Understanding the role and path to becoming a BREEAM Assessor

In this blog, we’ll explore what a BREEAM Assessor does and guide you through the steps to gaining your qualification, so you can get ready to shape the future of environmentally responsible construction. 

What does a BREEAM Assessor do?

A BREEAM Assessor is trained and authorised to evaluate built assets against the criteria set out by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and its affiliated scheme operators. They play a key role in the BREEAM certification process by ensuring that projects meet the appropriate standards and that evidence is in place for independent verification.

A BREEAM Assessor’s core responsibilities include:

• Assessing building or asset performance across various BREEAM categories such as energy and water use, health and wellbeing, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management. 
• Collating evidence, analysing data and scoring performance based on the BREEAM methodology
• Registering projects (via BRE Global or the national scheme operator), preparing assessment reports, liaising with the project team and submitting the documentation required for certification
• Advising project managers on compliance with the BREEAM standards, driving quality assurance and staying up to date with the new scheme versions 

Who can become a BREEAM Assessor?

As Nathan Kempson, our Senior Sustainability Consultant, points out: “There are no pre-requisite requirements for becoming a BREEAM Assessor. You’ll just need a passion for sustainability and an interest in delivering buildings with a low environmental impact. An interest in administrative processes and attention to detail is a must, and the organised collation of evidence and an investigative mindset is essential.”

Architects, engineers, sustainability consultants, construction professionals, project managers and asset operators are amongst the typical candidates for a BREEAM Assessor role.

What’s the difference: BREEAM Assessor vs Advisory Professional (AP)?

If you’ve been considering a BREEAM career path for a while, you might have heard the term BREEAM Advisory Professional (AP) being thrown around. But how does their role differ from a BREEAM Assessor’s? 

Both professionals have a deep understanding of the framework, but they play very different parts in the BREEAM certification process. A BREEAM Assessor functions predominantly as an auditor by collecting evidence, applying the criteria, and submitting the assessment for certification. On the other hand, a BREEAM AP acts as an adviser to the project team, helping design and construction teams to embed sustainability principles, prioritise credits, and achieve their targeted rating. 

You can read more about the roles and responsibilities of each professional in our BREEAM AP vs Assessor guide.

1) Complete the required BREEAM Assessor training 

To become a BREEAM Assessor, you must complete the appropriate training course for the scheme you wish to assess (e.g. New Construction, Refurbishment & Fit-Out, In-Use, Infrastructure) and pass the examination. BRE offers a wide range of online courses for new Assessors, and they even offer introductory courses if you’re new to BREEAM and want to have a solid understanding of the basics before proceeding to the full Assessor qualification.

2) Apply for your Assessor licence and join the register

Once you’ve passed the exam and your scheme registration is in place, your employing organisation (or you, if you’re applying independently) will apply for your BREEAM licence with BRE or the national scheme operator. This grants you the right to register and submit assessments for certification. 

3) Maintain and develop your professional competency

The BREEAM sustainability standards and building regulations can evolve rapidly, so it’s vital that you stay on top of these changes and continue to advance your career. You’ll need to consider:

• Undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) and refresher training so that you’re up to date with any scheme updates
• Purchasing professional indemnity insurance to comply with quality assurance requirements for specific scopes of work
• Expanding your expertise into other BREEAM scheme types, for example, from New Construction to Refurbishment, In-Use, or Infrastructure
• Transitioning into advisory roles such as BREEAM AP or Sustainability Champion

We’re always looking for talented individuals who are passionate about sustainability to join our team. You can view our current vacancies here, or get in touch for more advice on becoming a qualified BREEAM Assessor – we’d be happy to help!