Homeowner Benefits

As the homeowner of a house certified through Built Green Canada, you will enjoy a healthier, more durable home with a lower environmental impact. These homes are affordable with a reduction in monthly operating costs, automatic rebate eligibility, improved resale value, and more. 

Preserving natural resources means leaving more for future generations to enjoy. Our homes reduce their environmental impact, both during the build and in the day-to-day operation of running the home. Our builders are passionate about the program and pleased to work with their customers to choose from a series of options to improve the quality and efficiency of their home. Benefits include:

Economic benefits

These come with a reduction in monthly operating costs, automatic mortgage loan rebate eligibility, and more. Increased home efficiency means long-term cost savings: save on water, electricity, and gas bills—while increased durability cuts on renovation costs. Meanwhile, homes with green certification sell for close to 10% more on average than homes without. And there are jurisdictions where an energy assessment is necessary before a home is sold—saving the homeowner approximately $300 - $500, depending on location.

A healthier, more comfortable home

This means less stress on the respiratory and immune systems; for those with allergies, benefits can be significant. Choose options like VOC- and formaldehyde-free building materials, third-party certified floor coverings, and Heat Recovery Ventilators that circulate air and removes allergens—contributing to improved air quality and fewer toxins and dust in the air. These homes have a significant reduction of drafts, cold spots, and temperature variance from room to room, due to the program’s attention to the home’s air tightness and ventilation. And options like triple-paned windows which, in addition to offering superior insulation (energy efficiency) and air tightness, offer substantial sound reduction from outside.

Increased durability

Durability is one of the most overlooked aspects of a sustainably built home. BUILT GREEN® homes can feature a wide variety of durable features—from engineered lumber that resists warping to extremely durable exterior features such as 30-year shingles to waterproofing foundation walls. We want to ensure that we aren’t building homes that need substantial renovation every five years.

A more efficient home

Our homes are resource efficient, reducing their environmental impact, both during the build and in the day-to-day operation of the home. Some of the options to choose from include: energy efficiency—furnaces and air conditioners, windows, appliances (Energy Star), etc.; electrical efficiency—Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) and Light-Emitting Diode (LED) to timers and motion sensors to whole-home automation; and water efficiency—water-saving toilets to low-flow showers and faucets to xeriscaping and more. 

Verification of green features

Look for the label! Third-party certification recognizes the authenticity of the home: you’re able to review a detailed report and a checklist showing products used. You have a terms of reference for home maintenance and have guidelines to gauge the performance of your home. Our certification is a two-in-one: an EnerGuide label and a BUILT GREEN® label. These offer verification to the energy efficiency and the green features of the home; these labels are usually affixed to the furnace or electrical panel. And certification offers bragging rights—proudly display the certification of your home by investing in a metal plaque that appears on the outside of the home or on the sidewalk.

Find your BUILT GREEN® builder/renovator.