How to Become a Green General Contractor
General contractors are essentially small business owners who manage the construction of homes and buildings. Green general contractors do the same thing, while observing principles of sustainable design and energy efficiency. There are dozens of state and federal programs promoting green buildings and energy efficiency, and national standards such as certification through the Building Performance Institute (BPI) or one of the many levels of accreditation through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Once you are a licensed general contractor, becoming a green general contractor should be relatively simple.
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Instructions
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Obtain Contractor's License
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Contact your state's contractor licensing division. All general contractors must have a state-issued license; each state has slightly different requirements including education and work experience. If you are not already a licensed contractor your first step is to know the requirements for your state--the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) will help you determine these.
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Meet all state requirements. Many states require a bachelor's degree for a contractor's license while others do not. In either case, having a degree makes you much more competitive when you market yourself. Typically contractors get degrees are in math, engineering, physics, and similar fields. Other state requirements could include several years of on-the-job experience as a construction worker, carpenter, or journeyman.
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Take the state license test. Once you have met all requirements for education and experience you will have to take an exam to gain your license. Once you are licensed you can start to seek clients and market your new business.
Obtain Green Building Accreditation
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Familiarize yourself with national accreditation programs. You need an additional accreditation by a recognized "green building" program in order to be a green contractor--LEED and BPI are the two largest. Many states now have funding incentive programs for families and businesses to use energy efficient designs in their lighting, heating, cooling, and energy systems--but will only grant these incentives to families or businesses hiring accredited green contractors. This extra credential will teach you about energy efficient building and design, allow you to specialize in areas such as lighting installation, and give you an advantage in the marketplace.
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Take a LEED or BPI course and exam. Once you review the educational requirements for the many types of accreditation, from "LEED AP" to "BPI Certified," you can pick a course of action and specialization. Just a few possibilities are: solar/photovoltaic panel installation; retrofit or rehabilitation; lighting systems; energy audits; and heating and cooling specialists. Choose your direction based on your interests and the area in which you live. Solar power, for example, is popular in sunny states but still new in the colder regions. Each desired accreditation will have its own educational requirements in terms of hours of class time, as well as an exam. Once you pass the exam many programs offer continuing education credits so you can stay abreast of the latest developments.
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Do your homework on green materials suppliers. One tenet of green construction is using locally-produced lumber and other materials, rather than materials produced in China or India and transported here using a great deal of fossil fuels. Your accreditation program will help you learn the suppliers of locally-produced materials; other green materials you will need to use include non-toxic paint, carpets made from recycled materials, and refurbished hard goods such as bathtubs and kitchen cabinets.
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Advertise and network. Once you are accredited and licensed you are ready to start building your business. There are many ways to advertise your new green business from the local chamber of commerce to networking through U.S. Green Building Council's local chapters.
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Tips & Warnings
LEED certification is a highly recognized set of standards and will aid you in establishing credibility in this new field.
Many people are trying to jump on the green-wagon by advertising products as green that do not meet green criteria. As a contractor someone is trusting you to build their home; make sure you learn solid standards and avoid "green-washing" so you can develop a reputation as someone who can save money, save energy, and save the environment.
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