An AAP is appropriate for projects with a unique, nuanced or complex element that restricts their ability to comply with existing feature requirements. The proposal should include clear, substantiated evidence of how the proposed strategy meets the intent of the feature, including any relevant background information or supporting documentation.

To determine whether submission of an AAP is recommended, a project may inquire with the project's WELL coaching contact (if project is registered) or with technical@wellcertified.com (if the project is not registered). Projects pursuing certification under the WELL Building Standard v1 are eligible to receive three AAPs at no additional cost, while pilot projects receive ten. There is no limit on the number of AAP’s that can be submitted per project, but there is a $220 fee for each subsequent AAP.

When it is determined that an AAP has a broader application across multiple projects, the AAP rulings may be made public so that other projects may pursue and apply them. If a project would like to pursue a published AAP, the project team should reach out directly to the project’s WELL Assessor.

Projects registered in countries other than the United States may find some challenges based on local regulations and standards that differ from those outlined in WELL. IWBI invites projects to petition for the use of equivalent requirements that is more relevant to the country/region where a project is located, through an equivalency proposal (EP). An EP is a formal request submitted by a project to receive approval for the substitution of an equivalent standard, code or practice in place of WELL feature requirements, prior to final documentation review.