WELL Performance Rating

1. Assess your building's readiness: Review the WELL Performance Rating requirements on the IWBI website and evaluate whether your building has the monitoring infrastructure (sensors, water testing protocols, lighting meters) needed to collect performance data across WELL health domains.

1. Register your project: Create an account on the WELL Certification portal (wellcertified.com) and register your building for the WELL Performance Rating. Pay the applicable registration fee based on your building's gross floor area.

1. Engage a WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP): Bring on a WELL AP or WELL-experienced consultant to guide your team through the documentation and performance data requirements. This is strongly recommended given the technical complexity of the submission.

1. Implement monitoring and data collection: Over the required performance period (typically 12 months), collect verified data across all applicable WELL health domains — air quality, water quality, lighting, acoustics, and thermal comfort — using approved measurement methods.

1. Prepare and submit your documentation: Compile all monitoring data, third-party testing reports, and operational records into the WELL documentation portal. Ensure all evidence meets GBCI's verification standards.

1. Undergo GBCI review and assessment: A GBCI-approved WELL Assessor will conduct a remote or on-site review of your submitted documentation and performance data. Respond promptly to any clarification requests or corrective action items.

1. Receive your rating and display your credential: Upon successful verification, your building will be awarded the WELL Performance Rating. Use the digital badge, online registry listing, and marketing toolkit to communicate your achievement to tenants, stakeholders, and the public.

1. Plan for annual renewal: Begin planning for your next renewal cycle immediately — the rating requires annual re-verification of performance data to maintain certification status.

The WELL Performance Rating evaluates buildings across the core health and wellness domains established by the WELL Building Standard v2. Unlike full WELL Certification (which assesses design intent and policies), the Performance Rating focuses exclusively on measured, real-world outcomes verified through monitoring data and testing.

Air Quality: Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), CO₂ levels, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), formaldehyde, and other airborne contaminants are measured against defined thresholds. Continuous monitoring or periodic spot testing using approved protocols is required to demonstrate compliance.

Water Quality: Potable water is tested for contaminants including lead, copper, chlorine, and microbial indicators. Testing must be conducted by accredited laboratories and cover all primary water sources used by building occupants.

Light: Illuminance levels, circadian light metrics, and glare control are evaluated to ensure lighting conditions support occupant alertness, sleep quality, and visual comfort. Measurements are taken at workplane and eye level across representative spaces.

Acoustics: Background noise levels, reverberation times, and sound isolation between spaces are assessed to confirm that acoustic conditions support concentration and communication without causing stress or fatigue.

Thermal Comfort: Air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity, and air speed are measured across occupied zones to verify that thermal conditions fall within acceptable comfort ranges for occupants.

Mind and Nourishment (where applicable): Depending on the building type and applicable features, evidence related to mental health programming, healthy food access, and occupant engagement may also be assessed.

Each domain has defined performance thresholds that must be met or exceeded. Buildings are evaluated on a pass/fail basis per feature, and the overall rating is awarded when the required combination of features is successfully verified.

The WELL Performance Rating occupies a distinct niche within the healthy buildings certification landscape. Launched by IWBI as a complement to the flagship WELL Certification, it was designed to address a key gap: the ability to verify actual building performance rather than design intent alone. This positions it alongside — and sometimes in competition with — programs like FITWEL, RESET Air, and BREEAM In-Use, all of which focus on operational performance rather than construction-phase compliance.

Adoption of the WELL Performance Rating has grown steadily since its introduction, driven by post-pandemic demand for demonstrably healthy workplaces. Corporate tenants, particularly in financial services, technology, and professional services, have increasingly required health-focused building credentials as part of their return-to-office and ESG strategies. Major commercial real estate firms including JLL, CBRE, and Cushman & Wakefield have integrated WELL credentials into their portfolio sustainability reporting, lending the program significant market credibility. As of the mid-2020s, IWBI reports tens of thousands of WELL-registered projects across 100+ countries, though the Performance Rating specifically represents a smaller subset of that total.

The program faces competition primarily from FITWEL, which is perceived as more accessible and lower-cost, and from LEED O+M, which has a much larger installed base and broader industry recognition. RESET Air has carved out a niche in Asia-Pacific markets with its continuous monitoring focus. The WELL Performance Rating differentiates itself through the depth and scientific rigor of its health domain coverage and the strength of the IWBI brand. Demand is expected to remain strong as ESG disclosure requirements tighten globally and tenant health expectations continue to rise, though cost and monitoring infrastructure requirements remain barriers for smaller building owners.

The WELL Performance Rating was developed by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and launched around 2020 as part of a broader expansion of the WELL ecosystem beyond its flagship WELL Certification program. IWBI itself was founded in 2013 by Delos, a wellness real estate company, and introduced the original WELL Building Standard in 2014 — the first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness rather than environmental sustainability. GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.), the same body that administers LEED, was brought on as the certification and verification partner from the outset.

The Performance Rating emerged from recognition that many buildings — particularly existing ones — needed a pathway to demonstrate real-world health outcomes without undertaking the full scope of a WELL Certification project. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated interest in the program, as building owners sought credible, science-backed ways to reassure occupants about indoor environmental quality. IWBI also introduced the WELL Health-Safety Rating in 2020 as a separate, more accessible credential focused on operational policies, while the Performance Rating maintained its emphasis on measured data and verified outcomes. Together, these programs expanded IWBI's reach from new construction into the much larger existing building stock market.