Appeal FAQs
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Appeals Process & Timeline
- What documentation must be included in the Appeal?
- How many times can a team Appeal?
- Cost of Appeal Fees
- Cost of Request for Ruling Decisions During Audit
Appeals Process & Timeline
If the project team does not agree with the Certification Ruling at Ready Audit or Final Audit, the team must initiate the Appeal process by contacting lbc.certfications@living-future.org within 15 business days of receiving their Final Certification Ruling.
After receiving a written request to appeal, Living Future will contact the project team to confirm the need for the appeal, the scope of review, the anticipated timeline, and the availability of the auditor. Once the project team has confirmed they accept the terms and agree to the fees, Living Future will issue an invoice to the project team for the appeal fee; full payment must be received before the appeal audit can commence.
Project teams have two months from the invoice issue date to provide updated documentation to Living Future via the Portal. If the reasons for certification denial relate to performance and the project team needs additional time to document compliance, Living Future will work with the team to establish a suitable timeline for the project to re-submit.
Once all tasks are completed in Portal and documentation is uploaded, the team will submit the application, which notifies our team the Appeal is ready for review.
It can take 7-10 business days for the Certifications Manager to get in touch with the auditor. Once they do, they will inform the team of the timeline for the review.
If the project passes the Appeal, their project will result in a Ready designation or Certification status. The team will receive an email of congratulations and next steps.
What documentation must be included in the Appeal?
The project team is responsible for uploading new or missing information and/or narrative justification of project compliance for review by the auditor.
The Certifications Manager will send the team an Appeal form to fill out that includes the auditor’s final comments on the failed Imperative(s). The team will use this form to write their responses and list the file names of the uploaded supporting documentation.
File naming convention
For Appeals, teams should use the following naming convention for all uploaded documentation:
- Appeal_Imperative Number_Section Title_Unique Descriptor
- For example: Appeal_I10-3_VOC documentation_XX Paint company
How many times can a team Appeal?
A project may Appeal no more than twice for any Imperative after a Ready Audit or Final Audit Certification Ruling.
Cost of Appeal Fees
Zero Energy: $2,000
Zero Carbon: $2,000 for Operational Energy Documentation Review/$2,000 for Embodied Carbon Documentation Review
Core/LBC: $2,000 per Imperative
Cost of Request for Ruling Decisions During Audit
Core and LBC: $1,000 per Imperative
Zero Energy/Zero Carbon: $1,000 per documentation requirement.
If the project team requires a variance to justify compliance or the auditor has indicated the need for a mid-audit Request for Ruling in their comments, please reach out to lbc.certifications@living-future.org as soon as possible.