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LEED expects the CxA to be experienced and sufficiently independent to provide objective verification. For many projects, acceptable options include an owner’s qualified employee or an independent third-party commissioning firm. The CxA should not be the design engineer of record or a construction manager directly responsible for installation—those roles create conflicts of interest. Likewise, equipment vendor technicians are valuable resources but lack the independence and scope to oversee whole-building systems and cross-discipline sequences (economizers, resets, DCV, integration). Independence ensures that functional testing, issues logs, and training are unbiased, and that discrepancies between the OPR/BOD and actual operation are identified and resolved. Selecting a qualified, independent CxA early (SD or DD) lets commissioning requirements—trend logs, acceptance tests, and training—be embedded in specs, reducing change orders and ensuring that the as-built system meets performance intent and LEED documentation expectations.