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LEED for Residential Design and Construction

A home is more than just shelter: homes are the most important places in our lives. LEED certified green homes use less energy and fewer resources and are healthier for you and your family.

Impact for renters, owners and the environment

LEED-certified homes are designed to provide clean indoor air and ample natural light and to use safe building materials to ensure our comfort and good health. They help us reduce our energy and water consumption, thereby lowering utility bills each month, among other financial benefits. Using the strategies outlined in LEED, homeowners are having a net-positive impact on their communities.

LEED homes are also designed, constructed and operated to be resilient in adverse conditions and are developed with proactive design planning for potential impacts of catastrophic weather.

• Health: LEED homes are designed to maximize indoor fresh air and minimize exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants, making it healthier and more comfortable.
• Savings: LEED homes use less energy and water, which means lower utility bills. On average, certified homes use 20 to 30 percent less energy than non-green homes, with some homes saving up to 60 percent.
• Value: With proper planning, LEED homes can be built for the same cost as non-green homes. LEED homes can qualify for discounted homeowner’s insurance, tax breaks and other incentives. And in many markets, certified green homes are now selling quicker and for more money than comparable non-green homes.

For better homes, accountability makes a difference. Through a carefully managed, independent, third-party verification system, LEED-certification affirms the integrity of green building commitments by ensuring project teams are delivering on design plans and goals. Third-party validation helps guarantee that each project saves energy, water and other resources, reducing overall environmental impact. No cutting corners.

How Certification Works

For new projects

1. Determine your project type (Single Family, Multifamily or Multifamily Core and Shell). View the full list of LEED rating systems.
2. Select your priorities. LEED credits allow project teams to customize how they pursue LEED (ex. health, energy and water efficiency, resilience, etc.). By fulfilling credits, project teams earn points that, once added together, determine a project’s certification level. Learn more about LEED prerequisites and credits or access the LEED credit library.
3. Build your team. Goals and roles are key elements to consider when starting any project and it's no different in LEED. There could be several people who are members of the project team. All LEED residential project teams must include a LEED Green Rater, who performs the required onsite verification.
4. Deadlines. At any given time, a LEED rating system is either open for registration and certification, closed for registration but open for certification or sunset (closed for both registration and certification). View the deadlines to make sure you know the status of your desired rating system/version.
5. Fees. View the fees table to find the LEED registration and certification costs.
6. Register your project in and follow the steps in the Guide to Certification for your project type.

For projects in progress

There are a number of tools and resources available to support you when working on your LEED project including:

• LEED credit library
• LEED v4.1 Residential Single Family and Multifamily resources
• Education
• View all the tools