Guidance for LEED v4/v4.1
What is LEED v4 / v4.1LEED v4.1?
LEED v4 / v4.1LEED v4.1 is the most widely used version of the LEED green building rating system today. It includes credits related to material transparency, indoor air quality, and responsible sourcing—all areas where 9Wood can support project teams with verified documentation and tested products. We focus on four primary credits under LEED v4 and v4.1, found in the Materials & Resources (MR) and Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) categories.
Materials & Resources:
Sourcing of Raw Materials (MRc3)
Intent: Support the use of products that are responsibly sourced and certified.
FSC®-Certified Wood: We offer a range of products using Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) certified wood, including standard hardwood species Walnut, Cherry, Maple, and White Oak.
PEFC™-Certified Wood: Our offerings also include Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified wood for solid Western Hemlock and Douglas-Fir (uses Alternative Compliance Path: Legal Wood)
Note: MRc3 is a sourcing credit—not a product certification credit. We encourage project teams to aggregate documentation from multiple trades to meet the credit threshold.
Materials & Resources:
Material Ingredients (MRc4)
Intent: Promote transparency around the chemical makeup of materials and their associated hazards.
9Wood provides Health Product Declarations (HPDs) at the 1000 ppm threshold for most product styles.
Separate HPDs are available for solid wood and veneered versions of the same product line, reflecting real material differences.
These documents help teams evaluate compliance with Option 1 (inventory) and support alignment with WELL and LBC goals. We do not currently offer Cradle to Cradle or Declare labels but may pursue them in the future.
Indoor Environmental Quality:
Low-Emitting Materials (EQc2)
Intent: Reduce indoor air contaminants from finishes, adhesives, and materials.
Many 9Wood products can be finished using CDPH v1.2-compliant water-based coatings, meeting LEED low-emitting requirements.Testing is conducted by a third-party lab and available upon request.
Fire-rated solid wood products do not qualify under this credit if they require solvent-based or flame-retardant coatings.
If VOC compliance is critical for your project, speak with us early in the design process—we can help identify compatible options.
Materials & Resources:
Environmental Product Declarations (MRc2)
Intent: Encourage the use of materials with life cycle information and lower environmental impacts.
9Wood is completing a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and will publish two product-specific EPDs in 2025.
One EPD will cover panelized systems (e.g., 1100, 1200, 1800, 2100) One will cover tiles, linears, and cubes (e.g., 4100, 2300, 2700, 6600)
Each EPD will include impact categories like global warming potential (GWP) to support whole-building LCA strategies and Buy Clean compliance.
Projects needing EPDs before 2025 should contact us for interim documentation or LCA summaries.
