Pima County soon will become the first government agency in the country to provide LEED certifications to home builders.
LEED for Homes is a national rating system that promotes the construction of green homes that use less energy, water and resources and create less waste.
Normally, a builder who wants a LEED certification would have to hire a private contractor to do the certification, in addition to paying fees to the U.S. Green Building Council. There aren't very many contractors that do the work in Arizona, and they charge as much as $100 an hour.
Pima County Chief Building Official Yves Khawam said the same people who review plans for compliance with county codes can review plans for compliance with LEED standards for around $52 an hour — just over half the cost.
With the average home requiring 81 hours to certify, that's a savings of almost $4,000.
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In response to falling revenue related to the housing slump, Pima County recently stream-lined its plan review process. Khawam said that will make the LEED certification process smoother.
Pima County already has a local green building standard that is based on LEED and adapted to the Southwest desert environment. But LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a nationally recognized standard, and some builders may prefer to have a LEED certifications as a marketing tool.
"What we're doing is providing options," Khawam said.
Offering the certifications also could be a money-making venture for the county. Right now, there are no contractors doing LEED certification in Southern California or southern New Mexico.
"If they're willing to fly us out there, we figure, why not," Khawam said.
Khawam said it took nearly two years of negotiations with the U.S. Green Building Council to obtain permission to provide the certifications. At first, officials from the council feared building inspectors would put up roadblocks.
"They told us that building inspectors are notorious for their abuse of authority," Khawam said. "They thought we would make it more onerous and deter people. But we assured them that would not be the case."
Pima County Development Services is in the process of developing fee schedules and estimates based on home square-footage, and Khawam said the department hopes to roll out the program by late July.
Rich Michal, chair of the Southern Arizona chapter of the Green Building Council and a member of the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association, said Pima County providing certifications would encourage more builders to pursue green building.
"The knock against LEED was always that it was too expensive," he said. "With Pima County, they're already reviewing your plans. Locally, it will do nothing but help promote market transformation and sustainability."
