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
What is the Appeal process?
The Appeal process allows project teams to dispute the auditor's Ready Audit or Final Audit Certification Ruling.
How does the Appeal process work?
Projects have thirty calendar days from the date the audit ruling is issued, as indicated on the audit report, to notify Living Future in writing of their intent to appeal the ruling. Notice of intent to appeal must be submitted by email to lbc.certification@living-future.org. Upon receipt of this notice, Living Future will issue an invoice for the appeal fee, which must be paid within thirty calendar days of the invoice date. The project team must submit all appeal documentation through the Living Future Portal no later than six months from the date the audit ruling was issued.
Tip 💡 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.
When all updated documentation has been uploaded to Portal and all relevant tasks completed, the project team must re-submit the application to notify Living Future Certifications Manager that the Appeal is ready for review.
Important 📢 Full payment for the Appeal fee must be received by Living Future before the Appeal can commence.
Over the next 7-10 business days, Living Future Certifications Manager will coordinate with the auditor to establish a review timeline and communicate that timeline back to the project team.
If the project passes its Appeal, it will receive either Ready designation (if in Ready Audit) or Certification status (if in Final Audit). 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.