Frequently Asked Questions

The Contractor's Commitment (CC) is the construction industry's benchmark for green building practices. Built by contractors for contractors, it gives firms a practical way to track and improve sustainability performance across their project portfolio, not just on individual jobs.

Any general contractor. Small firms can start with baseline reporting and build from there. Large firms use it to consolidate data across regions and meet growing ESG and investor reporting demands. The program is built to work at both ends of the spectrum.

Not at all. The CC was originally developed by the Sustainable Construction Leaders (SCL) network as a national program and remains exactly that. USGBC California acquired and now operates it, but the "California" in the name reflects who runs it, not where it applies. In 2024, signatory firms reported active projects across 39 states. The program's reach spans the coasts and the middle of the country, with strong participation in California, Washington, Texas, Illinois, and across the Northeast. Signatory firms range from regional contractors to national firms managing work in multiple states at once. The framework, the metrics, and the recognition are the same regardless of where your projects are located.[1][1]The CC was originally developed by the Sustainable Construction Leaders (SCL) as a national program and remains one today. While it is operated by the USGBC California, the program is not limited geographically.    In 2024, signatory firms reported projects across 39 states, spanning regional builders to national contractors managing multi-state portfolios. The framework, metrics, and recognition are consistent regardless of location.

LEED certifies buildings. The CC certifies your company's practices. It tracks performance across your entire project portfolio, not just the jobs that happen to be targeting a rating.

In 2024, CC signatories reported 325 projects across 39 states, more than $55 billion in revenue and 123 million square feet of active construction. They diverted over 370,000 tons of waste from landfills that year.

You commit to tracking sustainability goals on at least 30% of your active projects. The program covers five categories: Carbon, Wellness, Waste, Water, and Materials. You pick your tier, Good, Better, or Best, and report once a year.

The current program (v2.1) has three tiers: Good, Better, and Best. Each category has specific thresholds. Waste diversion targets, for example, run from 50% at Good to 75% at Best. Version 3.0, launching later in 2026, adds a "Reported" tier as an entry point for firms that are just getting started on tracking.

A certificate of completion, digital badges, access to the CC community and webinars, and a spot on the public signatory list. As carbon reporting requirements keep expanding at the state and federal level, the credential also helps firms stay ahead of what's coming.

No. The reporting template is a standalone download. That said, CC partners Green Badger,  and Sustaira, and Gravity Climate both automate a good chunk of the data collection and allow direct submission to USGBC-CA. Schedule some time with us to learn more about automating this process.

USGBC California acquired the CC from the Sustainable Construction Leaders (SCL) network in 2025. An advisory group of contractors retains final authority over program standards and updates.

The annual participation investment is $2,500. For a company doing any meaningful volume of project work, that's a nominal number, and it's intentional. The fee is structured to be accessible across firm sizes while sustaining a serious program.

Here's what it covers: full access to the reporting framework and calculator, annual benchmarking data so you can see how your performance stacks up against peers, advisory group access, software partner integrations, digital badges and certificates of completion, and recognition on the public signatory list. It also funds ongoing program development, including the v3.0 update currently in progress, which will align the CC with LEED v5, SBTi, and EcoVadis.[1.1]

The Contractor's Commitment is operated by USGBC California, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your participation fee directly supports a mission-driven program with no outside investors and no profit motive, just the work of building better industry standards.

Possibly, in part or in full, but the honest answer is: check with your tax advisor. Membership dues paid to a nonprofit are generally deductible as an ordinary business expense, which is the most common path for participating firms. Whether any portion qualifies as a charitable contribution under IRS rules depends on the fair market value of the benefits you receive, and that calculation is specific to your situation. USGBC California can provide documentation of its 501(c)(3) status upon request.

Version 3.0 is being built to map directly to LEED v5, SBTi, and EcoVadis. The idea is one data set you collect once, exportable to whatever frameworks your clients or investors need.

The 2025 reporting period closes March 31, 2026. The program runs on an annual cycle, and all signatories are notified of upcoming deadlines by email.

Join leading contractors already tracking and improving performance across their portfolios.