is PH certification worth it?

We design all of our projects to certified Passive House design performance standards, regardless of whether our clients choose to have them certified. There is an added administration cost to working with the Passive House Institute in order to get the badge. Is it worth it, most clients ask at some point? What are the costs and benefits?

For those who can afford the additional administrative expense, (currently ranging from $7,000 to $12,000 depending on project size) certifying their homes will keep this high standard from being watered down in the marketplace. This should make the benefits of actually meeting it made more accessible to everyone over time. And this helps the zero carbon housing movement to thrive.

Seen strictly as an investment, the eventual benefit to the resale value of a certified Passive House home, with no energy bills expected for the life of the house and a guarantee of quality, must also be a real one.

These advantages notwithstanding, we also find that about 75% of our current clients forego certification, and put the same funds back into the house itself, and we fully support this choice.