ENERGY STAR® Checklist

WATER-MANAGEMENT:
SITE and FOUNDATION


Patio Slabs, Porch Slabs, Walks and Driveways Slope Away From House
Drainage Clearance
►Foundation Overview
Drainage Resource Guide
Final Grade Slopes Away From Foundation
Capillary Break Beneath Slab - Polyethylene Sheeting or Rigid Insulation
The capillary break should consist of 4 inches of aggregate stone or 4 inches of sand covered by geotextile matting, with an additional vapor barrier over the stone or sand consisting of  ≥ 6-mil polyethylene sheeting lapped 6-12 inches with seams sealed, or ≥ 1-inch extruded polystyrene rigid foam insulation with joints taped.
Capillary Break Under Slab
►Capillary Break Under Slab
Capillary Break Under Concrete Slab At Crawlspace
This capillary break application requires ≥6-mil polyethylene sheeting underlying the slab. All seams in the sheeting are lapped 6-12 inches and sealed with a continuous bead of acoustical sealant, butyl rubber, or butyl acrylic caulk, or with tape manufactured to seal or patch polyethylene.
►Slab Over Polyethylene
Capillary Break Resource Guide
Damp-Proof Exterior Surface of Below-Grade Walls
Poured Concrete
Masonry Block
Dampproof CMU Wall
Insulated Concrete Form (ICF)
Wood Framed Walls
Dampproofing Resource Guide
No Vapor Retarders On Interior Side of Air-Permeable Foundation Insulation
In basements or crawlspaces that are insulated along the interior side of the exterior walls with an air-permeable insulation, ENERGY STAR Certified Homes requires that builders do not install a Class 1 vapor retarder on the interior side of the air-permeable insulation. Class I vapor barriers should also not be installed on the interior side of air-permeable insulation in above-grade exterior walls in warm-humid climates (EPA 2015).
The 2009 IRC defines Class I vapor retarders as a material or assembly with a rating of ≤0.1 perm.
Examples of Class I vapor retarders include rubber membranes, polyethylene sheeting, glass, aluminum foil, sheet metal, foil-faced insulating sheathings, foil-faced non-insulating sheathings, and vinyl wall paper.
Class I vapor barriers can be used on the interior side of below-grade walls if air-permeable insulation is not present (for example, foil-faced rigid foam board can be installed on the interior of below-grade concrete foundation walls).
Open-cell and closed-cell spray foams typically have perm ratings above 0.1 so they can be used unless the manufacturer specifies that a product has a perm rating ≤ 0.1 or so long as the spray foam is not sprayed to a depth that makes it ≤ 0.1 perm.
Exceptions: Impermeable materials such as ceramic tile may be installed over fibrous insulation at shower and tub walls.
No Vapor Retarders On Interior Side of Foundation Insulation
Sump Pump Cover Gasket
Sump Pump Cover Gasket
Sump Pump Cover Gasket Resource Guide
Footing Drain Pipe
According to the International Residential Code and ENERGY STAR® Certified Homes, drain tile is not required when a certified hydrologist, soil scientist, or engineer has determined that a foundation is installed in well-drained ground or sand-gravel mixture soils, as identified in the 2009 IRC, Table R405.1.
Footing Drain
Footing Drain Resource Guide


Send to

When the “Send Inspection Report” button is selected, an email with all the information in this Inspection Report will be sent to the “Builder email” address of the Company Representative completing this report and to the “Subcontractor email” address and “Copy to” addresses if provided.

🏅 Create a Business Worth Owning

📶 Integrated step-by-step program using all tools and systems

💡 Two coaching sessions per month

📊 Monthly scorecard to measure the journey

🛠️ Tools: All tools (Chart of Accounts, Cost Codes, BBOS Estimator, Builder Business Model Canvas, SubManager, ClientManager, Policy Handbook, Management Scorecard).

🤝 What we do together:

  • A 180+-day engagement covering financials, estimating, subcontractors, clients, and workforce.
  • Coaching sessions every two weeks to review your real numbers and coach policy implementation.
  • A monthly “Business Health Scorecard” that shows where you are strong and where to strengthen.
  • Focus on building a business system that allows you to:
    • move out of day-to-day management;
    • develop a valuable legacy enterprise; and
    • create a business with significant market value.

💲 Investment: $3,500-$5,000.

🪜 Progression logic:

  • This is the capstone — combining all five prior steps into one system that builds a business worth owning.

🎯Outcome: "Now I control my business, not the other way around."

👷 Manage Your Workforce

👷‍♀️ Put the right people in the right position

📄 Create an Organization Chart and Position Descriptions

📄 Integrate employment policies

🛠️ Tools: OrgChart, Position Descriptions, Company Policy Template

🤝 What we do together:

  • Create a Company organization chart.
  • Create Job Descriptions.
  • Implement employee policy handbook
  • Identify inefficiencies in labor margins.
  • Discover hidden labor costs.

💲 Investment: $1,250-$1,500.

🪜 Progression logic:

  • Labor is usually the last controllable variable — now you are tackling optimization and efficiency.

🎯Outcome: "Now I am in control of the work that must be completed, and my employees understand their positions and accountabilities."

🗣️ Control the Client Relationship

📄 Client log, Change Order system

📄 Notice of Completion, Draw Requests

📄 Communication templates for disputes

🛠️ Tools: ClientManager, Client Contact Log, Initial Specifications, NAHB Residential Construction Guide

🤝 What we do together:

  • Implement a structured client management system.
  • Introduce the Client Contact Log.
  • Provide templates for change order and scope adjustments.
  • Train on reducing disputes and managing client expectations.

💲 Investment: $750-$1,250

🪜 Progression logic:

  • With the business financially stable and risk-protected, control of clients and their expectations ensures smoother operations and fewer profit leaks.

🎯Outcome: "Now I can manage clients and their expectations without projects spinning out of control."

🧯Identify and Manage Risks

🏠 Project Risks:

  • Site Risks – site injuries with no primary insurance coverage.
  • Reputational Risks – You don’t deliver what you promised because your subcontractors were not on the same page.
  • Capacity Risks – You can’t deliver what you promised because you don’t have the organizational structure to support your sales.

🔍 Management Risks:

  • Company Structural Risks – You don’t have the right people in the right positions.
  • Promotional Risks – Your market doesn’t know or care about your products.
  • Competitive Risks – You haven’t differentiated your company, so lowest price is the only way you can compete. 
  • Market Demand Risks – a bad market cycle will cripple or destroy your business.

🛠️ Tools: SubManager, Organizing for Success, Builder Business Model Canvas, Budgeting Forecasts

🤝 What we do together:

  • Implement Terms and Conditions, Scopes of Work, and Inspection Reports for all Subcontractors.
  • Review how you track subcontractor insurance and compliance.
  • Analyze your organizational structure to optimize production capacity.
  • Review your business model.
  • Create “Expected Case”, “Best Case”, and Worst Case” budgeting scenarios.

💲 Investment: $1,000-$1,500

🪜 Progression logic:

  • After financial clarity and profitable estimating, risk management provides the next layer of company stability.

🎯Outcome: "Now I can reduce or transfer risk exposure; identify and appeal to my primary market; and plan for any type of economic environment."

🧮Price with Confidence

🔍 Audit your estimating process

🔎 Review all active projects monthly for budget-to-actual performance

🔍 Debrief every completed project for profitability and work flow

📶 Install a margin-tracking dashboard

🛠️ Tools: BBOS Estimator, Overhead Calculator, Completed Project Profitability Report

🤝 What we do together:

  • Audit your current estimating process.
  • Benchmark your margins against industry and market standards.
  • Optimize estimating margins for maximum profitability.
  • Track true budget-to-actual expenditures.

💲 Investment: $750-$1,250

🪜 Progression logic:

  • Once finances are stable, you can sharpen your pricing to stop leaving money on the table.
  • You’ll know the margin to use to make sure overhead is allocated profitably. 

🎯Outcome: "Now I can bid jobs knowing I'll profit, not just hoping for profit."

💰90-Day Financial Reset

🗄️ Rebuild Chart of Accounts on NAHB Model

🗃️ Rebuild Cost Codes on CSI model

🛠️ Tools: Accounting platform, NAHB Chart of Accounts, CSI Cost Codes, Management Scorecard

🤝 What we do together:

  • Access to your accounting platform is required.
  • Rebuild your Chart of Accounts for project-level profitability.
  • Create and align Cost Codes so estimating, job costing, and reporting all “speak the same language.”
  • One-on-one coaching call every two weeks during the program to interpret your numbers.

💲 Investment: $1,500-$3,000

🪜 Why start here?

  • Without financial clarity, nothing else matters.
  • The reason you are in business is to make a profit. 
  • Do you KNOW if you are doing that?

🎯Outcome: "Now I know if my business is profitable and my business model is sound."

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