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A LEED home is the best-performing home on the block.

Designed and built for performance, every LEED home is third-party-inspected, tested and verified. LEED homes are gentler on the environment and on your wallet, delivering lower utility bills and requiring less maintenance.

USGBC offers two certification pathways for homes: single family and multifamily.

Single family

The quality you want, the savings you deserve.

Higher quality: Green homes are built better. They are healthier, more comfortable and require less maintenance.
  • Each LEED-certified home undergoes required onsite inspections and performance testing by an independent expert to ensure that you are getting what you paid for.
  • Onsite inspection of the insulation, air sealing and heating and cooling system installation ensures your home can comfortably heat and cool itself with minimal energy use. Hot or cold rooms become a thing of the past!
  • LEED-certified homes are designed to maximize fresh air indoors and minimize exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants. Quality air filtration systems ensure less dust and allergens in your home.
Savings: Using less energy and water means lower monthly bills.
  • On average, LEED-certified homes use 20–30 percent less energy than a home built to code, with some homes reporting up to 60 percent savings. Using less energy means lower utility bills each month.
  • Properly sealed and climate-controlled interiors, quality insulation and air-sealing techniques help keep your home running optimally and comfortably.
  • LEED homes are also designed to minimize indoor and outdoor water usage. Low-flow fixtures and fittings, efficient irrigation systems, water-efficient appliances and enhanced plumbing and fixtures designed to protect against leaks and moisture are some common features found in LEED homes.
Value: Boost your home value.
  • Green homes can be built for the same cost as conventional homes with proper planning, and they’re often resold for up to 8 percent more money and in less time than traditional homes.
  • LEED homes can qualify for discounted insurance, tax breaks and other incentives.
  • LEED homes consistently sell for higher prices and on faster timelines than homes of similar size in communities across the world. Some LEED homes report commanding an 8 percent premium in resale value over conventional homes.
Trusted: Quality you can trust.
  • LEED homes are third-party-inspected, performance-tested, and certified to perform better than a conventional home. Additionally, to ensure that your home is built to an exacting green standard, each LEED-certified home is inspected and tested by an independent LEED rater whose work is overseen by the third party, non-profit organization GBCI.
  • Onsite inspections, detailed documentation review and performance are required in every LEED-certified home—so you can trust that your home is truly green.

Multifamily

Meet market demands with a LEED-certified property.

Value: Faster lease-up rates and higher premiums
  • Tenants are eager to live in cutting edge, LEED-certified properties. Landlords and multifamily facilities see faster lease-up rates in sustainable properties, so you’ll reach stable occupancy quickly.
  • LEED-certified apartment buildings earn higher rents and premiums, even over other green certifications. Estimates show that LEED-certified apartment units earn approximately 9 percent more rent than noncertified units.
  • Financiers are recognizing the strong business case for LEED-certified multifamily properties. In fact, Fannie Mae offers a 10-basis point reduction in the interest rate of a multifamily refinance, acquisition or supplemental mortgage loan for LEED-certified multifamily buildings. This means huge savings on loan payments for years after a project's completion.
Consumer appeal: Growing market demand for LEED properties
  • LEED units are built better. They are healthier, more comfortable and require less maintenance.
  • Each LEED-certified home undergoes required onsite inspections and performance testing of the insulation, air sealing and heating and cooling system installation by an independent expert. This ensures that the property can comfortably heat and cool itself with minimal energy use.
  • LEED-certified multifamily properties are designed to maximize fresh air indoors and minimize exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants. Quality air filtration systems ensure less dust and allergens for your tenants.
  • LEED-certified multifamily properties use less energy and water, meaning lower utility bills for your tenants each month.
  • LEED-certified multifamily properties are also designed to minimize water usage. Low-flow fixtures and fittings, water-efficient appliances and enhanced plumbing and fixtures designed to protect against leaks and moisture are some common features found in LEED units.
  • Consumers ranked green/energy efficiency as their top requirement for their dream home (higher than ‘"beachfront" or "gated community"), and 60 percent said that green and energy efficient are amenities they want in their next home.

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