GREENPOINT RATED

About GreenPoint Rated

GreenPoint Rated is a credible and accessible pathway to prove your home was built to trusted environmental standards for a sustainable, efficient, durable, and healthier home. Experienced and certified GreenPoint Raters deliver third-party verification on above-code, high-performance single and multi-family homes in California and beyond.

GreenPoint Rated recommends measures and performance benchmarks that specifically address climate and market conditions. They are backed by sound building science, have been tried and tested in the field, and are recognized by third party sources, including the Fannie Mae Green Certification program, California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments.

This residential green home rating system can be used on any new construction, existing homes, single family, and multifamily. Each system has a checklist of best building practices for the specific home type and divided into five different categories:

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Energy efficient homes are less drafty, quieter, and have lower utility bills than conventionally built homes. By making your home more energy efficient, you’ll also lower your demand on the power grid and reduce your home’s impact on climate change.

Health / Air Quality

According to the EPA, the air in new homes can be ten times more polluted than outdoor air and today we are spending over 90% of our time indoors. Healthier indoor environments can be achieved by selecting adhesives, paints, and floor finishes without compounds that are known to cause cancer or trigger asthma, and proper ventilation can reduce excessive dust and mold.

Water Conservation

As droughts continue to plague California, fresh water is becoming more precious and water bills are on the rise. By conserving water in your home, you can reduce pressure on our water supply and save money on your bills, all while preserving your favorite water recreation spots. Saving hot water can reduce your energy bills too!

Resource Conservation

Framing techniques that use less lumber and reuse existing materials can help lower upfront cost. Green materials are often more durable than standard building materials, so require less maintenance cost too. GreenPoint Rated homes use recycled materials wherever possible, keeping waste out of landfills and protecting our forests for future generations.

Community

Livable communities enhance quality of life while reducing impact on the environment. Well-designed communities are clustered to help preserve open space for recreation, views, and natural habitats. High-density areas where work, shopping, and school are all close by means less time driving, and fewer greenhouse gas emissions from cars.

How to get a home GreenPoint Rated?

GreenPoint Rated homes are verified by GreenPoint Raters, independent building professionals who are trained and certified by Build It Green. The rating process is a non-invasive physical examination of the building system over the course of the project design and construction. For more details on the process, check out our Builder’s Handbook.

HIRE A RATER

Find a certified GreenPoint Rater and bring them in early in your design process. You can find a list of Raters through our Certified Professionals Directory.

IDENTIFY MEASURES

Work with the Rater to review the GreenPoint Rated checklist and create a customized list of design features and construction practices for your project. The list ensures you will meet or exceed the GreenPoint Rated prerequisites and point minimums.

SUBMIT INITIAL APPLICATION

The Rater submits a project planning score sheet to Build It Green. The Rater assists the project team through the design process to ensure measures are incorporated into the plans and specifications.

VERIFY MEASURES

The Rater coordinates with the construction team to provide third-party documentation and site verification of measures and construction practices achieved. All CALGreen and GreenPoint Rated measures must be verified by the Rater.

APPLY FOR FINAL CERTIFICATION

The Rater compiles documentation, calculates scores, and, when the project is built and documentation completed, submits all necessary documentation to Build It Green for certification review processing.

GET YOUR CERTIFICATE!

Build It Green mails the GreenPoint Rated certificate as instructed by the Rater. Be sure to communicate with the Rater who should receive the certificate.

Housing Types

The GreenPoint Rated system is available for all types of residential buildings. Learn more about eligibility and performance targets, and see profiles of a few of the 80,000+ GreenPoint Rated homes by selecting a project type below:

Pricing

Rater Costs

GreenPoint Raters work as independent contractors and set their own rates and service packages. Contractual terms and fee structure are solely between the client and the Rater to negotiate.

Build It Green Administrative Costs

These fees help cover the administrative services provided by Build It Green. We recommend the Rater pays the processing fee and handles all transactions with Build It Green on your behalf. Use this GreenPoint Rated Fee Calculator to determine the administrative fee for your project or refer to the administrative fee chart HERE.

Is your project new construction or lived in for less than a year?

Are the homes multifamily?

(e.g. multiple units share a central system)

Is this a rental property?

Do you need an expedited review (i.e. 2-3 day turnaround)?

Standard processing and review is up to 15 business days.

How many units does the project have?

24 Units

Total

$1,070

Application Fee $

Certification Fee $

Become a GreenPoint Rater

Interested in becoming a green building consultant, a third party green home verifier, or simply design and build better homes? GreenPoint Raters are experienced building professionals with specialized backgrounds and training for the building types they work with. Before being admitted to the GreenPoint Rated training and certification program, the following prerequisites must be met:

Candidates must be at least one of the following:

Licensed general contractor, architect, &/or engineer (CA)
ASHI Inspector
CREIA Inspector – Master (MCI) or Certified (CCI)
International Code Council (ICC) Building Inspector
California Bureau of Real Estate Assessors (BREA) Residential license or better (i.e. AL, AR, AG)
California Association of Building Energy Consultants (CABEC) Energy Analyst
4+ years of building experience

Candidates must hold at least one of the following:

Build It Green’s Certified Green Building Professional (CGBP)
US Green Building Council (USGBC)’s LEED Green Associate, LEED AP with Specialty and/or LEED Green Rater
Green Building Initiative (GBI) Green Globes Assessor (GGA)
National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Certified Green Professional

Available Tracks

New Home Single and Multifamily Rater Program

If you check the above two boxes, we welcome you to apply to become a GreenPoint Rater for new construction single and
multifamily homes. Eligible candidates will then attend GreenPoint Rated Core and GreenPoint Rated New Home training courses.
Apply Here

Existing Home Multifamily Rater Program

In addition to the above pre-requisites, candidates must have:

2+ years of multifamily sector experience
completed a minimum of 4 field tests with blower door and/or duct leakage testing
BPI Multifamily Building Analyst professional certification

Eligible candidates will then attend GreenPoint Rated Core and GreenPoint Rated Existing Home Multifamily training courses.

Apply Here

Existing Home Single Family Rater Program

For existing single family homes, familiarity with energy performance and combustion safety training are critical.

In addition to the above pre-requisites, candidates must have energy efficiency and combustion safety training. This may include one of the following:

Eligible candidates will then attend GreenPoint Rated Core and GreenPoint Rated Existing Home Single Family training courses.

Apply Here

Ready to train to become a GreenPoint Rater?

If you believe you are a good candidate for the GreenPoint Rated program, but your experience falls outside the listed requirements, please submit a petition that includes a resume and cover letter explaining your qualifications for the GreenPoint Rated program to [email protected]

Green Home Resources

Build It Green has a variety of resources available to help you along your green home journey.

Explore Green Home Features

Green Building Certification Guidance

Green Building Marketing Materials

Homebuyer - Existing Home [Factsheet]
Homebuyer - New Home [Factsheet] [Brochure]
Builder - New Home [Factsheet] [Brochure]
Open House Signage - Highlight green home features with colorful 4" x 6" signs and 8.5" x 11" flyers.
Yard signs - Let homebuyers know that this home is being built to GreenPoint Rated standards [Order]
Wall Plaque - Mount it for display in a common area or on the building exterior to promote that your home meets proven environmental standards. Available in 8", 12" or 16" diameters. To order contact: [email protected]

The Value of Green Homes Case Studies

Green Multi-family and Single Family Homes: Growth in a Recovering Market 2014 study by McGraw Hill Construction finds green homes market expected to increase five-fold by 2016.
The Value of Green Labels in the California Housing Market: An Economic Analysis of the Impact of Green Labeling on the Sales Price of a Home UC Berkeley and UCLA study providing statistical evidence that a green label on a single family home in California earns a 9% market premium.