Do new builds need an EPC?
Yes. A new dwelling needs an EPC on completion, produced from the as-built SAP calculation rather than a visual survey. Conversions creating a new dwelling also require one. New Rugby homes typically certificate at band B, occasionally A where low-carbon heating is fitted.
- New-build certificates come from design-stage and as-built SAP.
- A conversion creating a separate dwelling triggers the requirement.
- The developer is responsible for providing it on completion.
- A ten-year clock starts from lodging, as with any other EPC.
New builds are calculated, not surveyed
An existing home is assessed by an assessor walking round it and recording what is visible. A new dwelling is not. Its certificate comes from the full SAP calculation carried out for building control — a design-stage model, updated to an as-built version once construction is finished.
That is why a new-build EPC can be produced without anyone measuring the rooms: the dimensions, U-values and heating specification are already known from the design.
What new homes typically score
Modern fabric standards put most new dwellings at band B, with band A appearing where low-carbon heating is fitted. In Rugby that puts newer housing at Cawston and the edges of Brownsover well clear of the 2030 band C requirement, unlike most of the town centre.
| Band | SAP score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| A | 92–100 | Excellent — very low running costs |
| B | 81–91 | Very good — efficient modern home |
| C | 69–80 | Good — the target for rented homes by 2030 |
| D | 55–68 | Average — where most of Rugby sits |
| E | 39–54 | Below par — today’s legal minimum to let |
| F–G | 1–38 | Poor — cannot be let without works or an exemption |
When a conversion needs one
A conversion needs an EPC where it creates a dwelling that did not previously exist as a separate unit. Splitting a large Rugby townhouse into four flats creates four dwellings and four certificate obligations. Converting a loft within an existing house does not create a new dwelling and does not, by itself, trigger a new EPC — though it may well change the rating enough to be worth re-assessing.
Who is responsible
- New build: the developer must provide the certificate on completion
- Conversion: the person creating and then selling or letting the dwelling
- Resale: the seller, as with any other property
The ten-year clock
A new-build certificate lasts ten years like any other. Buyers of homes completed around 2016 are now reaching the point where a resale needs a fresh assessment — and because the property is now existing rather than new, that one is done by RdSAP survey.
Talk to us
For a conversion or a resale, see our domestic EPC service or get a quote. Commercial conversions are covered by our Commercial EPC service.
Looking for your own area? We have local EPC guides for Rugby town centre, Hillmorton, Newbold on Avon, Overslade, Brownsover, Bilton, Brinklow and every other Rugby area.
