The cost of this credit is project-specific. 

Under Option 1, this credit encourages the use of products and materials for which life- cycle (cradle to gate), as well as triple-bottom-line information is available, rewarding projects that specify at least 20 different products from at least 5 different manufacturers who have published Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs--also known as “Type III environmental declarations” per ISO 14025). In lieu of product-specific EPDs, generic EPDs for a particular industry can also be used, but those are devalued compared to the product-specific EPDs so twice as many are needed.

Under Option 2, the credit encourages the use of products with third-party certified EPDs (type III labels) that show improvements in key life-cycle impact categories.

Hundreds of EPDs are available that cover thousands of products. Due in part to this LEED credit, it is increasingly common for product manufacturers and trade associations to complete EPDs that cover large swaths of their product catalogs. Therefore, on an individual basis there is not typically a cost premium for a product that has an associated EPD.

While this should become less true as EPDs become more common, some projects may find their choice of products is constrained if having an EPD is a key criterion for product selection. While larger projects might use hundreds of products and have flexibility in product selection, this could be an obstacle on smaller projects—particularly interior fit-outs. In these cases, some cost impact due to reduced product selection is conceivable.

Finding EPDs for products will take some effort, just as finding products with recycled content and other documentation was, which has always been a part of LEED. For products pursuing this and other credits involving detailed product information, there are cost synergies with that documentation effort.

Cost Synergies

MRc3: Building Product Disclosure & Optimization—Sourcing of Raw Materials
MRc4: Building Product Disclosure & Optimization—Material Ingredients
EQc2: Low-Emitting Materials