Green building is becoming more mainstream throughout northern California. It’s one very significant way homeowners, commercial building owners, architects and contractors can personally take steps to improve the environment -- indoors and all around us. If you’re considering going green for new construction or a remodel in the South Bay Area, a key question is how to find qualified green builders in San Jose.
You can start by consulting The Prime Buyer’s Report. This independent national organization researches and rates local companies which provide consumer services -- including contractors – to help local buyers hire safe, reliable, proven firms. They have identified the Top 5 green builders in San Jose and the surrounding communities within Santa Clara County, and here are the top five from that list.
Top 5 Green Builders in San Jose
- Sigura Construction in San Jose, which provides commercial and residential restoration services to mitigate the effects of fire, water or smoke damage. Sigura is also Diamond Certified, an additional indicator of exceptional quality workmanship and reliability.
- De Mattei Construction in Santa Clara, which builds custom homes and does residential and commercial remodels.
- Muhn & Sons Construction in Santa Clara, which is also a commercial and residential builder.
- Earth Bound Homes and Earth Bound Construction in Santa Clara, a homebuilder.
- SC Builders in Sunnyvale, a commercial construction company.
The Prime Buyer’s Report conducts exhaustive research you can count on, rating each company against all these criteria:
- Valid licensing. In California, green builders don’t have a special license, but they do need a contractor’s license.
- Insurance. Contractors with employees are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, which protects you in the event of an accident or damage. However, they are not required to carry general liability. Nonetheless, Prime Report asks for proof they do carry this additional coverage or something similar as well as workers’ comp.
- Visual proof of the company – branded vehicles, company offices, past projects, etc.
- Time in business.
- Violations of state industry regulations.
- Clear complaint record.
They also personally interview the company owner, to learn about their professional capabilities, specialties and ethics and to check that the company hires only documented workers. They also conduct personal interviews with past clients to learn about customer satisfaction.
All of this does not mean you shouldn’t also ask for verification of a contractor’s licenses, insurance and so on before you hire them, and check their references yourself. In particular, ask about their green building experience and whether they are a LEED Certified Contractor.
What can green builders in San Jose do for you?
- Help assess your specific situation and make recommendations to make your home or commercial building more environmentally friendly.
- Replace traditional building materials with renewable products and those that are less toxic. As demand for green building has grown, the range of sustainable building products and appliances has also increased, giving you more choices than ever. Many of today’s sustainable materials are at least as attractive and durable as traditional products, and many look the same as their traditional counterparts. Green builders in San Jose use bamboo, acacia, cork, leather tiles, recycled granite and marble, reclaimed concrete, glass chips, and crumb rubber modified asphalt.
- Replace fixtures and appliances with well pumps, energy-efficient lighting or composting toilets.
- Incorporate natural insulation, micro-hydro technology, radiant heat, wind-based energy, photovoltaic (solar) and other alternatives energy sources.
Working with experienced, highly rated green builders in San Jose can help you create sustainable living or work space that has a lighter all-around impact on our environment – reducing water consumption, indoor air pollution, energy usage and your carbon footprint.
