ICC 700-2025 National Green Building Standard®

The ICC 700-2025 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved residential building standard. This fifth edition was developed by an independent consensus committee of a broad range of stakeholders, completed through a 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 single-family, multifamily, and mixed-use buildings, either for new construction or existing buildings. 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, Preparation, and Development; Resource Efficiency; Energy Efficiency; Water Efficiency; Indoor Environmental Quality; and Operation, Maintenance, and Building Owner Education.

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 projects at a level most appropriate for their business models, customer base, and local housing markets. There is also a compliance path (Certified) for single-family and townhome dwellings. The NGBS also offers a compliance path for residential and mixed-use developments with four levels of land development practices, ranging from One-Star to Four-Star.

Changes in the 2025 Edition

The 2025 edition expands the application of innovative practices, offers additional options towards achieving certification, and builds upon a decade-strong foundation of program use.

• A new property certification path for existing multifamily and mixed-use communities with multiple buildings.
• Expanded resilience practices to help homes better withstand natural disasters and support residents sheltering in place afterward.
• New practices to encourage low-carbon building design and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• New alternative compliance options for energy efficiency that recognize leading programs, including ENERGY STAR, DOE Zero Energy Ready, and PHIUS.
• A substantially revised existing building chapter with more flexible compliance options.
• Simplified energy compliance path for buildings in the Tropical Climate Zone to make requirements easier to follow and apply.

The NGBS continues to provide architects, builders, developers, and building owners with 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.