LEED Certification in Home Building

LEED (or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Certification may seem like an unnecessary designation to have for a home, but registering and certifying a project means that you will reduce the expenses associated with energy consumption and maintenance of your household, and the designation can significantly increase your property value.

Certification for a LEED home is done by the U.S. Green Building Council. Harmon Builders would work with a Green Rater during the design process, who is there to ensure that the design specifications will meet the intended credits for certification. Then the project would be registered.  The Green Rater is there to verify that the goals of your environmentally conscious home design are met during the building process. Technical services are available through the U.S. Green Building Council throughout the project and their expertise is available to assist on the project during the building phase.

Certification is achieved through fulfillment of a number of credits. The credits pertain to various aspects of the design and construction. These may have to do with indoor air quality, sustainability, water efficiency, or management of materials and minimizing waste, to name a few. There are different certification levels available depending upon the number of credits met by the finished project.

Registration and certification fees for a single family home are minimal. The total for both comes close to $500 in in many instances. Extensive information about LEED certification is available from the US Green Building Council, which Harmon Builders is a member of.