Platinum-Plaque

Photo courtesy of Hunzinger Construction Company.

We’re heading into the last few months of 2016. We know you have goals to get projects LEED certified by the end of the year. Here’s what you need to know to meet LEED certification.

Firstly, always contact GBCI to inform them of your specific needs if you want to achieve review milestones by a certain deadline. They will accommodate you as best as they can, depending on their volume of requests. Before submitting your application for expedited reviews, contact GBCI at least 10 business days in advance.

In order to achieve LEED certification before the end of 2016, you need to submit for review by the deadlines listed in the table below. A review of all the deadlines can be found at USGBC.

Application Type and Review Phase Application submitted, Payment cleared Approx. Target Return Date
Standard Preliminary Review Sept. 14, 9:00 a.m. ET Oct. 19
Standard Final Review Nov. 16, 9:00 a.m. ET Dec. 23
Construction Preliminary Review Sept. 14, 9:00 a.m. ET Oct. 19
Construction Final Review Nov. 16, 9:00 a.m. ET Dec. 23

These deadlines apply to all commercial rating systems except for LEED Volume and assume that you will not need to appeal the review. An appeal will take an additional 20-25 business days. An expedited appeal review takes 10 business days. Also be aware that USGBC is closed for two business days for the Thanksgiving holiday.

For expedited reviews, there are different deadlines and a surcharge for the LEED registration and certification fees. This surcharge is in addition to the regular certification fee. GBCI capacity will determine the review timelines.

  • The Expedited Standard Preliminary Review has an expedited surcharge of $10,000 USD due on Nov. 9 by 9:00 a.m. ET.
  • The Expedited Construction Preliminary Review is also due on Nov. 9 and has an expedited surcharge of $5,000 USD.
  • Expedited Standard Final Review and Expedited Construction Final Review are due on Dec. 7 at 9:00 a.m. ET with a guaranteed return date of Dec. 23, 2016.

And don’t forget about ENERGY STAR. The deadline to submit your application for 2016 ENERGY STAR Certification is November 15, 2016.