Publication Purchase FAQs

Q: How long do reference guides take to ship?
A: Domestic-bound orders deliver in 5-7 business days after the day the order was placed, and ship via UPS-Ground (Please note that PO BOX orders ship USPS, and may not receive tracking information).

Rush-order shipping is not available. International orders may take between 2-3 weeks for delivery.

Access to download your PDF copy of the reference guides is available immediately upon payment received.

Q: What is the difference between the PDF access for E-book and hard copy reference guide purchases?
A: With each purchase of a hard copy 2009 Edition reference guide, 30-day access to a non-printable PDF version of the reference guide is available.
Printable PDF versions of the reference guide are available for purchase independently of the hard copy.

The E-book purchase option provides 30-day access to download a printable PDF version of the reference guide. This option does not include a hard copy delivery of the reference guide. The E-book reference guides have a personalized water-mark on every page, which cannot be removed.

The PDF reference guides are intended for personal use only and should not be stored on any shared networks.

Q. How do I access my online reference guide?
A. 2009 Edition Hard Copy reference guides come with a 30-day access to download a non-printable PDF version of the guide. 2009 Edition reference guides are also available for purchase in E-book format, which comes with a 30-day access to download a printable PDF version of the guide.

The PDF reference guides are intended for personal use only and should not be stored on any shared network.

To access your PDF reference guide, please go to the Online LEED Publications (Purchased) page located under My Acccount .  You will be required to sign-in with your user-name and password. If you have purchased a 2009 Edition reference guide, be sure to download and save a copy of the PDF to a secure location within 30 days of purchase. Hard Copies of versions 2.0, 2.1, or 2.2 reference guides come with indefinite access to an online non-printable version of the reference guide.

Q: Why am I being asked to login?
USGBC is implementing new security features to help protect your purchased assets from being misused. These security measures will enable you to access your documents regardless of how you receive them, and USGBC to ensure you have the latest versions of purchased documents.

Q: What is my username and password?
Upon opening a PDF, you will be prompted to login. You will need to use the same username and password that is used to access your account on USGBC.org.

Q: I forgot my password, what do I do?
Reset your password on the password reset page. Once reset, you will be able to access the PDF with the new password.

Q: Can I open the PDF if I’m not connected to the Internet?
Yes. To enable offline reading mode, select the option to make the file available for reading without an Internet connection. This will allow you to open the file for up to 7 days before prompting for login again. To login, you will need to be connected to the Internet. You will be presented with this option immediately after you login.

Q: I am having difficulty entering in my login and password when opening the PDF.
Please note that in order to authenticate yourself with the server, you need to be able to access port 8443. If you are trying to access this file on a corporate network, your IT department may be blocking port 8443. Please work with your IT department to resolve this issue.

Q: I’ve received an error message stating that “Document is Locked”. What do I do?
If you receive an error message stating that “Document is Locked” please wait 10 minutes and retry. We’ve found that the document will unlock itself, in most cases, after a period of about 10 minutes.

Q. What are the differences between 2009 Edition reference guides and other versions of the reference guides?
Please visit the LEED v3 page for details on the differences between v2.0 and v3.0 rating systems and their corresponding reference guides.

Q: What is the return/refund policy for reference guides?
A: USGBC has a no return/no refund policy on reference guide purchases. Please be sure that you are ordering the correct and desired guide. For information on LEED reference guides and rating systems please review our section on LEED Reference Documents. For further inquiries or if you have received the incorrect reference guide, please contact leedinfo@usgbc.org.

USGBC will not extend access to download your purchased PDF reference guide after 30 days from the date of purchase. Please download and save your PDF reference guide to a secure location within 30 days of purchase and consider creating a back-up copy to make sure your document is safe if something were to happen to your computer. The PDF reference guide is intended for personal use only and should not be stored on publicly accessed network drives.

Q: Are bulk order discounts available for reference guides?
A: Bulk order discounts are available to full-time employees of USGBC national member organizations. Please search our member directory to see if your company is a USGBC member.

Bulk order discounts are at USGBC discretion, and are intended only for use by full-time employees of the respective USGBC national member. Chapter membership does not qualify individuals as national members. Bulk orders cannot be placed online. To place an order on your company’s behalf, please prepare the following information:

To place an order on your company’s behalf, please prepare the following information:

• Name and Company
• USGBC corporate access code
• Reference guide type and total quantity
• Description of intent for usage
• Shipping address
• Contact information and best time to receive a phone call within the next two business days

Send information to workshop@usgbc.org. Once complete details are received you will be contacted by a USGBC representative with a price quote, shipping & handling costs and payment options.

Pricing of bulk discounts can be found on the publications page by clicking on the title of your desired reference guide.

Q: Are student discounts available for reference guides?
A: Full-time Student or Faculty Discount for Hard Copy and E-book:

$99 (not including S&H)
Available for full-time students and faculty who can show proof of status and enrollment. Limit one type of each guide per student or faculty member.

Students should include the following information with your order request:

• Unofficial transcript or schedule of classes
• Contact information and best time to receive a phone call within the next two business days

Faculty should include the following information with your order request:

• A formal letter from your university/college administrative office or department head verifying your full-time faculty status
• Provide name and university/college department you reside in
• Contact information and best time to receive a phone call within the next two business days
• Please note that orders must be shipped to a university address in your respective department, and no discounted orders will shipped to a residential address

Create a USGBC site-user account, and then send information to workshop@usgbc.org. Once complete details are received you will be contacted by a USGBC representative with a price quote including shipping & handling costs. Please have your credit card information on-hand.