What to charge for an existing home energy assessment

"What do I actually charge?" gets asked more than almost anything else in this segment, and it's rarely answered with real numbers — most of what circulates is vague ("depends on the job") or borrowed from a single provider's rate card. Dale's version of the question is blunter: he wants a number he can quote with confidence on the phone, not a range he has to caveat.

Here's what accredited assessors are actually charging right now, based on real bookings through our own partner network, plus the market context around it.

What assessors are actually charging right now

Across accredited assessors booked through MyCool Home's partner network, a standard existing-home energy assessment runs roughly $580–$860, with thermal imaging as an add-on service running roughly $440–$540 on top.

That base figure sits above the $300–$700 range commonly quoted for a bare NatHERS existing-homes certificate — and that gap is explainable, not arbitrary. A booking that includes a full appliance inventory, evidence capture to the standard the certificate now requires, and a properly modelled report (rather than a stripped-down visual-only inspection) costs more to deliver, and homeowners booking through a platform are typically after the complete service, not the cheapest possible certificate.

What's actually included at each price point

The base assessment

This covers the on-site visit itself — measuring rooms and openings, inspecting accessible roof and sub-floor spaces for insulation, identifying window and glazing types, recording wall and ceiling construction, and cataloguing heating, cooling, hot water and other fixed appliances — plus the certificate itself: the dual star-rating-and-score format, appliance breakdown, and upgrade recommendations.

The thermal imaging add-on

Thermal imaging isn't part of a standard NatHERS visual inspection, but it catches what a visual-only assessment can miss — insulation gaps, thermal bridging, and air leakage paths that aren't visible to the eye. It's a genuine upsell rather than padding: homeowners chasing a specific problem (a cold room, a high bill) get real diagnostic value from it that the base assessment alone doesn't provide.

Time on site and report turnaround

Budget your day around this: an existing-home site visit commonly runs one to three hours, depending on property size and complexity, with official guidance pointing toward the higher end of that range for a full existing-homes assessment (more is being captured on site than in a new-homes desk review). Certificates are then typically issued within 3–10 business days after the visit, once the data is modelled — most assessors land in the 3–5 day range unless they're offering a rush turnaround as a premium option.

How to actually set your number

A few things genuinely move the price, and are worth pricing in deliberately rather than absorbing: property size and complexity (more zones, more roof and sub-floor access points, more appliances to catalogue all add site time); travel, especially outside a metro area; turnaround speed, if you're willing to offer a rush option as a paid upgrade; and whether thermal imaging is bundled in or quoted separately — quoting it separately, as the market data above suggests, tends to reflect its value better than folding it into a single flat fee.

Our take

"What do I charge?" doesn't have to stay an open question for this segment — there's now real booked-job data to anchor it to, rather than everyone guessing independently. $580–$860 for the base assessment and $440–$540 for thermal imaging as a genuine add-on is a defensible starting point that reflects the fuller existing-homes scope, not a race to the bottom against the bare $300 end of the market.

Frequently asked questions

What's the actual going rate for an existing-home energy assessment in 2026?

Based on bookings through MyCool Home's assessor partner network, a standard assessment runs roughly $580–$860, with thermal imaging available as a roughly $440–$540 add-on.

Why does this sit above the $300–$700 range often quoted for a NatHERS certificate?

That lower range typically describes a bare-minimum visual assessment; a full booking with complete appliance inventory, evidence capture and a properly modelled report costs more to deliver, and reflects what homeowners booking through a platform are actually after. Source: MyEnergyRating.

How long does an existing-home site visit actually take?

Commonly one to three hours depending on property size and complexity, with official guidance pointing toward the higher end for a full existing-homes assessment. Source: NatHERS.

What's a realistic report turnaround time to quote clients?

Most assessors issue certificates within 3–10 business days after the site visit, with 3–5 days being typical unless a rush service is offered as a paid upgrade. Source: MyEnergyRating.

Should thermal imaging be bundled into the base fee or quoted separately?

Quoted separately — it's a genuine diagnostic upsell rather than padding, and pricing it as its own line item (roughly $440–$540) reflects its value better than folding it into a single flat rate.

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