New NGBS Offers Remodelers a Roadmap for High-Performance Projects
While spending significantly more time at home during the last few months, many home owners have likely noticed some inefficiencies with their home’s energy consumption, plumbing system, air quality and more. Home improvements that enhance comfort, energy efficiency and health will surely become more prevalent in remodeling conversations moving forward.
Using green-building techniques can better position remodelers to meet that growing demand. The new ICC 700-2020 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) provides a roadmap to guide the design and construction of high-performance projects, while the certification process provides a third-party verification to validate the work.
NGBS Green Remodel Certifications can be for either multifamily or single-family projects and can range in size from a single room, to an addition, all the way up to the entire home.
The 2020 edition of the NGBS builds on more than a decade of green-building experience and offers several new opportunities and increased flexibility for remodelers. The remodeling chapter (Section 11) has been substantially revised and includes:
- More flexible renovation requirements:
- Generally, these are the same mandatory practices as new construction, but are only required when relevant.
- Unaltered portions of the building are exempt from mandatory practices (unless safety or moisture issues are present).
- A choice of prescriptive or performance compliance paths for energy and water efficiency:
- Paths can be the same or different.
- For performance paths, the certification level is based on the percent of reduction in energy or water consumption.
- Attributes of the building that complied before the remodel, and remain in compliance, are eligible to earn points.
- An optional three-year look back for remodel activities, provided there is documentation for baseline conditions.
- An option to utilize a phased approach for multifamily remodeling projects
- Remodeling projects that convert existing buildings to multifamily properties
Seeing green is 20/20 with the new NGBS. It provides remodelers the flexibility they need to renovate and remodel existing building stock to integrate cost-effective sustainability and high-performance strategies and features into their projects at a level most appropriate for their business model, customer base and local housing markets.
Download the NGBS for free at nahb.org/ngbs.
Latest from NAHBNow
Aug 15, 2025
Successful BUILD-PAC Events Raise $140,000Home builders associations (HBAs) across the United States are raising funds for BUILD-PAC, NAHB's bipartisan political arm, during its 2025-26 cycle. Two recent HBA events raised more than $140,000 combined.
Aug 14, 2025
NAHB Releases New Housing Favorability Assessment for HBAsLocal associations that complete the assessment will learn how their community compares to others and NAHB’s State and Local team will help the association develop a long-term plan to create a favorable housing environment in their community.
Latest Economic News
Aug 15, 2025
June Single-Family Permits Slumps, Multifamily GainsSingle-family housing permits continued a downhill trend for the sixth month in a row. The continuous decline in single-family permits highlights persistently weak housing demand, tied to affordability challenges like high mortgage rates.
Aug 15, 2025
Credit Conditions for Builders TightenFor the fourteenth consecutive quarter, builders and developers reported tighter credit conditions on loans for residential Land Acquisition, Development & Construction (AD&C) in NAHB’s quarterly survey on AD&C Financing.
Aug 14, 2025
Building Material Prices Rise in JulyPrices for residential building materials rose again in July, marking the largest year-over-year increase in over two years. The underlying price growth trend remained the same, with service prices continuing to grow at a faster pace than goods prices. Similar to last month, parts for construction machinery and metal molding/trim experienced significant price growth, as both increased over 25% compared to last year.