Which documents should I prepare for the DPE visit?

Gather the envelope evidence (wall, loft, floor and window insulation invoices with the R-value and date), the systems (boiler, heat pump, hot-water tank, ventilation), the construction year (permit, deed, property-tax notice) and, in a condominium, the managing-agent documents (collective DPE, maintenance log, AGM minutes). Each one avoids a penalising default value.

Am I required to give these documents to the assessor?

No, no list is imposed on the owner. But without evidence, the assessor applies "by definition penalising" default values: an insulated wall is counted as bare, a window as single glazing. Providing the proof describes the home as it really is.

Do I need a previous DPE to use the tool?

No. The tool does not ask for your DPE. If you enter your address, it finds the last known DPE of the building to flag the characteristics that would have been estimated by default — useful precisely if you have renovated since and the old DPE is no longer reliable.

How does the condominium cross-reference work?

For a flat, the tool aggregates — anonymised and only beyond 4 comparable homes — the shared characteristics of the building (heating energy, façade insulation, construction year) from the other units’ DPE. This feature is reserved for subscribers.

Is my home affected by the rental restrictions?

Homes rated G are affected from 2025, F from 2028 and E from 2034 (energy decency). A well-prepared DPE that credits real improvements can avoid an unfairly low rating and its rental consequences.

OneDpeEPC & renovation

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DPE Visit Checklist

OneDpe EPC & renovation

DPE visit checklist

Generate the list of documents to gather before the assessor’s visit — for a DPE that describes your home as it is, not as the method assumes by default.

FreeBased on the official 3CL methodFrance + condominium

Why prepare for your visit?

Since 2021, the DPE is calculated from the dwelling’s technical characteristics, and every unjustified piece of data falls back on a "by definition penalising" default value: an insulated wall is counted as bare, a window as single glazing. Gathering your supporting documents avoids this underestimation.

Read the full guide: preparing for your DPE inspection

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Gather these documents and hand them to the assessor before the visit. Each one replaces a penalising assumption with the reality of your home.

Envelope and insulation

Wall insulation invoices and certificates (external ETICS or internal ITI), with the thermal resistance R and thickness
Priority
Justifies
The real heat-transfer coefficient of the walls (Umur)
Avoids
Wall counted as "uninsulated" for any building from before 1975
Where to find it
The contractor's file, MaPrimeRénov'/CEE subsidy folder, project emails
France Rénov’ (MaPrimeRénov’ account)
Loft / roof insulation invoices (R-value and thickness)
Priority
Justifies
The roof heat loss (≈ 25 to 30% of total losses)
Avoids
Roof assumed uninsulated (same "unknown = uninsulated" rule)
Where to find it
The contractor's invoice, RGE certificate
Window / joinery invoices (glazing type, double or triple, installation date)
Priority
Justifies
The window coefficient (Uw) and the real glazing type
Avoids
Glazing reduced to single glazing (Ug = 5.8 W/(m².K))
Where to find it
The window fitter's invoice, product datasheet
Low-floor insulation invoices (over cellar, garage, crawl space)
Recommended
Justifies
The low-floor coefficient (Ufloor)
Avoids
Low floor assumed uninsulated
Where to find it
The contractor's invoice
Proof of a façade renovation with external insulation (ETICS)
Recommended
Justifies
The presence of external insulation (hard to observe from inside)
Avoids
Façade assumed uninsulated
Where to find it
Façade-works invoice, general-meeting minutes if in a condominium
Front door invoice (type, date)
Optional
Justifies
The door heat loss (Udoor)
Avoids
Door assumed to be of the least favourable type
Where to find it
The installer's invoice

Systems: heating, hot water, ventilation

Boiler invoices and manual (make, model, year — condensing or not)
Priority
Justifies
The type and real efficiency of the heating generator
Avoids
Standard boiler of the construction year (pilot light for pre-2003 buildings)
Where to find it
The installer's invoice, rating plate, manufacturer's manual
Heat-pump technical sheet (make, model) + maintenance certificate
Priority
Justifies
The real performance (COP / ETAS) and the heat-pump type
Avoids
Default efficiency, without crediting the real performance
Where to find it
Invoice, manufacturer's product sheet, maintenance contract
Hot-water tank invoice (state whether thermodynamic or solar)
Recommended
Justifies
The domestic-hot-water production type and its efficiency
Avoids
Unproven thermodynamic tank = treated as a standard electric tank
Where to find it
Invoice, rating plate
Mechanical ventilation documents (single-flow, humidity-controlled, double-flow)
Recommended
Justifies
The ventilation type and the air-renewal heat losses
Avoids
Natural ventilation / lack of airtightness (most penalising case)
Where to find it
Invoice, manual
District-heating connection contract / bill / certificate (network ID, CO₂ content / renewable share)
Recommended
Justifies
The official CO₂ content and renewable share of the connected network (set by an annual decree)
Avoids
An unidentified network = the least favourable CO₂ value (coal) applied
Where to find it
Managing agent or network operator, heating bill
France Chaleur Urbaine (find the network)
Air-conditioning / reversible AC invoice
Optional
Justifies
The presence of cooling and the cooling consumption
Avoids
Cooling equipment not accounted for
Where to find it
The installer's invoice
Energy bills for the last 3 years (electricity, gas, oil, wood, heat network)
Optional
Justifies
The consistency of the result and the energy sources/equipment (not the rating calculation)
Avoids
Helps avoid a misidentified energy source
Where to find it
Energy-provider account, Linky/Gazpar data
Wood stove or insert invoice / datasheet (model, Flamme Verte label, RGE)
Optional
Justifies
The type and year of the wood appliance (closed hearth/stove), the fuel (log/pellet) — back-up wood heating is credited
Avoids
Wood appliance assumed to be of the least favourable type (open hearth)
Where to find it
The installer's invoice, rating plate, manufacturer's manual
Solar installation invoice / certificate: photovoltaic (kWp, area) or thermal (solar water heater / combi)
Optional
Justifies
The solar production deducted from consumption (PV) or the solar share of hot water (thermal)
Avoids
Solar installation ignored for lack of evidence
Where to find it
The installer's invoice, product sheet, self-consumption/feed-in contract

Building and administrative

Building permit or proof of construction year (notarial deed, property-tax notice)
Priority
Justifies
The construction period (drives many default values)
Avoids
Year estimated by the assessor, often defaulting to the penalising "pre-1948/1975" assumption
Where to find it
Town hall, notarial deed, property-tax notice
Land registry (cadastre.gouv.fr)My real estate (impots.gouv.fr)
RE2020 (or RT2012) completion certificate + standardised study summary (RSEE / RSET) — new dwelling
Recommended
Justifies
A new dwelling's envelope performance: for a new build, the DPE reuses the standardised result of the energy/environmental study carried out before construction
Avoids
Very penalising default values applied to an otherwise high-performance building
Where to find it
Developer/builder, dwelling information record, original sale deed
RE2020 — certificates (rt-re-batiment)
Living-area certificate (loi Boutin) and plans
Recommended
Justifies
The DPE reference area (SREF) and the kWh/m² ratios
Avoids
A wrong area (do not confuse with the Carrez law) distorting the rating
Where to find it
Existing area diagnosis, Boutin certificate
Living area (service-public.fr)
Dwelling information record (CIL), if it exists
Recommended
Justifies
All centralised energy supporting documents (plans, manuals, materials, DPE/audit)
Avoids
Avoids starting from scratch: mandatory since 2023 for new builds and energy renovations (CCH art. L.126-35-2)
Where to find it
Held and updated by the owner, handed over at sale
Previous DPE or energy audit
Optional
Justifies
A comparison baseline and already-recorded characteristics
Avoids
Reusable as a supporting document (notably a previous new-build DPE)
Where to find it
Previous sale, ADEME observatory
Heated conservatory: installation invoice + characteristics (glazing, insulation) + proof of a fixed heating mode
Optional
Justifies
Its correct inclusion in the DPE reference area (a permanently heated conservatory counts, unlike the Carrez/Boutin area)
Avoids
A reference-area error (omitted or double-counted) distorting the kWh/m² ratios
Where to find it
The installer's invoice, plans, heating description
Listed historic monument? It is EXEMPT from the DPE — provide the listing/registration order
Justifies
The DPE exemption for listed or registered historic monuments (CCH art. R126-15)
Avoids
Note: a merely old building (pre-1948) or in a heritage area is NOT exempt
Where to find it
Listing/registration order (prefecture, regional heritage office, sale deed)
CCH art. R126-15 (Légifrance)

Condominium (ask the managing agent)

The building's collective DPE
Priority
Justifies
Your home's shared characteristics (envelope, collective heating/DHW)
Avoids
Shared characteristics calculated by default, which penalises the result
Where to find it
Managing agent (mandatory per the Climate Act timetable)
The condominium's maintenance log
Recommended
Justifies
The age and condition of collective systems (heating, ventilation), the works carried out
Avoids
Collective systems assumed to be of the least favourable type
Where to find it
Managing agent
Condominium regulations (description of the collective heating)
Recommended
Justifies
The heating/DHW mode (collective vs individual) and the generator to model
Avoids
A wrong generator assumption for your unit
Where to find it
Notary, managing agent
Collective heating operating contract
Recommended
Justifies
The type, efficiency and age of the collective generator, the network
Avoids
Collective generator assumed by default
Where to find it
Managing agent, heating operator
General-meeting minutes mentioning works (external insulation, façade, collective boiler)
Optional
Justifies
The energy-improvement works carried out on the common areas
Avoids
Envelope/collective-system improvements not taken into account
Where to find it
Managing agent, co-owner's records

Personalise with your address

You don’t need to already have a DPE: we find the last known DPE of your building to prioritise the characteristics that would have been estimated "by default" — the ones where your evidence matters most.

Create a free account to personalise your checklist by address.

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Need a certified assessor?

The DPE must be carried out by a certified assessor. Find one near you via the ministry’s official directory.

Official directory of assessors

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DPE visit checklist

Why prepare for your visit?