Green Remodeling/Renovating

 

Residential Renovation/Remodel

The National Green Building Standard™ offers two different paths to have a home or multi-unit building remodeling green certified. Until all scoring pathways for Renovations and Additions are incorporated into the Green Scoring Tool, some manual scoring steps may be involved.

Select your type of remodeling project to see the steps for certification.

Renovation of a Building Built before 1980

There are two possible paths to green certification for renovations of buildings with a building permit issued prior to January 1, 1980:

Both paths allow certification at the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald levels for either single family or multi-unit homes. Explore both paths and evaluate which path best meets your needs from a features, performance, and cost perspective.

Green Remodel Path

The Green Remodel Path (Section 305.5 of the Standard) is available only for homes and multi-unit buildings constructed before 1980. This path has only 3 required elements:

  1. achieving a certain reduction in energy usage
  2. achieving a certain reduction in water usage
  3. complying with 5 mandatory indoor environmental quality practices (from Chapter 9)

The reduction in energy and water consumption must range from a minimum of 20% for Bronze to at least 50% for Emerald level. A qualified professional must audit or analyze the water and energy usage before and after the remodel. The same approach to the audit/analysis must be used for both the before and after studies. The verification process will require two very brief inspections to verify the Chapter 9 practices and a review of the energy and water analysis.

Instructions for the Green Remodel Path for Renovations

Step 1 Complete the scoring of the building using the Green Scoring Tool.

Hire a qualified professional to audit or analyze the water and energy usage before and after the remodel. The same approach to the audit/analysis must be used for both the before and after studies.
Step 2: Export final Designer's Report from Green Scoring Tool and save as an Excel file.
Step 3: As construction begins, hire an accredited verifier.
Step 4: Forward Designer's Report to selected verifier and schedule rough inspection.
Step 5: Meet with verifier after rough inspection to sign off on the correct version of the verification report which will be sent to NAHB Research Center for review.
Step 6: Receive invoice for green building certification fee.
Step 7: Complete Program Participation Agreement and return to Research Center with required evidence of insurance. Documentation is included in a builder's application packet, available by contacting us via e-mail.

Only one Agreement is required for each builder regardless of how many buildings are ultimately submitted for certification.
Step 8: Schedule final inspection with verifier and sign off on final Verification Report including certificate information.
Step 9: After final report review and receipt of the certification fee, the NAHB Research Center will issue the green certification.

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Green Building Path

All residential buildings are eligible to use the Green Building Path to have a renovation or remodeling project green certified. This path requires the remodeler to incorporate a number of green practices as part of the remodeling process and is very similar to the process for new construction to be green certified.. Each practice earns points and/or meets certain mandatory requirements toward certification. There are minimum threshold points in each of 6 green building categories (Chapters 5-10) as well as an overall total for each certification level. The practices in this path are generally the same as the practices for new construction but some of the practices are modified by Renovation Notes. The Renovation Notes often times provide additional points. There are also a number of mandatory practices on this path including some optional new construction practices which are made mandatory by a Renovation Note. Green Building Path renovations will require two inspections by verifiers for certification.

Instructions for the Green Building Path for Renovations

Until the scoring pathway for the Green Building Path for Renovations is incorporated into the Green Scoring Tool, the following process can be followed:

Step 1 Complete the scoring of the building using the Green Scoring Tool.

Score the building as if it was new construction. Export the Designer's Report as an Excel file.
Step 2 Obtain a copy of the National Green Building Standard at www.builderbooks.com. Review the Renovation Notes appropriate to all the green practices which appear in the designer report.
Step 3 Add a column next to the points claimed column in the Designer's Report and enter any point adjustments (additional points) in that column for green practices implemented in your renovation project. In the next column include any comments that explain what is being done in the renovation to justify the particular adjustment.
Step 4 E-mail the adjusted Designer's Report to VerificationReport@nahbrc.org for review and approval by the NAHB Research Center. Include in the cover e-mail that this is a renovation for design scoring review/approval.
Step 5 The Research Center will review the report and adjustments and make any additional adjustments as needed. The Research Center will e-mail the reviewed report back to the builder.
Step 6 Hire an accredited verifier to inspect the green practices (both rough and final). The verifier will use the approved designer report to record the inspection results.
Step 7 After final report review and receipt of the certification fee, the NAHB Research Center will issue the green certification.

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