By incorporating green building and sustainable living practices, you can provide for your needs now and help sustain resources for the needs of future generations. Choosing green design and construction can:

• Reduce environmental impacts by being resource-efficient and minimizing waste
• Create a healthier home environment through improved air quality
• Increase resale value of your property
• Save you money through lower operating and maintenance costs

How to get started with building green

• Identify what aspects of green building/sustainable living are important to you
• Talk with a professional (contractor, architect, landscaper, real estate agent) about building and living green.
• Ask local suppliers to stock green building products and materials.
• Check resources at the bottom of this page for more information

What should I consider when choosing green?

• Products with natural content, materials, fibers, and substances that are sustainably harvested
• Products incorporating re-used, recycled, salvaged, or repurposed materials
• Durable products and materials that last longer and require less maintenance 
• Products with resource and energy efficient features for consumers (EnergyStar, Waterwise, etc.)
• Manufacturing process that requires less energy, water, and waste, to produce
• Manufacturing process that supports a healthy work environment, eliminates or substantially reduces off-gassing and pollution, is less harmful to produce, and is safer for end-users. 
• Product and material end-of-life considerations; can it be reused, recycled or repurposed
• Products sourced regionally or in the US to reduce transportation energy and pollution
• Products and materials vetted by credible sources with honest and transparent labeling

Go Green Now Without the Commitment of a Major Remodel or Building Project 
Here are five easy ways to get started:

1. Use products and materials with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOC) to avoid off-gassing chemicals (examples include fabrics, blinds, paint, finishes and adhesives).
2. Install water-saving fixtures and devices displaying the WaterSense label
3. Select Energy Star appliances, heating/cooling systems, and LED lighting
4. Seal air leaks with weatherstripping, caulk, duct tape, etc. (see Home Energy Audit below)
5. Use products with renewable, recycled, repurposed and salvaged content.

The responsibility for sustaining our world as a healthy environment rests with all of us. By incorporating green building and sustainable living practices, you’ll provide for your needs now and the needs of future generations. Choosing green design and construction can:

• Increase resale value of your property
• Save you money through lower operating and maintenance costs
• Make a healthier home through improved air quality
• Reduces environmental impact by being resource-efficient and minimizing waste
  

Before you start contacting contractors or applying for permits, it’s important to decide what you want and your project scope.

A typical design/construction process includes some or all of the following steps:

1. Preliminary research
2. Professional selection
3. Pre-design
4. Permit pre-application
5. Conceptual design
6. Schematic design
7. Design development
8. Permitting & construction documents
9. Construction
10. Occupancy
11. Maintenance

Several certification programs are available for residential projects and offer guidance and verification of best green homebuilding practices.

• Built Green(Washington) – a residential green building program of the Master Builders Association developed in partnership with King and Snohomish Counties. Also available in Pierce County.
• Energy Star® - product labeling through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency focused on quality, performance and energy savings.
• Enterprise Green Communities - national green building program designed explicitly for the affordable housing sector.
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes – a national rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance homes.
• Living Building Challenge – a regenerative focused program that consists of seven performance categories including place, water, energy, health & happiness, materials, equity and beauty.
• National Green Building Standard – a third-party verification program for homes, apartment buildings, or land development focused on achieving high performance in six key areas: site design, resource efficiency, water efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and building operation & maintenance.
• Passive House - a voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, which reduces the building's ecological footprint. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling.