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A BRUKL report is the output of the government's compliance software for new non-domestic buildings. It shows whether the building meets the energy-efficiency part of the Building Regulations: Part L in England. The software is either SBEM or an approved dynamic simulation tool, and the report states in plain terms whether the building passes or fails.
BRUKL stands for Building Regulations UK Part L. Building control asks for one at two points: before work starts, based on the design, and again at completion, based on what was actually built. The same model then produces the building's first EPC (Energy Performance Certificate).
If you need one for a project, our SBEM calculations and BRUKL reports service covers both stages and the EPC.
SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) is the government's calculation engine for commercial and other non-domestic buildings. It works out how much energy a building will use for heating, cooling, hot water, lighting and ventilation, from its size, construction and building services.
You'll often hear "SBEM calculation" and "BRUKL report" used as if they mean the same thing. SBEM does the sums; BRUKL is the module that checks the results against the Building Regulations and prints the report. Assessors run SBEM through the free government interface (iSBEM) or through approved commercial software such as DesignBuilder or IES, which build a 3D model of the building from its drawings. Large or complex buildings are sometimes modelled with approved dynamic simulation software instead, and that produces a BRUKL report in the same format.
You need one for any new non-domestic building that uses energy to condition the indoor climate: offices, shops, warehouses with heated areas, schools, hotels, care homes, restaurants and so on. It's also needed for:
A few buildings are exempt from the energy rules altogether, including places of worship, temporary buildings planned to stand for two years or less, and buildings with low energy demand such as unheated workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings.
There are two BRUKL reports on a typical project:
Getting the design-stage report done early is the cheapest time to fix a shortfall: a different window or heating system costs little to change on a drawing.
The report compares your building with a "notional" building: an identical twin with the same shape, size and use, built to a standard specification set by the government. Your building has to do at least as well as its twin on two headline figures.
Alongside those, the report checks that each part of the building meets minimum standards on its own:
Each line is marked as meeting or missing its standard, so it's easy to see where a failing building is falling short. Our commercial EPC ratings explained page lets you test a sample building against the same targets.
These are the Part L 2021 rules that apply in England today. An updated Approved Document L, part of the Future Buildings Standard, comes into force on 24 March 2027. Projects notified to building control before then keep the 2021 rules, as long as work starts by 24 March 2028. Wales has its own Part L, Scotland uses Section 6 of its Building Standards, and Northern Ireland uses Part F.
The design or specification changes until it passes. A fail at design stage is common and easy to fix; a fail at completion is harder, because the building is already built and it can hold up building control sign-off.
The usual fixes are better insulation or glazing, a more efficient heating system (often a heat pump), more efficient lighting and controls, heat recovery on the ventilation, or solar panels. We model the options and show you which ones get the building over the line for the least cost and disruption. Three improvement scenarios are included at no extra cost, and further ones can be quoted for.
Not on its own, but the same model does. When the building is finished, the as-built model produces the on-construction EPC, which we lodge on the government register. A new building needs an EPC on completion, so doing the BRUKL and the EPC together saves paying twice for the modelling.
The calculation is done at the desk from your documents. The fuller the information, the better the chance of a pass, because anything we can't confirm has to be entered as a cautious default.
We're happy to work directly with your architect or M&E engineer to collect what's needed.
Our BRUKL reports start from £199.95+VAT. The price depends on the size and complexity of the building and whether you need design-stage and as-built reports. Our prices are competitive and every building is quoted on its own merits. Send us the drawings and we'll come back with a firm figure, and the advice that goes with it.
If a result doesn't make sense, ring us on 0800 170 1201 and talk it through with someone who understands it (Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:30).
BRUKL stands for Building Regulations UK Part L. It's the name of the compliance checking module inside the government's calculation software, and of the report it produces.
No. The BRUKL report shows building control whether a new building meets the Part L energy targets. The EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) gives the finished building an A+ to G rating for buyers and tenants. Both come from the same computer model, so the as-built BRUKL and the on-construction EPC are normally produced together at completion.
An energy assessor using government-approved software. The as-built report is signed by the assessor to confirm the calculation is accurate, and by the client or developer to confirm the building was built to the specification used. Our non-domestic energy assessors are qualified at Level 4 and Level 5.
Usually not. The calculation is done at the desk from your drawings and specifications. At completion we ask for a signed declaration that the building matches the specification, with photographs as evidence.
Around 5 working days once we have all the information we need. Most of the time on a project goes on gathering the specification, so sending a complete pack up front is the quickest route to a report.
A large one does. In England an extension to a non-domestic building is treated as a new building, and needs the full calculation, when it is more than 100 m² and more than 25% of the existing building's floor area. Smaller extensions can usually show compliance through the U-values of the new walls, roof, floor and windows instead.
Our BRUKL reports start from £199.95 plus VAT. The price depends on the size and complexity of the building and whether you need design-stage and as-built reports. Every building is quoted on its own merits.
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SBEM calculations and BRUKL reportsLast reviewed: September 2026