Nearly every home builder says they are green, including new houses in Tampa, Florida, but are they truly a green homebuilder?  Approximately 10 out of 5000 homebuilders actually build green certified homes while others totally disregard the basic principles of green construction.

Building green adds to the final cost of a home by approximately $5,000-$10,000 which represents a couple percent on the total price of the house.  It takes a lot of hard work to meet the guidelines for a certified green built house.  Some of these guidelines include a third-party inspection, not once but twice during the construction process; a blower door test for air infiltration, a leak test of the duct work and an Energy Star rating which are standard set by the federal government for energy efficiency.  The builder has to guarantee that all their subcontractors follow these specific guidelines, adhesive use must be low VOC; other materials must be green and so on.

In Grand Hampton Florida, new homebuilders who are green certified will have recycling dumpsters in the front yards of their construction projects in addition to the trees being marked off so they are not damaged during the construction process.

The National Association of Home Builders regulates the certification based on the Model Green House Building Guidelines.  This document is hundreds of pages long.  Each homebuilder has to document what they do along with take photographs throughout the construction process.  A homebuilder must keep making sure they are meeting all the requirements and standards or their new home will not be certified green.

Each individual state has their own additional green requirements and every green homebuilder must provide an owner’s manual which includes detailed information on maintenance for the home and recycling tips for the new homeowner.  Many of these owner’s manuals are placed in a large three-ring binder and are also hundreds of pages long.

Many of the industry leaders in the homebuilders market are the ones who are going green because of all the extra effort required which often costs a homebuilder extra time and money.