Quick answer · as of
Does Tier 2 compliance pay for itself?
Yes, with Tier Two Partners it does. The Tier 2 early adopter incentive pays up to $0.30 per eligible square foot (RCW 19.27A.220, subsection 8(b)), and our fee is $0.15 per square foot at most with the Qualified Energy Manager included, as low as $0.08. That means the incentive is twice our highest rate. On a 30,000 sq ft building, you can get up to $9,000 back against $4,500 all in, which leaves up to $4,500 in your pocket. Not filing can cost a fine of up to $9,000 instead.
How much does Tier 2 compliance cost? · 1:14 · Transcript
What does Tier 2 compliance cost? Less than you'd think.
You're paying for your energy data, two plans, and a Qualified Energy Manager's signature.
Some firms charge a flat fee per building, as high as 12,000 dollars.
Tier Two Partners charges 10 to 15 cents per square foot, and that includes the Qualified Energy Manager.
On a 30,000 square foot building, that's about 4,500 dollars, all in.
Now the good part. File early, and the state's incentive pays 30 cents per square foot. That's up to 9,000 dollars.
After our price, that leaves up to about 4,500 dollars.
Your utility pays it after the state approves your filing. First come, first served. So file early.
And we're the fastest. Some firms take six to ten weeks. We usually file in two to four.
Plus, our dashboard comes free, for life. It tracks every deadline, and every dollar of incentive coming your way.
Check yours today. Get a free quote, or book a call with us to learn more, at tiertwopartners.com.
How much do you keep after the fee?
Up to 15 cents of every 30 cents the incentive pays, even at our full one-building rate. Prices as of October 2026, with every square foot heated and the Qualified Energy Manager (QEM) included:
| Building size | Incentive at $0.30 | Our fee at $0.15, QEM included | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22,000 sq ft | $6,600 | $3,300 | up to $3,300 |
| 30,000 sq ft | $9,000 | $4,500 | up to $4,500 |
| 40,000 sq ft | $12,000 | $6,000 | up to $6,000 |
| 50,000 sq ft | $15,000 | $7,500 | up to $7,500 |
Pay the whole fee at checkout and the rate drops to $0.13, which adds $600 to what you keep on a 30,000 sq ft building. Apartment buildings over 50,000 sq ft are Tier 2 too, and the math only gets better with size.
How much do you keep with several buildings?
More with every building, because our rate falls as your portfolio grows: $0.15 for one building, $0.14 for 2 to 4, $0.13 for 5 to 9, $0.11 for 10 to 19 and $0.10 for 20 or more, QEM included. Paid in full at checkout, the 20-building rate is $0.08 per square foot, so the incentive is nearly four times our fee.
| Portfolio | Our rate, QEM included (paid in full) | Incentive per sq ft | You keep per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 building | $0.13 | $0.30 | $0.17 |
| 5 to 9 buildings | $0.11 | $0.30 | $0.19 |
| 20 or more buildings | $0.08 | $0.30 | $0.22 |
On twenty 30,000 sq ft buildings, that is up to $180,000 in incentives against $48,000 in our fees paid in full ($60,000 in two payments), QEM included.
Does it pay for itself with other providers?
Not as well, and with some it doesn't pay at all. Here is the same 30,000 sq ft building at each provider's own published price, as of October 2026:
| Provider | Fee | Incentive | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier Two Partners | $4,500 with the QEM included, or $3,900 paid in full | up to $9,000 | up to $4,500 to $5,100 |
| Easy BPS (Pilotlight) | $5,500 per building, more for missing records or complex filings (easybps.com) | up to $9,000 | up to $3,500 at best |
| Vert | $12,000 flat (washingtoncbps.com/pricing) | up to $9,000 | $3,000 short |
Easy BPS's flat $5,500 hurts most on small buildings: on 22,000 sq ft it is $0.25 a square foot, which eats most of the $0.30 incentive. Easy BPS also collects half its fee at signing, before any work is filed. Every provider's fee, ours included, is owed whether or not the incentive is paid, because the fee pays for the filing itself. Full price comparison: How much does Tier 2 compliance cost?
Is it cheaper to pay the Tier 2 penalty or comply?
Complying is far cheaper. If you don't file by July 1, 2027, Commerce can send a notice of violation, and if you still don't file within 30 days, it can assess a penalty of up to $0.30 per square foot of gross floor area (WAC 194-50-160, Annex Y, Y5.3 and Y5.4; RCW 19.27A.250). Paying the fine also means giving up the incentive, so the difference on one building is up to 60 cents a square foot.
| 30,000 sq ft building | Money in | Money out | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| File with Tier Two Partners | up to $9,000 incentive | $4,500 | up to +$4,500 |
| Don't file, pay the fine | $0 | up to $9,000 fine | up to −$9,000 |
That's a swing of up to $13,500 on a single building. The fine is figured on gross floor area, so unheated space doesn't come off the way it does for the incentive, and the filing comes due again every five years. What to do if a notice arrives: Missed the Tier 2 deadline or got a notice of violation?
Why does filing early matter for the payback?
The incentive comes from a fixed $150 million fund that pays in the order applications arrive (RCW 19.27A.230). Over $138 million was left as of September 24, 2026 (Commerce). Every month an owner waits is a month other owners' applications go ahead in line. We typically file about 2 to 4 weeks after your building's information is in (EST.), while Easy BPS says most of its buildings take six to ten weeks (easybps.com). More: Is Tier 2 incentive money still available?
How does Tier Two Partners make it pay?
We do the whole filing and the incentive claim, so the payback is yours without the work. We request your utility data, build the energy benchmark, Energy Management Plan and Operations and Maintenance program from your bills and service records, have a Qualified Energy Manager review and sign, and file your compliance and incentive application together. You sign once at the end. Your fee is set by the square foot, so it scales with your building and the incentive covers it at every Tier 2 size.