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LEED v4
Existing Buildings
Indoor Environmental Quality

Integrated pest management

LEED CREDIT

EBOM-v4 EQc9: Integrated pest management 2 points

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View the LEED v4.1 version of this credit »

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Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director

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Credit language

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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

ESTABLISHMENT
Have in place an integrated pest management (IPM) plan for the building and grounds within the project boundary. The IPM plan must include the following elements.
  • Identification of an IPM team. Identify roles for building management, pest management contractors, maintenance staff, and liaisons with building occupants.
  • Provisions for identifying and monitoring pests. Specify inspections, pest population monitoring, and a reporting system that allows occupants, maintenance staff, and others to report evidence of pest infestations.
  • Action thresholds for all pests likely encountered in the building. Also describe a process for modifying action thresholds, if necessary, through active communication between occupants and the IPM team.
  • Nonchemical pest preventive measures, either designed into the structure or implemented as part of pest management activities.
  • Pest control methods to be used when action thresholds are exceeded. For each pest, list all potential control methods considered and adopt the lowest-risk options, considering the risks to the applicator, building occupants, and the environment. The plan must preferentially require nonchemical approaches, with pesticides registered for the site applied only if those approaches fail. Give preference to the use of least-risk pesticides based on inherent toxicity and exposure potential. If a pesticide that is not in the least-risk category is selected, document the reason.
  • A mechanism for documentation of inspection, monitoring, prevention, and control methods and for evaluation of the effectiveness of the IPM plan. Specify the metrics by which performance will be measured, and describe the quality assurance process to evaluate and verify successful implementation of the plan.
  • A strategy for communications between the IPM team and the building occupants (for schools, faculty and staff). This strategy should include education about the IPM plan, participation in problem solving, feedback mechanisms (e.g., a system for recording pest complaints), and provision for notification of pesticide applications. At a minimum, the facility manager must notify any building occupant or employee who requests it and post a sign at the application site, which must remain in place for 24 hours prior to application. Notifications must include the pesticide name, EPA registration number, treatment location, and date of application. Applications of least-risk pesticides do not require notification. For an emergency application of a pesticide, anyone who requested notice must be notified within 24 hours of the application and given an explanation of the emergency.
PERFORMANCE
Implement the strategies set forth in the IPM plan and evaluate the plan annually. This evaluation must verify that the strategies specified in the IPM plan have been implemented and identify any chemical applications that did not comply with the plan. Perform recordkeeping and documentation required under the IPM plan. Maintain records of IPM team participation and decisions, as well as pesticide applications. A project meets the requirements if the IPM service is provided by a certified member in good standing of GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield, or a program with equivalent IPM standards, who complies with the program’s standards. See all forum discussions about this credit »

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Cost estimates for this credit

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Frequently asked questions

Some of our tenants have their own pest management contracts. Do we have to track their pest control activities for LEED?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

If I am using a certified pest management provider, do I have to complete an IPM plan and IPM tracking tool?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Addenda

4/14/2017 – Updated: 4/24/2017
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Revise campus language:
Group Approach
All buildings in the group may be documented as one. One log and one plan can be used for multiple buildings.

Campus Approach
Eligible. The IPM plan may be implemented on a campus-wide basis. Each project must confirm that the plan has been followed 100% of the time during its individual performance period by providing a building-specific log.
Campus Applicable
Yes
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/14/2017 – Updated: 4/19/2017
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Add prior to application after 24 hours so the sentence reads: "At a minimum, the facility manager must notify any building occupant or employee who requests it and post a sign at the application site, which must remain in place for 24 hours prior to application."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/1/2014 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Step-by-step, replace step 4 with the following:
"Step 4. Select implementation approach (E)
• Determine whether integrated pest management will be handled in-house, with contracted services, or a combination of both.
• If handled in-house, ensure those who will perform the work are licensed or trained in accordance with local standards (refer to the Association of Structural Pest Control Officials).
• If handled through contracted services, select contractors that are certified by one of the following third parties: GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield.
• A combination of in-house and contracted services may be appropriate, provided all pest management procedures, products, and services within the LEED project boundary are addressed by the IPM plan."

Step-by-step, delete Option 1 and Option 2 header titles.
Step-by-step, Certified IPM Service, Step 1, modify second bullet so it reads "If the vendor cannot or will not obtain certification, initiate a new contract with an eligible vendor, or use an in-house approach."

Modify table as follows:
Remove columns Option 1 & Option 2.
Change 'IPM plan' to 'IPM plan (if doing in-house IPM policy)'
Change 'Pesticide application list' to 'Pesticide application list (if doing in-house IPM policy)'
Change 'GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield certificate' to 'GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield certificate (if using certified IPM service)'
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

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LEEDuser expert

headshot

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director

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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

ESTABLISHMENT
Have in place an integrated pest management (IPM) plan for the building and grounds within the project boundary. The IPM plan must include the following elements.
  • Identification of an IPM team. Identify roles for building management, pest management contractors, maintenance staff, and liaisons with building occupants.
  • Provisions for identifying and monitoring pests. Specify inspections, pest population monitoring, and a reporting system that allows occupants, maintenance staff, and others to report evidence of pest infestations.
  • Action thresholds for all pests likely encountered in the building. Also describe a process for modifying action thresholds, if necessary, through active communication between occupants and the IPM team.
  • Nonchemical pest preventive measures, either designed into the structure or implemented as part of pest management activities.
  • Pest control methods to be used when action thresholds are exceeded. For each pest, list all potential control methods considered and adopt the lowest-risk options, considering the risks to the applicator, building occupants, and the environment. The plan must preferentially require nonchemical approaches, with pesticides registered for the site applied only if those approaches fail. Give preference to the use of least-risk pesticides based on inherent toxicity and exposure potential. If a pesticide that is not in the least-risk category is selected, document the reason.
  • A mechanism for documentation of inspection, monitoring, prevention, and control methods and for evaluation of the effectiveness of the IPM plan. Specify the metrics by which performance will be measured, and describe the quality assurance process to evaluate and verify successful implementation of the plan.
  • A strategy for communications between the IPM team and the building occupants (for schools, faculty and staff). This strategy should include education about the IPM plan, participation in problem solving, feedback mechanisms (e.g., a system for recording pest complaints), and provision for notification of pesticide applications. At a minimum, the facility manager must notify any building occupant or employee who requests it and post a sign at the application site, which must remain in place for 24 hours prior to application. Notifications must include the pesticide name, EPA registration number, treatment location, and date of application. Applications of least-risk pesticides do not require notification. For an emergency application of a pesticide, anyone who requested notice must be notified within 24 hours of the application and given an explanation of the emergency.
PERFORMANCE
Implement the strategies set forth in the IPM plan and evaluate the plan annually. This evaluation must verify that the strategies specified in the IPM plan have been implemented and identify any chemical applications that did not comply with the plan. Perform recordkeeping and documentation required under the IPM plan. Maintain records of IPM team participation and decisions, as well as pesticide applications. A project meets the requirements if the IPM service is provided by a certified member in good standing of GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield, or a program with equivalent IPM standards, who complies with the program’s standards.

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.

Some of our tenants have their own pest management contracts. Do we have to track their pest control activities for LEED?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

If I am using a certified pest management provider, do I have to complete an IPM plan and IPM tracking tool?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)
4/14/2017 – Updated: 4/24/2017
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Revise campus language:
Group Approach
All buildings in the group may be documented as one. One log and one plan can be used for multiple buildings.

Campus Approach
Eligible. The IPM plan may be implemented on a campus-wide basis. Each project must confirm that the plan has been followed 100% of the time during its individual performance period by providing a building-specific log.
Campus Applicable
Yes
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/14/2017 – Updated: 4/19/2017
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Add prior to application after 24 hours so the sentence reads: "At a minimum, the facility manager must notify any building occupant or employee who requests it and post a sign at the application site, which must remain in place for 24 hours prior to application."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/1/2014 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Step-by-step, replace step 4 with the following:
"Step 4. Select implementation approach (E)
• Determine whether integrated pest management will be handled in-house, with contracted services, or a combination of both.
• If handled in-house, ensure those who will perform the work are licensed or trained in accordance with local standards (refer to the Association of Structural Pest Control Officials).
• If handled through contracted services, select contractors that are certified by one of the following third parties: GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield.
• A combination of in-house and contracted services may be appropriate, provided all pest management procedures, products, and services within the LEED project boundary are addressed by the IPM plan."

Step-by-step, delete Option 1 and Option 2 header titles.
Step-by-step, Certified IPM Service, Step 1, modify second bullet so it reads "If the vendor cannot or will not obtain certification, initiate a new contract with an eligible vendor, or use an in-house approach."

Modify table as follows:
Remove columns Option 1 & Option 2.
Change 'IPM plan' to 'IPM plan (if doing in-house IPM policy)'
Change 'Pesticide application list' to 'Pesticide application list (if doing in-house IPM policy)'
Change 'GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield certificate' to 'GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield certificate (if using certified IPM service)'
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No

LEEDuser expert

headshot

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about EBOM-v4 EQc9 View the LEED v4.1 version of this credit