Frequently Asked Question
- What's the Design & As-Built Rating process?
- How much does an IS Design & As-Built Rating cost?
- How are projects scored?
- Who assesses the project and determines the Rating level?
- Which types of projects are suitable for an IS Design & As-Built Rating?
- How long does it take to get an IS Design & As-Built Rating?
- Does a project need to have an IS Planning Rating in place to apply for an IS Design & As-Built Rating?
- What sort of project criteria does the IS Design & As-Built Rating assess?
- What do each of the Rating levels mean?
- Are there ways to maximise a project’s Rating score?
- Is there a way to publicise a project’s Rating?
- What’s the next Rating that can be applied for after IS Design & As-Built?
An IS Design and As-Built Rating involves four stages: Registration, Assessment, Verification, and Certification:
- Registration: To apply for a Planning Rating, complete a Registration of Interest form (ROI) and sign our Rating agreement.
- Assessment: Your project then moves onto the Assessment stage, the main part of the Rating where your project is awarded points in line with the Rating credit criteria.
- Verification: Independent, third-party verifiers check and verify your Rating application and associated evidence.
- Certification: Congratulations! We award your project the IS Rating that matches your overall point score out of 100, from Bronze (20-34.9 points) to Platinum (80 to 100 points).
The Design and As-Built Rating is assessed and certified in different stages. Design is an ‘interim’ Rating, assessed and scored on completion of the project design.
Your project then automatically progresses to the As-Built Rating. Once this has been verified, the interim Design Rating is replaced with your final Design and As–Built rating score, which determines your Rating award level – Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
To be awarded a Design & As-Built Rating, both Design and As-Built criteria must be completed.
IS Design & As-Built Rating fees vary according to the project cap-ex size and whether you are a member of the IS Council, as IS Council members receive exclusive Rating prices. For details of current costs, see the pricing table at the bottom of our IS Ratings page here.
To become a member of the IS Council and access exclusive Ratings fees plus other benefits, click here.
Projects are scored transparently out of a maximum 100 points. Points are awarded for the credit levels you achieve, which together make up your overall score and the Rating level awarded:
| Total points scored (max 100) | Rating level/Certification awarded |
| 80-100 | Platinum |
| 55-79.9 | Gold |
| 35-54.9 | Silver |
| 20-34.9 | Bronze |
| 19.9 and below | No Rating awarded |
Two third-party verifiers assess your project. They independently review your submission and evidence, in line with the criteria of the credits you are targeting, to determine your total points and Rating award level.
An IS Design & As-Built Rating can be applied to almost every kind of infrastructure project: Airport, energy, ports, rail, road, social, waste, water, telecoms, and blue/green infrastructure. Projects must be in the design or construction phase to be eligible for a Design & As-Built Rating.
The IS Design & As-Built Rating timescale runs from the Project Contract Award date to Practical Completion (or near completion, 95%), plus the time to independently assess and verify the project for its Rating. So, depending on the size, design, and construction of the project, it can take a few years to achieve a full Design & As-Built Rating.
No – you can apply for the IS Design & and As Built Rating with or without a completed IS Planning Rating. However, undertaking both Ratings is the best way to maximise a project’s sustainable outcomes.
The Design & As-Built Rating has nearly 40 criteria that you can target for your project. All the criteria and credits relate an asset’s design and construction elements and their sustainable impacts, from noise, vibration, and water use to workplace culture, diversity and inclusion, and supplier selection.
Most credits under the Design & As-Built Rating have separate requirements for the design and construction phase, but some have common requirements that would need to be implemented across both stages.
An IS Rating has four award levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The best Rating possible is Platinum, which is awarded to projects that have scored the highest number of points across all their targeted criteria. To achieve a Rating, the minimum score is 20 total points, which is a Bronze-level award.
Bonus points are available for some Ratings – the Detailed Planning Rating, for example, has 10 bonus points for innovation.
Yes – upon certification, your project will receive an official Ratings badge from the IS Council to promote the project and its achievements externally.
After IS Design & As-Built, the next Rating you can apply for is an Operations Rating, which evaluates project performance.