GreenHome Institute · Manual v4 (2023)
About the GreenStar Homes program
A residential green-building certification whose distinguishing strength is the homes we already have: renovations, retrofits, gut rehabs, and buildings improving over time — as well as new construction. Four progressive certification tiers, optional achievement badges, and a defined inspection-and-documentation process led by a certified GreenHome Inspector.
Who this helps
Three situations where the program earns its keep:
The longtime homeowner
You've been in your house for years. You want it safer, healthier, and cheaper to run — but where do you even start?
The checklist is the missing to-do list. Start with the Certified-level requirements — radon testing, combustion safety, moisture checks — and work up from there at your own pace. A GreenHome Inspection turns "I think it's fine" into a real assessment.
See the Certified checklist →The homebuyer
You're buying a house and the standard inspection tells you what's broken — not what the home could become.
Use the standard as a robust assessment framework: a GreenHome Inspection scores the house against real health, energy, and durability criteria and hands you a prioritized improvement roadmap you can budget renovations around.
How the inspection process works →The municipality or housing program
Your home-repair or affordable-housing program fixes what's failing — but has no shared definition of "fixed well."
Adopt the standard as your program's quality floor. ICCF certified a dozen renovated affordable homes this way, with before-and-after scoring that proves public dollars bought real improvement.
Read the ICCF case study →Eligible project types
Strongest where most programs are weakest: existing homes.
Most green certifications were built for new construction. GreenStar's renovation and retrofit paths are first-class — and the same standard extends to new builds and a wide range of building types.
- Renovations
- Gut Rehabs
- Building updates over time
- New Construction
- Single-Family
- Multifamily
- Mixed-Use
- Light Commercial Office Space
- Assisted Living
- Skilled Nursing Facilities
Geographic scope
Primarily North America, but available globally.
Most requirements are the same across project types — there are minor differences for single-family detached, attached, multifamily, and renovation projects.
Certification levels
Four progressive certification levels. Requirements are additive: all Certified requirements must be met before pursuing Silver. Silver requires all Certified, Gold requires Certified + Silver, and Platinum requires all three lower levels.
Certification process
Step-by-step flow from training through final certification. Mandatory steps are marked. Projects that engage early in the design process — before any renovations or construction — tend to be the most successful.
- 01 Owner/Project Team
Complete the GreenStar Homes Certification introductory training. Start a workbook and review the requirements and opportunities you wish to pursue. Review the manual, decide which certification level to pursue, and start a workbook.
- 02 Owner/Project Team
Find and hire a GreenHome Inspector to assist with the project. Training is available for qualified professionals if a member of the project team is interested in gaining certification.
- 03 GreenHome Inspector
Review the GreenStar Homes manual with the Owner/Project Team, decide which certification level to pursue, and start a workbook.
- 04 GreenHome Inspector
Conduct either a GreenHome Inspection of existing buildings or a full review of plans and specifications for new construction.
- 05 GreenHome Inspector
Register the project by sending the completed workbook, inspection results or plans and specifications, and all supplemental documentation to the GreenHome Institute. Supplemental documentation may include energy ratings and models, Home Water Score and outdoor water reports, ventilation calculations, contracts with subcontractors, and project timeline.
- 06 GreenHome Institute
Complete a preliminary plan review to ensure the project is on track to meet intended goals.
- 07 GreenHome Institute
Notify GreenHome Inspector and/or Owner/Project Team of any concerns, suggestions, or requirements identified during the preliminary plan review.
- 08 Owner/Project Team
Begin construction/renovation.
- 09 GreenHome Inspector
Complete optional mid-construction inspection (recommended for new construction but may not be necessary on existing homes).
- 10 GreenHome Inspector Mandatory
Upload documentation (reports, photos, testing results, etc.) to an online file share and document in each requirement/badge line item on the online checklist as the project progresses.
- 11 GreenHome Inspector Mandatory
Complete the final GreenHome Inspection, submit testing and inspection results to the Owner/Project Team and GreenHome Institute.
- 12 Owner/Project Team Mandatory
Rectify (Owner/Project Team) and retest (GreenHome Inspector) in the case of any testing failures.
- 13 GreenHome Inspector Mandatory
More documentation may be needed if documentation or inspection results were missing or deficient during the final Inspection.
- 14 GreenHome Institute Mandatory
Complete the final review and certify the project if all requirements are met.
- 15 GreenHome Institute
Issue certificate.
- 16 GreenHome Inspector
Submit a certificate and final approved workbook to homeowners and tenants along with the final GreenHome Inspection report.
- 17 GreenHome Institute
Submit certified project to the Green Building Registry unless Owner/Project Team opts out.
- 18 Owner/Project Team
Submit a project profile for the GreenHome Institute website and/or a formal press release.
- 19 Owner/Project Team
Option to purchase a plaque through a GreenHome Institute vendor for display.
- 20 GreenHome Institute
List project profile on GreenHome Institute and social media websites.
- 21 GreenHome Institute
May request to use the project as an example through further education using photos, videos, webinars, etc.
- 22 Owner/Project Team
Start on next project.
- 23 Owner/Project Team
Consider improving further in the future with new badges or higher levels of certification by repeating the above process.
Source
Content drawn from the GreenStar Homes Certification Manual (GreenHome Institute, v4, last updated 2023-05-02).