Introduction to Green Building for Consumers
Are you interested in a home that is cost-effective to operate, has healthy indoor air quality, and has a minimal impact on environmental resources? Learn about energy-efficiency construction and remodeling to create your own green dream home.

Hire an Industry Professional
Through NAHB’s Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation program, you can find a builder, remodeler, architect, designer or other professional committed to making your home green. CGPs will explain the hows and whys of green building, and help you decide on the high-performance strategies that are appropriate for your project.

A CGP has been trained to:
• Choose products and practices for greater energy efficiency
• Provide guidance on indoor and outdoor water conservation practices
• Optimize indoor environmental quality
• Identify and choose sustainable building products
• Develop sustainable site development strategies
• Meet the benchmarks of the ICC/ASHRAE 700-2015 National Green Building Standard™(NGBS)

Have Your Home NGBS Green Certified
Incorporating green building practices and high-performance features into your new home or remodeling project is the first step. Certification to the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) provides independent, third-party certification for new and renovated single-family homes (and multifamily apartment buildings). Administered through the Home Innovation Research Labs, the NGBS is the only residential green building rating system that has received American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approval.

The NGBS has four levels of certification — Bronze, Silver, Gold and Emerald — to designate different thresholds of a home’s energy performance. 

The four certification levels enable builders to make the best choice for their projects based on market preferences, buyers’ budgets, and other regional or cultural influences. The NGBS is the only residential green certification program that requires increasingly higher thresholds in all categories of construction for a home to reach the next (i.e., more energy-efficient) level of certification.

Survey results show that 94% of owners of NGBS-certified homes would recommend a green residence to a friend or family member, and 95% are satisfied with the features in their home. Ask your builder, designer or Certified Green Professional (CGP) about having your home certified. Learn more at NGBS.com.