BREEAM Consultant Services

A BREEAM consultant manages the assessment process from feasibility through to final certification. They coordinate with assessors, design teams and contractors to ensure credits are targeted and achieved efficiently. The assessment covers nine categories: energy, water, materials, transport, health, land use, pollution, waste and management. The scheme applies to new-build, refurbishment and fit-out projects across all building types.

BREEAM ratings range from Pass to Outstanding. Planning authorities and funding bodies increasingly specify Excellent and Very Good as a condition of approval.

When your project carries a contractual obligation to achieve a specific BREEAM rating, a specialist BREEAM consultant removes guesswork. They cut wasted effort and keep the assessment on schedule.

At Build Energy we combine hands-on site knowledge with assessor-level insight, helping contractors, developers and design teams present robust, BRE-compliant evidence first time.

• Independent assurance – A consultant spots gaps or errors before the evidence reaches the client-side assessor, avoiding rejected submissions and costly delays.
• Time and cost savings – Clear guidance on what is (and isn’t) needed means your team spends less time chasing paperwork and more time building.
• Confidence for the whole team – Knowing that an experienced professional has pre-checked every document builds certainty that the target rating will be met.

The main contractor is usually the assessor’s primary contact, responsible for collating and delivering a large volume of evidence. We streamline that process by:

Reviewing and Validating Core Evidence

This may include:

• Site Waste Management Plans & recycling reports
• Sustainability roles and responsibilities matrix
• Indoor Air Quality plans, VOC declarations & post-construction test results
• Commissioning certificates, surveys and thermal imaging
• Certification for responsibly sourced materials (FSC®, PEFC, BES 6001)
• Procurement records & Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
• Time-stamped photographic evidence of installations
• Meeting minutes, letters and other correspondence

Acting as Your Technical Liaison

We can handle day-to-day queries with the client-side assessor, translate BRE criteria into clear actions for site teams and track credit progress so nothing slips through the cracks.

By delivering clean, complete evidence packs, our consultants give the assessor confidence to award credits quickly. That keeps certification programmes on track and protects project milestones – especially important when BREEAM ratings are linked to contractual incentives or funding conditions.

From commercial offices and mixed-use schemes to schools and low-carbon residential developments, our in-house BREEAM assessors and consultants have supported:

• New Construction (NC) and Refurbishment & Fit-Out (RFO) projects
• Designs pursuing Excellent and Outstanding ratings
• Both Design Stage (interim) and Post-Construction Stage (final) submissions

We’re also able to integrate our expertise with complementary services including:

• Thermal Comfort (Overheating) Assessments
• SBEM Assessments
• Thermographic Surveys
• Indoor Air Quality Plans and Testing
• Acoustic Consultancy
• BREEAM AP Services

If you require an assessor to deliver the BREEAM certification directly, see our accredited BREEAM assessors page.

What does a BREEAM consultant do?

A BREEAM consultant provides independent advisory support to help your project achieve its target BREEAM rating. Unlike the assessor, who evaluates and submits evidence to BRE, a consultant works on your side. They develop the credit strategy, advise on specification decisions, review evidence before submission and identify gaps early enough to address them without programme impact. At Build Energy our consultants have assessor-level knowledge, which means we understand exactly what the assessor needs to see.

Do I need a BREEAM consultant if I already have an assessor?

The assessor’s role is to evaluate the evidence you provide – not to tell your team how to produce it or chase it on your behalf. A consultant fills that gap. They work proactively with your design team and subcontractors to ensure you capture the right information in the right format at the right time. On projects with contractual or funding BREEAM obligations, consultant costs are modest. A missed target or delayed certification typically costs far more.

When should I appoint a BREEAM consultant?

The earlier the better – ideally at RIBA Stage 2 or 3, before key specification decisions are locked in. Early appointment means we can influence credit-earning choices from the outset. These include materials selection, energy strategy, ecology and transport – rather than retrofitting solutions at greater cost. That said, we regularly step in at later stages too. We stabilise assessments that have lost momentum or are at risk of missing their target. It is never too late to benefit from specialist support.

Which BREEAM schemes and sectors do you cover?

We support projects targeting all BREEAM ratings from Good through to Outstanding. Our team has experience across BREEAM New Construction, Refurbishment and Fit-Out, and BREEAM In-Use schemes, for sectors including commercial offices, mixed-use, education and residential. For projects targeting Excellent or Outstanding, we provide more intensive pre-submission reviews. We work closely with the design team to maximise credits across all categories.