Florida's Top 15 Green Home Builders
The Florida Green Building Coalition has named four Southwest Florida builders among the 15 who have built the most FGBC-certified houses.
The local builders on the list are Minto Communities, Kimball Hill Construction, Lee Wetherington Homes, Neal Communities and Taylor Morrison Homes.
“These builders are being recognized for their conscientious green-building efforts in creating healthier and safer homes and a more sustainable Florida,” said Suzanne Cook, FGBC executive director.
Cook said FGBC-certified homes meet a technically rigorous building assessment and adhere to a construction process that “reduce the negative environmental impacts of the building, improve occupant health and well-being, and reduce operating costs for the owner.”
Although the national and better-known LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) standard is considered to include more stringent rules, the FGBC points out that its certification is the only one that is written for Florida’s hot and humid climate.
Of the green-certified homes in Florida as of June, 56 percent were FGBC certified, 42 percent were National Green Building Standard certified and 3 percent LEED certified, according to FGBC data.
All houses built in Lakewood Ranch must be FGBC-certified; Wetherington, Neal and Taylor Morrison build there. “I applaud these builders for taking the path of sustainability,” said Drew Smith, founding president of the FGBC and a current board member.
“Lakewood Ranch has been at the forefront of that by mandating it. Green building has become mainstream. They know how to do it and do a great job at it.
“Lakewood Ranch generates at least 50 percent of the FGBC single-family certifications in the state.”
The Top 15 builders will be recognized — and the ranking by number of homes certified released — at GreenTrends, the annual two-day green building industry conference scheduled for Nov. 12-13 in Orlando.
Florida’s Top 15 Green Home Builders:
- Minto Communities, Coconut Creek
- Contravest Management Company, Altamonte Springs
- FLF Holdings, Jupiter
- Florida Home Partnership, Ruskin
- Hovnanian Homes, Tampa
- Kimball Hill Homes, Bradenton
- Lee Wetherington Homes, Sarasota
- Atlantic Housing Partners, Winter Park
- Neal Communities, Sarasota
- Premier Construction & Development, Tallahassee
- Southern Crafted Homes, Land O’ Lakes
- Taylor Morrison Homes, Sarasota
- WCI Communities, Bonita Springs
- William Ryan Homes, Tampa
- ZOM Development, Ft. Lauderdale