Guide · Updated October 2026
Washington Clean Buildings Tier 2: a plain-English guide for owners
If you own a Washington apartment building over 20,000 sq ft, the state's Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS) now applies to you. Here's what it asks for, when it's due, and how the state's incentive can pay for it.
Who's covered
The standard has two tiers. Tier 2, added in 2022, covers:
- Multifamily residential buildings of 20,000+ sq ft
- Nonresidential buildings of 20,000–50,000 sq ft
Nonresidential buildings over 50,000 sq ft fall under Tier 1, which has stricter rules and earlier deadlines. The rules apply statewide, not just in King County. Coverage is per building: a property with three buildings may have only one that's large enough.
The deadline
Tier 2 buildings have to submit their compliance report to the Washington State Department of Commerce by July 1, 2027, then every 5 years after that. Incentive applications are due by the same date.
What you have to do
Tier 2 doesn't require you to cut energy use yet. It requires you to measure and manage it:
- Benchmark. Track 12 months of the building's energy use in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. This comes from your utility bills.
- Set an energy use target. Identify the building's energy use intensity target.
- Write an energy management plan. A practical plan for how the building's energy use will be tracked and improved.
- Set up an operations and maintenance program. A schedule for keeping heating, ventilation, lighting and other systems running efficiently.
- Report to Commerce through its portal by the deadline.
The state may add energy performance targets for Tier 2 in the future, so getting benchmarking and a plan in place now also prepares you for what's next.
Who can certify it
The owner has to designate a qualified energy manager (QEM). For Tier 2, that's someone who has completed Commerce's Tier 2 training and has either two years of experience in commercial building operations or energy management, or Building Operator Certification (BOC) Level I.
The early adopter incentive
The state set aside $150 million to pay owners who comply early, and most of it hasn't been claimed yet.
- Base incentive: $0.30 per sq ft
- Enhanced for multifamily: up to $0.75 per sq ft for owners who sign an anti-displacement agreement, which limits rent increases tied to compliance costs
- Who pays: participating utilities pay you directly, first come, first served, while funding lasts
- What counts: parking, unconditioned and semi-conditioned space are excluded from the square footage
Commerce reports that for most early applicants, the base incentive covers the full cost of getting into compliance. On a 30,000 sq ft building, $0.30 per sq ft is $9,000.
Penalties
Buildings that don't comply can be fined up to $0.30 per sq ft, the same amount as the base incentive. Complying early means collecting that money instead of paying it.
Seattle buildings
Seattle buildings follow the state standard and also have city rules, including Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard. If your building is in Seattle, plan for both.
How to get started
- Confirm which of your buildings are covered and their conditioned square footage.
- Gather 12 months of electric and gas bills, or set up utility data sharing in Portfolio Manager.
- Designate a QEM, then build the energy management plan and O&M program.
- Submit your compliance report and incentive application before July 1, 2027.
We can do this for you
We do the work. You get paid.
We handle every step above, with a QEM certifying it, and apply for your incentive. Our fee comes in under the $0.30 per sq ft incentive. We get back to you within 2 business days.
Save 25% when you sign by December 31, 2026. Minimum fee applies.
This guide is general information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Landlord Money Finder is a private business and isn't affiliated with the Washington State Department of Commerce. For the official rules, see Commerce's Clean Buildings pages.