WELL Occupant Survey requirements – C04 and C05 explained

WELL certification is about how a building supports the health and wellbeing of the people who use it. A large share of the standard covers measurable conditions such as air, water, light and sound. But WELL also asks a question only the occupants can answer: how do they actually experience the workplace?

That is the job of the occupant survey.

This guide explains the two survey features in WELL v2, C04 and C05, in practical terms. Requirements can differ between WELL versions and project types, so always check the details against your project’s registered version, or ask your WELL AP.

What is the WELL Occupant Survey (C04)?

Feature C04, Occupant Survey, sits in the Community concept of WELL v2. The aim is to collect structured feedback from regular occupants about the environmental conditions in the building, and to use the results to improve.

In practice, a C04 survey measures satisfaction with areas such as:

• acoustics
• thermal comfort
• furnishings
• lighting levels and quality
• air quality
• cleanliness and maintenance
• layout and ergonomic comfort

The survey is usually 20–30 questions. Results are reported in aggregated, anonymised form, and they form part of the project’s WELL documentation.

Who can run the survey?

WELL gives projects two routes:

• A third-party survey from an approved provider. IWBI keeps a list of pre-approved survey programs. Using one of these providers means the survey content and method are already accepted, which simplifies documentation.
• A custom survey. A project can design its own survey, but it then has to show that the survey meets WELL’s requirements, which takes more work.

Most projects choose an approved provider. It reduces risk and saves the WELL AP time.

What is the Enhanced Occupant Survey (C05)?

Feature C05, Enhanced Occupant Survey, builds on C04. It is an optimisation, which means it is optional and can contribute points towards certification, depending on the WELL version and the options the project pursues.

The enhanced survey typically goes further in two ways:

• Broader topics. Beyond the physical environment, it can cover wellbeing and organisational experience, such as stress and work-life balance, psychological safety, inclusion and belonging, and perceived organisational support.
• Follow-up over time. Repeating the survey, for example before and after a move or 6–12 months after occupancy, shows whether changes actually made a difference.

For many organisations, C05 is where the survey turns from a certification requirement into a real source of insight for HR and workplace strategy.

How to plan the survey in your WELL project

A well-run survey needs more than a questionnaire. These are the steps we see making the biggest difference.

1. Start early. Agree on the survey set-up when the project plans its WELL features. That way the timing fits occupancy, recertification and reporting.

2. Define who is invited. Decide which regular occupants are included, and whether results should be broken down by floor, team or site. To protect anonymity, breakdowns should only be shown for groups with at least 10 responses.

3. Plan for participation. Response rates depend on communication. Explain the purpose, make anonymity clear and plan one or two reminders. Messages from local leaders work better than generic emails.

4. Choose languages. International workplaces often need the survey in several languages. Plan translation into the timeline.

5. Make the results useful. Agree in advance how results will be shared and who will act on them. A short insight presentation or action-planning workshop helps turn results into improvements.

How long does it take?

A typical survey takes 3–6 weeks from start to finished report:

• 1–2 weeks of preparation and set-up
• 1–2 weeks of data collection
• 1–2 weeks of analysis and reporting

More than compliance

The occupant survey is easy to treat as a box to tick. But it is one of the few parts of WELL that gives a direct voice to the people the building is designed for.

Used well, it shows what works, what does not and where the next investment should go, whether that is better acoustics, a quieter workspace or support for stress and recovery.

Aumla is an Approved WELL Survey Provider with IWBI. Read more about our WELL Occupant Survey service and pricing, or see how we worked with MG Real Estate in Belgium.