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855773644-LEED-v5-BD-C-Reference-Guide-Launch-Edition - Page 017

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PROJECTS WITH INCOMPLETE SPACE

Projects that have incomplete space (future fit-out) can still pursue certification as long as the following criteria are met:

  • Incomplete space comprises no more than 40% of the gross floor area for New Construction and no less than 40% of the gross floor area for Core and Shell.

  • The team counts occupancy for the incomplete space by using projected values or, if unknown, the LEED Default Occupancy.

  • A letter of commitment from the owner is provided attesting that the incomplete spaces will satisfy the requirements of each prerequisite and credit achieved by the project.

  • The team provides a description of the incomplete space, identifying the remaining scope, the entity responsible for the remaining scope, and the reason the building is incomplete at the time of the final application.

  • Prerequisite calculations must include the completed scope only. Credit calculations must include the completed and incomplete scope, and the incomplete scope must be held equivalent to the baseline.

  • Contact USGBC, prior to application submission, for any attempted credits in which an adaptation for the incomplete space is not clear.

PROJECT OCCUPANCY

It is important to establish occupancy that will be used consistently throughout the application and share them with the whole project team. Whenever possible, use actual or predicted occupancies. LEED requires the assessment and reporting of occupancy in two ways: regular building occupants and visitors.

REGULAR BUILDING OCCUPANTS

Regular building occupants are routine users of a project (full- and part- time) such as:

  • Employees, daily volunteers, support staff (e.g., janitors).

  • Residents (dormitory, apartment, condo), overnight hotel guests, medical inpatients.

  • K–12 students.

VISITORS

Visitors are intermittent users of a project, such as:

  • Retail customers

  • Medical outpatients

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, April 2025 Launch Edition 7

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