We have chosen to specialize in three programs we believe are leaders in the green building industry: Energy Star, Build It Green's GreenPoint Rated and USGBC's LEED for Homes. These agencies provide certification of newly constructed homes and require a third party rater based on a set of green building guidelines to evaluate a home's environmental performance. Build It Green's GreenPoint Rated Elements Program is the only home certification program for a remodeled existing home.

We can certify your home green Contact Us today to learn more about this process.

California has one of the most progressive energy codes in the country. This energy code was implemented in 1980 and has allowed California homes to be approximately 15% more efficient than homes built elsewhere in the nation. Even with increased population growth, during the period between 1980 and today, our state has been able to plateau energy use while the rest of the nation's energy use has risen.

Even though California is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the country, nationwide and statewide green building agencies strive to exceed the California Energy Code by at least 15%. When building green, it is understood that the code is the bare minimum and only satisfactory when remodeling a home. Sometimes a comparison of the building codes to high school grading systems helps put this in perspective: Passing the building code is the equivalent to getting a "D" in school. Is a "D" really passing when it comes to our health, comfort, and the environment?

There are many positives to the certification of a home through a green building agency. Typically, certification will provide a label on a home that can be trusted and will provide added property value. There is a verifiable certification that has been given to the home that is transferable between home owners that outlines its green characteristics and provides confidence that the home is resource efficient, comfortable, and healthy.

Another advantage of choosing a green building program prior to the design of a remodeling project is that a clear road map is provided to the homeowner, rater, builder, designers, and engineers prior to construction. This allows consensus between all parties before starting the project.