BREEAM-NL costs and timeline
The costs of BREEAM-NL certification consist of three layers: the DGBC certification fees, the hours of an Expert and Assessor, and the investment in sustainability measures. When you register, you pay a deposit of €600 per certificate, which is settled later. The official 2026 fees are on breeam.nl/tarieven . For the steps you go through, read the step-by-step plan. To see whether you can (partly) recover the costs through a tax benefit, read subsidies and tax benefits.
To be honest, the DGBC fees are only a small part of the total cost. Most projects spend more on advice and measures than on the formal certification.
Costs in three layers
| Cost layer | What it includes | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| DGBC certification | Registration, assessment, issuing the certificate | See the fees below |
| Expert and Assessor hours | Advice, evidence collection, independent assessment | Highly variable; indicatively several thousand euros |
| Sustainability measures | Extra insulation, installations, materials, greenery measures | Largest cost item |
The DGBC fees are fixed per m² bvo (gross floor area) and are published openly. The hours of the Expert and Assessor depend on the complexity of the project and the target rating. The measures depend entirely on the building and on the ambition.
DGBC fees 2026: New construction and renovation
The fees below exclude VAT (btw) and apply to non-partners. Partner fees are lower, for example under 10,000 m²: €3,300 instead of €4,400. Source: breeam.nl/tarieven-7 .
| Floor area (m² bvo) | Fee (non-partner) |
|---|---|
| Less than 5,000 m² | €0.88/m², minimum €600 |
| Up to and including 10,000 m² | €4,400 |
| Up to and including 15,000 m² | €6,150 |
| Up to and including 30,000 m² | €8,250 |
| Up to and including 50,000 m² | €13,000 |
| More than 50,000 m² | €0.26/m², maximum €26,000 |
An office of 8,000 m² bvo therefore costs €4,400 in DGBC certification. A large distribution centre of 60,000 m² bvo pays €15,600 (60,000 x €0.26), but not more than the maximum of €26,000.
On top of the certification costs, you pay a registration deposit of €600. This deposit is settled in the final invoice. It is not an extra cost, but an advance payment.
DGBC fees 2026: In-Use non-residential
Separate fees apply to existing buildings. These also exclude VAT and apply to non-partners.
| Floor area (m² bvo) | Fee (non-partner) |
|---|---|
| Up to and including 2,500 m² | €2,550 |
| Up to and including 10,000 m² | €2,850 |
| Up to and including 20,000 m² | €3,100 |
| More than 20,000 m² | €3,500 |
In-Use fees are relatively low, because the assessment is less intensive than for new construction. But here too, the costs of the Expert and the Assessor are additional.
Total project costs: an honest estimate
For a complete BREEAM-NL process (DGBC + Expert + Assessor + measures), plan on a market indication of around €15,000 to €50,000. This is a rough range. The actual costs depend strongly on:
- The size and complexity of the building
- The target ambition level (Very Good is much cheaper than Outstanding)
- How many sustainability measures are already in place or planned
- Whether the Expert is involved early in the design
A higher ambition level costs exponentially more. The step from Very Good to Excellent already requires considerably more than the step from Pass to Good. Work out early whether that extra level is feasible and worthwhile for your project.
Timeline
The duration differs per scheme and per project.
New construction and renovation runs alongside the building project. A new build project can easily take 12 to 36 months. BREEAM-NL does not add its own duration if you involve the Expert early, but the certificate is only final on handover.
In-Use is usually faster. If the building is already well documented and an Expert guides the process tightly, you can obtain a certificate in three to six months.
Both schemes have a fixed transition period for new versions. Registrations under the previous version had until April 2025.
Recovering the costs
Through MIA and Vamil, a considerable part of the investment can be recovered as a tax benefit. A higher rating gives a larger deduction. You can find more explanation and worked examples at subsidies and tax benefits.
Sources
- BREEAM-NL fees 2026 (official DGBC fees, excluding VAT)
- DGBC - BREEAM-NL (administrator and registration)
- RVO - MIA and Vamil (tax benefit for certification)