Contractor Eco-Tips
Hiring a Contractor
- Choose an architect, designer and/or contractor with green building experience, such as through member lists of local green building organizations, and who will plan early to make your remodel “green.”
- Include a home energy audit in your planning process.
- Look for contractors who talk about your house as a whole system instead of talking about one kind of product.
Download the Contractor checklist - Download PDF 406KB
Selecting a contractor and home performance professional
- Review our checklist of questionsDownload PDF 400 K to ask when hiring a contractor.
- Determine the scope of your project before you start and make it a priority to stick to your plan.
- Start with a home performance assessment to determine which upgrades will help you save the most money, reduce waste and improve indoor air quality, comfort and durability.
- Conduct a blower door test to identify and quantify air leakage paths in the home. A blower door test uses a fan in the front door of the house to depressurize the inside of the house. A pressure gauge is used along with a flow meter to estimate how leaky your house is. This is now a code requirement for new construction in Washington State and many green building rating systems require a very tight threshold along with well-designed fresh air ventilation.
- Hiring an architect can save you money in the long term if your remodel is complex and requires structural changes. Many local architects are experienced in green strategies and fluent in the Built Green checklist. Visit the Built Green website external link for a list of architect members and projects.
Additional resources
- "Hiring a Pro" Green Remodeling GuideDownload PDF 750 K – from the King County Solid Waste Division
Offers information to help you pick the best contractor for your home remodeling project
Related information
|
Hiring a Contractor
- Choose an architect, designer and/or contractor with green building experience, such as through member lists of local green building organizations, and who will plan early to make your remodel “green.”
- Include a home energy audit in your planning process.
- Look for contractors who talk about your house as a whole system instead of talking about one kind of product.