Budget Planning Tool
Commissioning protects the investment you're about to make — but owners often don't know what to set aside for it. Use this to get an approximate range for your project, then we'll build you a scope-specific proposal.
Enter a few details for a ballpark. Nothing is stored or sent.
Total hard construction cost — the building's construction value (GC contract / GMP). Not land, soft costs, or FF&E.
Include — the total building construction cost (the general contractor's contract or GMP): all trades — structural, architectural, MEP, sitework — plus the contractor's general conditions, overhead, and profit.
Exclude — land acquisition, soft costs (design fees, permits, financing, legal, insurance), FF&E, and owner's contingency.
Only know your MEP or mechanical budget? Note it in the proposal request — we can price off systems cost too.
Distance from our Beaverton base drives on-site travel for the functional-testing period.
Your estimate already covers the code-required energy systems — HVAC & controls, lighting & lighting controls, and service water heating (locked on below). Check any additional specialized systems your project includes — each adds commissioning scope.
Scope
A standard commissioning fee covers the code-required energy systems — the systems the energy codes (IECC/WSEC C408, Title 24 §120.8, ASHRAE 90.1 §6.7) require to be commissioned. Other systems can be added to scope, but they aren't included by default.
Controls (the BAS) are commissioned as part of the HVAC system — sequences of operation are verified against the design — rather than as a standalone system with its own scope.
Have any of these? Add them under “Refine by systems,” or we'll scope them explicitly in your proposal.
Funding
Ratepayer and utility incentive programs can offset part of your commissioning cost — especially for new construction and retro-commissioning. Availability and amounts change year to year; we help identify what your project qualifies for.
Energy Trust of Oregon — New Buildings design assistance and Existing Buildings custom incentives (retro-commissioning, Strategic Energy Management).
Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, BPA — commercial new-construction incentives and Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx).
California Energy Design Assistance (CEDA) — new construction / major renovation across PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, SoCalGas; IOU custom programs for RCx / MBCx.
NV Energy PowerShift — Business Energy Services: commercial new construction and custom incentives (commissioning eligible).
SRP & APS — SRP Retrocommissioning Solutions and APS Solutions for Business (custom & new-construction incentives).
Hawaii Energy — New Construction & Major Renovation and commercial rebates, including commissioning / RCx pathways.
Programs shown are current as of 2025 and subject to change. Bluefin is independent — not affiliated with these utilities — and helps you identify and pursue the incentives your project is eligible for.
Next step
A firm fee is scope-specific. Tell us a little about the project and we'll follow up to review the documents and send a proposal built around what your project actually needs.
A LEED credit, an energy-code path, and a utility program each carry different documentation and verification requirements — so they carry different scope and fee. And travel for on-site functional testing scales with distance from our Beaverton base. Telling us both up front means your proposal is right the first time.