Indoor AirPlus Certification Review

The EPA has developed a process, called Certification Review, to address cases where a homeowner has concerns about the Indoor AirPlus certification of their recently purchased home they are not able to resolve with the builder. The purpose of a Certification Review is limited to determining whether a home should maintain its Indoor AirPlus certification.

Homeowners should understand that making this determination is the limit of EPA’s purview in addressing concerns about home certifications.

On this page:

• Certification Review Process
• Eligibility

Certification Review Process

Indoor AirPlus (IAP) homeowners may submit an official request for Certification Review directly to the Home Certification Organization (HCO) that originally certified the home.

• The homeowner may arrange for destructive testing to inspect items that would otherwise not be visible. For example, if it were suspected that water supply pipes installed in an exterior wall were not insulated, observation holes could be cut or drilled in the interior gypsum board.
  • The homeowner bears complete responsibility for arranging all demolition and repair for destructive testing that they elect to undertake
  • Before undertaking destructive testing, it is recommended that homeowners consult with a qualified expert who can use non-invasive methods like infrared imaging to prioritize areas of concern.
  • Demolition work, such as creating observation holes, must occur in the presence of the assigned reviewer performing the Certification Review
  • Areas that are exposed outside the presence of the assigned reviewer shall be ignored for the purpose of the Certification Review.
• If the assigned reviewer determines that the home fails the Certification Review, the IAP certification of the home shall be withdrawn and the IAP label will be removed
• If the assigned reviewer determines that the home passes the Certification Review, the IAP certification of the home shall be maintained. A homeowner will have an opportunity to appeal this determination, at their discretion (please refer to the HCO’s policies for details on the appeals process)

Eligibility

1. The home must have been Indoor AirPlus Version 2 (or later) certified or sold as such.
2. The homeowner must have attempted to resolve the complaint with the builder or verification organization.
3. The home must have been built, purchased, and/or certified within the last two years and be owned by the original owner. For homes older than two years or not owned by the original owner, the Certification Review will be unable to determine whether discrepancies are due to homeowner modifications of the home or natural aging of construction materials.
4. There must have been no significant structural changes to the home since it was built. If such modifications have been made, the Certification Review will not be able to determine whether those modifications caused any discrepancies with the Indoor AirPlus program requirements.
5. There must be evidence that the home is not in compliance with one or more applicable Indoor AirPlus program requirements. Homeowners are encouraged to be as specific as possible in identifying the program requirement that they believe was not met and providing evidence, including photos if possible.