneration Certification Scheme certificate for solar PV or a heat pump.

You do not need to print everything. Digital copies on a phone, tablet or computer are usually fine, provided the document is legible and clearly relates to the property being assessed. It helps if the address, installation date, installer details and product information are visible.

Previous EPCs and property plans

A previous EPC can be useful background, especially when an assessor is visiting a property with several extensions, converted loft space or a non-standard layout. It is not a substitute for a new inspection, and its information is not automatically carried over. Building elements and systems can change, and assessment rules are updated over time.

Plans are similarly helpful but not essential for most homes. They can speed up the visit where rooms are arranged across multiple levels, where a garage has been converted, or where there are shared spaces in a converted house. The assessor still needs to measure and inspect the property as it stands.

Heating and hot-water evidence

Heating details have a significant effect on an EPC rating. If you have a boiler handbook or a clear invoice showing the make and model, keep it available. The assessor may be able to identify the appliance from its data plate, but this is not always accessible or readable.

For a heat pump, biomass boiler, solar thermal system or other less common setup, documentation is particularly valuable. These systems can be assessed correctly only when their type, controls and specification are clear. A service record can confirm maintenance, but it does not necessarily prove the technical information required for the EPC calculation.

Insulation evidence matters when it cannot be seen

Loft insulation is often visible, but cavity wall insulation and internal or external wall insulation usually are not. A certificate, invoice or installer guarantee may allow the assessor to record the improvement where the evidence meets the required standard.

This is worth checking before the appointment. An uninsulated solid wall and an insulated solid wall can produce very different recommendations and ratings. If you know improvement work was completed but cannot find paperwork, mention it when booking. The assessor can explain what can be considered during the visit and what evidence may be accepted.

What you do not need to provide

Many customers worry that they need planning permission paperwork, mortgage documents, title deeds or a full history of repairs. For a typical domestic EPC, these are not required.

You also do not need to move heavy furniture, empty cupboards or lift carpets. Reasonable access is enough. The assessor may need to see the boiler, hot-water cylinder, loft hatch, electric meter, heating controls and as many rooms as possible. Clearing access to these areas is more useful than trying to prepare the property for photographs.

The property does not need to be spotless, either. A normal lived-in home can be assessed without a problem. The practical priority is safe access and enough visibility to inspect the relevant features.

Commercial EPC documents and information

Commercial buildings are assessed differently from homes, and the information required can be broader. A Level 3 Commercial EPC may cover a shop, office, workshop, warehouse or other non-domestic premises. The assessor will need to understand the building's size, layout, construction and installed services.

Useful information includes up-to-date floorplans, measured areas, details of heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting systems, and any recent refurbishment records. If the premises form part of a larger building, clarification of the unit boundary and shared services is especially helpful.

For larger or more complex properties, details of air-conditioning systems, building-management controls, solar installations and occupancy patterns may also be relevant. This does not mean every business needs a technical file ready. It means that the more clearly the building services can be identified, the more efficiently the assessment can be completed.

If you manage several units, arrange access early. A locked plant room, inaccessible roof equipment or missing keys can delay an assessment far more than a missing invoice. Estate agents and property managers booking on behalf of an owner can help by confirming the contact on site and the areas that must be inspected.

Do Display Energy Certificates require the same paperwork?

Not quite. A Display Energy Certificate, or DEC, is for qualifying public buildings and is based on actual energy use rather than a modelled asset rating alone. Public authorities and institutions occupying buildings over 250 square metres may need a DEC where the building is frequently visited by the public.

For a DEC, recent energy bills or consumption data are central. Electricity, gas and other fuel records for the relevant period should be available, alongside building floor area information and details of any onsite generation. A site visit may still be needed to confirm the building characteristics and operational context.

The distinction matters. A Commercial EPC describes the energy performance of the building itself. A DEC reflects how much energy the building has actually used, which can be affected by opening hours, occupancy and how services are managed.

How to prepare without delaying the appointment

The simplest approach is to send or show only the evidence that relates to improvements which are hard to see. Before the visit, check that the assessor can access the loft hatch, heating equipment and every part of the property. If you have documents, place them in one email or folder rather than sending photographs across several messages.

Tell the assessor about recent work when booking, particularly insulation, extensions, replacement heating or solar panels. This gives them a chance to confirm what evidence is likely to be useful. For estate agents arranging several EPCs, a consistent instruction to vendors about access and paperwork can prevent avoidable follow-up visits.

Kings Energy Hub works with homeowners, landlords, estate agents and commercial clients across the local area, so the process is kept straightforward: confirm the cost and timescale, complete the assessment, then lodge the certificate where required.

A good EPC starts with a proper inspection, not a pile of paperwork. Make access easy, keep genuine improvement records nearby, and ask about anything unusual before the appointment. That small amount of preparation helps the assessment reflect the property you actually own or manage.