As a newly certified freelance PEB or EPC inspector in Belgium, one of your earliest and most crucial business decisions is: how much should I charge? Setting your rates doesn’t just reflect what you believe your service is worth, it directly affects your sustainability, profitability, and credibility.  

In this article, we’ll provide a practical framework for calculating your business costs, researching market rates, crafting a competitive yet profitable pricing strategy, all tailored to the Belgian property-certification market and we’ll show how the platform ExpertOps supports your pricing and payment workflow. 

1. Understand your cost base 

Before you decide a rate, you must know what it costs you to run your freelance business. In Belgium, independent certifiers must cover items such as social-security contributions, tax, software subscriptions, transport, inspection tools, insurance, administration time, and non-billable hours. According to freelancing advice in Belgium, “a good rule of thumb is to assume that about half of your gross income will go on social security contributions and personal income tax” when you are self-employed. 

Here the steps to calculate your cost-base: 

1. List your fixed annual costs, such as: 

• Social-security contributions and minimum provisional payments (for a first-year self-employed person). 

• Professional indemnity/public liability insurance. 

• Software and tool subscriptions (including inspection software, ExpertOps, accounting tool). 

• Transport and vehicle costs (if visiting properties). 

• Office/home-office overhead, training and certification renewals. 

• Non-billable time (administration, marketing, continuing education) typically 20-30% of your working hours. 

2. Decide your desired net income (what you want to take home after costs and tax). 

3. Estimate your billable hours or number of inspection missions per year. Be realistic: as a freelancer you’ll spend time on business admin, delays, marketing. According to Securex’s guide for Belgian freelancers, “instead of a price per hour… you must also account for non-billable tasks; the minimum amount you must charge is your costs divided by your billable hours.”  

4. Calculate your hourly or mission rate: 

Rate=(fixed costs + desired net income)/billable hoursRate

You may refine this into a per-mission fee (e.g., “house inspection PEB residential”) rather than purely hourly. 

By performing this cost-based calculation you ensure your pricing is sustainable rather than merely competitive. 

2. Research the market 

Once you have your cost baseline, you should understand what the market will accept. Two recent Belgian sources provide insight: 

1. According to Freelancers in Belgium’s 2025 survey, average hourly rates for freelancers range between €50-€150 and the most common lie around €70-€99/hour. 

2. The Securex guide suggests that a general freelance rate in Belgium should not fall below €45/hour if one is to operate full-time as an independent. 

However, your field, PEB/EPC certification, is more specialised. For example, an EPC certificate in Brussels might be priced around €165 (studio) to €340 (large house) according to Certinergie. 

From this you can conclude: 

• Your rate must be aligned with what clients expect in your region and building type. 

• If you price much lower than established certifiers, you risk being perceived as low-quality; much higher and you may struggle to win your early jobs. 

3. Choose a pricing strategy: cost-plus, market-based, value-based 

There are three common approaches in pricing services: 

1. Cost-plus: Add your cost base + desired margin. (Strong for ensuring sustainability.) 

2. Market-based: Set your price based on what peers charge and what the market will bear. (Useful for competitiveness.) 

3. Value-based: Charge based on the value you deliver to the client (for instance time savings, regulatory compliance, avoiding fines). 

As a freelance certifier, a hybrid strategy often works best: ensure your cost-plus floor is covered, compare market rates for similar inspections in your region, and adjust your offer if you provide additional value (e.g., express turnaround, multi-language reporting, bundled advisory services). 

4. Segment your services and region: tailor your pricing 

In the Belgian PEB/EPC market, pricing depends on several variables: building type (residential vs non-residential), region (Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia), building size, inspection complexity, speed of delivery, additional services (ventilation, gas appliance checks). You should segment your service packages accordingly. 

For example: 

1. Residential Brussels inspection: standard property < 200 m². Fee might align with market precedent (between €250 - €300). 

2. Non-residential Flanders (EPC NR, under 1,000 m²): technically more complex, bigger building, higher rate justified. 

3. Express/priority service: add premium fee for faster report or weekend slots. 

By clearly defining packages and rates for your niche, you help clients understand the value and you make it easier to justify your pricing. 

5. Use transparent pricing and simplify payment 

Your clients (owners, landlords, property managers) want simplicity and clarity. Offering package pricing rather than obscure hourly rates increases conversion.  

Provide: service name à deliverables à price à what’s included/excluded. 

Here is where ExpertOps adds value: 

• You can publish your service packages directly via the platform, with fixed rates, booking calendar, and payment integration. 

• ExpertOps also helps track paperwork, invoicing and payment follow-up, reducing administrative overhead so your rate is spent on the inspection, not chasing invoices. As one metric shows, freelance certifiers may lose “around 105 hours and nearly €4,000 every year … just to this invisible friction.”  

Simplifying your payment and scheduling process helps clients commit to your rate because the friction is lowered. 

6. Review and adjust your pricing annually 

As you gain experience, refine your pricing: 

• After your first 10-20 missions you will better understand inspection durations, complexity, and non-billable time. 

• Track your actual billable hours vs non-billable time, monitor any cost increases (software, insurance, transport). 

• Adjust your rate so that your margin actually improves—discounts for early clients are fine, but don’t lock into a low rate indefinitely. 

• Consider region inflation, regulatory complexity (new 2026 rules may increase inspection cost) and value enhancements (reporting quality, bundled advisory). 

7. Communicate your rate’s justification to clients 

Rather than simply quoting a number, explain the value behind your fee: 

• Compliance with regional regulations (PEB/EPC) means fewer administrative burdens for the owner or landlord. 

• Rapid scheduling and delivery via your digital platform. 

• Professional multi‐language report and audit logging. 

• Peace of mind (you handle follow-up questions, archive data). 

KPMG’s Real Estate Advisory insights emphasise that building-certification services increasingly combine technical inspection, regulatory compliance and digital reporting, clients recognise the packaging of these services as premium. 

8. Summary checklist for setting your rate 

   1. Calculate your cost-base: fixed + variable + non-billable hours. 

   2. Define your target income: net after tax. 

   3. Estimate billable units: inspections per year. 

   4. Calculate minimum rate using cost-plus. 

   5. Research market rates in your region for similar services. 

   6. Segment your offerings by building type and service level. 

   7. Publish clear package and pricing, simplify booking and payment (via ExpertOps). 

   8. Communicate value to your client rather than just quoting a number. 

   9. Monitor and adjust annually based on real income and costs. 

      
      

9. Conclusion 

Setting your rates as a freelance PEB/EPC certifier in Belgium is a strategic process that balances sustainability, competitiveness and value. By grounding your fee in your actual cost base, aligning it with market norms and emphasising the value you provide, you command credible pricing, and avoid the trap of under-pricing your service. 

Moreover, by using a professional tool like ExpertOps to streamline your scheduling, documentation and invoicing, you reduce hidden costs and strengthen the value proposition behind your fee. Clients pay for certainty, clarity and expertise, and if your tech and workflow support that, your pricing becomes part of your brand. 

Take the time now to set your foundation. Your first inspection isn’t just about the property, it’s about building a business that grows, scales and reflects your professionalism. Get your rate right once, and your path to sustainable freelance success is clearer. 

Bibliography 

1. Securex. “How to set your price as a freelancer in 4 steps.” 16 April 2025. https://www.securex.be/en/blog/entrepreneurs/how-to-set-your-price-as-a-freelancer-in-4-steps 

2. Freelancers in Belgium. “Market rates for freelancers in Belgium.” 28 March 2025. https://freelancersinbelgium.be/market-rates-for-freelancers-in-belgium/  

3. Dexxter. “Calculating your freelance rate in 4 steps.” 2025. https://dexxter.be/en/calculating-freelance-rates-in-4-steps/  

4. ING Business. “Setting your price as a freelancer.” 24 Sept 2024. https://www.ing.be/en/business/starters/setting-your-price-as-a-freelancer  

5. Expatica. Maunder, S. “Freelance and self-employed tax in Belgium in 2025.” 4 Sept 2025. https://www.expatica.com/be/finance/taxes/freelance-taxes-belgium-471589/