Thurston County on Tuesday signed off on an ordinance requiring people to obtain a Home Energy Score before listing a property for sale, making it the first county in the nation to mandate professional energy evaluations as part of the home sales process despite objections from realtors who say there aren’t enough assessors to handle the workload.
The policy aims to encourage people in unincorporated parts of the county to make energy efficiency and energy costs transparent to residents and the real estate market. “It is explicitly identified as a priority action in our adopted Climate Mitigation Plan,” Commissioner Carolina Mejia said, adding the ordinance does not require homeowners to make upgrades and does not change property tax assessments.
The measure will not take effect until one year after the vote. The Thurston County Commission approved a requirement that homeowners obtain a professional evaluation of their insulation, heating and cooling systems, water heating systems, and other features before putting a property on the market. Ashley Arai, director of Community Planning and Economic Development, confirmed Thurston County is the first county in the nation to mandate a home energy score, which includes a list of recommended efficiency improvements.
“The assessments would be conducted by private-sector professionals, not county employees or the assessor’s office,” Arai said. Commissioner Wayne Fournier was the sole member to abstain from the vote, citing concerns about potential legal and operational challenges. “Being the first is cool, but being the first is dangerous. If there wasn’t so much public outcry, I might be more inclined to roll the dice,” Fournier said.
County staff said the home energy score will allow buyers to compare energy costs across listings and give sellers a way to highlight energy-related improvements. “Stakeholders were not excluded from this process — they were at the table. The fact that there was no agreement today does not mean there was no engagement,” Mejia said.
Opponents said they are concerned about the cost of the assessment, which can be as much as $350. Low-income households, federal and tribal properties, and those with demonstrated hardship are exempt. Thurston County Realtors Association President Dawn Baker said there aren’t enough energy assessors to do this work. The Department of Energy website shows the closest ones are near Portland.
“With no way to actually obtain a score or assessment, that means we can’t list any homes,” she said. “They have the ordinance, but they haven’t said how they’re going to implement or enforce it, so we don’t know exactly what the implications will be, and that concerns us.” TCRA attorney Heather Burgess, in a letter to the commission, wrote the mandatory energy disclosure program would add to the “already high cost of housing, place the Thurston County real estate market at a competitive disadvantage, reduce sales, and burden property owners.”
Mejia pushed back on those concerns. “I completely agree we are in a housing affordability crisis, but I don’t believe a one-time report is what will be driving this crisis,” Mejia said, pointing to factors such as housing supply, land availability and construction costs. Commissioner Tye Menser also defended the measure. “It’s about half of a percent of closing costs on an average home. We’re delaying implementation for a year. If we don’t build the workforce, we can push that back if needed,” Menser said.
Cities across Thurston County are evaluating similar measures. The Olympia City Council is scheduled to vote on adoption March 24, with potential implementation in May. Tumwater city leaders have received a briefing, and Lacey officials plan to consider the policy in 2027.
