9.4 Project Registration, Documentation, and Certification Process

Who Runs the Process

Two organizations split the work:

• USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) — develops and maintains the LEED rating systems.
• GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.) — administers third-party certification, reviews submitted documentation, and awards LEED certification levels.

All documentation, fee payment, and review communication runs through LEED Online at https://leedonline.usgbc.org.

The 5-Step Workflow

1. Register the project (pay registration fee, choose rating system)
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2. Document credits in LEED Online (templates, calculations, narratives, attachments)
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3. (Optional) Design Review — submit design-phase credits early
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4. Construction Review — submit all remaining credits after substantial completion
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5. Final Certification award (Certified / Silver / Gold / Platinum)

Step 1 — Register

The owner or owner's representative registers the project on LEED Online and pays the registration fee (a flat amount that varies by member status and project type). Registration triggers the creation of a project workspace where team members are added and credits are tracked.

Step 2 — Document Credits

Each credit has a credit template form in LEED Online with the required calculations and documentation. Teams upload:

• Template forms filled in with calculations and declarations
• Calculation spreadsheets (e.g., energy model output, water-use spreadsheet, transportation calculator)
• Narratives explaining design strategies and decisions
• Supporting documentation — drawings, photos, cut sheets, manufacturer data, contracts, third-party reports (e.g., commissioning reports, EPDs, HPDs, FSC chain-of-custody)

Step 3 — Design Review (Optional)

A design review lets teams submit design-phase credits (typically site selection, water-use design, energy-model design credits, daylighting design) before construction is complete. This is optional but useful for:

• Risk reduction — flagging credit problems before they are baked into construction
• Marketing — anticipated points can be referenced in leasing and PR
• Cost smoothing — review fees are split between design and construction phases

Design-phase credits that earn an 'Anticipated' ruling in design review are typically confirmed at construction review unless something changes.

Step 4 — Construction Review (Required)

At substantial completion, the team submits all remaining construction-phase credits. Each review round includes:

1. Preliminary Review — GBCI evaluates the submission and issues a credit-by-credit ruling (Anticipated, Awarded, Denied, Pending-Clarification).
2. Comment-Response Cycle — the team has a set window (typically 25 business days) to respond to comments, add documentation, or revise calculations on Pending credits.
3. Final Review — GBCI issues final rulings.

Two review rounds are included in the certification fee; additional reviews trigger added fees.

Step 5 — Final Certification

GBCI tallies awarded points and assigns the certification level:

The owner receives a certification plaque and the project appears in the public LEED Project Directory.

Appeals

If a team disagrees with a credit ruling after the final review, they can appeal the decision through LEED Online. Appeal rules:

• One credit per appeal — each appealed credit is filed and paid for separately.
• Appeal fee — typically $500 per credit for member-rate projects; check current GBCI fee schedule.
• One appeal per credit — a denied appeal cannot be re-appealed.
• The appeal is reviewed by a different reviewer than the original review.

Credit Interpretation Rulings (CIRs)

A Credit Interpretation Ruling (CIR) is a formal request to GBCI for clarification on how a credit's requirements apply to a unique project condition. CIRs are:

• Submitted before the team commits to a documentation strategy, not after a credit is denied
• Project-specific — the ruling applies to that project only, though USGBC may publish anonymized rulings as guidance
• Fee-based — there is a small fee per CIR submission

The appeal process is the correct path for challenging a denied credit; a CIR is the correct path for clarifying ambiguity before submission.

Certification Fees Summary

USGBC members receive discounted rates on most fees.

Pre-Certification (Core & Shell Only)

As noted in Section 9.3, pre-certification is a unique offering for Core and Shell projects. The team submits design-phase documentation and receives a marketing-only certification level indication before construction completes. It is not a substitute for the final CS certification, which still requires construction review.