Florida Green Home Certification Standard

The FGBC Green Home Standard is applicable to single-family homes and multi-family buildings 3 stories or under.

FGBC Certified Green Home Marketing Tools Available

Certifying Agents and builders: Order an FGBC Certified Green Home "Application Pending" yard sign to promote your project during construction and a bronze plaque that can be permanently affixed to the home once it is certified. What a great way to promote your green building advantage!
Order forms are available on the FGBC Green Home Checklist application.

Use the FGBC "Make Your Next Home an FGBC Certified Florida Green Home" sign at any location to promote green home certifications in your area. Download.

The FGBC Certified Green Home Designation

The FGBC Green Home Standard indicates the criteria by which a Florida home, new or existing, can be designated green. Certifying Agents can guide designers, builders or homebuyers through the process of qualifying and documenting green homes. 

Choosing Green

By choosing to build green, you have chosen to reduce the burden on the environment and add value to your home through a voluntary Florida green home designation as administered by the Florida Green Building Coalition. FGBC's purpose is to provide you with the tools and guidance necessary to help you please your customer, as well as reward and promote your efforts as a Florida friendly builder.

Why should you support a green design designation?

Many homeowners are desiring and some insisting that their home be earth friendly, affordable to operate, and healthy to live in. FGBC's Green Home Standard is a tool that will guide you and your customer through the process of selecting green features that are cost effective, benefit the environment, and will fit in with your current practice. The standard has been developed such that it is achievable by everyone and will be recognized as a statewide industry standard.

Home Certification Process

The Florida Green Home Standard Checklist and Reference Guide can be downloaded using the links below and will help an FGBC green home Certifying Agent provide an evaluation of the home. The Green Home Checklist is detailed to new home and existing home requirements. The Green Home Reference Guide goes along with the Checklist and is intended for two purposes: to provide information on green home practices and provide details on how to earn points for complying with the Florida Green Home Designation Standard. Some items require submittals that are colored in red. Suggested submittals for other items are colored in green.

All Green Home Certification applications must be submitted to FGBC by an FGBC Certifying Agent in good standing. The status of Certifying Agents can be verified on the FGBC website under the DIRECTORIES section.

After the home has been evaluated using the checklist and reference guide, the Certifying Agent will organize a packet of all the required and suggested submittals to be sent with the application. Letters, documents, documented verbal communication, floor plans, etc. are all welcome. Included in the packet must be a copy of the standard checklist (please make sure all signatures and addresses are completed on the back page), a financial interest disclosure form and a check made payable to FGBC. Although printed documentation is acceptable, it is suggested that the application and supporting documents be submitted on CDs as digital files, when possible. Hyperlinks from the Checklist line item to the supporting documentation are preferred, but not required.

The application package will be reviewed for compliance and if there are any questions the Certifying Agent will be contacted. Reviews are usually completed within 2 to 3 weeks. Upon certification, the Certifying Agent will be mailed an FGBC Green Home Designation certificate for distribution to the project owner. For questions concerning the status of an application, call 321-638-1723. For any other questions, contact FGBC at 850-894-3422.

Fee

Member of FGBC and FHBA $ 50; Member of FGBC or FHBA $75; Non Members $100. If there are any questions about the correct fee for a particular application, please contact FGBC at 850-894-3422 before sending in the application.

Ready to send in the packet? Send it to:

Florida Green Building Coalition
Attn: Green Office
Florida Solar Energy Center
1679 Clearlake Rd.
Cocoa, FL. 32922

Click here to learn more about becoming a FGBC Certifying Agent

Modification Process

Please refer to the Standards "Policies" document for complete information on the modification process.

a. Periodic review.

At least triennially, the provisions set forth in these Green Home Designation Standards shall be reviewed by the Standards Committee of the Florida Green Building Coalition in collaboration with other stakeholders. At a minimum, this review shall include consideration and evaluation of changes in the law, technological innovations, and comments and requests received from interested parties.

b. Submission of revision and change requests.

i. Proposals to change these Green Home Designation Standards may be submitted in writing, at any time, to the Florida Green Building Coalition.

ii. All proposals to change these Green Home Designation Standards that meet the criteria set forth in this section of these Standards shall be accepted for consideration and evaluation.

iii. Proposals to change shall be submitted in writing, at any time, to the Florida Green Buildings Coalition with

1. A Modification Request form available on the Florida Green Building Coalition web site: www.FloridaGreenBuilding.org
2. Specific revisions to the Green Home Designation Standards in a format that clearly identifies the manner in which the Green Home Designation Standards are to be altered (i.e. underline/strikeout format or equivalent). Any proposal to change these Green Home Designation Standards that does not include proposed alteration(s) shall be rejected and returned to the proponent.
3. Substantive reason(s) or justification for each proposed change. The lack of substantive justification for a proposed change may result in the return of the proposals to change to the proponent(s).
4. Supporting documentation that may be needed for the reasoned evaluation of the proposal.

iv. Proposals to change these Green Home Designation Standards shall be considered and evaluated at least annually.

1. The effective date of any annual revisions to these Green Home Designation Standards shall be July 1.
2. Only those proposals to change these Green Home Designation Standards that are received on or prior to the last working day of December shall be considered for the revisions to these Green Home Designation Standards that may become effective on July 1 of the following year.

c. Public Review Process

i. Revisions to these Green Home Designation Standards shall occur only after the relevant proposals to change these Green Home Designation Standards have been subjected to public scrutiny and comment using the following review process:

1. The Florida Green Building Coalition shall appoint a Green Home Designation Standards Revision Committee. This Committee shall be responsible for conducting the periodic evaluation and the annual evaluation of proposals to change these Green Home Designation Standards through a consensus process, whereby both consenting and the non-consenting opinions are documented and incorporated as comments into each report or proposal to change.
2. Following initial evaluation by the Green Home Designation Standards Revision Committee, proposals to change shall be posted on appropriate Internet web pages for a period of not less than 30 days during which public comment shall be accepted.
3. Following the public comment period, the Green Home Designation Standards Revision Committee shall meet to reconcile public comments with the initial comments of the Committee and, if changes are determined necessary, a final set of recommended changes with consensus comments that considers public comments shall be prepared on each proposal for change.

   Proposals for change receiving two-thirds majority support from the Green Home Designation Standards Revision Committee after public comment shall be incorporated into a set of revised Green Home Designation Standards.

ii. The revised Green Home Designation Standards shall be submitted for Board approval no later than one week before the March Board meeting for consideration of approval during the meeting. Once approved, the revised standards are to be published on the appropriate internet web pages no later than the end of May each year.

Benefits of Green Certified Homes