COMMERCIAL BER CERTS

 

A BER for your business premises

 
factory

WHAT IS A COMMERCIAL BER?

 
 

A commercial BER is a BER cert for a commercial Building. They are usually required when a commercial building is being sold or rented (new lease agreement commencing). To carry out a commercial BER an assessor must visit the property and record all information required. Once all the information has been collected the assessor inputs the information into a software package which then produces the Certificate. The Certificate can then be emailed or posted to the owner of the commercial building.

 

Commercial BER Certs are generally more expensive than domestic BER Certs. The two reasons for this is the €45 registration charge that is paid on each Certificate to SEAI and the extra work that is involved in inputting the information to the software package. Typically BER Certs costs start at €250 for the smallest building.

 

It is also worth noting that, as with domestic properties, there is no pass or fail with the BER cert. Once a BER cert has been completed then the sale of the building can be processed.

 

Commercial premises include all properties that are not classified as domestic dwellings. Such properties include shops, shopping center premises, factories, offices, warehouses etc. The only exception is in the case of a protected structures or if the owner can manage to get the County Council Building Control unit to officially classify the commercial building uninhabitable. From experience we have found that it is easier to carry out a BER as opposed to waiting for the Building Control to classify a building uninhabitable.

Exactly when am I required to carry out a commercial BER cert?

  1. If you intend to sell your Commercial Building.

If you are selling a commercial building then you are required by law to have a BER cert. Estate agents generally will not advertise a commercial building for sale unless the Commercial BER has been obtained. Solicitors can not close the sale of the Commercial Building unless the Commercial BER has been obtained.

  1. When you are renting your commercial building.

Similar to the above a commercial Building cannot be advertised or lease agreed unless a commercial BER has been carried out.

Call us now to find out if you need a BER cert for your commercial property

I am worried that the BER rating will be low and want to improve the efficiency of the building.

What type of works can I carry out prior to my commercial BER assessment?

  • Use Low energy light bulbs.
  • Increase the insulation in the attic.
  • Options on how to increase the wall U-Value levels
  • Heating system recommendations
  • Controls on the heating system such as TRVs
  • Window upgrades
  • Insulate pipework

Our recommendations are individually suited to each building type. We realise that for the vast majority of our clients the initial cost outlay is a major factor when looking to improve their energy efficiency of their building. As a result we take your budget into account prior to providing our recommendations.

Find out how to reduce your business heating and electricity bills

Questions our Commercial BER assessors get asked the most

1. The commercial property is a derelict warehouse. It has not been used for years and is in very poor condition, do I still need to get a commercial BER assessors to survey?

Yes, all properties that are classified as commercial will need to get an assessment if it is being sold or leased. The only exception to this is if the building can is classified as a protected structure or if it is classified, in writing, by the Building Control to be uninhabitable. From our experience, getting such a letter from the council (Building Control) is very difficult and time consuming and most of our clients find it more convenient to simple have the BER carried out.

2. How much will my Commercial Unit cost to get the BER cert carried out?

If you call our office on the number above and let the assessor know the approximate size, the use of the property, approximate rooms present and the location of the building then you will receive a verbal quote instantly. The Commercial BER certs range in cost from €200 upwards. Our prices include the €50 registration charge which is paid to SEAI once each BER cert is registered.

3. I have a building which has a number of individual units. Do I need to carry out Commercial BER’s on all of the units?

Yes. If a unit has a number of different tenants-for example an office on first floor and a shop on the ground floor-then a BER is required for both premises.

5. Okay so I have ascertained that I need a Commercial BER cert. What does the process involve?

You can call the NextDay BER office to arrange an appointment. Once access has been granted the assessor surveys the commercial property. Information such as the heating systems, insulation levels, draw floor plans; elevations of the building are surveyed. The assessment can take anything from 1 to 3 hours. Once the information has been surveyed the assessor imputes it into the software which has been created by SEAI and a Certificate is produced. This part is usually done back at our office. The assessor then emails the Cert to the client ( or posts if requested). An invoice is then sent and you can pay by laser/credit card or simply post a cheque on the day.