• What is the vendor’s location and proximity to the job site?
• Does the vendor have a certification or proven affiliation with a recognized green building organization?
• Is there a professional association for the trade? If so, is the vendor a member and active participant?
• What is the vendor’s knowledge and experience in working with green building issues?
• Are client references available?
• Has the vendor completed a green building project similar in size and scope? Are site visits or photographs available? Is client contact information available?
• Does the vendor recycle or reuse demolition or construction waste?
• Does the vendor have an area of green specialization?
• Does the vendor use a third-party organization to verify work?

If you do decide to work with a green vendor, I have posted the names and contact information of some local vendors on the Green Living page on my website.

Creating a green home can be an exciting and rewarding process, however is important to understand that you may need to make some compromises. You may come across a green vendor who offers bamboo flooring, but the product must first be shipped from China. Which is more important – the product that helps lessen your impact on the environment, or the fuel it will take to get the product here? Only you can answer that question.

For more information on green vendors, please visit the following Web sites:

• Patrick Walsh’s Green Living
• U.S. Green Building Council: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• National Association of Home Builders