CWHA “Built Green” Association

The other day we printed off the checklist for the Central Washington Homebuilders Association “Built Green” program. Wow. I had seen this checklist displayed and filled out in some of the homes during last year’s Tour of Homes, so I wanted to look up what was involved with becoming certified.

It’s pretty interesting, with several levels of certification, some self-reporting by the builder, and some third-party certified. When looking through the list, however, my desire for any sort of certification reached nearly zero. It seems to be a lot of work, and frankly, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things to consider. I think we will continue to put our energies into pursing the viability of a ground-source heat pump, good windows and insulation, low-VOC paint, xeriscaping, etc. I’d love to do absolutely everything, but financial considerations and the energy that birthing and caring for a new baby are going to be our priority.