If you are selling, letting or buying a home, three documents keep coming up: the EPC, the floor plan and the house survey. They sound interchangeable and often get muddled together, but they do entirely different jobs, are produced by different professionals, and only one of them is required by law. Here is a plain-English breakdown of which you actually need.
The EPC: legally required to sell or let
An Energy Performance Certificate rates a property's energy efficiency on a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). It is produced by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA), who visits the property to record its construction, insulation, heating system, glazing and hot water arrangements.
Key facts:
- It is a legal requirement. You must have an EPC, or at least have commissioned one, before marketing a property for sale or rent in England and Wales.
- It lasts 10 years. Once lodged on the government EPC register, the certificate is valid for a decade and can be reused for multiple sales or tenancies in that time.
- Landlords have a minimum standard. Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), a rented property generally needs a rating of E or above, and letting a sub-standard property can attract fines of up to £5,000.
- It includes recommendations. Standard EPCs include a short list of suggested improvements where applicable. The optional £35 Improvement Plan adds personalised interpretation and priorities supported by the full Elmhurst Energy Report.
What it does not do is tell you anything about the property's condition. An EPC will not flag damp, subsidence or a leaking roof. It answers one question only: how energy efficient is this home?
L&D Energy provides domestic EPCs with guide prices from £65 across all 32 London boroughs, lodged on the GOV.UK register within 72 hours as standard or the same day for £15 extra.
The floor plan: not legally required, but expected
A floor plan is a scaled drawing of the property's layout, showing rooms, dimensions and total floor area. There is no law saying you need one to sell or let. In practice, though, it is close to non-negotiable.
- Estate and letting agents commonly include a floor plan in listings.
- A plan lets buyers and renters judge whether the layout works for them before booking a viewing, which means fewer wasted appointments.
- It evidences the floor area, which buyers increasingly use to compare value per square metre.
A floor plan is produced by anyone competent with measurement and drawing software, commonly an energy assessor, a photographer or an inventory clerk. Our plans are for marketing and illustration, with approximate dimensions and areas. They are not architectural, construction or legal-boundary documents. Check dimensions independently before relying on them for work or a purchase.
Is the floor plan's area the same as the EPC's?
Often not, and neither figure is wrong. The EPC shows an estimate of the total useful floor area, and it only counts the parts of the home the RdSAP 10 conventions treat as part of the dwelling. An unheated garage is left out unless the main heating system heats it, and so are an unheated porch or store that is separated from the home. Our floor plan shows the gross internal area of everything we draw, which can include those spaces.
The two are also measured for different jobs. The EPC's area feeds the energy calculation, while the plan's area is there to help buyers and tenants compare homes. If a buyer asks why the figures differ, that is usually the reason.
L&D Energy produces professional floor plans with guide prices from £65. Because we measure every room during an EPC visit anyway, a floor plan ordered alongside an EPC saves you up to £35 against booking the two separately. One visit, one set of measurements, two documents.
The house survey: for buyers, about condition
A house survey is a professional inspection of the property's condition, commissioned by the buyer before completing a purchase. It is carried out by a chartered surveyor regulated by RICS (the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and comes in three standard levels:
- RICS Home Survey Level 1: a basic condition report for conventional, newer properties in apparently good order.
- RICS Home Survey Level 2: the most common choice, a homebuyer-style report covering visible defects, damp, timber issues and urgent repairs.
- RICS Home Survey Level 3: a full building survey for older, larger, altered or visibly problematic properties, with detailed analysis of construction and defects.
A survey can flag problems that justify renegotiating the price or walking away. It is not a legal requirement either, but most mortgage lenders' valuations are not a substitute for one, and skipping a survey on an older property is a genuine risk.
To be completely upfront: L&D Energy does not provide house surveys. Surveying is a separate chartered profession, and an energy assessor is not qualified to report on structural condition. If you are buying, instruct a RICS chartered surveyor directly.
Side-by-side comparison
| EPC | Floor plan | House survey | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legally required? | Yes, before marketing a sale or let | No, but expected by agents and buyers | No, but strongly advised for buyers |
| Who orders it? | Seller or landlord | Seller or landlord (often via the agent) | Buyer |
| Typical cost | Guide prices from £65 with L&D Energy | Guide prices from £65, better value bundled with an EPC | Set by the surveyor; depends on the level of survey and the property |
| Validity | 10 years | No expiry while the layout is unchanged | Snapshot of condition on the inspection date |
| Who carries it out? | Accredited Domestic Energy Assessor | Energy assessor, photographer or floor plan specialist | RICS chartered surveyor |
| What it tells you | Energy efficiency rating A to G plus improvements | Layout, room sizes and floor area | Condition, defects and repair priorities |
Which do you need in your situation?
If you are selling
You need an EPC before the property goes on the market, unless a valid one already exists on the register from the last 10 years. You will almost certainly want a floor plan for the listing, since agents rely on them and most buyers expect one. You do not arrange a survey; that is the buyer's job.
Practical tip: order the EPC and floor plan together before instructing your agent, so the listing can go live without delay. Our sellers page walks through the full process.
If you are letting
You need an EPC with a rating of at least E before a new tenancy begins, and it must be given to the tenant. Letting below an E without a valid exemption risks MEES penalties of up to £5,000. A floor plan is optional but helps a lettings listing stand out and reduces no-show viewings. A survey is not relevant to landlords in the ordinary course of letting.
If you are buying
The seller should already have provided an EPC in the listing; check it on the government register and look at the recommendations to estimate future improvement costs. The floor plan comes with the listing too. The document you actively need to commission is a house survey, with Level 2 suiting most conventional homes and Level 3 worth the extra cost for period, extended or visibly tired properties.
Why the EPC and floor plan bundle makes sense
Producing a floor plan and producing an EPC both start with the same task: measuring every room in the property. When the two are ordered separately from different providers, you pay twice for that measuring and host two appointments.
Ordering them together means:
- One visit. The assessor measures the property once and uses the data for both documents.
- Better value on the plan. Because the measurement work is already done, bundling the floor plan with an EPC saves up to £35 against booking them separately. Guide prices for each band are on the pricing page.
- Consistency. The floor area on your listing matches the floor area behind your EPC, which avoids awkward questions from buyers and conveyancers.
Current bundle prices are on our pricing page, and both services are available across all 32 London boroughs from our Stratford base.
The short answer
An EPC rates energy efficiency and is the only legal requirement. A floor plan sells the layout and is expected even though it is optional. A survey protects the buyer from hidden defects and is commissioned by them, not you. If you are putting a London property on the market, the practical move is one booking covering the EPC and the floor plan together, then leaving the survey to whoever buys.
What it costs
An EPC is priced by the home’s internal floor area. Guide prices:
- Up to 40 m²Studios and compact flats£65
- 41–55 m²1-bedroom flats£75
- 56–75 m²2-bedroom flats and small homes£85
- 76–95 m²2–3-bedroom homes£95
- 96–115 m²3–4-bedroom houses£105
- 116 m² and overLarge homes, 4+ bedroomsfrom£120
A floor plan at the same visit saves up to £35. Same-day lodgement is £15 extra, and a next-day visit with the EPC lodged that day is £35 extra. Your exact price is confirmed before you book.
See every priceFrequently asked questions
Is an EPC the same as a house survey?
No. An EPC measures energy efficiency and gives a rating from A to G, while a house survey is a condition report identifying defects such as damp, structural movement or roof problems. An EPC is carried out by a Domestic Energy Assessor and is legally required to sell or let; a survey is carried out by a chartered surveyor and is optional, commissioned by the buyer.
Do I legally need a floor plan to sell my house?
No, there is no legal requirement for a floor plan. In practice almost every estate agent includes one in the listing, and most buyers expect to see one before booking a viewing, so going without one tends to hurt the marketing of the property.
Who pays for the EPC, the floor plan and the survey?
The seller or landlord pays for the EPC and the floor plan, because both are needed to market the property. The buyer pays for a house survey, because it protects the buyer's interests before they commit to the purchase.
Can I use an old EPC when selling my house?
Yes, as long as it is still within its 10-year validity period. Check the government EPC register first. Bear in mind that if you have improved the property since, for example a new boiler or insulation, a fresh EPC may show a better rating and help the sale.
Does L&D Energy do house surveys?
No. A house survey is a different service from energy assessment; choose a suitably qualified surveyor for the inspection you need. We provide EPCs and floor plans across all 32 London boroughs, and we are upfront that surveys are not something we offer.
In your area
Ratings from EPCs lodged for existing homes, 01/01/2023 to 12/10/2026, from the GOV.UK register.
Sources
- RdSAP 10 conventions v12.2: conventions 2.09a, 2.19 and 2.20, BRE for MHCLG. Checked 29/10/2026.Which porches, stores and garages count as part of the dwelling.
- The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, regulation 9, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 29/10/2026.An EPC includes an estimate of the total useful floor area.
- The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, regulation 7, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 29/10/2026.Before a building is put on the market, an EPC must be commissioned for it.
- A guide to Energy Performance Certificates for the marketing, sale and let of dwellings, GOV.UK (DCLG). Checked 22/10/2026.When an EPC is needed, how long it lasts, and evidence for features that cannot be seen.
- Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance, GOV.UK (DESNZ). Checked 29/10/2026.EPC E minimum for covered rentals; £5,000 maximum per property in total.
Crown copyright material is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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