With the tremendous growth of green building programs and green rating systems in California, it is important to choose the right program for your next construction project.

Issues to be considered range from upfront costs, applicability of a program’s specific guidelines to the parameters of your project, local jurisdiction requirements, budgetary constraints, what phase the project is in, and more.

It is critical to select a certification program as early as possible, preferably at the planning/design stages, to help minimize costs and to use the program as the overall guide for the development.

Please visit our Mandatory vs. Voluntary page to learn which cities in Orange County have already endorsed, adopted or created a green building program. This will help with the choice of which program to use for new projects in those cities.

For a brief set of details on the California green BUILDER, Build It Green and LEED-H (for Homes) programs please click here to see the study done by Chandra Krout (LEED Certifying Agent and Green Building Consultant) for California State University, Fullerton in 2007.

Local Green Programs - OC Register Article by Jeff Collins from 11/07.

Quick tips on how to get a project certified green

Please click on the following links to the many green building certification programs available to Orange County builders.

Links to Certification Programs:

CALIFORNIA GREEN BUILDER PROGRAM

Build It Green - GreenPoint Rated

EPA- Energy Star

NAHB National Green Building Program

USGBC – LEED-EB (Existing Building)
USGBC - LEED-H (Homes)
USGBC - LEED-NC (New Construction)