LEED v4
Existing Hospitality
Indoor Environmental Quality
Integrated pest management

Hospitality-EBOM-v4 EQc9: Integrated pest management 2 points

LEEDuser overview

Frank advice from LEED experts

LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To minimize pest problems and exposure to pesticides.

Requirements

ESTABLISHMENT
Have in place an integrated pest management (IPM) plan for the building and grounds within the project boundary. The IPM plan must include the following elements.
  • Identification of an IPM team. Identify roles for building management, pest management contractors, maintenance staff, and liaisons with building occupants.
  • Provisions for identifying and monitoring pests. Specify inspections, pest population monitoring, and a reporting system that allows occupants, maintenance staff, and others to report evidence of pest infestations.
  • Action thresholds for all pests likely encountered in the building. Also describe a process for modifying action thresholds, if necessary, through active communication between occupants and the IPM team.
  • Nonchemical pest preventive measures, either designed into the structure or implemented as part of pest management activities.
  • Pest control methods to be used when action thresholds are exceeded. For each pest, list all potential control methods considered and adopt the lowest-risk options, considering the risks to the applicator, building occupants, and the environment. The plan must preferentially require nonchemical approaches, with pesticides registered for the site applied only if those approaches fail. Give preference to the use of least-risk pesticides based on inherent toxicity and exposure potential. If a pesticide that is not in the least-risk category is selected, document the reason.
  • A mechanism for documentation of inspection, monitoring, prevention, and control methods and for evaluation of the effectiveness of the IPM plan. Specify the metrics by which performance will be measured, and describe the quality assurance process to evaluate and verify successful implementation of the plan.
  • A strategy for communications between the IPM team and the building occupants (for schools, faculty and staff). This strategy should include education about the IPM plan, participation in problem solving, feedback mechanisms (e.g., a system for recording pest complaints), and provision for notification of pesticide applications. At a minimum, the facility manager must notify any building occupant or employee who requests it and post a sign at the application site, which must remain in place for 24 hours prior to application. Notifications must include the pesticide name, EPA registration number, treatment location, and date of application. Applications of least-risk pesticides do not require notification. For an emergency application of a pesticide, anyone who requested notice must be notified within 24 hours of the application and given an explanation of the emergency.
PERFORMANCE
Implement the strategies set forth in the IPM plan and evaluate the plan annually. This evaluation must verify that the strategies specified in the IPM plan have been implemented and identify any chemical applications that did not comply with the plan. Perform recordkeeping and documentation required under the IPM plan. Maintain records of IPM team participation and decisions, as well as pesticide applications. A project meets the requirements if the IPM service is provided by a certified member in good standing of GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield, or a program with equivalent IPM standards, who complies with the program’s standards. See all forum discussions about this credit »

Frequently asked questions

Some of our tenants have their own pest management contracts. Do we have to track their pest control activities for LEED?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

If I am using a certified pest management provider, do I have to complete an IPM plan and IPM tracking tool?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now

Checklists

Step by step to LEED certification

LEEDuser’s checklists walk you through the key action steps you need to earn a credit, including how to avoid common pitfalls and save money.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now


Addenda

This credit has no LEEDuser summary

See all forum discussions about this credit »
Guest expert

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director

LEEDuser overview

Frank advice from LEED experts

LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To minimize pest problems and exposure to pesticides.

Requirements

ESTABLISHMENT
Have in place an integrated pest management (IPM) plan for the building and grounds within the project boundary. The IPM plan must include the following elements.
  • Identification of an IPM team. Identify roles for building management, pest management contractors, maintenance staff, and liaisons with building occupants.
  • Provisions for identifying and monitoring pests. Specify inspections, pest population monitoring, and a reporting system that allows occupants, maintenance staff, and others to report evidence of pest infestations.
  • Action thresholds for all pests likely encountered in the building. Also describe a process for modifying action thresholds, if necessary, through active communication between occupants and the IPM team.
  • Nonchemical pest preventive measures, either designed into the structure or implemented as part of pest management activities.
  • Pest control methods to be used when action thresholds are exceeded. For each pest, list all potential control methods considered and adopt the lowest-risk options, considering the risks to the applicator, building occupants, and the environment. The plan must preferentially require nonchemical approaches, with pesticides registered for the site applied only if those approaches fail. Give preference to the use of least-risk pesticides based on inherent toxicity and exposure potential. If a pesticide that is not in the least-risk category is selected, document the reason.
  • A mechanism for documentation of inspection, monitoring, prevention, and control methods and for evaluation of the effectiveness of the IPM plan. Specify the metrics by which performance will be measured, and describe the quality assurance process to evaluate and verify successful implementation of the plan.
  • A strategy for communications between the IPM team and the building occupants (for schools, faculty and staff). This strategy should include education about the IPM plan, participation in problem solving, feedback mechanisms (e.g., a system for recording pest complaints), and provision for notification of pesticide applications. At a minimum, the facility manager must notify any building occupant or employee who requests it and post a sign at the application site, which must remain in place for 24 hours prior to application. Notifications must include the pesticide name, EPA registration number, treatment location, and date of application. Applications of least-risk pesticides do not require notification. For an emergency application of a pesticide, anyone who requested notice must be notified within 24 hours of the application and given an explanation of the emergency.
PERFORMANCE
Implement the strategies set forth in the IPM plan and evaluate the plan annually. This evaluation must verify that the strategies specified in the IPM plan have been implemented and identify any chemical applications that did not comply with the plan. Perform recordkeeping and documentation required under the IPM plan. Maintain records of IPM team participation and decisions, as well as pesticide applications. A project meets the requirements if the IPM service is provided by a certified member in good standing of GreenPro, EcoWise, or GreenShield, or a program with equivalent IPM standards, who complies with the program’s standards. See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now


Frequently asked questions

Some of our tenants have their own pest management contracts. Do we have to track their pest control activities for LEED?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

If I am using a certified pest management provider, do I have to complete an IPM plan and IPM tracking tool?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

See all forum discussions about this credit »
Guest expert

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director