LEED AP Homes study plan
LEED AP Homes · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
LEED Homes rating system fundamentals
Map the LEED for Homes v4 credit categories and their point ceilings, then rank them by points available per unit of effort
Explain how prerequisite versus credit status works and list every prerequisite in the Homes rating system from memory
Define the certification tiers and state the minimum points required for each
Distinguish the project team roles (provider, green rater, LEED consultant) and what each is accountable for
Your checkpoint
A one-page credit map listing all Homes v4 categories, their prerequisites, and maximum points, with your own effort ranking written beside each category
LEED Homes rating system fundamentals & Water efficiency and energy performance in homes
Trace how the integrated design process and the durability planning credit interact with energy modeling decisions
Explain the Home Size Adjustment and calculate it for two hypothetical floor areas
Interpret the HERS Index scale and state the HERS thresholds tied to the energy performance credit tiers
Identify which credits reward envelope decisions versus mechanical system decisions
Your checkpoint
A worked calculation sheet showing Home Size Adjustment and HERS-based point tiers for three sample home sizes, with a short written rationale for each result
Site and location strategies for residential projects
Classify site credits into location, site selection, and site development groupings and state the intent of each
Apply the site selection prerequisites to decide whether a given parcel is eligible
Compare density, community connectivity, and infill strategies and describe when each is achievable
Outline stormwater management approaches that satisfy the site development credits
Your checkpoint
A site suitability checklist that a designer could run against a real parcel, covering every site prerequisite and at least six site credits
Site and location strategies for residential projects & Water efficiency and energy performance in homes
Connect landscape water use and outdoor water credits to the site design decisions made in week 3
Explain the indoor water use baseline and how fixture selection drives points
Describe how site orientation and shading feed into the energy model
Identify the documentation each site and water credit requires from the project team
Your checkpoint
A combined site-and-water strategy memo for a fictional 40-home subdivision that names the credits pursued, the design moves that earn them, and the evidence needed to document each
Water efficiency and energy performance in homes
Break down the energy performance pathway from envelope through HVAC, lighting, and renewables
Explain how commissioning and verification requirements affect awarded energy points
Compare the performance path against prescriptive measures and state when each is preferable
Describe how renewable energy credits are calculated and capped
Your checkpoint
An energy strategy comparison table pitting a performance-path approach against a prescriptive approach for the same house, with points, cost implications, and verification burden for each
Materials, indoor environmental quality, and certification process
List the material resource credits and explain how recycled content, local sourcing, and certified wood are quantified
Explain the durability and waste management requirements tied to construction phase documentation
Identify the indoor environmental quality credits covering ventilation, pollutant control, and moisture management
Describe how the green rater verifies IEQ and materials credits on site
Your checkpoint
A materials and IEQ credit tracker template with a column for the submittal evidence each credit demands and a column for who on the team supplies it
Materials, indoor environmental quality, and certification process & LEED Homes rating system fundamentals
Walk through the certification process end to end, from registration through preliminary and final review to certificate issuance
Explain the role of the provider and green rater at each stage and what triggers a review hold
Anticipate the most common documentation errors that cause credit denial
Revisit the week 1 credit map and correct any misconceptions you have since found
Your checkpoint
A certification process flowchart annotated with the documents due at each stage and a list of at least ten common documentation pitfalls with the fix for each
LEED Homes rating system fundamentals & Site and location strategies for residential projects & Water efficiency and energy performance in homes & Materials, indoor environmental quality, and certification process
Synthesize all four domains into an integrated strategy for a single whole-home project
Practice rapid credit identification by naming applicable credits from short project scenarios
Drill weak areas flagged by earlier milestones rather than reviewing everything evenly
Rehearse explaining credit intent and documentation in your own words without notes
Your checkpoint
A complete mock project write-up covering site, water, energy, materials, IEQ, and process, plus a scored self-assessment identifying your three weakest credits for further review
Milestones
Week 2: Without notes, list every Homes v4 prerequisite and state the certification point thresholds for all four tiers; score yourself and log any gaps
Week 4: Correctly classify ten mixed site scenarios as eligible or ineligible under the site prerequisites, and match each to at least one applicable credit
Week 6: Explain the HERS pathway and the water use baseline to an imaginary client in under five minutes each, then check your explanation against source material for errors
Week 8: Complete the mock project write-up and score at least 80 percent on your own credit-identification self-test across all four domains