| 
Home under construction on a building site
Green construction is rapidly gaining traction among both single-family and multifamily homebuilders, according to new research published in the Green Multifamily and Single Family Homes 2017 SmartMarket Brief.
The latest in a series of studies conducted by Dodge Data & Analytics in partnership with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the study shows that green homes continue to gain market share.
At least one third of single-family and multifamily builders surveyed said that green building is a significant portion of their overall activity (more than 60 percent of their portfolio). By 2022, this number should increase to nearly one half in both the single-family and multifamily sectors. Within this group, nearly 30 percent of multifamily builders fall into the category of “dedicated” green builders (more than 90 percent of their portfolio). On the single family side, the percentage of “dedicated” green builders is nearly 20 percent, but that share is expected to grow sizably by 2022.
“These findings show that green building has become an established part of the residential construction landscape,” NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald said in a statement. “It is no longer a niche business; our members recognize the value of building green and are incorporating these elements into their standard business practices.”
Increasing energy efficiency continues to be the most common method of improving the performance of a green home, followed by creating a healthy indoor living environment.
Multifamily builders see government or utility incentives, customer demand and changes in codes, ordinances and regulations as the top drivers for future green building activity. With respect to green building obstacles, multifamily builders are most concerned about the costs associated with green; higher start-up costs and the unwillingness of consumers to pay more for green construction. Single-family builders agree about the challenge of consumers not being willing to pay, the top obstacle for them.
