The climate crisis is a reality that we cannot ignore anymore. As storms ravage nations and droughts lead to famine across an unprecedented scale, the world is finally taking notice.
Green home builders in California are rejoicing as more and more people switch to eco-friendly options. Sustainable homes are not only cost-efficient, but they can also reduce the impact of climate change and turn things around for future generations.
Top Benefits of Green Homes
Here are some of the top benefits you can enjoy when choosing a sustainable home:
Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The greenhouse effect may benefit your indoor plants, but it can wreak havoc on the environment if it isn’t curbed. Traditional homes and buildings can increase GHG emissions significantly, which can damage the ozone layer.
Cost Savings
Green homes are specifically designed to help you save energy by reducing heating and cooling loads. Depending on how it is designed, an eco-friendly house can also reduce air leakage, maintain efficient lighting and insulate your home against the elements. All of these benefits together result in significant cost savings.
Reduce Future Utility Costs
Sustainable homes make use of green technologies, which reduce utility costs dramatically. With power and water bills increasing each year, you can save yourself from future expenses.
What to Look For In a Green Home Builder
No two green home builders in California are the same. Choose one with most of these features and benefits:
- Offers visits to completed homes or shows homes to help clients make an informed decision.
- References
- Architects and designers with a strong background in eco-friendly home building
- Appropriate licenses and awareness of building codes
- Ability to build airtight and energy-efficient homes
Top 10 Green Home Builders in California
Here are our top picks for the best green home builders in California you can look into:
Pacific Green Homes
Pacific Green Homes is a general contractor specializing in providing green solutions for home renovations and building projects. It provides home remodeling services in LA and has developed a network of trusted vendors who can take on any challenge.
Pacific Green’s process is simple and highly efficient. First, design specialists conduct an in-home consultation with clients to finalize their vision.
Each project is customized as per the budget and requirements. Clients are also given samples of completed projects they can use to make informed decisions during this time.
Everything is outlined in as much detail as possible, so nothing is left to chance when construction starts.
Tim Lewis Communities
Tim Lewis Communities is a certified green home builder in California. It’s known for using state-of-the-art energy-efficient technologies that result in homes that pay for themselves in the long run and help conserve the natural environment.
The company follows an eight-step green building process that keeps costs down without compromising overall efficiency and aesthetics.
The builder serves several communities across California, so it’s highly experienced in building homes to code and expectations. Tim Lewis focuses mostly on the Sacramento area and has been doing so for the past 30 years.
Eco Minded Solutions
Located in San Diego, Eco Minded Solutions offers a wide range of green building solutions for homes and landscapes. The team is trained and motivated by eco-friendly and practical solutions.
The company has won numerous awards for its innovative designs, and they are also the only contractors in San Diego offering home construction and landscaping solutions.
Eco Minded Solutions is supported by a dedicated team of in-house architects, interior and exterior design professionals, and a team that is 60+ strong.
The contractors are known for their commitment to excellence and consistent efforts to ensure their clients get what they need.
Elliot Homes
Elliot Homes uses only the best green practices to build homes that preserve natural resources. It will never build over natural reserves and wildlife habitats, whether they are protected or not.
The contractors are known for green building solutions that help their clients save money and protect the earth at the same time.
Some of these solutions include drip irrigation systems, automatic sprinklers, the use of pre-cut lumber and water-conserving plumbing and faucets to reduce waste, and even onsite recycling of excess building materials from each project.
The company also works to preserve and protect the communities’ water they cater to by complying with the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan.
Go Green Construction
Go Green Construction offers attractive and eco-friendly alternatives to traditionally-constructed homes. Its mission is to reduce its carbon footprint with energy-conscious business practices that can benefit clients in the long run.
Each Go Green home is built according to existing codes, and clients are kept in the loop throughout construction.
The company has more than a decade’s worth of experience in the commercial and residential market in Southern California. Besides construction services, it also offers consultation, interior design, and home renovation and maintenance services.
Instead of relying on guesswork, the professionals at Go Green Construction first evaluate their clients’ needs via three tests—duct blaster, blower door, and CAZ.
They use advanced measuring tools to examine these three factors to determine the exact issues you are facing.
After their evaluation, they create a report complete with recommendations to transform the client’s home into an energy-efficient unit.
Green Air Solutions
Green Air Solutions has been providing green home building and renovation solutions in California since 2010 and is still going strong. It is committed to upgrading its communities with energy-efficient solutions and some of the most responsible HVAC options eco-conscious Californians can appreciate.
The company is also working actively with county programs to provide home restoration relief for struggling families who have lost their homes to wildfires. Some of the notable brands they work with include Coleman, CaliforniaFirst, Goodman Air Conditioning and Heating, Ygrene, American Standard, and Daikin, to name a few.
Builders Green Remodeling, Inc.
Builders Green Remodeling, Inc. is known for its design professionals who are highly skilled in building green homes that its clients can appreciate for years.
Since 2013, the company has boasted an experienced construction team known in and around San Diego for its superior workmanship, creative problem-solving skills, and excellent communication skills.
The company also has a vast network of designers and architects who have collaborated on a range of eco-friendly projects, big and small. Besides green home construction, it also offers maintenance services for homes’ upkeep, including landscaping, pool installation, painting, roofing, HVAC installation and maintenance, and even termite fumigation services.
Sigura Construction
Sigura Construction is a family-owned business that serves the greater San Francisco bay area. With over 20 years of experience in the construction field, the company is known for its quality of service and fire, water, and smoke damage mitigation services that have helped their clients save money.
Besides new construction, Sigura Construction also offers remodeling services based on eco-friendly practices. The team has extensive experience working on additions to townhomes and even condos.
It remains on top of each project it takes on from start to finish and is also known for going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure its clients are happy with the end result.
JL Construction
Formerly known as Jeff Luchetti Construction, Inc., JL Construction has served the Bay Area since the late ’90s and specializes in providing green modular construction services across California.
Its portfolio boasts a wide range of projects that showcase flexibility and creativity when tackling unique requirements.
Besides eco-friendly homes, the company also builds schools, government facilities, and industrial complexes while following sustainable building practices.
It has completed several large projects that included custom-built restaurants, spas, and hotels. As such, the team at JL Construction has an impressive array of skills that can overcome design challenges and client issues.
Santa Cruz Green Builders
According to the Santa Cruz Green Builders team, green building is simply smart building. The company uses this concept to ensure that the projects it undertakes tick all the boxes for comfort and sustainability.
All of the structures built are based on passive solar designs—each faces south, and most of the windows are on the south wall and shaded by awnings, providing thermal mass.
Each building is also insulated and sealed against the elements, which may otherwise cause HVAC systems to work overtime. In other words, the buildings the company designs save energy costs. So while the upfront cost is a tad higher than traditional home construction, the homes it designs end up paying for themselves in the long run.
Santa Cruz Green Builders also focuses on the indoor air quality of its homes. The company foregoes toxic building materials and chemicals in favor of eco-friendly alternatives that will not poison homeowners after moving into their new homes.
Final Word
An eco-friendly home may be a bit costly initially, but the money you will save down the line will more than make up for that investment. The aforementioned green home builders are considered some of the best in California and will likely understand your vision and requirements for your new home better than traditional homebuilders can.
You don’t have to stick to this list, but it can let you know what to expect during the construction process.
