Commissioning Costs

Building owners are finding that the energy, water, productivity, and operational savings resulting from commissioning offset the cost of implementing a building commissioning process. Recent studies indicate that on average the operating costs of a commissioned building range from 8%-20% below that of a non-commissioned building. The one-time investment in commissioning at the beginning of a project may result in reduced operating costs that will last the life of the building. In general, the cost of commissioning is less than the cost of not commissioning.

The cost of commissioning is dependent upon many factors including a building's size and complexity, and whether the project consists of new construction or building renovation. In general, the cost of commissioning a new building ranges from 0.5% to 1.5% of the total building construction cost, as shown in the table. For an existing building, never before commissioned, the cost of retro-commissioning (RCx) can range from 3% to 5% of the total operating cost.

Cost of Commissioning, New Construction