EarthCraft Certification
Regional green building certification for high-performance projects
RunBrook helps builders, developers, owners, and project teams pursue EarthCraft certification with practical guidance, documentation support, field verification, testing, and building performance expertise.
EarthCraft is a high-performance green building certification program developed by Southface Institute and the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association to address the energy, water, and climate conditions of the Southeast. Since 1999, EarthCraft has grown from a single-family home program to include multifamily, light commercial, renovation, preservation, and community certification pathways.
Why EarthCraft certification matters
Build for efficiency, comfort, durability, and regional performance
EarthCraft certification helps project teams design and construct buildings that respond to the real-world climate conditions of the Southeast. For builders and developers, certification can help demonstrate a commitment to energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, durability, and sustainable development.
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EarthCraft strategies help reduce energy use through better envelope performance, efficient systems, air sealing, insulation, and construction quality.
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Certification can support ventilation, moisture control, pollutant reduction, and improved indoor air quality.
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High-performance design and construction can help reduce long-term energy and water costs for owners, residents, and tenants.
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EarthCraft focuses on practical building science strategies that can reduce comfort issues, moisture problems, and maintenance concerns.
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Certification helps communicate that a project has been independently reviewed for green building and performance practices.
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EarthCraft is often used by affordable housing developers and project teams seeking a practical certification path for efficient, durable, and lower-operating-cost housing.
What is EarthCraft certification?
EarthCraft is a green building certification program designed for the Southeast United States. The program provides a practical framework for sustainable construction and development across multiple project types, including single-family homes, multifamily buildings, light commercial spaces, historic preservation projects, renovations, and communities.
EarthCraft certification evaluates project strategies related to energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor air quality, durability, resource conservation, site planning, and overall building performance. The goal is to help project teams create buildings and communities that are more efficient, comfortable, sustainable, and appropriate for regional climate conditions.
RunBrook’s role
Certification guidance from building performance professionals
RunBrook can help project teams determine whether EarthCraft, LEED, NGBS, FGBC, ENERGY STAR, DOE Efficient New Homes, or another certification path is the best fit for the project’s goals, funding requirements, timeline, and performance targets. If EarthCraft is selected, our team can support the certification process through documentation coordination, inspections, testing, energy analysis, and field verification.
RunBrook can support your project with:
EarthCraft certification strategy
Rating system comparison and guidance
Early planning and feasibility review
Documentation coordination
Energy modeling
HERS rating support
Blower door testing
Duct leakage testing
HVAC grading
Thermal bypass inspections
Quality assurance inspections
Field verification and performance testing
Coordination with builders, developers, architects, engineers, contractors, and owners
Final certification support
EarthCraft programs we support
Certification support for homes, multifamily, commercial, and preservation projects
EarthCraft includes several certification pathways for different project types. RunBrook can help identify the appropriate pathway and coordinate the work needed to support certification.
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EarthCraft House supports new single-family homes built to meet high-performance green building practices, with attention to energy efficiency, indoor air quality, durability, and comfort.
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EarthCraft Renovation provides a certification pathway for renovations and additions to existing homes, helping project teams address common issues such as high energy bills, poor comfort, indoor air quality concerns, and performance problems.
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EarthCraft Multifamily provides certification for new multifamily construction and renovated affordable or market-rate projects. The program was launched in 2003 and is described by EarthCraft as the first multifamily-specific green building program in the nation.
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EarthCraft Light Commercial supports new or renovated small-scale commercial buildings in the Southeast and focuses on site planning, energy and water efficiency, durability, and occupant health and comfort.
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EarthCraft Sustainable Preservation provides a certification pathway for historically significant buildings where project teams are balancing preservation goals with improved building performance.
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EarthCraft can also support community-scale certification efforts for projects that incorporate sustainability across site planning, development practices, infrastructure, and long-term community performance.
What EarthCraft evaluates
Key areas of regional green building performance
EarthCraft certification evaluates practical strategies that improve building performance, occupant comfort, and sustainability. Depending on the project type and certification pathway, EarthCraft may evaluate:
Energy efficiency
Water efficiency
Indoor air quality
Building durability
Moisture control
Site planning
Resource efficiency
Construction waste practices
Operations and maintenance
Ventilation and mechanical systems
Building envelope performance
Documentation and field verification
These categories help project teams address the Southeast’s heat, humidity, rainfall, and climate-specific performance needs.
Related testing and verification services
Field data that supports certification
EarthCraft certification often requires coordination between design documentation, inspections, field verification, and performance testing. RunBrook can help streamline this process by providing related building performance services under one team.
Depending on the project, RunBrook can provide:
This integrated support helps project teams keep certification requirements aligned with construction schedules and field conditions.
Certification process
A clear path from strategy to verification
Step - 1 Define project goals
We begin by reviewing the project type, certification goals, funding requirements, timeline, budget, and applicable EarthCraft pathway.
Step - 2 Develop the certification strategy
RunBrook helps identify target measures, documentation needs, inspection milestones, performance testing requirements, and potential risks.
Step - 3 Coordinate inspections and documentation
Our team works with the project team to collect documentation, coordinate inspections, complete testing, and verify selected green building measures.
Step 4 - Support final documentation
RunBrook helps organize project materials and support the final certification process so the project can move toward approval.
Why choose RunBrook?
Practical certification support backed by field experience
RunBrook brings green building knowledge, building science expertise, and field verification experience to EarthCraft projects. Because our team also provides energy modeling, HERS ratings, blower door testing, duct leakage testing, HVAC grading, LEED support, NGBS support, FGBC support, ENERGY STAR support, DOE Efficient New Homes support, quality assurance inspections, and peer review services, we understand how certification requirements connect to real-world design and construction.
Project teams choose RunBrook for:
EarthCraft certification guidance
Residential, multifamily, affordable housing, and light commercial project expertise
Energy modeling and HERS rating support
Building envelope and HVAC performance knowledge
Field inspections and diagnostic testing
Clear documentation and communication
Coordination with builders, developers, design teams, and contractors
Experience with renovations, adaptive reuse, and preservation projects
Service for select projects where EarthCraft is applicable
Frequently asked questions
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EarthCraft was developed by Southface Institute and the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association in 1999 to address the energy, water, and climate conditions of the Southeast.
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EarthCraft includes certification pathways for single-family homes, renovations, multifamily projects, light commercial buildings, sustainable preservation projects, and communities.
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Yes. EarthCraft Multifamily provides certification for new construction and renovation of affordable and market-rate multifamily projects.
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Yes. EarthCraft Sustainable Preservation provides a certification pathway for buildings that are historic or historically significant.
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EarthCraft is designed around the climate and building conditions of the Southeast United States, so it is most commonly used for projects in that region.
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RunBrook should be involved as early as possible, ideally during planning or early design. Early coordination helps identify the right certification pathway, documentation requirements, inspection timing, and performance testing needs.
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Testing and verification requirements depend on the project type and certification pathway. RunBrook can support related services such as energy modeling, HERS ratings, blower door testing, duct leakage testing, HVAC grading, and field inspections when needed.
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Yes. RunBrook can help compare EarthCraft with LEED, NGBS, FGBC, ENERGY STAR, DOE Efficient New Homes, or other certification paths based on project goals, funding requirements, location, budget, and timeline.
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Yes. RunBrook can support affordable housing and multifamily project teams with certification strategy, documentation, field verification, testing, and coordination.
Prefer to talk first?
Call us at 1-833-RunBrook
(1-833-786-2766)
or email us directly at info@runbrook.com
We’ll get back to you right away!
Discuss Your Next Project
If your project requires energy modeling, certification support, HERS ratings, blower door testing, or other building performance services, RunBrook can help keep the process moving from design through final verification.