Frequently Asked Questions

Orders, Accounts and Memberships

How do I set up a LEEDuser membership?

You can review LEEDuser membership options and pricing on our membership page. If you prefer to set up a free, limited-access account to participate in our forum, please use our basic registration page (you can upgrade to full membership anytime).

How do I cancel my monthly or yearly auto-renewal?

Follow the instructions below. Note that this procedure will prevent a future renewal charge but you will continue to have access until your membership expires at the end of the 1-month or 1-year term. You can view your upcoming expiration date on your My Account page.

1. Log in to your account, if you are not already logged in.
2. Click "My Account" in the upper-right at the top of the page.
3. Click "Auto-Renewals" on your account page.
4. Click "Cancel" next to the recurring fee.
5. Click "Yes, I want to cancel the subscription".  You will continue to have access for the remainder of your term.

How do I obtain a full refund on my yearly membership?

Yearly membership refund requests should be submitted through our contact form.  They must be submitted within the first 110 days after your first credit card charge.  After your refund is processed, you will immediately lose access to the site.

I've lost my password.  Help?

Go here to request a new password.

My email address changed and I can't retrieve my password reset link. What now?

Please call Customer Service at (800) 861-0954, or contact us, to reset your password.

I'm leaving my company and need to transfer my membership to a coworker.

Typically, this is handled by your canceling your existing membership, and your co-worker starting his or her own.

How do I transfer Team Membership administration to another person?

Call customer service (800) 861-0954 for help with this, or contact us.

Can I pay by purchase order, or get a mailed bill?

At this time, we do not offer billed memberships. Contact us to express interest in this feature.

Technical Issues

What are the minimum browser requirements for LEEDuser.com?

LEEDuser.com supports Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3 on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 and supports Firefox 3 and Safari 4 on Mac OSX. If you are using any of these browsers and having trouble with our site please let us know. LEEDuser has received reports that the site does not run smoothly on earlier browsers, such as Internet Explorer 6. In these cases, we recommend upgrading your browser.

Do I need to have cookies enabled in my browser?

Yes, you do need to have first-party cookies enabled in your browser to use LEEDuser.com, particularly when signed-in to your personal account. This setting is the default in modern Web browsers (see a list of supported Web browsers above). Cookies allow LEEDuser.com to recognize your signed-in status from page to page. See this following from Google's help pages on how to check/enable cookies in your web browser. Note: "third-party" cookies need not be enabled for LEEDuser.com.

Do I need to have javascript enabled in my browser?

LEEDuser.com is best experienced with javascript enabled in your browser. Most modern browsers enable javascript by default.

About LEEDuser Content

What is LEEDuser?

LEEDuser is an information resource design to help individuals and teams achieve LEED certification on projects. It is a membership-based resource published by BuildingGreen, Inc.

What LEED rating systems does LEEDuser cover? What about NCv2.2? LEED for Homes? LEED for Canada? LEED-ND?

LEEDuser covers the five commercial and institutional LEED 2009 rating systems: New Construction (NC), Core & Shell (CS), Schools, Commercial Interiors (CI), and Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems.). In addition we cover LEED-NC v.2.2. LEED for Homes is not covered, but we have a user forum for LEED-H questions. SImilarly, LEED-ND is not covered but we do offer a LEED-ND user forum.

Does LEEDuser have a relationship with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) or the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)?

The content within LEEDuser was developed by BuildingGreen independently of USGBC or GBCI, with the exception of certain content such as official LEED credit language, which is used by permission. However, USGBC has supported the development of LEEDuser as a valuable tool to help clarify the LEED process and make more projects successful. Because they use a trademarked brand, the name "LEEDuser" and the LEEDuser.com are owned by USGBC and used with permission.

I read something on LEEDuser that I think is incorrect, or that seems to contradict USGBC or GBCI. What's up with that?

We've worked hard to make LEEDuser accurate and thorough. If you think you see an inaccuracy, we encourage you to note it though the discussion forum feature, or through our contact form. We'll respond as soon as possible.

LEEDuser is an independent tool designed to help you achieve LEED certification and greener buildings. We provide frank advice, and sometimes we have a difference of opinion or a different take on things than USGBC or GBCI. When that happens, we try to explain our reasoning as best as possible. It is important to keep in mind, however, that USGBC and GBCI are the final authorities on the LEED rating systems and certification. Our advice is subject to this disclaimer.

LEEDuser has a lot of great templates, sample documents, calculators, and tracking sheets in the LEED credit Documentation Toolkits. Can I actually use this stuff?

Our members can use and modify any of LEEDuser's resources for their internal  LEED teams and projects. You may share LEEDuser documents with your project team as needed, but we encourage entire teams to sign up together in order to gain access to the latest documents along with up-to-date advice and forums. LEEDuser retains copyright to many of these documents, along with associated rights, including the right to modify and disseminate for commercial purposes. Samples are not intended as boilerplate language to be used without modification to earn a credit.

About the LEEDuser Forum

What is the LEEDuser forum?

The forum is a public space that is accessible to anyone. LEEDuser members have full forum access, and anyone can post to the forum by signing up for a guest LEEDuser account using a valid email address. We encourage people to share their LEED questions, comments, lessons learned, and tips in this space, and to answer others' questions.

Who are the guest experts?

Several dozen people are identified as "LEEDuser Guest Experts" in the forum. These are people in the top of their respective fields on LEED issues, and in most cases they are volunteering their time to help answer questions. If you are ever looking to hire professional help on your project, we recommend our guest experts for your consideration! If you are interested in becoming a guest expert, please let us know.

I posted a question on the forum. When can I expect an answer? I am submitting for review tomorrow!

The LEEDuser forum receives dozens of posts every day. In many cases, questions are answered within minutes. Especially on more specialized topics, and with more detailed questions, answers may take a few days or a couple weeks. As discussed in the previous question, our Guest Experts are top professionals in their fields who are volunteering their time here; sometimes it may take a little while for them to be able to address your question.

If you're feeling impatient (we know how it feels!) please keep in mind the following. The forum is a free public space, and not part of the premium content that our members subscribe to. You can help this forum a vibrant, useful space by not only asking questions, but also making an effort to answer others' questions and being thoughtful and courteous in all of your communications. Like all of the content on this website, the forum is not a substitute for the services of a qualified LEED professional, or for the final word of USGBC or GBCI, the official authorities behind LEED. Please do not re-post the same question (we remove duplicates to keep the forum easy to navigate), or to contact us simply to ask when your question will be answered (we closely monitor all questions and are working on getting answers).