I provide consulting to many General Contractors working on buildings pursuing LEED Certification. Unfortunately, the Certified Wood Credit is one we run into many challenges with because of a lack of understanding about the Chain-of-Custody requirements and because in some cases, by the time I am brought on a project, the GC has already signed contracts with most of their vendors and subcontractors. My understanding is that in order for the Chain-of-Custody to remain intact for wood doors, and allow for that cost to count toward the Certified Wood credit, the door distributor MUST be FSC certified, even though the doors are being shipped directly from the manufacturer (FSC Certified) to the jobsite. I often refer to the third question/response found on this link: https://us.fsc.org/faqs-for-green-building.325.htm .
I have had a few companies challenge my understanding of this, stating that if the manufacturer is FSC certified, then there is no requirement for the door distributor to be FSC certified as well, especially if the doors are being shipped directly from the manufacturer. I would like to use this forum to get some feedback with regards to this.
Kathryn West
LEED AP BD+C, O+M, Green Globes ProfessionalJLL
154 thumbs up
February 9, 2015 - 3:41 pm
Based on the principles of LEED webinar the COC needs to be maintained from the forest to the job site. Once on the job site, if the product is only installed (NOT modified) then the person installing it doesn't need COC certification. It gets tricky with mill workers but should be pretty straightforward with people installing doors. However, you do need each item listed on its own line with the COC for the product. You can't just put all your wood doors in an invoice without a specific COC and dollar amount for each product. The FSC invoices I receive are usually a mess because they have too much consolidation and not enough detail.
Kathryn West
LEED AP BD+C, O+M, Green Globes ProfessionalJLL
154 thumbs up
February 9, 2015 - 3:43 pm
I'd say If a door distributor takes possession of the doors prior to them reaching the job site they need COC certification according to LEED guidance.
Marcia Weekes
LEED CoordinatorEcostrategic Consulting Services, LLC
27 thumbs up
February 9, 2015 - 3:45 pm
Thanks Kathryn for your response. I should clarify that the door distributors I am referring to are not the installing contractor. On most of my projects, the GC has a contract directly with a door distributor to get the doors to the project site. Once there a separate subcontractor installs the doors. I understand that the installing contractor does not need FSC certification, but in this case, I view the distributor as a vendor, and am of the opinion that this company should also be FSC certified in order for the Chain-of-Custody to remain intact. Does this make a difference in your original response?
Kathryn West
LEED AP BD+C, O+M, Green Globes ProfessionalJLL
154 thumbs up
February 9, 2015 - 3:47 pm
Nope.
Judy Landwehr
Manager, Sustainability and Technical MarketingMasonite Architectural
65 thumbs up
February 9, 2015 - 4:06 pm
Door Distributors are required to be FSC COC certified if they are not installing the product that they purchased. If they are installing the product they purchased, then they are considered a sub-contractor and are not required to be FSC certified. A large number of Distributors have obtained FSC COC certification and are able to invoice wood doors with their FSC Chain of Custody certificate code.
Kathryn West
LEED AP BD+C, O+M, Green Globes ProfessionalJLL
154 thumbs up
February 10, 2015 - 3:18 pm
Judy is right. Sorry about that. Check out this addendum #100000098
"Entities that install an FSC-certified product on the project
building/site (typically project contractors or subcontractors, but also
furniture installers and the like), do not require CoC certification as long
as they do not modify the product\'s packaging or form except as is
required for installation. Contractors and sub-contractors that temporarily
possess FSC-certified material prior to installation should be careful not
mix or contaminate the FSC-certified material with non-FSC-certified
material."
Marcia Weekes
LEED CoordinatorEcostrategic Consulting Services, LLC
27 thumbs up
February 10, 2015 - 4:35 pm
Kathryn/Judy,
thanks so much for your feedback.
Judy,
are you able to shed any light as to why door distributors who do not take possession of or stock the doors (doors are shipped directly from manufacturer to jobsite without first going to the distributor), also require FSC Certification? Admittedly, it is more challenging for me to explain the need for FSC certification when we are dealing with this scenario.
Judy Landwehr
Manager, Sustainability and Technical MarketingMasonite Architectural
65 thumbs up
February 10, 2015 - 4:50 pm
The FSC US website has several documents that cover this topic. Within one of their documents, they explain why COC certification is necessary through the supply chain. Per FSC US "The Chain-of-Custody process ensures the consumer that the FSC-certified products they purchase are coming from responsibly managed sources. For a consumer to purchase an FSC-certified product, every company that previously had ownership of the forest product material components of the end product would have had to be FSC certified."
Additional facts can be found at the following link.
https://us.fsc.org/chain-of-custody-certification.201.htm