What Is WELL? The 10 Concepts, Levels, Process and Costs of WELL Healthy Building Certification
What is WELL?
The WELL Building Standard is the international healthy building certification published by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). It assesses how buildings and interior spaces affect people's health and well-being. The current version, WELL v2, scores ten concepts: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community. The third-party certification body GBCI reviews documentation and performs on-site testing, and projects are awarded Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum by points. Certification is valid for three years.
WELL at a Glance
| Publisher | International WELL Building Institute (IWBI); third-party certification by GBCI |
|---|---|
| Current version | WELL v2 (official release 2020) |
| What it assesses | How a building affects its occupants' health and well-being (LEED focuses on a building's impact on the environment) |
| Scope | Ten concepts: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind, Community |
| Certification levels | Bronze 40, Silver 50, Gold 60, Platinum 80 points |
| Review | Documentation review plus on-site performance verification (testing air, water quality, light, sound and the thermal environment) |
| Applies to | New and existing buildings, whole buildings or leased spaces, and uses including offices, residential, healthcare and retail |
| Validity | Three years, with annual reporting during that period and recertification at the end |
How Is WELL Different from LEED?
The two complement rather than replace each other, and some documents and sensor data can be shared, so many office buildings pursue LEED and WELL dual certification.
Published by IWBI; focuses on air quality, lighting, noise, thermal comfort and mental health, so that spaces support occupants' physical and mental health.
Published by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC); focuses on energy savings, water savings, carbon reduction and materials. To learn about LEED, see our LEED certification services.
Further reading: " What Is LEED?", " What Is Taiwan's EEWH Green Building Label?", " What Is Building Environment Simulation?" (thermal comfort and daylighting simulation).
What Are the 10 Concepts of WELL?
Based on medical and public health research, WELL groups the building factors that affect health into ten concepts, each containing a number of features.
Indoor air quality, ventilation rates, smoking bans, and limits on pollutants such as PM2.5 and formaldehyde
Drinking water quality, access to drinking water, and moisture and leak management
Fruit and vegetable availability, nutritional information, and dining spaces
Daylighting, circadian lighting and glare control
Space design that encourages movement (stairs, standing work) and activity programs
Thermal performance, individual control, and thermal comfort surveys
Background noise, reverberation time and sound insulation between spaces
Restrictions on hazardous substances such as asbestos and lead, and low-emitting materials and cleaning products
Mental health support, biophilic design, and spaces for rest and restoration
Health and wellness benefits policies, inclusion and accessibility, emergency preparedness, and occupant surveys
How Is WELL Scored? What Are the Levels?
Every project must meet all of them; they earn no points.
Selected by the project; points are earned when achieved. Each concept counts for up to 12 points, the ten concepts together up to 100 points, plus up to 10 points for Innovation.
With all preconditions met, projects earn the following levels by total points:
No minimum per concept
At least 1 point per concept
At least 2 points per concept
At least 3 points per concept
The "minimum points per concept" rule applies to WELL Certification and keeps projects from scoring high in only a few concepts. WELL Core looks only at the total score , with no minimum per concept, but the same feature may carry different points in WELL Core than in WELL Certification; for example, features with limited impact on tenants are weighted lower.
What Types of WELL Certification Are There?
| Type | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WELL Certification | Owner-occupied offices, whole buildings, leased interior spaces | The most complete certification, covering design, operations and policy |
| WELL Core | Developers or owners of leased office buildings and multifamily housing | Assesses what the owner controls (common areas, building systems, support for tenants) |
| WELL Ratings | Organizations wanting recognition on a single topic first | For example, the WELL Health-Safety Rating, WELL Performance Rating and WELL Equity Rating, with a smaller scope and shorter timeline |
| WELL for residential | Residential developers and builders | A health standard for homes; see " The Rise of Healthy Homes: How WELL Certification Changes Real Estate Value" |
| WELL at scale | Companies with multiple locations | Raises the health performance of all of a company's spaces step by step, at the organization level |
IWBI has announced a new version, "One WELL," that will bring the certifications and ratings above together. As of November 2026 it has not officially launched; this article will be updated when it does.
What Are the Steps in WELL Certification?
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Assess and set goals
Review the building's current condition and operating policies, assess achievable features, and set a target level and budget.
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Enrollment
Register the project on IWBI's WELL Online platform and pay the enrollment fee.
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Precertification (optional)
New or renovation projects can submit during design to earn precertification, which helps when explaining the project to prospective tenants or buyers.
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Documentation review
Upload design drawings, policy documents, product specifications and more for GBCI review, in a preliminary round and a final round.
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Performance verification
After completion and occupancy, a performance testing agent tests air quality, water quality, illuminance, noise and the thermal environment on site to confirm the building actually performs to the standard.
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Certify, then recertify every three years
Certification is valid for three years, with ongoing monitoring and annual reporting during that period and recertification at the end.
How long does it take? It depends on the building's size and condition. For an office, it usually takes 8 to 18 months from kickoff to certification.
How Much Does WELL Certification Cost?
WELL costs have four components:
Enrollment and certification fees, calculated by area (see the table below).
Quoted by the testing provider.
Quoted per project.
Equipment, materials and policy adjustments needed to meet the targets; this varies the most and can be estimated during the assessment stage.
IWBI Official Fees (WELL v2, as published on the IWBI website, November 2026, USD)
| Item | WELL Certification | WELL Core |
|---|---|---|
| Enrollment fee | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Program fee | 0.16 per sq ft | 0.08 per sq ft |
| Program fee minimum / maximum | 8,000／98,000 | 8,000／98,000 |
| Precertification (optional) | 0.05 per sq ft, from 3,000, capped at 25,000 | Same as left |
| Performance verification | From about 15,000, depending on the testing provider | Same as left |
| Recertification (every three years) | 0.05 per sq ft, from 6,000, capped at 30,000 | 0.03 per sq ft, from 6,000, capped at 30,000 |
IWBI members can save up to 15%, and certain markets and sectors receive a further 25% discount. IWBI's quote prevails.
Converted to Common Taiwan Floor Areas (WELL Certification program fee)
| Floor area | Approx. sq ft | Program fee (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 300 ping (about 990 m²) | 10,675 | 8,000 (minimum applies) |
| 1,000 ping (about 3,310 m²) | 35,583 | 8,000 (minimum applies) |
| 3,000 ping (about 9,920 m²) | 106,750 | About 17,080 |
| 10,000 ping (about 33,060 m²) | 355,830 | About 56,930 |
Projects under about 1,400 ping (about 4,630 m²) pay the US$8,000 minimum; projects above about 17,200 ping (about 56,860 m²) reach the US$98,000 cap.
WELL Certification FAQ
What is WELL certification?
WELL is the international healthy building certification published by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). It assesses how a building affects occupants' health across ten concepts (Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community), with four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Is there a Taiwan version of WELL?
No. In its " 2022 Taiwan Market Letter," IWBI explains that there is no "mini WELL" or "WELL Taiwan edition" label, and reminds owners to check a WELL consultant's track record before hiring.
How long is WELL certification valid?
Three years. After certification, projects must keep monitoring and report annually, and pass recertification at the end of three years to keep the certification.
Can existing buildings or leased offices apply for WELL?
Yes. WELL v2 applies to new and existing buildings, and projects can apply for leased interior spaces only; owners of leased buildings can choose WELL Core.
How much does WELL certification cost?
Costs include IWBI enrollment and program fees (calculated by area; for WELL Certification, US$0.16 per sq ft with an US$8,000 minimum), performance verification fees, consulting fees, and the cost of improvements needed to meet the targets.
How long does WELL certification take?
It depends on size and condition; an office usually takes 8 to 18 months from kickoff to certification.
Should I do WELL or LEED first?
LEED focuses on a building's impact on the environment, and WELL on its impact on people. If the goal is the social (S) side of ESG and talent retention, WELL is more direct; budget permitting, plan for dual certification, since some documents and data can be shared. Further reading: " How Does WELL Healthy Building Connect to ESG?"
Need Help with WELL Certification?
GreenJump provides WELL feasibility assessment, certification consulting, on-site pre-testing and recertification services.
