Project Certification
FSC® offers Project Certification for companies and organizations involved in construction, building, or renovation projects using wooden building materials. It can be used for virtually any type of new build or refurbishment, civil engineering project, or events such as exhibitions and festivals.
Project Certification:
- Verifies that the wood in a building comes from FSC certified sources
- Can be used independently or as a complement to green building and other related certifications.
- Audits are conducted by an FSC-accredited third-party certifier
- Provides direct recognition of commitment to forest conservation.
- Has three levels:
- Full certification
- FSC Claims on Components (i.e. windows or floors)
- Percentage Claims
There are three possible options for FSC project certification:
- Full certification: all forest-based materials and products used in the project are FSC-certified, claim-contributing inputs.
- FSC claims on specific project components: claims can be made on specific components that are FSC-certified (for example, all windows are FSC-certified).
- Percentage claims: claims can be made about a percentage of forest-based materials used in the final project that are FSC-certified, claim contributing inputs. The remaining forest-based materials must be pre-consumer reclaimed wood, controlled material, and/or FSC Controlled Wood.
How does Project Certification work?
Having selected an FSC-accredited Certification Body, your project manager works with them to put in place a system of collating and verifying documents relating to purchases of FSC certified timber by all contractors and sub-contractors. All relevant personnel will need to know:
- How to specify FSC certified timber
- How to find FSC certified suppliers
- How to request accurate documentation on FSC wood orders
- How to verify that FSC certified timber has been supplied
- What to do if non-FSC certified timber is delivered
Do companies supplying timber for an FSC-certified project have to hold certification?
Project managers working on an FSC-certified project can ensure that forest products are FSC certified by:
- Purchasing products from an FSC certificate holder, with documentation. All FSC certified companies worldwide can be found on the FSC certificate database.
- By including companies in the scope of the FSC project certificate if they have been contracted/sub-contracted to purchase, transform and/or install FSC certified wood material/products specifically for the project. This could include contractors/sub-contractors working on or off the project site. These entities/companies would not be required to hold their own valid FSC chain of custody certificate, however all FSC certified wood materials and/or products sourced by them or for them, which is used in the project, would have to be sourced from valid FSC chain of custody certificate holders if it is to be recognized as FSC-certified.
Steps to certification
step
01
Source FSC-certified materials
Source FSC-certified forest products from FSC-certified suppliers. Make sure to require invoice including the company's certificate code and products identified as certified with their FSC claim by line item.
step
02
Contact a Certification Body
Contact one or several third party Certification Bodies who will provide an estimate regarding cost and timeline, The Certification Body will provide you with information about the requirements for FSC certification.
step
03
Collect supporting documents
Collect the information needed to meet the necessary requirements. Your FSC-accredited certification body validates whether your operation complies with the FSC requirements.
step
04
Certificate Issued
If you comply with the standards, you will be given an FSC certificate and your certificate details will be added to the FSC certificate database. You will be issued with an FSC certification code (XXX-COC-000000) and a trademark licence code (FSC-C000000) and can use the FSC trademarks to promote and communicate about your FSC-certified projects.
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Bullitt Center
Designed to last 250 years, sequestering tons of carbon in its heavy timber structure
- It is the first commercial building in the US to earn FSC Project Certification and the first heavy timber commercial structure built in Seattle since the early 20th century.
- The six-story building is a type-4, heavy timber structure, made of FSC-certified glulam beams and dimensional lumber.
- FSC Project Certification involves an independent assessment that 100% of the wood used is FSC-certified. The Soil Association conducted the onsite audits and ‘Woodmark’ certification of the Bullitt Center’s core and shell (Certificate Registration Code: SA-PRO-003818).
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