LEEDuser’s viewpoint
Explore this LEED credit
Post your questions on this credit in the forum, and click on the credit language tab to review to the LEED requirements.
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
The LEED rating system is designed to evaluate buildings, spaces, or neighborhoods of a certain size. The LEED requirements do not accurately assess the performance of projects outside of these size requirements.
Requirements
All LEED projects must meet the size requirements listed below.
LEED BD+C and EB:O&M Rating Systems
The LEED project must include a minimum of 1,000 square feet (93 square meters) of gross floor area.
LEED ID+C Rating Systems
The LEED project must include a minimum of 250 square feet (22 square meters) of gross floor area.
LEED Neighborhood Development Rating Systems
The LEED project should contain at least two habitable buildings and be no larger than 1500 acres.
LEED for Homes Rating Systems
The LEED project must be defined as a “dwelling unit” by all applicable codes. This requirement includes, but is not limited to, the International Residential Code stipulation that a dwelling unit must include “permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation.”
See all forum discussions about this credit »What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »Frequently asked questions
See all forum discussions about this credit »Addenda
Can dormitories and assisted living facilities pursue LEED for Homes/Residential certification?
Yes. Dormitories and assisted living facilities can pursue LEED for Homes certification based on the building type they align with. These buildings are typically identified by the presence of a central kitchen facility, and the fact that they fall outside of the scope of ASHRAE Std. 62.2. If a bedroom has its own cooking area and/or bathroom, that space should be treated as a multifamily unit within a multifamily building. If multiple bedrooms share a private living area, bathroom, and/or kitchen that is not accessible to the rest of the building occupants, that suite of rooms should be treated as a multifamily unit, and the building should be treated as a multi-family building. Non-unit spaces should meet all LEED prerequisites and the same credits as the worst case unit, where applicable.
A few additional notes:
- Each dwelling unit must be compartmentalized (i.e. isolated from common spaces and each other).
- Central kitchens and common bathrooms are required to meet the local exhaust requirements in ASHRAE Standard 62.1. Common residential associated spaces do not need to be included in the Home Size Adjuster but are required to meet the ventilation requirements in ASHRAE Standard 62.1 and must meet all LEED prerequisites and the same credits as the worst case unit, where applicable.
- In-unit spaces are still required to meet the ventilation requirements in ASHRAE Standard 62.2.
- Buildings that do not meet the definition of single family or multifamily may be allowed to use a Home Size Adjuster of Zero. Consult GBCI with questions on registration, space definition, and home size adjuster questions.
Documentation toolkit
The motherlode of cheat sheets
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
The LEED rating system is designed to evaluate buildings, spaces, or neighborhoods of a certain size. The LEED requirements do not accurately assess the performance of projects outside of these size requirements.
Requirements
All LEED projects must meet the size requirements listed below.
LEED BD+C and EB:O&M Rating Systems
The LEED project must include a minimum of 1,000 square feet (93 square meters) of gross floor area.
LEED ID+C Rating Systems
The LEED project must include a minimum of 250 square feet (22 square meters) of gross floor area.
LEED Neighborhood Development Rating Systems
The LEED project should contain at least two habitable buildings and be no larger than 1500 acres.
LEED for Homes Rating Systems
The LEED project must be defined as a “dwelling unit” by all applicable codes. This requirement includes, but is not limited to, the International Residential Code stipulation that a dwelling unit must include “permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation.”
