Clean Buildings · Seattle
Seattle Clean Buildings Tier 2 compliance
Seattle apartment buildings of 20,000+ sq ft have to meet Washington's Clean Buildings Tier 2 rules by July 1, 2027, on top of the city's own energy rules. We handle the state report and keep it lined up with what Seattle asks for.
How you pay
We do the work. You get paid.
Participating utilities pay you an early adopter incentive of $0.30 per sq ft (more for some multifamily buildings), and our fee comes in under it, so most owners come out ahead. On a 30,000 sq ft building, the base incentive is $9,000.
Incentives are paid by participating utilities while funding lasts.
Two sets of rules in Seattle
Seattle buildings follow the state standard and the city's rules:
- State (Tier 2): benchmarking, an energy management plan and an operations and maintenance program, reported to Commerce by July 1, 2027
- City benchmarking: Seattle requires annual energy benchmarking reports for buildings of 20,000+ sq ft
- City emissions standard: Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS) phases in emissions targets later this decade
Both use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, so the same utility data can support the city and state reports. We set it up once and keep them in sync.
Local utilities: Seattle City Light (electric), Puget Sound Energy (natural gas) and Seattle Public Utilities (water, sewer and garbage).
Get started on Clean Buildings
Tell us about your buildings and we'll get back to you within 2 business days.
Questions owners ask
Do Seattle buildings still have to report to the state?
Yes. Seattle's benchmarking and emissions rules are in addition to the state's Clean Buildings standard, not instead of it. Tier 2 reports are due to Commerce by July 1, 2027.
Does Seattle benchmarking count toward Tier 2?
It helps. Both use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, so the same 12 months of data can support both. The state report also needs an energy management plan and an operations and maintenance program, which we write for you.
Can I bill tenants back for utilities in Seattle?
For water, sewer and trash, yes, with RUBS billing. Seattle doesn't allow RUBS for electricity.