DGNB certification: levels, cost and 2026 versions

DGNB certification is the sustainable building and district certification system created by the DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen), the German Sustainable Building Council. It assesses a project over its whole life cycle and expresses the result as a degree of fulfilment of the requirements, from 0 to 100%.

The DGNB is a non-profit association founded in 2007 and based in Stuttgart. It reports more than 2,800 member organisations and over 12,000 projects awarded in about thirty countries. It writes the standard and awards certificates itself in Germany; in five European countries, system partners have adapted it and certify locally.

The system rests on three principles stated by the DGNB: life cycle thinking, assessing overall performance rather than individual measures, and giving ecology, economy and socio-cultural quality equal weight.

Source: About the DGNB.

In October 2026, two versions of the DGNB System for new construction coexist: version 2023.2, the German market version since 1 October 2026, and version 2026 International, used in countries without a system partner, including France.

Sources: DGNB, version 2023.2; DGNB, version 2026 International.

Version 2023.2 streamlines 2023: one criterion fewer, 20% fewer indicators according to the DGNB, and minimum requirements reworded so that a project is no longer excluded over a detail. Version 2026 International adds overarching principles (labour standards, ethical business, resilience) and, according to the DGNB, improves compatibility with the EU Taxonomy, the Level(s) framework and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

DGNB assesses six qualities: environmental, economic, socio-cultural and functional, technical, process and site. The first three carry equal weight: 25% each in version 2023.2 and 22.5% each in version 2026 International.

Sources: DGNB, version 2023.2; DGNB, version 2026 International.

Environmental qualityENV

Building life cycle assessment, climate action roadmap, material risks, biodiversity, water. This quality holds the LCA and the fossil fuel phase-out roadmap required from the first level.

Economic qualityECO

Life cycle cost (ECO1.1), adaptability, value and marketability. Its weighting, equal to the environment’s, is DGNB’s signature: life cycle cost is a pillar of the score, not one credit among others.

Socio-cultural and functional qualitySOC

Thermal comfort, indoor air quality (SOC1.2, measured after construction), acoustic and visual comfort, accessibility and design for all (SOC2.1).

Technical qualityTEC

Fire safety, sound insulation, building envelope, ease of recovery and recycling (TEC1.6), mobility.

Process qualityPRO

Project preparation, integrated design, construction site management, commissioning and energy monitoring.

Site qualitySITE

Local environment, climate risk analysis (SITE1.1, required from the first level), transport access, proximity to amenities.

Minimum requirements

Some requirements condition certification whatever the score. In version 2026 International: the climate action roadmap and LCA disclosure (ENV1.1), indoor air quality (SOC1.2), design for all (SOC2.1), fire safety (TEC1.1) and compliance with applicable statutory requirements. In version 2023.2: the life cycle greenhouse gas balance with a fossil fuel phase-out plan (ENV1.1), measurement of volatile organic compounds (SOC1.2, except industry and commerce) and a climate risk analysis (SITE1.1).

DGNB certification of a new building is awarded at Silver from a 50% total degree of fulfilment, Gold from 65% and Platinum from 80%. The total score is not enough: each of the environmental, economic and socio-cultural qualities must also reach a floor.

Sources: DGNB, new construction; DGNB, version 2026 International; DGNB, renovation.

In practice, a project with a 70% total score stays Silver if its economic quality tops out at 45%. The per-quality floor needs watching as closely as the total, from the very first feasibility scorecard.

Platinum adds its own minimum requirements, stricter on several criteria. The DGNB also awards the DGNB Diamond, a distinction for architectural quality reserved for Gold or Platinum projects, and the Climate Positive award, granted for one year, as part of a Buildings In Use certification, to buildings that are already carbon neutral in operation (DGNB, Climate Positive).

The DGNB System comes in variants by project phase: new construction, renovation, small residential buildings, buildings in use, districts, interiors, deconstruction and construction sites. Each has its own criteria set and version.

New constructionNew Construction, Buildings

Offices, education, multi-family housing, hotels, retail, healthcare, logistics, production, mixed use and other uses. Under version 2023.2, the building must not have been completed more than three years before certification. No expiry date.

RenovationRenovation of Buildings, Version 2022 International

38 criteria across six qualities. Requires a building-specific climate action roadmap and a pollutant report; Silver, Gold and Platinum levels.

Small residential buildingsSmall Residential Buildings, Version 2024

16 criteria across three qualities (environmental, economic, socio-cultural and functional), for buildings of up to 12 dwellings, new build and renovation alike. Same thresholds as new construction: Silver 50%, Gold 65%, Platinum 80%, with a floor per quality. This scheme allows serial certification.

Buildings in useBuildings In Use, Version 2026

Ten criteria across three qualities: environment 40%, economy 30%, socio-cultural 30%. Bronze from 35%. Valid three years, renewable every year. Platinum requires the technical criteria for climate change mitigation and adaptation to meet the EU Taxonomy criteria for acquisition and ownership of buildings.

DistrictsDistricts, Version 2020

31 criteria across five qualities and seven district types, including urban districts, business districts, commercial areas and industrial sites. Pre-certificate at urban design stage, valid three years.

Interiors, deconstruction, construction sitesSpecific variants

Interior fit-out (office, hotel, retail, food service), deconstruction of a building and sustainable construction sites, each with a reduced criteria set.

Sources: DGNB, new construction; DGNB, renovation; DGNB, buildings in use; DGNB, districts; DGNB, small residential buildings.

France has no DGNB system partner: a French project is certified directly by the DGNB, usually under the international version, written in English and based on European standards.

There are five system partners, which adapt the standard and certify locally: Denmark (DK-GBC), Austria (ÖGNI), Switzerland (SGNI), Spain (GBCe) and Croatia (CGBC). Elsewhere, the DGNB requires a PCQ before registration and allows criteria and reference values to be adapted to the local context, in agreement with its certification body.

DGNB Auditors are listed in the DGNB expert directory, which can be filtered by country. Our experience as sustainability consultants: in France, DGNB mostly appears when the investor or end user is German or German-speaking, alongside an HQE or BREEAM certification rather than instead of it.

Source: DGNB, certify projects internationally.

DGNB certification always goes through a DGNB Auditor: only the auditor can submit the file to the DGNB, which checks its conformity and awards the level.

PCQOutside Germany, first

Project-specific certification query, submitted to the DGNB before registration. It sets the version and the adaptations to the country context.

Auditor and contractsStep 1

The client signs a contract with the auditor and a certification contract with the DGNB. No contract links the DGNB to the auditor, to keep the review independent.

Pre-certificateStep 2, design

The auditor sets the targeted goals and qualities with the client and the design team, and records them in a DGNB pre-certificate.

File and conformity checkStep 3, after completion

The auditor uploads the evidence to the DGNB System Software; the DGNB checks conformity once the fees are paid. Additional reviews beyond the included rounds are charged.

CertificateStep 4

Award of the Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze level. A new building’s certificate has no expiry date.

The DGNB Auditor title comes after the DGNB Consultant title: the candidate runs a supervised audit on a real project with an experienced auditor, and receives the title once that project is certified. Before appointing an auditor, check that they are listed in the DGNB directory.

Sources: DGNB, the path to certification; DGNB, frequently asked questions.

The cost of DGNB certification adds up DGNB fees, published in a fee scale, the DGNB Auditor’s fees, which are not published, and the studies the file requires (LCA, life cycle cost, indoor air measurements).

Source: certification fee scale published by the DGNB, files referenced 260201 (February 2026), to be rechecked before any costing.

The fee scale is based on gross floor area as defined by the German standard DIN 277, including underground parking, plant rooms and storage. It is broader than the French surface de plancher: recalculate it before pricing. The scale has separate tables for logistics and production, interiors, buildings in use and districts.

Auditor fees appear in no public scale. Ask for offers that separate file management from the additional studies, in particular LCA, life cycle cost and indoor air measurements.

Multiple and serial certification

For buildings of the same use and comparable typology built on several sites, multiple certification assesses a model building description once, then each building receives its own certificate. The basic certificate costs €20,000 for a DGNB member and €30,000 for a non-member; each follow-up project is priced according to the number of variable criteria still to be verified. For small residential buildings, serial certification costs €12,500 for a member and €17,500 for a non-member. This is the route to consider for a portfolio of repeated buildings.

Source: DGNB, multiple and serial certification.

The DGNB has built the EU Taxonomy requirements into its recent versions, but a DGNB certificate is not, on its own, proof of Taxonomy alignment: that is demonstrated criterion by criterion.

For a portfolio subject to non-financial reporting, request the ESG Verification in the certification application: it pools the evidence instead of producing it twice. Our certification comparison explains how labels and the Taxonomy fit together.

Sources: DGNB, certification and the EU Taxonomy; DGNB, buildings in use.

DGNB differs from HQE, BREEAM and LEED in two rules: economy weighs as much as environment, and every level requires a minimum in each of the three main qualities, not just a total score.

Sources: DGNB, new construction and this site’s HQE, BREEAM and LEED pages.

A successful DGNB certification in France rests on three early decisions: the version, the reference floor area and the target level quality by quality. The method below is the one we recommend as sustainability consultants.

FeasibilityBefore registration

Submit the PCQ, lock the version (2026 International for a new build in France) and build the scorecard on the three ENV, ECO and SOC floors, not only on the total. One weak pillar caps the level whatever the score.

BriefMinimum requirements

List the minimum requirements of the chosen version and who owns each: climate action roadmap, LCA, design for all, fire safety, indoor air quality. These are what make a file fail, not the optional points.

Concept and schematic designLife cycle cost and carbon

Start the life cycle cost calculation (ECO1.1) at the same time as the LCA: economic quality weighs as much as environment, and system choices are settled on both at once.

Tender documentsSpecifications

Write into the specifications the emission limits for interior products, the supply of FDES and the recovery and recycling requirements (TEC1.6). Schedule the indoor air quality measurement before handover.

HandoverSubmission deadline

Aim to submit within three years of completion: that is the rule under version 2023.2 and for renovation, beyond which a specific certifiability query is needed. Agree with the auditor, at PCQ stage, on the language of the evidence.

What is DGNB certification?

DGNB certification is the sustainable building and district certification system of the DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen), the German Sustainable Building Council, founded in 2007 and based in Stuttgart. It measures a degree of fulfilment across six qualities, with ecology, economy and socio-cultural quality weighted equally, and awards Platinum, Gold, Silver and, for existing buildings, Bronze.

What are the DGNB certification levels?

For new construction, Silver starts at a 50% total degree of fulfilment, Gold at 65% and Platinum at 80%, with a minimum of 35%, 50% and 65% respectively in each of the environmental, economic and socio-cultural qualities. Bronze, from 35%, is reserved for existing buildings and buildings in use.

Which DGNB version applies to a project in France?

France has no DGNB system partner, so a new building there is certified under the international version, DGNB System New Construction, Buildings, Version 2026 International, open for registration since 27 May 2026. Version 2023.2, in German, has been the market version in Germany since 1 October 2026.

How much does DGNB certification cost?

The DGNB fee scale for new construction depends on gross floor area and membership status: for example €9,350 for a member and €13,200 for a non-member up to 10,000 m², excluding VAT, under the fee scale published in early 2026. This covers the pre-certificate and the certificate, not the DGNB Auditor’s fees or the studies.

Who awards DGNB certification?

The DGNB awards the certificate after a conformity check of the file submitted by a DGNB Auditor. The client signs two contracts, one with the auditor and one with the DGNB, which deliberately has no contractual relationship with the auditor.

Can DGNB certification be used outside Germany, for example in France?

Yes, the DGNB System applies worldwide. Outside Germany, the project first submits a Project-specific Certification Query (PCQ) to the DGNB, then registers, usually under the international version based on European standards.

DGNB or HQE for an asset in France?

For an asset aimed at the French market, HQE remains the standard French investors and occupiers know; DGNB is mainly justified when the investor or end user is German or German-speaking, usually alongside an HQE or BREEAM certification rather than instead of it.

Is DGNB certification valid for life?

For a new building, yes: the DGNB certificate has no expiry date. The Buildings In Use certificate is valid for at most three years and is renewed through recertification, which can be done every year.

Does DGNB certification guarantee EU Taxonomy alignment?

Not on its own. The DGNB has built the EU Taxonomy requirements into its recent versions and offers an ESG Verification for the EU Taxonomy, run alongside certification when requested in the certification application. Alignment remains a separate, criterion-by-criterion analysis.

What is the difference between DGNB, HQE, BREEAM and LEED?

DGNB scores a degree of fulfilment and gives ecology, economy and socio-cultural quality equal weight, which makes life cycle cost a central topic. HQE is the French Certivéa standard, BREEAM weights environmental categories, LEED adds up unweighted points. DGNB also requires, at every level, a minimum in each of its three main qualities, on top of the total score.