ICC 700-2020 National Green Building Standard

The ICC 700-2020 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) —approved, residential building standard. This fourth edition was developed by an independent consensus committee of a broad range of stakeholders in partnership between the International Code Council and the National Association of Home Builders. The NGBS outlines a variety of green design and construction practices that can be incorporated into your single-family, multifamily, and mixed-use buildings, either for new construction or remodeling. The NGBS also includes green practices for land development projects as well as assisted living facilities, residential board, and care facilities, and group homes. The NGBS includes high-performance building practices in six areas: Lot Design and Development, Resource Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Building Operation & Maintenance. The NGBS has four primary certification levels—Bronze, Silver, Gold and Emerald, providing residential building professionals options to integrate sustainability and high-performance into their project at a level most appropriate for their business model, customer base and local housing market. A new compliance path (Certified) customized for single-family and townhome dwellings is added in the 2020 Edition. The NGBS also offers a compliance path for residential and mixed-use communities with four levels of land development practices, ranging from One-Star through Four-Star. The 2020 edition expands the application of innovative practices, offers additional options towards achieving certification, and builds upon a decade strong foundation of program use. The NGBS continues to provide architects, builders, and developers the flexibility needed to design and construct homes and mixed-use buildings that are sustainable, cost-effective and appropriate for a home’s geographic location.