Building green is more than following a few green principles. Building Green means incorporating environmental and efficiency issues into every phase of the construction cycle, including:

• Lot Design, Preparation and Construction
• Resource Efficiency
• Energy Efficiency
• Water Efficiency
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Operation, Maintenance and Homeowner Education
• Global Impact

A true green home is verified by a third party. Inspections are conducted during the building process to verify that certain criteria have been met. During those inspections, points are awarded for each achievement. Once a certain threshold is reached, a home is verified green. Verification comes through one of two organizations: the National Association of Home Builders' Green Building Initiative (GBI) program, or the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.