Award-winning Chartered Quantity Surveyors and RICS Chartered Building Surveyors. T: +44 (0) 191 7166768 
Introduction
The Code for Sustainable Homes is an environmental assessment rating method for new homes. This enables housing developers from the public and private sector to measure the environmental performance in a two-stage process (design stage and post construction stage) using objective criteria and verification. The results of the Code Assessment are recorded on a certificate assigned to the dwelling. The Code was launched in December 2006 and became operational in April 2007.
The Code for Sustainable Homes covers nine categories of sustainable design:
- Category 1: Energy and Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Category 2: Water
- Category 3: Materials
- Category 4: Surface Water Run-Off
- Category 5: Waste
- Category 6: Pollution
- Category 7: Health & Wellbeing
- Category 8: Management
- Category 9: Ecology
Benefits
Lower Running Costs: Homes built to Code standard will have lower running costs through greater energy and water efficiency. This helps to reduce fuel poverty.
Customer Satisfaction: Homes built to the Code will enhance the comfort and satisfaction for tenants. Costs may also be saved in dealing with customer complaints.
Sustainability Credentials: The Code will enable housing providers to demonstrate their sustainability credentials to the public, tenants and funding bodies.
A Mark of Quality: There is a growing appetite among consumers for more sustainable products and services. The Code can be used to demonstrate the sustainable performance of your homes and differentiate your homes from your competitors.
Regulatory Compliance: The levels of performance for energy efficiency indicate the future direction of building regulations, bringing greater regulatory certainty for home builders. They also act as a guide to support effective business and investment planning.
Environment: With minimum standards for energy efficiency at each level of the Code, there will be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to the environment.
Key Services
- Elvet are licensed BREEAM Code for Sustainable Homes Assessors and are registered with GreenBook Live.
- Pre-assessment guidance and design review.
- Design Stage Assessment.
- Post Construction Assessment.
Related Services:
- We can provide accredited energy performance assessments to calculate the CO2 emission rate of domestic buildings to demonstrate compliance with Part L1A of the Building Regulations (Ene1 and 2).
- Elvet can calculate the water efficiency in new dwellings to comply with the Governments national calculation methodology in support of Building Regulations Part G 2009 (Wat1)
- Calculate the Average Daylight Factor and Position of no sky line in conjunction with BS 8206-2 (Hea1).
- Specify building materials with low environmental impacts over their life cycle in accordance with BRE Global Green Guide Calculator Tool.
- Elvet employs a team of qualified quantity surveyors who are able to interpret design proposals into feasibility estimates. This enables us to identify the cost implications associated with any route to achieve the desired code rating, while making practical suggestions within the client’s budget.