EPD retainer vs pay per EPD
Year one is launch. Years two to five are maintenance. New variants, plant shifts, mix tweaks, and customer‑requested comparisons keep coming. The real question is less “what’s the unit price of an EPD” and more “what model keeps our portfolio current without slowing sales.” Here’s how to choose between paying per change or setting an annual retainer that covers the right classes of updates and analysis.
The maintenance reality after launch
Your first wave of EPDs unlocks bids and removes friction. Then operations evolves. Grid mixes change. Formulations adjust. Specifiers ask for apples‑to‑apples comparisons. Most EPDs stay valid for five years, so the maintenance window is long enough to matter (EPD International, 2024). Designing the right model now prevents year‑three scramble.
What triggers an update vs a new EPD
Two clocks run at once. The validity clock is usually five years from publication. The materiality clock ticks when results shift. If any declared indicator worsens by more than 10 percent during validity, the EPD must be updated, even if the five‑year date is far away (EPD International, 2024). PCR revisions can also change the rulebook, but your current, still‑valid EPD remains usable until expiry.
Pay‑per‑EPD works when change is rare
If your catalog is stable and plant energy sources are predictable, paying per new or revised EPD can be clean. You schedule work when a launch requires it and keep overhead low. The downside shows up when three small changes appear in one quarter, each triggering a new scope, new contracting, and a new verification queue.
The retainer model earns its keep with defined classes of work
A retainer is insurance plus velocity. It should explicitly include classes of updates so teams know what is covered without re‑scoping every time. Typical inclusions: annual data refresh for the reference year, minor recipe shifts below a predefined materiality threshold that still merit an update, replication to additional plants using verified allocation logic, and a set number of customer comparison briefs. Verification and publication fees are still paid to the program operator, but the analysis and data wrangling stay always‑on.
A hybrid that most manufacturers end up choosing
Lock a modest annual retainer for predictable maintenance and portfolio analytics. Use pay‑per‑EPD for big events, like a new product family or a step‑change in process heat. This splits base‑load work from spikes. It also keeps finance happy because the bulk is planned and the rest is clearly exceptional.
ROI context you can point to
LEED projects still favor products with product‑specific, third‑party verified EPDs. Under the current credit language, Option 1 counts at least 20 qualifying products from five manufacturers and weights product‑specific Type III with external verification as 1.5 products toward that threshold (USGBC Credit Library, 2024). Many teams also target exemplary performance at 40 products, which keeps the appetite for EPDs high across trades (USGBC, 2024). LEED v5 was ratified on March 28, 2025, and continues the emphasis on disclosure and carbon outcomes in materials, so the demand signal does not soften in 2026 (USGBC, 2025).
How to scope a smart retainer without overpaying
Think of it like a service plan for a fleet. Oil changes, tire rotations, diagnostics are included. Engine rebuilds are not. In EPD terms, build in:
- A fixed cadence for data refresh using the agreed reference year, plus a rapid path for interim corrections when meters or invoices are restated.
- A catalog for “covered updates” such as variant adders, plant replications, and formulation adjustments, with clear gates for when verification is required.
- Portfolio analytics that flag nearing expiries at least six months ahead and surface where a product‑specific EPD would beat an industry‑wide EPD on bids.
Guardrails and SLAs to insist on
Require service levels that match commercial timelines. Set a publication‑ready turnaround target for minor updates. Ask for a named technical lead and a named data‑collection lead so your R&D and plant teams don’t repeat themselves. Favor partners who shoulder data collection with white‑glove support, not checklists dumped on your busiest engineers. And if you rely on EPD Process Certification, validate that the certificate term and audit cadence are current with the operator’s guidance, which now sets a five‑year certificate with mandatory annual audits (EPD International, 2025).
When pay‑per‑EPD becomes a drag
Pay‑per is fine until it isnt. The friction becomes visible when legal needs a fresh MSA for every tweak and when product teams delay small improvements because a new scope would consume this quarter’s budget. Those delays show up in submittals and can cost a spot on the materials list.
Red flags that signal you need a retainer now
If more than three product lines share the same PCR, if new plants are coming online this year, or if sales requests monthly comparisons, you are living in maintenance mode already. A retainer prevents a backlog of “we’ll get to it” EPD tasks. It also shifts busywork off specialists who should be focused on process yield and quality.
A simple rulebook for years 2–5
Use a retainer to cover the predictable 80 percent. Keep pay‑per for the truly new 20 percent. Anchor decisions to the five‑year validity and the 10 percent materiality trigger so you update on the right rhythm (EPD International, 2024). Keep one eye on LEED demand signals and one on PCR transitions. Choose partners who make data collection painless and keep verification moving. That is how the EPD portfolio stays current and commercially sharp without whipsaw budgeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the normal validity period for construction-product EPDs and what triggers an early update?
Most EPDs are valid for five years. If any declared indicator worsens by more than 10% during that period, the EPD must be updated even before the end date. Source: EPD International FAQ and guidance (2024).
Does LEED still reward product-specific Type III EPDs and what are the key thresholds?
Yes. Under current credit language, Option 1 counts at least 20 qualifying products from five manufacturers, with product-specific Type III EPDs weighted as 1.5 products. Some project types allow 10 products from three manufacturers, and exemplary performance starts at 40 products. Source: USGBC Credit Library (2024).
How should manufacturers structure an EPD retainer to avoid scope creep?
Define covered update classes, set a fixed annual data refresh, include plant replications and variant adders, and cap analysis hours with a rollover. Keep large new product families or step-change process overhauls as pay-per-EPD items.
About the Author
John brings a clear, research-driven perspective on the EPD, LCA and HPD space and keeps a close pulse on environmental trends and standards in North America, helping clients understand where the industry is heading and how to get there.
