Frequently Asked Questions

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is an official document showing a building's energy efficiency. For a home, it is required as soon as you publicly offer it for sale or for rent. More information on the website of the Flemish Energy and Climate Agency (VEKA).

For a home, a valid EPC must exist as soon as you publicly offer it for sale or for rent, and it must stay valid until the notarial deed or the signing of the lease. For new builds, the EPB reporter issues an EPC Construction after the EPB declaration. Apartment buildings also have an EPC for the common areas, and separate rules apply to non-residential buildings. Unsure? Ask us.

An EPC is valid for a maximum of 10 years.

An EPB (Energy Performance and Indoor Climate) is mandatory for new construction or major renovation. An EPC is for existing buildings during sale or rental.

During a check by VEKA, a fine of €500 to €5,000 can be imposed. Paying the fine does not relieve you of the obligation to have an EPC drawn up.

On average 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size and complexity of your property.

It's not required but recommended. You can also entrust the key to someone.

Usually within 48 hours of the site visit.

Make sure all rooms are accessible and prepare supporting documents (insulation invoices, plans, technical data sheets). The more evidence, the more accurate your score.

From €195 excl. VAT for an apartment, from €260 excl. VAT for a terraced house and from €295 excl. VAT for a family home. See our pricing page for the explanation per category.

No. The price includes the site visit, drawing up the certificate, registration and travel within our service area. You know the exact price upfront, in your quote.

The EPC contains personalised recommendations to improve the energy efficiency of your property, with indicative cost estimates.

On woningpas.vlaanderen.be (Flemish building passport) you can consult your EPC with your eID or itsme.

Through targeted renovations: roof insulation, high-performance glazing, condensing boiler or heat pump, solar panels. The recommendations on your EPC indicate priorities.

Since July 2025, photo documentation is mandatory as proof for insulation and installations. There are also new rules for basements and protected volume.

If you buy a home with label E or F, you must, according to vlaanderen.be, renovate it to at least label D within a fixed period after the notarial deed. What changes after 2028 is not yet final.

A standard EPC inspection takes on average 1 to 2 hours for an apartment or terraced house and 2 to 3 hours for a larger home or villa. The duration depends on the surface area, number of floors and complexity of installations. Since the new inspection protocol IP2025, the inspection takes slightly longer as photo documentation is mandatory as evidence. Our certified energy experts work efficiently but thoroughly, we take the time needed for an accurate result. Prepare your supporting documents so the inspection runs smoothly. Check our preparation tips for a complete checklist.

No, your presence is not legally required. You can entrust the key to a neighbour, tenant, estate agent or family member. However, we recommend that someone is present who can answer questions about completed renovations and provide supporting documents. The more information our energy expert receives on site, the more accurate your EPC score will be. Invoices for insulation work, technical data sheets and building plans make a big difference. If no one can be present, leave the documents on the table with an explanatory note. Schedule your inspection at a time that suits you best.

At EPC Expert, we typically schedule the inspection within 3 to 5 working days of your request. In urgent cases, for example for a notary deed or last-minute rental, we check whether an earlier appointment is possible. After the site visit, you typically receive the EPC certificate within 48 hours by email. It is also registered in the Flemish government's Energy Performance Database. In total, you can usually have your valid EPC within 1 week. Request a free quote and indicate your preferred date.

Our prices for an EPC certificate start from €195 excl. VAT for an apartment or studio, from €260 excl. VAT for a terraced house or duplex and from €295 excl. VAT for a family home. For a villa (over 400 m²), a small non-residential property or the common areas of an apartment building, we prepare a tailored quote. The price includes the site visit, drawing up the certificate, registration in the Energy Performance Database and travel within our service area: 30 km around Tervuren, Flanders only. See our full pricing page for the explanation per category.

Yes, you can significantly improve your EPC score through targeted renovations. The greatest impact comes from roof insulation (average improvement of 1 to 2 labels), followed by high-performance glazing, wall insulation and an efficient heating system such as a heat pump or condensing boiler. Solar panels and a solar water heater also contribute to a better label. Each EPC contains personalised recommendations with indicative cost estimates and the expected label improvement per measure. We advise starting with the measures that offer the best ratio between investment and label improvement. After renovations, you can have a new EPC drawn up reflecting your improved score. Ask for advice from our experts.

The price of a new EPC after renovation is the same as for a regular site visit: from €195 excl. VAT for an apartment, from €260 excl. VAT for a terraced house and from €295 excl. VAT for a family home. We recommend having a new EPC drawn up after major renovations (roof insulation, new windows, heat pump), so that your improved energy label is on record. Request a quote for your new EPC.

An EPC is valid for 10 years. After that it has expired and you must have a new EPC drawn up if you want to sell or rent your home. Without a valid EPC, VEKA can impose a fine of €500 to €5,000. A new EPC can also work in your favour: if you have carried out renovations in recent years (insulation, new windows, more efficient heating), your new score will probably be better than the old certificate. Request a new EPC in time to avoid surprises when selling or renting.

Yes. For a home you rent out, a valid EPC must be available from the moment you offer it until the lease is signed. You attach a copy to the lease and keep the original. The energy label must appear in every rental advertisement, online too. There are exceptions, for example for a holiday home rented for less than 2 months. Without a valid EPC, VEKA can impose a fine of €500 to €5,000. See our prices and plan your EPC in time.

Since 1 January 2023, a renovation obligation applies in Flanders to anyone who buys a home with energy label E or F (or acquires a leasehold or building right on it). According to vlaanderen.be, the new owner must reach at least label D within a fixed period after the deed. That period depends on the date of the deed; check yours on vlaanderen.be. The situation on the date of the deed counts. The EPC shows your current label and which measures give the most. For non-residential buildings, a separate obligation has applied since 2022, with minimum measures within five years of the transfer. What changes after 2028 for homes is not yet final. For the current situation, see vlaanderen.be. Ask our experts for advice.

No, an EPC may only be drawn up by a certified type A energy expert. Home-made energy reports have no legal value. The bureau works under VEKA recognition number EP18784. You can check the recognition of any energy expert in the register of type A energy experts.

Yes, for new builds or major energy renovations an EPB declaration (Energy Performance and Indoor Climate) is mandatory. It is submitted by an EPB reporter, who then also issues the EPC Construction. We only draw up EPCs for existing buildings. For EPB declarations, we refer you to an EPB reporter.

No, not for new applications. Applications for the EPC label premium were possible until 30 June 2026. What still exists can be found on vlaanderen.be.

Mijn VerbouwPremie still exists, but was reformed on 1 March 2026: owner-occupiers in income categories 1 and 2 now only receive a premium for a heat pump. For categories 3 and 4, vlaanderen.be reports no change. With Mijn VerbouwLening you borrow €4,000 to €60,000 for an energy renovation. The interest rate depends on your income category and is zero percent only in category 4. For the current conditions: vlaanderen.be.

The energy expert checks all elements that influence energy performance: insulation (roof, walls, floor), windows and glazing, the heating system, hot water production, ventilation and any renewable energy systems (solar panels, heat pump). Since IP2025, everything is mandatorily documented with photos. The more supporting documents you can provide, the more accurate the result. Check our preparation tips.

Don't panic. A low EPC label does not mean your property is uninhabitable. The EPC actually shows concrete improvement points that allow you to renovate step by step. Check our tips to improve your EPC.

For new builds, an EPB declaration comes first. The EPB reporter then issues an EPC Construction, not us. That EPC Construction counts as an EPC for a home up to 10 years old. A regular EPC is only needed once that EPC Construction has expired and you want to sell or rent.

No, we only work in Flanders, within 30 km of Tervuren. An EPC in the Brussels-Capital Region (certificat PEB) requires a separate accreditation as a PEB certifier, which we do not have. Is your home in a Flemish municipality near Brussels, such as Kraainem or Wezembeek-Oppem? Then we can help.

Yes, according to vlaanderen.be an EPC for the common areas is required for apartment buildings with at least two dwellings, regardless of the sale or rental of an apartment. It is valid for 10 years. Usually the property manager or the board of the owners' association requests it. Read more on our EPC common areas page.