Getting an HPD takes 4–10 weeks and costs $1,500–$5,000. The cost depends on how complex your product is. A certified HPD consultant handles everything — from collecting ingredient data to publishing on the HPDC platform.
Here is a real example. A tile manufacturer in Abu Dhabi needed HPDs for a LEED Gold hotel project in 2025. EnviroLink delivered three verified HPDs in seven weeks. All three passed LEED review on the first submission.
This guide shows you exactly how to get an HPD — step by step.
What Is an HPD and Why Do GCC Manufacturers Need One?
An HPD (Health Product Declaration) is a document that lists all the chemicals in a building product. It follows the HPD Open Standard v2.3, managed by the HPD Collaborative (HPDC). Architects and project teams use HPDs to check what materials are in their buildings. Without one, your product may be left out of LEED, WELL, or Estidama projects.
Green building projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and across the GCC now ask for HPDs regularly. If your product is a paint, tile, adhesive, flooring, coating, or insulation material — you likely need one.
Here is where HPDs are required or rewarded:
| Green Building System | HPD Credit | Points Available | GCC Relevance |
| LEED v4.1 | MR Credit: Material Ingredients | Up to 2 points | Very High — UAE, Saudi Arabia |
| WELL Building Standard | Material Concept — ingredient disclosure | Feature credit | High — healthcare, workplace |
| Estidama Pearl Rating | Sustainable materials + IEQ | Materials credit | High — Abu Dhabi projects |
| Living Product Challenge | Declare label pathway | Required | Emerging — GCC |
| BREEAM International | Mat 03 — responsible sourcing | Partial credit | Growing — UK-linked projects |
No HPD means no credit. No credit can mean your product is not specified. That is lost business — before the project even starts.
Learn more about what a Health Product Declaration covers and why it matters for GCC manufacturers.
What Does an HPD Actually Contain?
An HPD lists every chemical ingredient in your product above the disclosure threshold. It also shows the hazard level of each ingredient using a tool called GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals — a global hazard screening system.
Here is what each section covers:
Section 1 — Summary
This is the cover page. It shows the product name, manufacturer name, HPD version, and a short product description.
Section 2 — Ingredient List by Weight
This is the most important section. It lists every ingredient from highest to lowest by weight. For each ingredient, it shows:
- Chemical name
- CAS number — a unique ID code for every chemical
- Weight percentage range (e.g., 10–20%)
- GreenScreen hazard score
- Flags for REACH, RoHS, and California Prop 65 restricted substances
This data must be correct. Errors here will cause your HPD to fail.
Section 3 — Certifications and Compliance
This section lists any third-party certifications your product holds. Examples include VOC compliance, FloorScore, or a Declare label.
Section 4 — General Information
This section covers VOC content, how the product is installed, and end-of-life disposal notes.
All published HPDs are listed in the HPD Collaborative public registry.
Verified vs Unverified HPD — What Is the Difference?
A verified HPD has been checked by an approved third-party reviewer. An unverified (self-published) HPD has not. Both are accepted by LEED — but they are not treated the same way.
| Feature | Verified HPD | Self-Published HPD |
| Third-party review | Yes | No |
| LEED credit value | Full credit | Accepted, lower confidence |
| WELL acceptance | Preferred | Accepted |
| Estidama acceptance | Preferred | Accepted with caveats |
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
| Time | 6–10 weeks | 3–5 weeks |
| Risk of rejection | Very low | Medium |
| Recommended for GCC projects | Yes | Only as a first step |
Our recommendation: For LEED Gold, LEED Platinum, WELL, or Estidama Pearl 3 and above — always get a verified HPD. Project teams in the GCC are increasingly rejecting unverified HPDs at the documentation review stage.
What Data Does a GCC Manufacturer Need for HPD?
Ingredient Data — The Most Important Part
Ask every raw material supplier for the following:- Full chemical name and CAS number for every ingredient
- Weight percentage of each ingredient in the finished product
- Current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) — Section 2 and Section 3
- Any residuals or impurities above 1,000 ppm (0.1%)
- REACH SVHC status, RoHS declaration, and Prop 65 listing
Product Information
You also need:- Product name, category, and description
- VOC content in g/L — especially for paints, adhesives, and coatings
- How the product is installed and any exposure risks
- End-of-life details — can it be recycled or how should it be disposed of?
- Any existing Environmental Product Declaration or LCA services documentation
Common Data Gaps GCC Manufacturers Face
These are the problems we see most often:- Suppliers will not share CAS numbers
- SDS sheets are incomplete or in another language
- Residuals and impurities are not tracked
- VOC content is not recorded in the right format
How to Get an HPD in GCC — Step by Step
Getting an HPD takes eight steps. Here is exactly what happens at each one.
Step 1: Find out which products need HPDs
Start with products that come up most in LEED, WELL, or Estidama projects. Focus on paints, adhesives, flooring, tiles, coatings, furniture, and insulation first.
Step 2: Collect Safety Data Sheets from all suppliers
Ask every supplier for their current SDS. Make sure each one includes chemical names, CAS numbers, and concentration ranges.
Step 3: Build your ingredient inventory
Work with a certified HPD consultant. They map every ingredient against the HPD Open Standard v2.3 format and screen against GreenScreen and restricted substance lists.
Step 4: Review the draft HPD with your team
Go through the draft with your R&D or quality team. Confirm all ingredients and flag any changes to your formulation. Allow 5–7 days for this step.
Step 5: Choose verified or self-published
If your product targets LEED Gold, Platinum, WELL, or Estidama Pearl 3 and above — choose verified. If you are just getting started and budget is tight — self-published is accepted by LEED.
Step 6: Complete third-party verification (if chosen)
An HPDC-approved verifier checks your HPD. They confirm that ingredient disclosure is complete, hazard screening is correct, and the format matches the standard. This takes 2–3 weeks.
Step 7: Publish through the HPDC Builder
Your HPD is uploaded to the HPDC Builder platform. It gets a public registration number. This is the number LEED consultants check during documentation review.
Step 8: Share with project teams
Send the HPD PDF and registration number to your LEED consultant, WELL advisor, or Estidama team. Do not wait to be asked —
HPD Certification Cost and Timeline in GCC
A single verified HPD in the GCC costs between $2,500–$5,000 and takes 6–10 weeks. Batching multiple products together reduces the cost per product.
| HPD Scope | Cost Range (USD) | Timeline | Notes |
| Single product — self-published | $1,500–$3,000 | 3–5 weeks | Accepted by LEED — lower credibility |
| Single product — verified | $2,500–$5,000 | 6–10 weeks | Recommended for LEED Gold, WELL, Estidama |
| Batch 3 products — verified | $5,000–$10,000 | 6–10 weeks | Lower cost per product |
| Batch 5 products — verified | $7,000–$14,000 | 8–12 weeks | Best value for multi-product manufacturers |
| EPD + HPD batch (same product) | $6,000–$14,000 | 12–18 weeks | One process covers both certifications |
What Affects HPD Cost?
- Number of ingredients — More ingredients take longer to screen
- Supplier data quality — Missing or incomplete SDS sheets add time and cost
- Number of products — Batching lowers the cost per product
- Verification choice — Verified HPDs cost 40–60% more than self-published
- Rush delivery — Faster timelines may carry a premium fee
See a full cost breakdown by product type in our HPD cost timeline GCC guide.
Common HPD Mistakes GCC Manufacturers Make
Most HPD problems are avoidable. Here are the six mistakes we see most often:
- Using old SDS sheets — Outdated documents may miss new chemical regulations
- Missing CAS numbers — Every ingredient needs a CAS number; gaps fail verification
- Choosing self-published when the project needs verified — Always check the project spec first
- Not disclosing residuals — Anything above 1,000 ppm (0.1%) must be listed
- Doing HPD without toxicology support — Wrong hazard screening is the top reason for rejection
- Not updating after a formula change — If your product changes, your HPD must change too
How to Get an HPD — The Short Answer
GCC manufacturers get an HPD by disclosing all product ingredients using the HPD Open Standard v2.3, run by the HPD Collaborative. The process takes 4–10 weeks and costs $1,500–$5,000. A certified consultant collects ingredient data, screens each chemical against hazard databases, prepares the HPD document, arranges verification if needed, and publishes it on the HPDC Builder platform. Verified HPDs give full credit under LEED v4.1, WELL, and Estidama Pearl 3 and above. EnviroLink manages this process from start to finish for manufacturers across the GCC.
Get Your HPD Done Right — Work With EnviroLink
One wrong CAS number. One outdated SDS. One missed disclosure threshold. Any of these can get your HPD rejected — and hold up a project’s certification.
EnviroLink HPD consultants know how to avoid these problems. Our team is an active member of the HPD Collaborative and has been appointed to the Third Party Verification Technical Subgroup by the HPDC Technical Committee. That means we help shape the very standards that HPDs are reviewed against.
We work with building material manufacturers across all six GCC countries — UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain. We handle ingredient inventory, hazard screening, verification coordination, HPDC Builder publication, and project team submission — all in one engagement.
Contact EnviroLink today for an HPD assessment. Our team responds within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions — HPD Certification GCC
How do you get an HPD certificate?
An HPD is not a certificate — it is a disclosure document. To get one, you list all the chemicals in your product using the HPD Open Standard v2.3. A certified consultant helps you collect the data, prepare the document, and publish it through the HPDC Builder.
How long does HPD certification take in the UAE?
It takes 3–5 weeks for a self-published HPD and 6–10 weeks for a verified one. The timeline depends on how quickly your suppliers send ingredient data and how complex your product is.
How much does an HPD cost in Dubai?
A single self-published HPD costs $1,500–$3,000. A verified HPD costs $2,500–$5,000. If you have multiple products, batching them together lowers the cost per product.
Is third-party HPD verification mandatory?
No, it is not mandatory. But verified HPDs get stronger LEED credit, full WELL acceptance, and higher trust from project teams. For most GCC projects, it is the better choice.
Can you self-publish an HPD for LEED?
Yes. LEED accepts self-published HPDs. But they get partial credit, not full credit. For LEED Gold, Platinum, or Estidama Pearl 3 and above, a verified HPD is recommended.
What data does a manufacturer need for an HPD?
You need the chemical name and CAS number for every ingredient, current Safety Data Sheets from all suppliers, weight percentages, and any restricted substance flags such as REACH or Prop 65.
What is the difference between a verified and unverified HPD?
A verified HPD is checked by an approved third-party reviewer. An unverified one is not. Verified HPDs carry more weight with LEED consultants and project teams. They reduce the chance of rejection during documentation review.
