LEED certification for new buildings and major renovations

LEED works for all project types from hospitals to manufacturing plants, showrooms and office buildings.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Center for Advanced Pediatrics | LEED Gold | Photo: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

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LEED for AG��˰ټ��ֹ�� Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) provides a framework for building a holistic green building, giving you the chance to identify every sustainability feature and maximize the benefits. LEED BD+C has options to fit every project.

New Construction and Major Renovation. Addresses design and construction activities for both new buildings and major renovations of existing buildings that do not primarily serve the uses below. (Teams using LEED v4 may also use this option for multifamily residential projects of four or more occupiable stories above grade).
Core and Shell Development. For projects where the developer controls the design and construction of the entire mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection system but not the design and construction of the tenant fit-out.

LEED BD+C applies to most project types, including data centers, healthcare, hospitality, retail, schools, and warehouses and distribution centers. LEED also works for existing buildings and interior spaces, homes, communities and cities.

How certification works

For projects in progress

There are several tools and resources available to support you when working on your LEED project including:

For new projects

Choose the rating system. For new construction of whole buildings, start by exploring the BD+C offerings to find the option that best fits your project. View the LEED v5, LEED v4.1 or LEED v4 rating systems. For residential projects (both single-family and multifamily), review the options specific to that sector. There are also certification pathways for multiple buildings and options for federal building projects.
Check the requirements and options. Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) are the basic requirements that let you know if your project can pursue LEED. LEED credits allow project teams to customize how they pursue LEED. By fulfilling credits, project teams earn points that, once added together, determine a project’s certification level. Access the LEED credit library.
Deadlines. At any given time, a LEED rating system is either open for registration and certification, closed for registration but open for certification or has sunset (closed for both registration and certification). View the deadlines to make sure you know the status of your desired rating system/version.
Fees. View the fees table to find the LEED registration and certification costs.
Build your team. Goals and roles are key elements to consider when starting any project and it's no different in LEED. LEED projects benefit from early collaboration that identifies ways to maximize the project’s value, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and follow-through. Find LEED professionals in USGBC’s people directory.
Register your project in or and follow the steps in the Guide to Certification for your project type.

Post-certification

Once your project has earned LEED certification, there are some steps you can take to promote and maintain your certification.

Spread the word and start by updating your project profile in the usgbc.org LEED project directory.
As a LEED-certified project, you have access to Arc, a platform that allows you to meet LEED energy and water data tracking requirements and manage performance across five areas: energy, water, waste, transportation and human experience. .
Protect your investment with LEED recertification. This new guidance presents a simple and data-driven pathway, reassuring projects that they are meeting ever-changing goals and staying on the cutting edge. .

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