How long does certification take?

Longer than you think, but less if you're experienced

The length of the certification process varies depending on the specifics of your project. The majority of time is upfront; the better you do at the beginning, the quicker the project goes. There are three main steps involved:

Precertification (6 to 8 months): The length of this step depends on the project type, the experience of the project team, and the stage in the process the project team decides to certify, among other factors. The project team typically receives the first round review four to six weeks after submitting a project for PHIUS+ certification. Now, the team can reply to comments, upload requested documents, update the energy model, and send back the completed documentation to PHIUS.

Most projects require three rounds of review to achieve precertification. On average, this process takes from six to eight months total, but can vary depending on the project schedule and turnaround time from the project team.

Project construction phase: Duration will vary by project.

Final quality-assurance protocol and on-site verification (~1 month): The PHIUS+ rater/verifier performs onsite quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocols. The typical PHIUS review turnaround time once final documentation is received is about one month.