Consumer Help

It is a risky financial decision for a homebuyer to build their home at today’s minimum standards, as rapidly changing building codes and the explosion of home certifications will make their home code-obsolete and performance-obsolete in the next few years…not a good scenario for resale or investment situations. Be sure your next home is FGBC certified. [Learn More] [Find an FGBC green builder]

As part of the Florida Green Building Coalition’s mission to “improve the built environment,” we want to help all Floridians who are seeking to become more responsible stewards of the environment. And while we can’t address every single subject related to environmental preservation – there are a lot of great organizations active with their specific missions – we are the experts when the subject turns to the “built environment.”

We strive to make the website as relevant as possible for visitors with specific green building needs and questions. And in order to remain relevant, we need to also remain dynamic. Therefore, we encourage you to visit this page often as we will regularly post new information with tips on how you can reduce your energy consumption and water usage, create a healthier indoor environment for your family, select materials that are reused, renewable or recyclable, encourage the use of Florida’s native plants, and in general, adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. We hope you find the content helpful!

Checkout the information tips and helpful links located in the "Download" section of this page.

What Is Mitigation?
Mitigation is the effort to reduce the loss of life and property by lessoning the impact of disasters. Wind mitigation aims to increase the integrity of structural and nonstructural aspects of your home to prevent or lessen damage caused by high winds that can occur during storms. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has created the “Get A Plan” workshop and guidebook to outline activities to help homeowners prepare and mitigate their homes against natural disasters. Download the Guidebook and Storm Preparation Checklist

Get the latest design ideas from Houzz.com

FGBC Green Home Retrofit Guidelines Available

Homeowners wanting a do-it-yourself guide for greening their homes will find a new resource available from the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC). The FGBC Florida Green Home Retrofit Guidelines were developed to assist homeowners and remodelers in making home improvement decisions to improve the efficiency, health and environmental friendliness of their homes. The guide is comprised of a  "Reference Guide" and a "Checklist" that includes assessments in five categories, including energy, water, health, materials, and durability. Also included is an option for homeowners to receive third-party verification that efficiency improvements have been incorporated into their homes, which can be a valuable selling tool. See the "Download" section on this page to access the FGBC Green Home Retrofit Guidelines.

Another great tool is the "Green Home Guide" available from the National Association of Homebuilders. This video provides the most up-to-date, simple, and affordable strategies used to embrace a greener lifestyle at home.

Seven Principles of Healthy Homes

The following principles of a green home were developed by the National Center for Healthy Housing. The FGBC Green Home Certification Standard addresses each of these principles to create healthy, safe and affordable homes. When building a new home or making major renovations, insist that your builder certify your home under the FGBC Green Home Standard.

Dry:
Damp houses provide a nurturing environment for mites, roaches, rodents, and molds, all of which are associated with asthma.

Contaminant-Free:
Chemical exposures include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and environmental tobacco smoke. Exposures to asbestos particles, radon gas, carbon monoxide, and second-hand tobacco smoke are far higher indoors than outside.

Ventilated:
Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health.

Safe:
The majority of injuries among children occur in the home. Falls are the most frequent cause of residential injuries to children, followed by injuries from objects in the home, burns, and poisonings.

Clean:
Clean homes help reduce pest infestations and exposure to contaminants.

Pest-Free:
Recent studies show a causal relationship between exposure to mice and cockroaches and asthma episodes in children; yet inappropriate treatment for pest infestations can exacerbate health problems, since pesticide residues in homes pose risks for neurological damage and cancer.

Maintained:
Poorly-maintained homes are at risk for moisture and pest problems. Deteriorated lead-based paint in older housing is the primary cause of lead poisoning, which affects some 240,000 U.S. children.