Quality Assurance

For every GreenPoint Rater, Build It Green will annually evaluate the greater of one home or one percent of the Rater's annual total of verified homes. Homes to be checked for quality assurance will be selected at random. Build It Green will review project documentation and may independently repeat the field verification to check whether verification activities were accurately completed by the Rater, and determine whether information was completely collected and reported as required. A satisfactory home rating will be one that meets the following three criteria:

  1. Follow-up review finds that documentation practices are consistent with verification protocols prescribed in the GreenPoint Rated Single-Family and Multifamily Rating Manuals
  2. Follow-up review confirms at least 90 percent of GreenPoint Rated credits awarded to the project
  3. Follow-up review confirms the overall project outcome, either pass or fail

Each set of verification results reviewed will be deemed either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If the review produces an unsatisfactory outcome, Build It Green will conduct three additional project reviews at the Rater's expense. No homes verified by the Rater will be awarded a GreenPoint Rated certificate until the additional project reviews are complete. Any Rater who produces two unsatisfactory ratings in a year will be required to retake the Rater training course, exam and field test in order to maintain good standing in the program. In the event that homes need to be re-rated, Build It Green staff or a designated representative will perform the rating. The Rater will be responsible for reimbursing Build It Green for the cost of the rating, regardless of the rating results.

A Rater who disputes any quality assurance outcome or program action taken as a consequence of quality assurance activities may appeal that outcome or action to the GreenPoint Oversight Committee, according to the following procedures:

  1. The Rater submits a written appeal to the Committee. The appeal should describe the quality assurance activities that led to the outcome or action, reasons for disputing the outcome or action, and any alternative outcome or action the Rater recommends.
  2. The Rater may request an in-person meeting with the Committee, to be scheduled at a mutually convenient time but not more than one month after the Rater files the appeal. Any request for an in-person meeting with the Committee must be included as part of the appeal.
  3. The Committee may request additional documentation or pose additional questions to the Rater. Any such data requests shall be made to the Rater within two weeks of the appeal date.
  4. The Committee shall maintain written record of in-person meetings and any other communication and correspondence between the Committee and the Rater or other interested parties.
  5. The Committee shall complete its deliberations within two weeks of conducting in-person meetings and receiving complete responses to any data requests. The Committee's decision shall be communicated to the Rater in writing.
  6. In the event the Rater disputes the conclusions of the Committee, the Rater may appeal to the Build It Green Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will schedule a hearing within two months of the appeal, at which the Executive Committee will review the written record from the Oversight Committee, consider written and oral testimony from the Rater, and issue a decision supporting or denying the appeal.