What are green building guidelines?

Green building guidelines offer recommended measures for conserving natural resources, using water and energy wisely, improving indoor air quality, and planning for livable and vibrant communities. Building with these measures helps to create healthy, durable buildings that reduce environmental impacts and cost less to operate and maintain.

What are green building rating systems?

Rating systems take a systematic approach to evaluating implementation of green building measures to help compare projects on a level playing field. Guidelines and rating systems are available for various types of projects on local, statewide, and national scales. Be aware that not all systems require independent, third-party verification of green building measures. Explore this section for an overview of selected programs available in California:

--> Residential guidelines and rating systems
--> Landscape and water use guidelines
--> Commercial guidelines and rating systems