Frequently Asked Questions

Jump through the topics below to see the questions
under each section.
  • About CalGreen
  • About the Greenmetry Online Platform
  • About Building Department Processes
  • Greenmetry Customer Support
  • City FAQ

About CalGreen

  • What is CALGreen?

    CalGreen (Title 24, part 11) is a mandatory section of the California building code pertaining to green building— the first of its kind in the nation. The code for nonresidential buildings is developed and overseen by the California Building Standards Commission. Learn more at www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC. The code for residential construction is overseen by the California Department of Housing and Community Development; learn more at hcd.ca.gov/building-standards/calgreen/. Greenmetry currently offers processing for nonresidential buildings only – residential coming soon.

  • What construction projects are required to comply with CALGreen nonresidential mandatory measures?

    In most jurisdictions, new construction projects, alterations with area of addition over 1,000 square feet, or alteration projects with a permit valuation of $200,000 or higher are required to comply with the nonresidential mandatory measures. Residential construction is administered separately. Some requirements vary from city to city. If you have questions about specific requirements in your jurisdiction, contact the local building department.

  • Who is qualified to be a CALGreen reviewer?

    There are currently two ways a green building professional can be qualified to perform independent CALGreen review: 1) be a LEED Accredited Professional, with specialty, and with current/ active status. Accreditation status can be viewed in the USGBC Directory. 2) Be certified by the International Code Council which offers a CALGreen Inspector certification.

    Some jurisdictions require a qualified third-party CALGreen reviewer (green building professional) to sign off on CALGreen compliance verification. Others allow the verification be completed by a design and/ or construction professional associated with the project.

About the Greenmetry Online Platform

  • Who should sign up to use Greenmetry?

    Greenmetry connects building professionals with city building departments to process CalGreen verifications smoothly. Building professionals who perform CalGreen compliance verification should create an account in order to start new projects, and become a member to access all platform features. The platform offers many output formats for sharing your filled forms with building departments, including as inserts in your plan set. City agencies can view records from applicants via Record Lookup, create a free account to access all records in one place, or enroll as a City Partner to manage all your CalGreen applications online. Learn more about City options here.

  • Who can be listed in the Provider Directory?

    If your company performs CalGreen compliance verification, either as a third-party reviewer or as part of a design or build team, you can be listed in the Provider Directory. To publish your profile, you will need the Premium add-on as part of your membership. You can add it at any time from your subscription page or the pricing page.

    This directory has just launched! The first ten members to join the Provider Directory are invited to our Founders’ Circle: a group of forward-thinking leaders in the movement to expand and strengthen green building compliance.

About Building Department Processes

  • What version of the checklist is right for my project?

    That depends on the jurisdiction and your building project type. When you start a new project on Greenmetry and select the city of jurisdiction, the platform will pull up the correct mandatory measures for your city, which includes state-wide mandatory measures and any applicable local ordinances. Filling out the Project Profile section in your project forms will help identify which project requirements are applicable to your project. After you prepare your project requirements with the help of the Project Profile form, it is important to run it by your building inspector for their approval. Some jurisdictions have additional local processing requirements as well.

    California’s Green Building Code (CalGreen) is on a triennial cycle, and the current cycle is 2019. Updates to the code can be found at www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/CalGreen. Updates are regularly incorporated into Greenmetry’s forms.

  • When should I provide my CalGreen initial checklist to the building department?

    Registering your CalGreen compliance checklist should usually coincide with your permit application, and should accompany your full architectural plan sets as provided to the building department. At this stage, indicate which measures apply to the project and which do not. The project team needs to confirm that the project is designed in accordance with the applicable measures.

  • When should I submit the completed CalGreen verification?

    Submitting your completed verification should coincide with the end of construction and should be prepared in advance of final building inspection. In this stage, the project team is certifying that the project as built complies with the applicable measures. Allow some time in advance of your final building inspection to complete this review in order to have time to fix any issues. Make sure you provide a copy of your final checklist to your building inspector. Our platform offers many output formats for your completed forms, including as inserts into the plan set, downloadable PDF, or sharable link.

Greenmetry Customer Support

  • How should I fill out the verification columns in the checklist?

    The verification columns are filled in two stages. Part 1 is completed at the time of permit application. Fill out the first compliance column, Project Requirements. This is to indicate which measures are applicable to the project and that the project will comply with. Also, complete Signature Section 1 – Design Verification and choose a method to share it with the city of jurisdiction at the time of your permit application. 

    Part 2 is completed near the end of construction and in advance of your final building inspection. Complete the second and third compliance columns, Verification and Plan Reference. The purpose of the Verification column is to indicate the status of compliance with the measure. The purpose of the Plan Reference column is to indicate where verification of the measure can be found in the plan set. If an item does not have a plan sheet reference, indicate how the item was verified, such as whether it was verified on-site by the reviewer or by referencing other supporting documents. Complete Signature Section 2 – Implementation Verification, and choose a method to share it with the city of jurisdiction in advance of your final building inspection.

    When you complete Part 1, your form will be published on Greenmetry and searchable under Record Lookup and will be marked “Registered.” When you complete Part 2, your form on Greenmetry and under Record Lookup will be updated and will be marked “Submitted.” At both stages, remember to choose a method of sharing your checklist with the building department, and make sure your building inspector has received it. Check for communications from the city as to whether they have accepted your form or have requested corrections.

  • How do I know that the city of jurisdiction has received the checklist that I submitted?

    When you prepare your form, choose a method of sharing it with your building inspector: send by email, get the sharable link, download PDF, or print. The PDF download can be inserted in plan sets. Follow the prompts to choose a method of sharing your checklist with the desired recipients.

     

    Follow up with your building inspector to ensure they have received it. If you experience any issues, email contact@greenmetry.com and we will help resolve the issue.

  • I need to update my checklist that has already been shared with the city. How do I do that?

    You can update your checklist and save changes at any time, including after sharing it with your building department or plan checker. To update the version that is published on Greenmetry and searchable under Record Lookup, make the necessary changes in the checklist tab, then go to the relevant signature section (Design Verification or Implementation Verification). The signature sections and the buttons that read “Submit Design/ Implementation Verification” will not be editable until you make updates to the checklist. After changes have been made, the signature button will become available as “Update Design/Implementation Verification.” Click it and follow prompts to choose a method of sharing the updated checklist with your building department. If needed, remember to follow up to ensure it was received.