National Green Building Certification is based on the ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard™. There are four green certification levels for homes available in the Standard – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald. Land Developments can earn One, Two, Three, or Four Stars.
Residential buildings, remodeling/retrofit projects, and developments can be Green Certified to the National Green Building Standard as detailed below.
The green levels and certifications address key green construction areas, including:
- Lot & Site Development
- Resource Efficiency
- Energy Efficiency
- Water Efficiency
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Homeowner Education
National Green Building Standard establishes design and construction practices for various types of residential projects, including:
- New single-family homes -- Includes detached single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes, tri-plexes, and quad-plexes
- New multi-unit residential buildings
- The residential portion of mixed-use buildings
- Additions to single-family homes that equal less than 75% of existing square footage
- Renovations of single-family or multi-unit buildings
- Renovations plus additions to single-family homes
- Renovations of pre-1980 residential buildings
- Renovations that change the use of non-residential buildings into residential uses. Building conversions can be certified using the Green Building Path but not the Green Remodel Path
- Individual sections or phases of residential or mixed-use developments
- Entire residential or mixed-use land developments and subdivisions
Certification is available for most types of residential construction or development projects. The following cannot be Green Certified at this time:
- Additions only (of any size) to existing multi-unit buildings
- Additions only greater than 75% of the original conditioned area of an existing single-family building that do not involve renovation of the original building
- Developments that do not contain any residential uses
Dual Certification: National Green Building Standard with Builders Challenge
New single-family homes certified to the Standard may qualify to be concurrently certified the Builders Challenge. Learn more about the Builders Challenge and how your green home may qualify.