As construction continues on the Green Home in Wheaton, the process of green certification moves into the next phase. To this point, I have not talked much about the process a builder must go through with the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Program in order to get a home certified “green”.
When a builder decides to go for certification, there are a number of steps that he/she must take to reach that goal. As I have mentioned in prior posts, a builder really should make this decision before any design of the home is put down on paper. Starting the process like this allows the builder to team with their architect to reach a common goal, while also allowing “green” elements to be integral parts of the home, not just added on after thoughts to an existing design. This also allows the builder and architect to work together to incorporate as many of the National Green Building Standards (NGBS) requirements as they see fit to reach the level of certification they are striving for. In this case SWA Architects and JAW Builders have set our goal of reaching the highest level of the NGBS, Emerald.
Once the design process is completed, it is the job of the builder to fill out his/her design report using the online Scoring Tool on the NAHB’s website. The online Scoring Tool leads the builder, step by step, through the NGBS’s six chapters allowing them to check off each section for which they believe they will fulfill the requirements and earn points. The points will then be added up per chapter and overall, giving the builder a final tally as to what level of certification they expect to reach.
This is now the point where the Verifier comes into play. The NAHB has a list of accredited Verifiers on their website, from which builders can contact to do the inspections on their homes. The builder contracts directly with the Verifier to perform the inspections, and the Verifier will then ultimately provide the NAHB Resource Center with their inspection results.
The Verifier can provide any number of services to assist the builder in reaching the certification level they are hoping for. At this time, both Bill Styczynski and I are accredited Verifiers for the NAHB Green Building Program. As Verifiers, we offer extra assistance to builders such as initial consultations, help with the scoring tool, and help acquiring the necessary documentation to receive points. It is up to the builder what additional assistance, if any, they would like, but we often recommend it for builders who are going through the process for the first time.
Once the builder finishes the Scoring Tool, and has selected a Verifier, he/she then gives the Verifier their Design Report which is the summation of the Scoring Tool they filled out. The next step is to schedule the first inspection of the home under construction. This happens when the home has been fully insulated, but before drywall begins going up. During this inspection the Verifier will walk through the home and ensure that the builder has and is taking all the required steps to receive points in all of the categories which were claimed in the Design Report.
The Green Home in Wheaton is currently in the framing phase of construction. Currently JAW Builders is carefully taking all the steps to ensure that construction impact on the site is kept minimal, while also working hard to make sure that all building materials are used to maximize efficiency, and sorting waste materials for recycling thus minimizing waste being transferred to the landfill.
As the Verifier on the project, I will be setting up a time with JAW Builders to inspect the home once insulation has been installed. In the next post I will go through what steps JAW Builders has taken thus far during construction to fulfill requirements of the NGBS, and talk more about the Resource Efficiency chapter of the program.
Next to come: Going for Green Part V: Maximizing Resource Efficiency
Tags: Green Construction, Gregg Stahr, Jaw Builders, Residential
Is this home for sale? I think I remember seeing a similar home on the MLS.
No this home is not for sale, it is being constructed for a client.
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