Code for Sustainable Homes

We are a multidiscipline consultancy, offering Code for Sustainable Homes Assessments from conception to completion. Our consultants have extensive knowledge and experience to help you gain whatever code level you are striving for.

Our background experience in Architecture helps us to impliment the code requirements most effectively into the design. We help our clients through the maze of statutory regulations and pride ourselves on delivering a proactive one stop package. Our consultancy also provides added value with our knowledge and experience in low energy and air tightness design, through SAP and pressure testing. Our qualified assessors are here to talk you through the process and can provide you with a clear and comprehesive quotation.

Launched by the Government in 2007, the Code for Sustainable Homes replaces Eco Homes as the national sustainability standard to be used in the design and construction of new-build residential properties in England.

The code is a set of sustainable design principles covering performance in nine key areas:

1. Energy & CO2 emissions
2. Water
3. Materials
4. Surface water run-off
5. Waste
6. Pollution
7. Health & Well-being
8. Management
9. Ecology

The code uses a rating system of 1-6 stars and involves a Design Stage Report/Certificate and a Post Construction Report which is submitted to the Building Research Establishment, enabling a final certificate and rating being given for each dwelling.

One star is the entry level and six stars is the highest level - a zero carbon home. A zero carbon home is a home that achieves zero net emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all energy use in the home over a 12 month period. There are mandatory standards contained within the Code (for energy, surface water run-off and water) and credits for each of the categories are weighted to give an overall score.

Formal code assessments of new-build dwellings can only be carried out by qualified and licensed code assessors.