CS-2009 MRc6: Certified Wood

  • CS MRc6 Type3 Wood Diagram

  • Is it worth it?

    This credit can be easy and with little or no cost premium if your project only has a small amount of wood. A multifamily high-rise, for example, may have little wood on the project except for doors and cabinetry. In this case, it would be easy to reach the 50% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) threshold.

    Projects with more wood might encounter a larger upfront cost, but have the potential to demonstrate their environmental values of sustainable forestry management. Projects can also go above the 50% threshold and earn an ID point for 95% FSC certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System.. For example, a commercial interior fit-out for an investment bank involved large amounts of wood veneers and millwork. The project purchased 97% FSC-certified wood, earning an additional exemplary performanceIn LEED, certain credits have established thresholds beyond basic credit achievement. Meeting these thresholds can earn additional points through Innovation in Design (ID) or Innovation in Operations (IO) points. As a general rule of thumb, ID credits for exemplary performance are awarded for doubling the credit requirements and/or achieving the next incremental percentage threshold. However, this rule varies on a case by case basis, so check the credit requirements. point under IDc1.

    No minimum amount of wood

    This credit awards points for dedicating 50% or more of your total new wood budget to wood-based products or materials that are FSC certified. 

    You can use as much or as little total wood as you want—as long as 50% of it is FSC-certified. If you make it 95%, you earn an extra point for exemplary performance. 

    More wood = more challenging

    If wood is a big part of your project, with a lot of wood flooring, framing, or veneers, you’re unlikely to earn this credit unless you can find a source of FSC-certified wood for those items that’s within your budget. Projects without wood as a big-ticket item should focus instead on other wood materials, including blocking, millwork, and wood finish materials, as well as casework, and wood composites.

    All projects should get their subcontractor, vendor, or lumberyard on board to price available—and preferably regional, for MRc5—FSC-certified products early in the process. You can usually find an FSC-certified version of what you need, but it sometimes takes longer to arrive.

    Not all FSC-certified products are equal

    Architectural Millwork produces finished and unfinished FSC-certified stock and custom molding and paneling (including radius paneling and millwork) for commercial and residential projects.

    Pay attention to the different types of FSC certification. You can find these on product cut sheets: 

    • FSC 100%  (previously "FSC Pure"): Valued at 100% of product cost. 
    • FSC Mix Credit: Valued at 100% of product cost.
    • FSC Mix (XX)%: A percentage of FSC content is indicated and you can claim that percentage of the wood product’s cost. For example, FSC Mixed 50%, means that you can claim 50% of the wood product’s cost.
    • FSC Recycled and FSC Recycled Credit: These do not count towards this credit and can be left out of the baseline wood budget. FSC Recycled wood can count towards MRc4: Recycled Content. 

    Chain-of-custody certification

    Wood is FSC-certified if it comes from the right forests. To ensure that the same FSC-certified wood that leaves the forest arrives at your building without being mixed up with conventional wood, FSC oversees another certification process—chain-of-custody certification, or CoC.

    The FSC-certified Collins Almanor Forest in Northern California has been logged five times in the last 50 years.

    CoC certification tracks FSC-certified wood as it moves through harvesting, production, manufacturing, and distributing chains. In order for your LEED project to make a claim about FSC wood you use, you need to make sure that the product is handled by operations carrying CoC certifications at every step. Those needing CoC certifications (see Checklists for more detail) should provide their certification number on their invoices. Certified operators can also be found on the FSC website.

    Why FSC?

    The Forest Stewardship Council is a nonprofit organization that was created to set an international standard for responsible forest management, and to track and certify wood products from well-managed forests. FSC certification ensures that your wood products have come from third-party-certified forests that comply with the FSC principles and criteria. 

    The "wood wars"

    FSC is only one of dozens of forest certification programs in the world. Others include the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) label. FSC currently remains the only program recognized for this credit. Following lengthy development of a more inclusive policy at USGBC, USGBC membership voted to reject the new policy. BuildingGreen.com, a sister publication to LEEDuser, chronicled the extensive debate over FSC and other certification schemes in a series of articles, including articles looking at the impact of certification on jobs, on climate change, and the future of forest certification in LEED.

    Although FSC provides the certification standard, other groups provide the audits that determine whether certification can actually be awarded to a forest. The two groups most commonly seen here are SmartWood and SCS Global Services.

    Rapidly renewable materials

    Woody rapidly renewable materials like bamboo and cork have not generally been covered by this credit, because they are not conventional lumber products, because they are already covered under MRc6: Rapidly Renewable Materials (except for CS), and because FSC certification had not been available for these products until recently. However, with the advent of FSC-certified bamboo products, teams may include bamboo and cork in MRc7, at their discretion. It would only be advantageous to do so if you are using FSC-certified products; otherwise, it would make credit compliance harder.

    FAQs for MRc7

    We are pursuing IEQc4.5 from LEED-CI as an ID credit. Are we then required to include the cost of furniture in MRc3–7?

    No, per LEED InterpretationLEED Interpretations are official answers to technical inquiries about implementing LEED on a project. They help people understand how their projects can meet LEED requirements and provide clarity on existing options. LEED Interpretations are to be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. All project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. This also applies to other addenda. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged. LEED Interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org. #3901.

    What building components are typically purchased with FSC content to earn this credit?

    Big-ticket items commonly used for this credit include flooring and subflooring, framing, doors and door cores, wood finishes, and casework.

    We’re having trouble getting FSC wood within our budget. Can we use products with another forestry certification?

    No. Only forestry products certified by the FSC can contribute to earning MRc7. Wood products that are not FSC-certified, including those certified to SFI or PEFC, can still contribute to MRc5, though.

    Do I need to provide invoices for all of the new wood products purchased for the project, or just FSC wood products?

    GBCI had required invoices for all wood products, but has switched to requiring only invoices for FSC certified products, per the April 2008 FSC memo, which states that all invoices must be collected, but they do not need to be submitted. The reviewer does not need to see those to determine compliance.

    Certified wood invoices must contain the FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) tracking number, and indicate whether the product is “FSC 100%,” “FSC Mix Credit” or “FSC Mix [NN]%.”

    I have supporting manufacturer documentation for the FSC wood used on our project. Is this enough to document this credit, or do I need invoices as well?

    Per the previous question, you do not need to submit invoices for all wood products, but you must collect invoices in order to determine the cost of wood products on the project.

    Can products labeled “FSC Recycled” or “FSC Recycled Credit” contribute towards MRc7? What about "FSC Mix" percentages that refer to recycled content?

    No. Because this credit focuses on "new" wood, recycled cottent products may not be counted as certified wood under MRc7, and should be excluded from the total cost of new wood materials. However, those purchases could qualify for credit under MRc4: Recycled Content.

    Does FSC-certified wood automatically contribute to IEQc4.4 as a low-emitting material?

    No, but it is common to find FSC composite woodComposite wood consists of wood or plant particles or fibers bonded by a synthetic resin or binder. Examples include particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, oriented-strand board (OSB), wheatboard, and strawboard. products that meet IEQc4.4 requirements.

    We are using a lot of reclaimed wood. Should we include this in our MRc7 calculations? What about wood that is already installed on the project, in a renovation? What about wood products with recycled content?

    MRc7 only applies to "new" wood. Reclaimed, reused, or recycled wood should not be included in MRc7 calculations.

    Does FSC-certified bamboo products count towards this credit?

    Yes. Bamboo is considered a forest product by FSC even though it’s technically a grass, and it’s often as a forest product in materials like plywood, veneer, and flooring. See LEED Interpretation #2535, issued 4/22/2009, for more information.

    A product has FSC-certified veneer, but a non-certified core. Can we prorate the MRc7 contribution of this product based on the cost of the veneer?

    No. If the product is built off-site then the entire assembly (the product which is shipped to site) must have an FSC label from the manufacturer of the assembly. Individual components, unless they are shipped to site and thereby complete the chain, may not contribute towards this credit. All entities that possess FSC materials until the product reaches the project site must have a chain-of-custody certification.

    Should wood used on site features such as benches or a gazebo be included here?

    Yes. If it is new wood and it is in your LEED project boundary, you should count it.

Legend

  • Best Practices
  • Gotcha
  • Action Steps
  • Cost Tip

Schematic Design

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  • Consider using FSC-certified wood on the project. Start by looking at the project’s applications for wood-based products. Wood blocking, framing, doors, millwork and wood finishes play a large role in obtaining this credit.   

  • Before identifying wood species and grades, check to see what FSC wood is readily available from local suppliers and try to design using those materials. 

  • FSC wood is becoming easier to find.  An increasing number of vendors and suppliers offer FSC wood as the consumer demand has increased.

  • There may be a price premium for FSC wood, depending on location, type of wood, and availability, but nationally the cost is becoming more competitive with conventional wood. This natural beaver pond in Lakeview, Oregon shows the potential for habitat protection in a working forest.For example, a project in New York City found a premium of 25% on high-end custom doors. A commercial interior fit-out project in New York found a 50% price premium on decorative hardwood veneers, while a core and shell project in New York found only a 5% price premium on wood blocking and plywood.  A school renovation project in Boulder, Colorado saw a 13% increase for FSC-certified wood flooring and 20% cost increase on ½” CDX FSC-certified new plywood.

     

Design Development

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  • Include in your new wood materials baseline budget the material cost (excluding labor) of all new wood items that apply under CSI Master Spec 2004 Format Divisions 3–10, 31.60 Foundations, 32.10 Paving, 32.30 Site Improvements, and 32.90 Planting. Division 12 Furniture is optional. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and equipment costs are excluded. (See Resources for Master Spec information.) 

  • Adding Division 12 Furniture to your baseline materials budget for this credit is optional, but must be applied consistently across MRc3, MRc4, MRc5, MRc6, and MRc7. Analyze the baseline material budget to see if adding Division 12 furniture works to the project’s advantage. Generally, if the furniture helps contribute to the above MR credits it is in a project’s interest to take credit for it—however, it may help with some while making others more difficult.

  • Choose one of two options in creating a baseline budget—the default budget, or the actual budget (excluding labor). The default budget method gives you a baseline materials budget as 45% of your total budget, while the actual budget gives you a baseline based on what you actually spend.

  • A default budget is useful if you don’t want to break out the cost of materials and labor separately. You can take the total cost (material plus labor) of all items in the applicable CSI divisions and assume that cost of materials is 45% and labor cost is 55%.

  • You can alternatively use the actual materials budget (excluding labor) of all materials purchased in the applicable CSI categories.  

  • How do you decide whether to use the actual material budget or the default budget as your baseline? The lower you can get the baseline, the easier it is to purchase enough regional material to reach the credit threshold. For example, a project that is renovating an existing building will have low material costs and high labor costs. It might be better for this project to use the actual budget as the 45% default may bring the baseline too high.

  • The actual budget method can be more time-consuming for the contractor because it requires tracking the actual costs of all materials purchased, even those in the applicable CSI divisions that do not necessarily contribute to LEED credits.

  • Begin by creating a baseline wood budget for the project. This includes the material costs (excluding labor) of all new wood items purchased for the project. Exclude all salvaged/reused wood and wood that has recycled content from the calculation for this credit.

  • All new wood products must be listed in line-item fashion in the documentation, whether FSC-certified or not. There is no 45% default budget for this credit as there is in the other MR credits. 

  • Adding furniture to your baseline wood budget for MRc7 is optional, but must be done consistently across MRc3, MRc4, MRc5, MRc6, and MRc7. Analyze the baseline materials budget to see if adding division 12 furniture works to the project’s advantage. Generally, if the furniture helps contribute to the above MR credits it is in a project’s interest to take credit for it.

  • It is optional to add temporary wood structures such as sidewalk partitions, bracing, or concrete forms to the baseline wood budget. If added, however, the temporary wood structures can only count toward one project’s certification (that is, if reused on another LEED project, they cannot count toward MRc7 there). Also, if temporary wood structures are calculated towards the credit compliance, all temporary wood structures need to be counted in the baseline (essentially, you can’t just calculate FSC certified wood structures and not non-FSC certified wood structures). Unless the temporary structures are FSC-certified wood, it is not generally to your advantage to bring the baseline budget higher by adding them.

  • The baseline wood budget should be consistent across all wood products mentioned in MRc3–7. The LEED Online credit form helps ensure consistency.

  • To determine how much FSC wood you will need to incorporate into your project, look at the baseline wood budget. Determine how much you want to spend on certified wood. 50% of the wood budget cost will give the project one point and 95% will give the project one ID point for exemplary performance. Go through the project’s preliminary budget, identify what wood items could be purchased FSC-certified, and check to see whether these items add up to the amount needed to get the desired LEED points.

  • Include a cushion for this credit in case of changes in design and purchasing. For example, if you are counting on one point for using 50% certified wood, plan on using 60% of your wood budget for certified wood in order to avoid coming up short.

  • Using the estimated budget to integrate certified wood into the design and specs early in the process can help prevent costly change orders during construction.

  • Use your estimated budget as a guide throughout the project. Many projects fail to earn this credit because they wait until all the materials have been purchased before calculating whether they have purchased enough FSC-certified wood to gain the LEED credit. 

  • Focus on “big ticket” wood items first. Materials like flooring, custom millwork, and framing, if they meet the certified wood requirement, may represent enough value to earn the credit. This approach allows you to Iimit the number of certified wood items you need to track and document, reducing contractor headaches and keeping overall costs low. If big-ticket items are not enough, target medium-priced items next, until you reach your goal.

  • A single product or material can contribute to multiple credits. For example, cabinetry made both locally and with certified wood contributes to MRc5 as well as MRc7. Focusing on products and materials with multiple environmental attributes can also limit the overall number of items that must be tracked. 

  • There is no minimum amount of wood you need to earn this credit. If the project does not use a lot of wood, and your baseline wood budget is low, purchase 95% FSC wood to gain two points (for credit and exemplary performance) at very low cost.

  • Pay attention to the different types of FSC certification, which you can find on product cut sheets. You will need a letter, cut sheet, or statement from the vendor indicating the type of FSC certification.

    • FSC Pure: valued at 100% of product cost. 
    • FSC Mixed Credit: valued at 100% of product cost.
    • FSC Mixed (XX)%: A percentage of FSC content is indicated, and you can claim that percentage of the product’s cost. 
    • FSC Recycled and FSC Recycled Credit: do not count toward this credit at all and can be left out of the baseline wood budget. FSC Recycled can count towards MRc4 Recycled Content.

  • Assemblies

  • When a product is made of multiple materials that may or may not all be FSC certified, use the following special considerations.

  • The cost value for the LEED calculation is determined by weight or volume as a percentage of the total. See the example below, and a spreadsheet you can use in the Documentation Toolkit.

  • Request that manufacturers provide assembly information broken down by weight, volume, or cost. 

  • It is unwise to assume that 100% of an assembly is FSC-certified, just because the product literature says that it is. Double-check with the manufacturer on what percentage of the assembly (by weight or volume choosing one consistently) is FSC wood and allocate that percentage of the total assembly cost toward the credit calculations.

  • FSC Recycled and FSC Recycled Credit: do not count toward this credit at all and can be left out of the baseline wood budget. FSC Recycled can count towards MRc4 Recycled Content.

Construction Documents

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  • For guidance and sample specification language for incorporating LEED specifications into construction documents, see MasterSpec, or the Whole Building Design Guide. (See Resources.)

  • Incorporating the LEED requirements directly into the drawings as well as into the specs is a good way to remind the contractor and subcontractors of the requirements. 

  • Include submittal requirements within each targeted construction spec section and add general requirements to the Division 1 bid package. Include a copy of any submittal documents that the contractor may need to fill out.

  • Revisit the baseline wood budget as the design evolves to make sure your numbers remain accurate and that you remain on track to achieve your goal for the credit.

  • Research specific products and incorporate FSC wood requirements into individual construction specifications. Require that vendors provide FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) tracking numbers on invoices, breakdown of wood costs and cut sheets.  See USGBC’s policy memo on CoC tracking for detail. (See Resources.)

  • Project contractors, subcontractors, and furniture installers are not required to be CoC certified, as long as they do not modify products beyond what is required for installation, according to the LEED Reference Guide.  However, vendors, suppliers, manufacturers are required to hold and provide CoC tracking numbers as the product moves throughout the supply chain.

  • You will need a letter, cut sheet, or statement from the vendor indicating what kind of FSC certification the wood has: FSC Pure or FSC mixed. FSC Recycled wood counts toward MRc4: Recycled Content, not this credit.

  • Whenever possible, designate in the construction specifications that contractors use specific product manufacturers that you have verified as suppliers of FSC-certified wood items. This will help save research time for the contractors.

  • Carefully review manufacturer data. Don’t pay attention to vague claims such as “Our product will give you a certified wood LEED point” (when it will only contribute to the credit). No matter what the manufacturer claims, you’ll still need to collect actual costs and FSC Chain-of-Custody numbers. 

  • Some projects require materials submittals from contractors as a stipulation of payment to ensure that contractors provide all the needed documentation.

  • There may be a longer lead time for ordering FSC wood. Make sure to order FSC wood early. Check with manufacturers early to learn about possible delays.

Construction

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  • Preparation Before Construction Begins

  • LEED documentation and materials tracking are usually the GC’s responsibility even though specific materials selection may have been already determined by the architect or designer.

  • The GC should hold an orientation meeting with the subcontractors to review the LEED responsibilities related specifically to their trades. This exercise helps to build trust and is crucial for obtaining buy-in from all participants in the process.

  • Give the GC and subcontractors the following tools to help them track materials data for all MR and IEQ credits. (See the Documentation Toolkit for access.)

    • Materials Calculator:  This is a master tracking spreadsheet that the GC can use internally to compile product information received from the subcontractors. The spreadsheet tracks LEED values across multiple LEED MR and IEQ credits.
    • Environmental Materials Reporting Form: This is a material tracking form that helps subcontractors record the environmental values for products they purchase. This can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing. 
    • Low-Emitting Materials Reporting Form: This is a VOC tracking sheet that helps subcontractors record the low-emitting qualities of the products they purchase and can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing.
    • Low-Emitting Material Limits: These tables, found with each credit here on LEEDuser, summarize the maximum VOC limits for different types of adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, composite wood, and flooring products. When subcontractors search for low-emitting products, they should consult these charts.

  • Enabling coordination and communication among the GC, subcontractors and design team early in the process can minimize scheduling delays and pushback from subcontractors.

  • During Construction

  • The contractor starts gathering and environmental data and cut sheets from subcontractors for approval. 

  • Review subcontractor product suggestions ahead of time to avoid the purchase of inappropriate materials and eliminate the need for costly change orders.  

  • A master spreadsheet facilitates information collection for subcontractors, giving them a road map of exactly what types of information to collect for each product.  

  • Assign a responsible party to input the subcontractors’ tracking forms into the Materials Calculator (see Documentation Toolkit). A LEED consultant or an administrative assistant in the GC’s office may be the best choice for this role.

  • Breaking out specific materials costs (excluding labor) for construction materials that contribute to LEED credits is a requirement for LEED MR credits. Some subcontractors prefer not to do this because there are always hidden markups in the materials that subcontractors purchase at wholesale. However, you can simply include the product markup when breaking out a product’s material cost from installation and labor costs.

  • Transfer all the data collected in the Materials Calculator spreadsheet (see Documentation Toolkit) to the LEED Online form and upload the product cut sheets. 

  • Only a random 20% sampling of product cut sheets need to be uploaded to LEED Online to document this credit.

  • The general contractor (GC) is oriented to this credit and the need to track FSC-certified wood, along with being oriented to all of their responsibilities, including construction IAQ management, low-emitting materials, environmental materials tracking, and construction waste management. 

  • Do additional research on the availability of any FSC-certified wood that you did not already research during the design phase before construction begins to ensure that the project earns this credit. If product decisions are made after construction begins, there may be less time to carefully review data sheets and much greater risk of using a noncompliant product.

  • The GC functions as the overall quality assurance provider for this credit. Responsibilities include conducting weekly reviews of subcontractor product submittals and tracking forms including checking that CoC numbers have been provided for FSC wood.

  • Streamline documentation and research by taking data gathered from subcontractors via the Environmental Materials Reporting Form and transfer it into a master spreadsheet for all the items being tracked across MR and IEQ credits. (See Documentation Toolkit.) For example, you may need to ask the millwork contractor for certified wood information for this credit, and information on urea-formaldehyde-free products for IEQc4.4. If one spreadsheet collects all the data, it can streamline your documentation, associated research, and help with quality control. 

Operations & Maintenance

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  • Keep a list of FSC-certified wood products used on the project so that O&M staff can use these products for future renovations.

  • Develop FSC-certified wood procurement recommendations and incorporate them into a purchasing policy. If pursuing EBOM certification, this will contribute to MRp1: Sustainable Purchasing Policy.  

  • USGBC

    Excerpted from LEED 2009 for Core and Shell Development

    COPYRIGHT © 2009 BY THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    MR Credit 6: Certified wood

    1 Point

    Intent

    To encourage environmentally responsible forest management.

    Requirements

    Use a minimum of 50% (based on cost) of wood-based materials and products that are certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council’s principles and criteria, for wood building components. These components include at a minimum, structural framing and general dimensional framing, flooring, sub-flooring, wood doors and finishes.

    Include only materials permanently installed in the project. Wood products purchased for temporary use on the project (e.g., formwork, bracing, scaffolding, sidewalk protection, and guard rails) may be included in the calculation at the project team’s discretion. If any such materials are included, all such materials must be included in the calculation. If such materials are purchased for use on multiple projects, the applicant may include these materials for only one project, at its discretion. Furniture may be included if it is included consistently in MR Credits 3. Materials Reuse, through MR Credit 6: Certified WoodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System..

    Potential Technologies & Strategies

    Establish a project goal for FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts.-certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. products and identify suppliers that can achieve this goal. During construction, ensure that the FSC-certified wood products are installed and quantify the total percentage of FSCcertified wood products installed.

Organizations

Revised Requirements for Documenting the Use of FSC Certified Wood in LEED

This is a memo from the USGBC clarifying how to address the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. calculation and detailing what documentation needs to be provided.

Forest Stewardship Council, United States

For information and practical tools such as databases of certified product suppliers, referral services, specification language, and the “Designing and Building with FSC” guide and forms.

Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) — Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers

Support on incorporating LEED requirements into specifications. 

FSC Facts and Figures

This slide deck shows the global FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certified forest area by region. In North America, FSC forests account for 40.74% of certified forests.

Assembly Calculator

If your project has furniture or assemblies such as built-in bookshelves that mix certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. with steel or other materials that are not certified wood, you'll need to calculate the portion of the certified-wood portion of the assembly. This calculator can help.

Chain-of-Custody Certificate

Manufacturers should provide their FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Chain of Custody (CoC) certification number on invoices. They may also provide their CoC certificate, like the sample shown here.

Product Cut Sheets

Look to product cut sheets like the sample shown here for information on how a wood product can contribute to credit for certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System.. Note the annotated LEEDuser tips on the attached PDF document.

Materials Calculator

Teams can use this tool to track all materials across various MR and IEQ credits. It helps teams develop a roadmap of what information needs to be tracked for different products. It can also be used early on to create the baseline budget and ensure the products that are being used will apply to the various credit thresholds.

Environmental Materials Reporting Form

This is a materials tracking form that helps subcontractors record the environmental values of products they purchase. This can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing.

Letter to Contractor for MR and IEQ Credits

Use a letter like this sample to orient the contractor to their responsibilities for all MR and IEQ credits. This letter is an introduction that can be customized for the credits your project is pursuing.

Low-Emitting Materials Reporting Form

This is a VOC tracking sheet that helps subcontractors record the low-emitting qualities of the products they purchase and can be distributed to each trade subcontractor and submitted to the GC for filing. Use it specifically for earning low-emitting materials credits, but in conjunction with documentation for MR credits.

LEED Online Forms: CS-2009 MR

The following links take you to the public, informational versions of the dynamic LEED Online forms for each CS-2009 MR credit. You'll need to fill out the live versions of these forms on LEED
Online for each credit you hope to earn.

Version 4 forms (newest):

Version 3 forms:

These links are posted by LEEDuser with USGBC's permission. USGBC has certain usage restrictions for these forms; for more information, visit LEED Online and click "Sample Forms Download."

Construction Submittal

HardhatDocumentation for this credit is part of the Construction Phase submittal.

23 Comments

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Antonio Rodriguez LEED AP BD+C SYASA - México
Apr 23 2013
Guest
6 Thumbs Up

European wood certificates

Hello everyone,
Our project has some wood used in interiors, but most of it would be bought in Spain. Should we expect that our supplier has an FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certificate? In case he doesn't, is there an acceptable European certificate to be used as an alternative? Thanks in advance for any help on this.

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Juan Sergio Simborio
Apr 16 2013
LEEDuser Member

COC Invoice for LEED Core & Shell v2.0 - MRc6

Hi ! I need some help on FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. documentation. Our project is registered under the LEED Core & Shell v2.0 rating system. We have some wood products installed on site ( balustrades, timber paneling, toilet cubicles,and doors.)

We have subcontractors who have their respective COC certificates. My question is, who should provide the invoice with the COC number? should it be the subcontractor who modified the wood product prior to site installation, (ex. solid wood boards to wooden balustrades), or the supplier who sold the raw materials to the subcontractor? ( ex. solid wood board,not the final product form which is the balustrade? )

I'm facing the same case with the doors. Should I submit the invoice w/ COC number of the raw materials of the door ( wooden stiles, rails, mdfMedium-density fiberboard (MDF): Panel product used in cabinets and furniture; generally made from wood fiber glued together with binder; similar to particleboard, but with finer texture, offering more precise finishing. Most MDF is made with formaldehyde-emitting urea-formaldehyde binder. core, veneer facing, etc. ) , or should I submit the invoice for the door itself that was assembled and manufactured by the subcontractor?

Thanks for any clarification that anyone can provide...

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Joe Brown Certified Wood Products, Inc Apr 16 2013 Guest 9 Thumbs Up

You should only be required to submit invoices from the last end of the chain of custody, your subcontractors. The idea of the chain of custody system is that every organization with a CoC is audited annually to ensure that their FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. inputs match their FSC outputs. That way you don't need to track down certificates all the way to the mill.

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Heather Holdridge Sustainability Coordinator Lake/Flato Architects
Nov 21 2012
LEEDuser Member
617 Thumbs Up

Temporary purposes

The credit language mentions that the project team can include the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. used for temporary purposes such as framing, scaffolding, etc. in the calculation. Is the wood used in the framework to install the dry wall also allowed?

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Nov 21 2012 LEEDuser Moderator

I would assume that this would fall under the temporary purposes that are allowed. I don't see why not. The only rule I have seen for these situations is that the same temporary FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. wood not be counted toward this credit on more than one LEED project.

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Hector Arellano Econer S.A.
Jul 18 2012
LEEDuser Member
12 Thumbs Up

Wooden fire door - security requirement

We are certifying a Core and Shell office building. Within the building, there will be installed only two kind of wood products: 1.- wood doors for vertical circulation that have to meet the national security rules for fire protection and 2.- wood doors for storage areas within underground levels.
Only doors with FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Certification and with no security restrictions could be found in local trade.

Can we opt to demonstrate credit compliance without considering fireproof wood doors (because is a security requirement) into the wood materials budget?

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Aug 31 2012 LEEDuser Moderator

Hector, no, you may not. The lack of avaialbility of FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. certification in a wood product has never, to my knowledge, been accepted as a reason to exclude that product type. Part of the point of LEED is to convince the market to offer more environmental options in all kinds of product areas. Please let your suppliers know that you want FSC.

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Yuthadanai Somjitchob Project Director The Beaumont Partnership
Feb 03 2012
LEEDuser Member
114 Thumbs Up

Wood substitute counted in this credit?

Can wood substitute such as fiber cement material be counted in this credit? As I understand, this credit only applies to lumber. One material supplier advertises that their fiber cement can earn certified woodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. credit.

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Doug Pierce, AIA Architect / Sustainability Strategist , Perkins+Will Feb 03 2012 LEEDuser Expert 1696 Thumbs Up

Hi Yuthadanai - This is a wood based credit. So I must ask this - does the 'fiber cement' contain 'wood fiber' as a binderGlue used in manufacturing wood products, such as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, and engineered lumber. Most binders are made with formaldehyde. AND is the product FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Certified? It may be a composite product with enough wood content to qualify as an "Assembly" much like the FSC Certified brush I purchased at the hardware store recently. The brush had a wood handle + other non-wood components - it was essentially an FSC Certified 'Assembly.'

Best,
Doug

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Petr Lhoták Technologist, Sustainability Consultant Skanska Czech Republic
Oct 21 2011
Guest
1050 Thumbs Up

FSC calculation

There is a statement in Checklist for this credit:
"FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Recycled and FSC Recycled Credit: do not count toward this credit at all and can be left out of the baseline wood budget. FSC Recycled can count towards MRc4 Recycled Content."
Is there a CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide or interpretation that confirms that FSC Recycled wood can be left out of the baseline wood budget?
Or is the way that all new wood products, that are certified as FSC Recycled, are considered recycled wood as a whole product and not counted as new wood in the calculation?

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Emily Catacchio Sustainability Specialist, Wight and Company Oct 23 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Petr,

If I'm understanding your question correctly, recycled wood does not count as new wood. Therefore the percentage of recycled (FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. or not) wood in a product would not be included in the "new wood" budget. But could be included in the recycled content calculation for MRc4.

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Sara Neff Director, Sustainability Programs Kilroy Realty Corporation
Jun 03 2011
Guest
510 Thumbs Up

cutsheets?

I'm confused on whether or not we need to provide product cutsheets, or if the invoices (line item, with dollar values and the CoC # and everything) are all we need to document this credit. Can someone please explain?

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Nov 21 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Sara, you do not need to provide cut sheets—invoices are sufficient.

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Carolina Vergnano LEED AP Concremat
Mar 03 2011
LEEDuser Member
1106 Thumbs Up

COC number

If I have two types of wood and obviously two CoC number (one for each), but many purchases of those, do I have to show FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. logo or something proving that the products are FSC certified on each receipt? Or can I just provide one document containing both of the CoC number and many receipts?

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Doug Pierce, AIA Architect / Sustainability Strategist , Perkins+Will Mar 11 2011 LEEDuser Expert 1696 Thumbs Up

Hi Fabiana - When you say two types of wood - do you mean wood from two vendors?

In our opinion, the CoC# and certificate from each Vendor, along with receipts that include the vendors name, address, etc. with line-item material descriptions that include the term 'FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts.' would be prudent (or something similar).
| dp

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Doug Pierce, AIA Architect / Sustainability Strategist , Perkins+Will Mar 11 2011 LEEDuser Expert 1696 Thumbs Up

Also Fabiana - The invoices should include the CoC number - below is language from the FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. US Website regarding a 2008 interpretation:

"Each vendor invoice must conform to the following requirements (except as noted in the Appendix under ‘Exceptions’):
1.Each wood product must be identified on a line-item basis;
2.FSC-certified products must be identified as such on a line-item basis;
3.The $ value of each line item must be shown;
4.The vendor’s chain-of-custodyChain-of-custody (COC) is he path taken by raw materials, processed materials, and products from the forest to the consumer, including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution. A chain-of-custody certificate number on invoices for nonlabeled products indicates that the certifier’s guidelines for product accounting have been followed. A chain-of-custody certification is not required by distributors of a product that is individually labeled with the Forest Stewardship Council logo and manufacturer’s chain-of-custody number. Chain of Custody (CoC) certification requirements are determined by Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Standard 40-004 v2-1. (CoC) certificate number must be shown on any invoice that includes FSC products."

Here's the link:
http://www.fscus.org/green_building/leed_faq.php

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Tapio Peltonen
Jan 18 2011
Guest
426 Thumbs Up

MRc6

Can Certified WoodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. credit be earned overseas? The project uses little wood and that could be shipped or airfreighted form US or Canada.

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Doug Pierce, AIA Architect / Sustainability Strategist , Perkins+Will Jan 18 2011 LEEDuser Expert 1696 Thumbs Up

There are FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Certified Forests all around the world and the credit should apply to any location. You might want to check with any locally adopted LEED Rating Systems. I.E. the India Green Building Council usually runs slightly behind USGBC in adopting the most current rating system and there are occasionally some minor adjustments to the credits....

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Tapio Peltonen Jan 18 2011 Guest 426 Thumbs Up

Thanks Doug,
Just found out that FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts. Certified WoodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. is locally available, but as a Mechanical Engineer I did not think of it. Maybe my mind was in California redwood forest.

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Pia Öhrling WSP
May 25 2010
LEEDuser Member
394 Thumbs Up

PEFC-certified

USGBC are about to change their policy and allow other sustainable wood certifications than FSCIndependent, third-party verification that forest products are produced and sold based on a set of criteria for forest management and chain-of-custody controls developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international nonprofit organization. FSC criteria for certifying forests around the world address forest management, legal issues, indigenous rights, labor rights, multiple benefits, and environmental impacts..
See https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6779
But what is the outcome? When will other certifications be allowed and which will be allowed? I can´t find the answer on USGBCs homepage.

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. May 25 2010 LEEDuser Moderator

USGBC is considering this change, but it's still very much in process and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a fourth public comment period on the proposal, and then it must be voted on by a consensus body of USGBC members. Then there would be some practical work needed to make it available to LEED 2009 projects.

It's possible that SFI, PEFC, and other certifications will be allowed to earn some credit under the revised system, but it's not clear how much.

LEEDuser will be covering this situation as it develops—look for updates in our e-newsletter.

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Nick Hentschel
Sep 28 2009
Guest
292 Thumbs Up

Is this a typo?

This is the same text as the MRc7 credit for CS, Schools, etc., while there's another MRc6 credit right alongside it. Do we have an error here?

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Sep 29 2009 LEEDuser Moderator

Nick, MRc6: Certified WoodWood from a source that has been determined, through a certification process, to meet stated ecological and other criteria. There are numerous forest certification programs in general use based on several standards, but only the Forest Stewardship Council's standards, which include requirements that the wood be tracked through its chain-of-custody, can be used to qualify wood for a point in the LEED Rating System. in CS is the same as MRc7: Certified Wood for Schools and NC, hence our guidance being mostly the same. There are specific items included for each different version.

In NC, CS, Schools, and CI, the MRc6 slot is held by MRc6: Rapidly RenewableTerm describing a natural material that is grown and harvested on a relatively short-rotation cycle (defined by the LEED rating system to be ten years or less). Materials, which is not included in CS, because it tends to be oriented around finish materials that would not be relevant to a CS project.

So, the numbering for CS is a bit different. Is this what you were asking about?

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