Code for Sustainable Homes

The Code for Sustainable Homes is now the national standard for all new build residential homes. By having a Code assessment you are helping to make homes more sustainable and reduce CO2 emissions.

Our Service

If we are appointed at the design stage, we can advise you on the most appropriate way to achieve your required rating or even what will be involved in achieving a higher code rating. Our assessors will guide you through the Code assessment from right at the design stage.

We offer a pre assessment estimator meeting and report for planning or at the design stage and can follow on with more design meetings if you are new to the code for sustainable homes. There are mandatory issues required, and we will highlight these for you to make sure that your development complies with the minimum standards. We have a strong knowledge of the energy criteria (Ene 1) which can offer potentially more credits. At the design stage of the project, we are qualified to ascertain an interim certificate, once the property is built we will then issue a final post construction certificate after making a site visit.

How does the code work?

The code assessment covers 9 different categories; Energy and Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Water, Materials, Surface Water Run-off, Waste, Pollution, Health & Wellbeing, Management, Ecology. The Code level attained is based on a 6 star ratings system, with level 6 being a zero carbon home and highly sustainable. Each issue is worth a certain amount of credits and the more credits achieved for a property the higher the Code rating will be.

More about the Code

The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methods (BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes) are used to assess the environmental performance of both new and existing buildings.

Code rating for new build homes became mandatory from 1 May 2008 it replaced the Eco Homes assessment for new homes in England. The Code aims to protect the environment by providing guidance on the construction of high performance homes built with sustainability in mind.

If you want to get some advice or if you require any more information on how Sustainable Homes and Gardens can help you then please feel free to contact us, we are a friendly bunch of assessors!