Eligibility and Fees

SITES certification applies to new construction projects as well as existing sites that include major renovations. Projects in the planning phase can also be recognized through SITES Precertification. This optional review pathway is focused on a project’s plan, including its intended design and construction strategies. Ideally, a project should be constructed within the last two years at the time of registration to ensure the team can access any necessary documentation to provide credit compliance. There is no maximum size for a SITES project, but the minimum is set at 2,000 square feet (or 185.8 square meters). SITES can be applied worldwide to a variety of projects types (with or without buildings), including:

Open spaces

Local, state and national parks; botanic gardens; arboretums

Streetscapes and plazas

Commercial

Retail and office areas; corporate campuses

Residential

Neighborhoods or individual yards

Educational/Institutional

Public and private campuses; museums; hospitals

Pricing

	USGBC and ASLA Members	Non-Members
Registration	$2,500	$3,000
Precertification (optional)	$2,500	$3,500
Certification	$6,500	$9,000
Combined (Registration + Certification)	$8,000	$9,500

Registration fee
The registration fee is calculated on a per-project basis and must be paid at the time of registration.The fee is discounted for ASLA members and USGBC members (at the Silver or higher level) based upon the status of either the owner or the project administrator for a given SITES project. An additional discount is offered if registration and certification fees are paid together at the time of a project’s registration. A project can register at any time in the design and development process. It is strongly recommended that a project register at the earliest stages to gain access to the SITES v2 worksheets, working with GBCI more closely, and to track progress accordingly.

Precertification* fee
This is an optional review pathway for projects that is focused on a project’s plan, including its intended design and construction strategies. Precertification can help projects attract community supporters, funders, and can even expedite permitting in some localities. It helps guide the project team and client in determining which credits and prerequisites their project is likely to achieve during the full certification review. If a project chooses to continue on to a full certification review pathway, the remaining fee is the certification fee only. The fee is discounted for ASLA members and USGBC members (at the Silver or higher level) based upon the status of either the owner or the project administrator for a given SITES project.

*Please note that precertification expires three years after achievement.

Certification fee
The certification fee is charged on a per-project basis. It is due before submitting a project’s application for a certification review. The fee is discounted for ASLA members and USGBC members (at the Silver or higher level) based upon the status of either the owner or the project administrator for a given SITES project. An additional discount is offered if certification and registration fees are paid together at the time of a project’s registration.