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In recent years, many individuals and families have relocated to or in Maine, building houses in major cities such as Portland, Augusta, and Bangor. As eco-footprint has become more top of mind among the general public, many of these homes were built with energy efficiency and sustainability in mind.
If you also want to have your own sustainable ‘green’ home built in Maine, you will be glad to learn that many builders in the state specialize in this area.
To assist in your search, we have compiled a list of the top sustainable green home builders in Maine. These builders are highly experienced to work on your next green project. Keep reading!
The Best Green Home Builders in Maine
Here’s our list of the eight best sustainable builders in Maine that stand apart from the rest, including:
- Emerald Builders
- Maine Passive House
- Maine Eco Homes
- Landicity Builders
- Built By Adams
- Ginger Hill Design + Build
- Graystone Builders
- Taggart Construction
- Energy Efficient Homes
- J.D. Howell Design Build
- Benjamin & Company Construction
So, without further ado, let’s break down what each of these acclaimed companies has to offer homebuyers.
Emerald Builders
Emerald Builders is a builder based in Bowdoinham.
The company has been around since 2006 and was founded by a carpenter.
Emerald Builders specializes in constructing high-performance buildings and energy-efficient homes utilizing environmentally friendly products and processes in their builds.
The builder uses a combination of traditional building methods and innovative building science.
Emerald homes are ‘solar-ready’ and are built to be airtight with the help of several material layers.
The company prioritizes insulation in its builds using thick walls and minimal thermal bridging. The end product is an energy-efficient home with traditional and modern qualities.
Emerald Builders collaborates with designers and reliable subcontractors to ensure your new home is beautiful, sustainable, and healthy.
Clients will get the chance to meet the future home’s designer and builder and explain their vision to them.
It will then get to work to turn that vision into reality.
Consider hiring Emerald Builders if you’re looking for a great sustainable green home that utilizes environmentally friendly materials and practices in its construction.
Maine Passive House
Maine Passive House is a builder based in Bethel. A Danish native founded the company in 2006 after learning about passive home construction with the goal of introducing similar energy-efficient and healthy home designs in Maine.
Maine Passive House creates passive homes using a combination of thermal bridging, airtight assemblies, triple-paned windows, and energy recovery ventilation.
It also considers the toxicity of its build materials and has eliminated ones with off-gassing and high VOCs from its construction designs.
The company also aims to improve efficiency and reduce waste production at each stage of the building process. It considers the initial design before material ordering and building site management before finally assessing the constructed property’s long-term environmental impact.
The builder aims to cultivate long-lasting relationships with clients. It guides them through each step of the design and build processes before asking for their approval to start construction.
Choose Main Passive House if you are seeking a builder that prioritizes sustainability and collaboration in its builds.
Maine Eco Homes
Maine Eco Homes is a Bridgton-based custom home builder and general contractor.
Its primary mission is to create high-quality, energy-efficient homes while keeping environmental considerations and sustainability in mind.
Its team consists of experienced project managers, designers, subcontractors, carpenters, and suppliers working together to get the design and construction jobs done right within a reasonable timeframe.
Maine Eco Homes offers custom residential and commercial properties and provides remodeling services to make existing properties more sustainable and energy-efficient.
Clients who hire Maine Eco Homes to construct their future green homes will be impressed by its customer service quality.
Once your home has been built, Maine Eco Homes’ property maintenance and service divisions will keep in touch with you to ensure the property is free of defects and is performing as intended.
This builder also has an excellent reputation in the state. Maine Eco Homes has won the Small Business of the Year award for professional excellence and contributions to the state.
Consider getting your dream green home built by this builder if you are seeking reliability and timeliness in the project.
Landicity Builders
Landicity Builders is based in Brunswick and builds high-performance, energy-efficient homes from manufacturers such as BrightBuilt, Mottram Architecture, and Unity Homes.
It strives to demonstrate that high-performance, healthy, and solar-ready homes can be affordable.
Landicity builds each structure to the highest IRC codes and conducts numerous post-construction tests, such as a blower test. As a result, its homes are built to last hundreds of years and help homeowners save thousands of dollars on energy bills annually.
The company uses only low or no-VOC materials in its builds and offers to construct homes in lots spread across the state.
Consider hiring Landicity Builders to create your future green home if you seek a no-nonsense builder who uses trusted manufacturers’ designs and materials.
Built By Adams
Built By Adams is a home builder based in southern Maine.
The company has been building custom homes for over forty years and prides itself on craftsmanship.
The builder does not tout its homes as being “green.” However, the houses have been designed to offer high performance, durability, and comfort for many decades.
Built By Adams utilizes many innovative processes in its builds. For example, it waterproofs foundation walls rather than “damp-proof” them as other builders often do and uses zip sheathing to create a neat watertight seal for rough-ins.
Clients can design their own custom high-performance home and get it built from scratch using the build methods described above.
Alternatively, they can choose from five diverse semi-custom home styles that range from 1,400 square feet to 2,200 square feet (130.06 square meters to 204.39 square meters).
Built By Adams is an excellent choice for any homeowner seeking a builder with many decades of experience to back up its builds.
Ginger Hill Design + Build
Ginger Hill Design + Build is located in Arundel.
The company was founded in 2008 and touted itself as one of Maine’s premier green builders.
Its staff utilizes their combined experience to build elegant, affordable, and environmentally friendly properties.
As the name implies, Ginger Hill takes care of both the design and building processes for each home constructed.
The team works closely with clients during the design phase, taking in key details about their wishes.
Then, the build team takes care of the heavy lifting during the construction phase while keeping clients in the loop.
Clients can also reach out to Ginger Hill for consultancy services. The company can offer assistance if you want to renovate or make energy-efficient additions to your existing home.
Consider hiring Ginger Hill Design + Build if you are seeking a light, functional, and modern home to live in.
Graystone Builders
Graystone Builders is a custom green home builder based in York.
The company has been operating for over thirty years and aims to deliver quality builds with each project.
This builder works with numerous local designers and architects to design and construct unique homes that blend in with nature, offer great views, and utilize passive solar options.
The company’s homes are LEED-certified and Energy Star-rated. So clients can rest easy knowing the right experts have tested their new home.
Graystone Builders aims to make the home construction process as easy as possible for clients.
It takes care of acquiring all the necessary permits and scheduling the relevant local building inspections required by the state.
Consider hiring this builder if you’re looking for a sustainable home that exceeds your expectations.
Taggart Construction
Located in Freeport, Taggart Construction has been building environmentally friendly and energy-efficient homes for Maine residents since 1994.
The company built Maine’s first Energy Star-rated and LEED Gold-certified homes.
Its primary focus has always been on constructing quality sustainable homes for clients. Taggart’s custom homes are designed to offer excellent energy efficiency without sacrificing design beauty.
Its builds ease into the surrounding environment, making them a welcome addition in any Maine location.
Taggart Construction has been at the forefront of eco-friendly home construction for over two decades.
The company is always looking for new ways to improve energy efficiency and make homes more comfortable.
Maine residents seeking a top-notch green builder can’t go wrong by choosing Taggart Construction to build their future home.
Energy Efficient Homes
Founded in 2019 by Jeff St. Pierre, Energy Efficient Homes goes above and beyond to meet the demand for high energy-efficiency construction.
Since Jeff is an experienced energy evaluator through the Maine Home Performance with Energy Star program, his company focuses on meeting the highest levels of energy efficiency.
The company helps its customers reduce their homes’ impact on the environment by reducing the amount of energy consumed annually. It achieves this through efficient air sealing, insulation, and optimizing heating and cooling systems.
Energy Efficient Homes also takes your health and that of your family seriously when building green homes. As a result, it designs all homes to prevent any moisture issues that can affect indoor air quality, resulting in mold growth.
Additionally, this green home builder in Maine ensures that all combustion systems work effectively to prevent the indoor accumulation of carbon monoxide and radon gasses.
Following a site analysis, Energy Efficient Homes may recommend the installation of energy or heat recovery ventilators to enhance indoor air quality. These systems will ensure your home’s energy consumption is efficient and safe.
Other systems installed by this builder include:
- Controlled ventilation fans and air exchangers
- Ductless or mini-split heat pumps
- Rigid foam exterior insulation and blown-in insulation for the attic
- Basement encapsulation
- High-efficiency triple-pane glazing doors and windows
J.D. Howell Design Build
Located in Waldoboro, J.D. Howell Design Build is among the top sustainable green home builders in Maine for a good reason.
For over 15 years, this company has been focussing on building highly insulated and low or zero-energy homes. It also offers super-efficient home remodels across Midcoast Maine.
This builder will help you reduce your home’s environmental impact by designing and building a green home that creates as much energy as it uses annually. It achieves this by incorporating on-site renewable production and a low-energy building envelope.
Some of the company’s green homes are equipped with solar energy production components, making them net-zero or near net-zero.
What sets J.D. Howell Design Build apart is that it’s a certified passive house builder. It was certified by PHIUS in 2015, making it one of the few companies you can rely on for a green home that meets Passive House standards.
Other green building initiatives by this company include:
- Installing high-efficiency heat pumps
- Solar panel installations
- Adding attic and basement insulation
- Creating energy-efficient exterior insulations
If you’re in Maine, consider hiring J.D. Howell Design Build if you want a super-insulated green home to conserve energy and lower your utility bills.
Benjamin & Company Construction
Located in Brunswick, Maine, Benjamin & Company Construction is among the builders who take sustainable construction seriously.
It employs the latest technology in building science and materials to ensure all its homes are durable, use less energy, and are more livable.
The best part is that it designs projects based on a client’s budget, aiming to be as affordable as possible without compromising quality.
Whether you want to lower your monthly energy bills or get a green home with advanced Passive House features, this is the company to deliver.
With years of experience in high-performance building materials and methods, you can rest assured of getting a high-quality green home in line with the state’s code requirements.
Benjamin & Company Construction can build your next home to meet LEED, Passive House, and Energy Star standards for energy efficiency.
To achieve LEED for homes, this company focuses on the following:
- Sustainable sites
- Innovation and design process
- Material and resources
- Indoor environmental quality
- Energy and atmosphere
- Water efficiency
- Awareness and education
Benjamin & Company Construction is your go-to green builder in Maine for a home built to meet LEED standards within the U.S. building code metrics.
Selecting the Right Green Home Builder in Maine
Most of Maine’s sustainable builders mentioned above have stellar reputations backing up their services. These companies have built the trust of numerous clients and strive to design and build quality structures that last for many years.
A well-constructed green home can reduce your carbon footprint and create long-term energy savings, making them beneficial for the environment while helping you cut back on energy usage.
Consider looking into each of the builders mentioned above. They are located throughout the state, so it may help to check out the ones found in your area in person and learn how they go about their design and construction processes.
Also, be sure to check out our list of top modular builders in Maine and the neighboring New Hampshire, as several of the companies featured construct homes that are also considered sustainable. Furthermore, the top sustainable builders in New Hampshire may also be able to service your area of the state.
Best of luck in your endeavors!