St Louis HBA Reaches Milestone in Green Building

The Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri recently reached a milestone by verifying its 50th Green home as part of the HBA's Green Building Initiative. That's not the only good news - dozens more are currently in the pipe line and headed toward verification. The program was launched in 2005 and is recognized by the National Association of Home Builders as a model for green building programs around the country.

The homes are being built to strict standards adopted by the St. Louis HBA, and are third party verified by engineers at Laclede Gas. A detailed application and check list are filed with the HBA and Laclede prior to construction. Then, before drywall and closing, Laclede engineers tour the home to verify the check list is being followed. Homes are rated either bronze, silver or gold under the program. If operated and maintained properly, these homes will provide homeowners with lower utility bills and better indoor air quality, and homes that are more durable and require less maintenance.

Until recently, the voluntary program was supported by mostly small custom builders. That recently changed when Consort Homes and Fischer and Frichtel announced they would offer green homes verified through the program. Kim Hibbs of Hibbs Homes talked with Tom Schultz of Laclede Gas who explains why larger builders are becoming interested in building green.

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• Green building
• HBA St. Louis
• Verification