Breeam Assessment

What is a BREEAM Assessment?

For any housing developer, social housing provider or commercial developer, understanding your obligations around sustainability is increasingly important, and BREEAM assessments are central to that picture.

The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, better known as BREEAM, was created by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 1990. It is the world’s longest-established method for evaluating the sustainability of buildings and infrastructure projects, and it is recognised by local planning authorities across the UK and internationally.

Environmental Performance

A BREEAM sustainability assessment measures a building’s performance across a wide range of environmental and sustainability criteria, from sustainable design through to construction, occupation and project lifecycle. It applies to new builds and refurbishments alike, and results in an independently verified rating that demonstrates a project’s environmental credentials to planning authorities, investors and future occupants.

The categories assessed include ecology, energy, health well being, use of land, management, materials, pollution, transport, waste and water usage. BREEAM standards provide core considerations including reducing carbon emissions, adapting to climate change, protecting biodiversity and using low-impact design approaches.

As planning policies increasingly require project teams to demonstrate sustainability, obtaining a BREEAM certificate is not just about best practice: for many projects, a final BREEAM rating is a requirement. It will also provide property investors and building owners with valuable operational asset data.

The BREEAM Assessment Criteria

BREEAM criteria are organised into a series of weighted categories, each covering a different aspect of a building’s environmental sustainability standards, operational performance and social impact. A licensed BREEAM assessor works through each category during the BREEAM certification process, awarding credits based on the evidence provided.

The categories and types of issues that a BREEAM assessor will address include:

• Energy: carbon emissions, life cycle, energy efficiency measures and renewable energy sources
• Water use: water consumption, water efficiency, leak detection and water recycling
• Materials: responsible sourcing, embodied carbon and lifecycle impacts
• Waste: construction waste management and operational waste facilities
• Transport: proximity to public transport, cycle provision and travel plans
• Land use and ecology: protection of existing habitats, ecological enhancement and biodiversity value
• Pollution: surface water runoff, noise, light pollution and refrigerant use
• Health wellbeing: daylight, indoor air quality, occupant health and wellbeing, thermal comfort and acoustic performance
• Management: commissioning, aftercare and responsible construction site management

Once BREEAM credits have been awarded across all applicable categories, the total is converted to a percentage score and a BREEAM rating is issued.

BREEAM Ratings Explained

The BREEAM rating system provides a clear, recognised benchmark for a building’s sustainability performance:

BREEAM Rating Level

To put those benchmarks in context, fewer than 1% of new non-domestic buildings in the UK achieve an Outstanding rating, and only around 10% reach Excellent, which is widely regarded as the target to aim for. Around 25% achieve Very Good, 50% Good, and 75% Pass.

Even a Pass or Good final BREEAM rating carries real value: it confirms that sustainability has been independently assessed to an internationally recognised standard, which can support planning applications, reduce running costs and enhance the long-term value of both residential and commercial buildings.

The BREEAM Pre-Assessment

A BREEAM pre-assessment is carried out at the early stages of a project, typically during the design phase, to establish an indicative rating of the performance of buildings based on current proposals. A design stage assessment is not a formal certification, but it is an extremely valuable planning tool.

The pre-assessment identifies which credits are likely to be achievable, which present a challenge and where design changes could improve the final rating. For developers, this early insight and careful consideration allows sustainability to be designed in from the outset rather than retrofitted at a later stage, which is invariably more costly and less effective.

For housing and development projects where a specific BREEAM target is required by the local authority – a common condition on larger residential and commercial schemes – the pre-assessment provides early confidence that the target is achievable and flags any areas of risk before significant design or construction expenditure has been committed.

The BREEAM sustainability rating scheme is also a useful tool for bid and tender purposes, demonstrating to funders, investors and planning officers that sustainability strategies have been considered from the start of the project.

BREEAM Flood Risk Assessment

Flood risk is one of the areas considered within a full BREEAM assessment, and the BREEAM flood risk assessment element looks at the exposure of a site to flooding and the measures taken to manage and mitigate that risk as part of the development design.

Credits under this element are awarded where a site has been assessed for flood vulnerability, where the development avoids placing vulnerable uses in high-risk areas and where sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) or other water management measures have been incorporated into the design as part of a comprehensive approach.

It is important to note that the BREEAM flood risk element works alongside, not instead of, any formal flood risk assessment required by the local planning authority under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Where a standalone flood risk assessment or drainage strategy is required as a planning condition, that document remains a separate requirement. The BREEAM scheme element considers flood risk as part of the broader sustainability picture.

For sites in areas of flood risk, ensuring that both planning-required flood risk assessments and BREEAM requirements are addressed together from an early stage avoids duplication of effort and helps keep build projects on programme.

Why BREEAM is Important for Housing Developers

The UK government’s focus on sustainable building practices and reducing environmental impact has intensified significantly in recent years. Planning policy frameworks at both national and local level increasingly require developers to demonstrate that their projects are environmentally friendly, contributing positively to the built environment rather than simply meeting a minimum standard.

BREEAM certification provides the internationally recognised framework for doing exactly that. Buildings with strong BREEAM ratings typically benefit from lower operational running costs, reduced energy bills and a higher market value, making sustainability performance a commercial advantage as well as a regulatory requirement. The BREEAM assessment process includes post-construction assessment and refurbishment and fit-for-existing buildings.

For social housing providers and housing associations, BREEAM certification also supports funding applications, demonstrates value for money to stakeholders and provides evidence of compliance with green building design, construction, net zero and sustainability commitments.

The connection to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), now mandatory for most developments under the Environment Act 2021, is also relevant here. The ecology and land use elements of the BREEAM sustainability assessment method align closely with BNG requirements and addressing both together as part of a coordinated approach to sustainable development and ecological value will save time and cost compared to treating them as separate exercises.

Arrange Your BREEAM Assessment with Ease

Don’t let uncertainty about the BREEAM process slow your project down. Whether you need a pre-assessment to inform your design, a full design stage assessment for planning purposes or a post-construction certificate to discharge a planning condition with local authorities, getting the right BREEAM assessor involved early makes the whole process smoother and more cost-effective.

Our network of trusted, qualified BREEAM assessors covers the whole of the UK and works across residential, commercial and mixed-use projects to assess their environmental impact. We can help with BREEAM refurbishment and assessment of projects of any location and project type, from new construction to refurbishment fit-out.

Contact us today if you need help with BREEAM projects. We will provide a free, no-obligation quote and find out exactly what your project needs.