2024 Cost to Build a Green Home
Normal range: $200,000 - $600,000
The average cost to build a green home is around $400,000, and most projects total somewhere between $200,000 and $600,000, depending on square footage, material quality, location and more.
The average cost to build a green home is around $400,000, but prices can sit as low as $140,000 or reach up to $1,800,000, depending on your location, the size of the home, the green components you include, and the fit and finish. On average, you’ll pay around $200 per square foot to build a green home.
- Average
- $400,000
- Low end
- $140,000
- high end
- $1,800,000
Size of Green Home
The cost to build a green home on a per-square-foot basis averages around $200, but even that can range from $150 up to $600, depending on your location and the type and quality of the components and materials you use. You’ll pay toward the upper end of that range for a luxury green home in high-cost states and near major metropolitan areas, while the lower-end range is a better estimate for rural areas in states with a lower cost of living.
The table below includes some average costs to build a green home based on square footage.
| Home Size (sq. ft.) | Cost of Green Home |
|---|---|
| 750 | $150,000 |
| 1,000 | $200,000 |
| 1,500 | $300,000 |
| 2,000 | $400,000 |
| 2,500 | $500,000 |
| 3,000 | $600,000 |
General Contractor Costs
The largest portion of your labor costs will likely go toward a general contractor, which is the professional that will often hire subcontractors for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work. They will also carry out the general construction, including framing and installing siding, flooring, drywall, kitchens, bathrooms, and more.
General contractors charge between 10% and 20% of your total project cost, which puts the typical GC charge for building a green home between $40,000 and $80,000. Most GCs will charge by the project for a full house build, but if yours charges based on time, expect to pay between $300 and $500 per day.
Architect Costs
Architects can charge anywhere from 5% to 15% of the total project cost to draw up plans for new construction, which puts the average total between $20,000 and $60,000 for a brand-new green home. These fees will often include to-scale blueprints, schematics for mechanicals, and as-built plans for your GC to follow during construction.
Plumber Costs
Plumbers charge between $45 and $200 per hour, but you’re more likely to see a full project cost over an hourly rate. Roughing in plumbing in a new green home will often cost between $7,500 and $15,000. You’ll also need to consider your connection to a drainage system. Connecting to a sewer will cost around $3,000, on average, while designing and installing a septic system costs between $3,600 and $12,400.
Electrician Costs
Hiring an electrician costs between $50 and $100 per hour, but much like with a plumber, you’ll see per-project costs instead of hourly rates. You can expect to pay between $10,000 and $15,000 total to install electrical components throughout your new green home. That includes things like automatic switches to conserve energy, smart electrical panels, and other energy-saving tech.
If you’re developing land for the first time to build your green home, you’ll also need to pay to electrify the plot. The cost to run new electrical service to your home averages around $12,250.
HVAC Contractor Costs
Installing a new HVAC system in your green home will cost an average of around $15,000, but that can range from $10,000 up to $50,000, depending on the type of system you install. Many homeowners opt for geothermal HVAC systems for green homes, which can push toward the higher end of that range, while ductless systems combined with solar can be more affordable net-zero HVAC options, averaging closer to $10,000 to $15,000.
Additional Pros to Consider Hiring
Building a home from the ground up will likely require additional professionals, which you or your general contractor will need to hire. Below are some standard costs for each professional.
Foundation contractor costs: $4,000–$15,000
Landscape design costs: $2,000–$7,200
Solar installer costs: $18,000–$36,500
Energy auditor costs: $200–$700
Interior designer costs: $2,000–$15,200
Cost by Location
The location of your new green home will play a major role in your total construction costs, as per-square-foot prices can reach as high as $600 in metropolitan areas like Manhattan and San Francisco, whereas the average national cost is around $200. You’ll also pay more to build in states with a higher cost of living as labor costs scale accordingly.
| State | Cost of Green Home |
|---|---|
| California | $572,000 |
| Florida | $410,000 |
| Georgia | $364,000 |
| Illinois | $379,000 |
| Michigan | $364,000 |
| New York | $494,000 |
| North Carolina | $390,000 |
| Ohio | $376,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $380,000 |
| Texas | $367,000 |
Additional Cost Factors
In addition to the major cost factors above, you should consider the following things that can also affect the cost to build a house that’s as efficient as possible.
Land Clearing and Preparation
If you’re developing land for the first time, you may need to pay to clear the plot, including removing vegetation, leveling the land, and tamping the soil to prepare for construction. Land clearing costs an average of around $3,750, but prices can go as high as around $15,000, depending on the size of the plot. Leveling land costs an average of $2,200.
You may also have to pay land survey costs before beginning, which can total around $500.
Foundation
Your new green home will need a sturdy base to sit on, and a foundation will cost an average of around $9,400, or between $5 and $37 per square foot. Prices can range from $1,200 to $33,000, depending primarily on the footprint of the home, but the type of foundation also matters.
Permits and Inspection Fees
Much like when you build a standard house, building a green home will require building permits and inspection fees. These should cost around $1,500, but small projects could run as low as $500, and you might pay as much as $2,500.
All standard building permits apply, including the following:
Electrical permits
Plumbing permits
HVAC permits
Septic or public waste connection permits
Fencing permits
General building permits
For a green home, you might also need to get permits for things like solar panels or geothermal HVAC equipment. These fees are included in the figures above.
Labor
You can expect around 40% of your total cost—between $52,000 and $228,000 or an average of $136,000—to go toward the labor. This covers everything from pouring the foundation and framing the house to completing interior finish work.
For the most part, the labor is going to be equivalent to building a traditional home, but there are some exceptions for a green home. For example, insulation with a high R-value is a big part of boosting the energy efficiency in a green home, and installing spray foam insulation or rigid foam board insulation that meets green standards can take significantly longer to install.
Your contractors may also need to take additional care to seal between the framing and the foundation and between your framing and the sheathing to create an airtight fit that won’t leak air. All told, your labor costs will likely end up being around 10% to 15% higher for a green home.
Foundation
Pouring a new foundation costs an average of $9,100, but your total will depend heavily on the footprint of your green home, and the type of foundation you’re building. In most cases, you can expect to pay between $4 and $37 per square foot for your foundation, broken down as follows based on foundation type.
| Foundation Type | Cost (per sq. ft.) |
|---|---|
| Basement | $20–$37 |
| Crawl space | $6–$18 |
| Pier and beam | $6–$12 |
| Slab | $5–$16 |
Roofing
Installing a new roof costs around $9,500, on average, but you could pay significantly more if you’re looking for a more sustainable roofing option than asphalt shingles. Many people who plan on building a green home will opt for metal roofs, slate roofs, clay tile, or even solar shingles, as all are more sustainable than traditional asphalt shingles. Prices can increase up to $75,000 for the more expensive options.
| Roof Type | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Asphalt shingles | $9,500 |
| Clay tiles | $17,500 |
| Metal | $11,600 |
| Solar shingles | $35,000 |
| Slate tiles | $13,500 |
Automation
A big part of making a home sustainable is automation to help conserve energy. This can include things like motion sensors for lights, timer switches for bathroom fans, smart thermostats, smart electrical panels, leak detection and water shut-off systems, and more. Depending on the level of automation you want in your home, you could pay between $1,000 and $5,000 for the additional equipment and installation.
Permits
Building a new home will require permits no matter where you live, and you can expect to pay somewhere between $500 and $2,000 for new construction permits. Your general contractor might include this line item in their estimate, so double-check before budgeting for this separately.
Green Home Remodel vs. New Build
If you’re debating whether to convert your existing home to a green home or demolish the existing structure and start over, the cost difference might help make your decision easier. While you’ll pay an average of around $400,000 to have a custom homebuilder near you build a brand new green home, converting your existing structure to a more eco-friendly one could cost closer to $150,000.
There are a few things to consider before deciding, though. First, building a home from the ground up will give you far more freedom to maximize the positive impact on the environment, from choosing more sustainable building materials to integrating the latest environmentally-friendly tech into every inch of your home.
If you just want to inch closer to the net-zero mark for your existing home, you can often achieve that by making some sustainable home improvements. Those include installing solar panels, solar batteries, an EV charger, new insulation and air sealing, energy-efficient windows and doors, smart lighting, Energy StarⓇ-certified appliances, and Energy StarⓇ-certified HVAC equipment.
How to Save Money When Building a Green Home
With green home construction prices reaching up to $1,800,000, keeping costs as low as possible is going to be a top priority for most people. Luckily, there are many things you can do to keep prices down.
Buy a plot that’s cleared and level. Your savings can begin before you even start building. You could save between $5,000 and $15,000 by buying a plot that’s cleared, level, and ready to build.
Buy a plot that’s already hooked up to electrical and sewer connections. You can also save between $15,000 and $21,000, on average, if you buy a plot to build that’s already connected to the electrical system and is either connected to the municipal sewer or has a septic system installed already.
Act as your own general contractor. While you won’t be able to do most of the work yourself, you can coordinate with all of the individual contractors if you’re up for it. It’s time-consuming and demanding, but it could save you between $20,000 and $60,000.
Choose more affordable building materials. The quality of the building materials you choose can have a major impact on pricing. Opt for more affordable materials for up-front savings, or choose high-quality materials for longevity and savings over time.
Invest in solar panels. Adding solar panels to your green home will add between $18,000 and $36,500 to your build costs, but they often pay for themselves and then save you far more than that on your electric bills over time. Plus, going solar is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
Take advantage of efficiency incentives and rebates. Federal, state, and local governments, as well as utility companies, often offer incentives, tax credits, and rebates for energy efficiency upgrades and green building. Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) for information on local perks to save.
Get multiple quotes. At every step of the way, get quotes from three experts to compare based on cost, materials, and labor to find the best value.
Do some of the finishing work yourself. While you won’t legally be able to tackle things like installing plumbing, electrical, and HVAC equipment, you can tackle some of the finish work yourself if you’re an experienced DIYer. Things like installing flooring, hanging drywall, and putting in interior doors and trim can save you tens of thousands of dollars over hiring a homebuilder to do everything from start to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
A green home is one that focuses on conservation, with the goal often being net-zero carbon emissions and self-sustainability. It will often include some kind of self-generation equipment, like solar panels or a small wind turbine, high-efficiency electrical components and mechanicals, and high-quality insulation and air sealing to reduce the loss of conditioned air. Many green homes also include xeriscaping or rainwater collection to cut down on drainage and water consumption.
Green homes are often more expensive to build, averaging around $200 per square foot compared to the $150 per square foot you’d spend to build a standard home. However, green homes can save you money on your utility bills by consuming less energy or creating energy using solar panels or wind turbines on-site. They’re more expensive to build, but they often end up costing less in the long run.
The only real drawback to green building is that it’s more expensive up front, with per-square-foot prices sitting around 33% higher than what you’d pay to build a traditional home. The higher cost is due to more expensive building materials and more labor to ensure every aspect of the home is as efficient as possible. However, green buildings often save money in the long run, so this is just a temporary downside.