Best 15 Sustainable Building Material Companies in Missouri

Images courtesy of The North American Rammed Earth Builders Association, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc., Rammed Earth Works, and The Year of Mud.

Choosing renewable building materials and opting for energy-efficient appliances are good ways to enhance the sustainability of your building project in Missouri, or anywhere else for that matter.

However, besides choosing sustainable materials, you must rely on an experienced company with the relevant expertise to create durable structures that meet building code standards.

Therefore, knowing the best sustainable building material companies in Missouri for your next project is very important.

When it comes to sustainable construction, you’ll be thinking of materials like rammed earth, straw bales, earthbags, adobe, and bamboo. Unfortunately, since most of these materials are still considered alternatives in many states, getting an experienced contractor can be challenging.

Remember, you want a contractor with a proven track record who understands Missouri’s building code standards.

In this article, I’ve rounded up a list of the best 15 sustainable building materials companies in Missouri. The list will help you narrow down the search to the best option guaranteed to deliver quality materials and services. Let’s get started!

Rammed Earth Construction Companies in Missouri

Rammed earth is a sustainable building technique that uses compacted natural raw materials to build walls, foundations, and floors.

Typically, a homogenous mixture of silt, sand, gravel, clay, and water is rammed into place between formworks to create the structure. The technique has been around for thousands of years, and it’s an excellent way to create an energy-efficient home with natural materials.

The best rammed earth construction companies in Missouri include:

1. The North American Rammed Earth Builders Association

The North American Rammed Earth Builders Association (NAREBA) promotes the use of rammed earth as a sustainable material.

As a non-profit organization, NAREBA strives to ensure its members are educated on rammed earth construction and how to make structurally-sound homes using this material.

The organization’s mission to be a center for reliable information for interested building professionals has made it one of the go-to resources for rammed earth building in Missouri. It ensures the free flow of information to create healthy and sustainable communities.

NAREBA’s core responsibilities include:

• Creating a comprehensive research and development program for its members.
• Defining and enforcing high rammed earth building standards.
• Teaching rammed earth building techniques to members.

With a collective building experience and a resource base of 150 years, NAREBA represents the industry well by fostering sustainability.

The organization enforces the highest rammed earth building standards and specifications. It supplies construction documents stipulating these standards and specifications for use in residential, commercial, and public projects throughout the region.

All builders and professionals must adhere to the minimum rammed earth building specifications stipulated in the documents.

2. PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.

Founded in 1998, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. is one of the best sustainable building material companies in Missouri.

Although the company is headquartered in Klamath Falls, Oregon, it’s licensed to offer its services throughout the 50 U.S. states. Therefore, you can contract it for your rammed earth projects in Missouri.

PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. prides itself on being the industry leader in green building techniques like rammed earth.

The company uses a unique construction approach that entails working with customers to meet their project needs. It oversees the project with honesty and integrity to create economical and efficient structures.

What sets PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. apart is its focus on balancing a client’s needs with the available technology to stay within the schedule and meet budgetary requirements.

It boasts experienced engineers who ground their approach on tradition to design and engineer anything. From dome structures and yurts to tree houses, you can trust PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. for all your rammed earth building needs in Missouri.

The company’s primary services include:

• Commercial building design
• Sustainable structural design
• Civil engineering services
• Residential structural engineering
• Construction management

3. Rammed Earth Works

Rammed Earth Works boasts a global reputation as the best manufacturer and supplier of rammed earth panels for different construction projects.

Since its inception in 1976, the company has been promoting rammed earth construction in the U.S. and worldwide.

The company’s global reputation for promoting research, disseminating information, refining rammed earth technologies, and building credible rammed earth panels has made it the go-to resource for rammed earth projects in Missouri.

With a combined hundred years of rammed earth experience, Rammed Earth Works has continuously improved its processes for efficiency and quality.

Its mix design, forming system, soil characterization, compaction, and delivery techniques are some of the best in the industry due to refinement over the years based on experience and customer feedback. Therefore, the company guarantees the most efficient, beautiful, and precise rammed earth panels for any project.

Apart from its high-quality products, the company also provides professional services to ensure seamless operations. Its staff members are experts in rammed earth construction — they offer a unique combination of experiential knowledge and technical expertise when working on projects.

Standard rammed earth panels from Rammed Earth Works are 3 inches (7.62 cm) thick, 5 inches (12.70 cm) high, and 12 inches (30.48 cm) long. However, you can contact the company for custom orders if your required panels don’t fall in this category.

Most precast rammed earth panels weigh up to 2,600 pounds (1,180 kg) and are customized with the customer’s preferred colors.

Cob Building Companies in Missouri

Cob is a green building material made from clay, sand, straw, and water. Sometimes, lime is added to the mixture as a binder.

Cob’s sustainability is based on the fact that it has almost zero embodied energy because it’s made on the site. Moreover, this material is non-polluting since it’s entirely recyclable.

The best cob building companies in Missouri include:

4. The Year of Mud

Founded by Brian Liloia in Mount Vernon City, Missouri, The Year of Mud is among the best cob building companies in the state.

Brian, also known as Ziggy, is an experienced cob builder in Northeastern Missouri. He built Cobgobatron, his first cob house, between 2008 and 2009. It was during this time that he founded The Year of Mud.

Over the years, Brian has been building with natural materials like cob to help minimize the environmental impact of the construction industry.

The company focuses on communicating the genius of traditional building using eco-friendly materials.

The Year of Mud offers cob building workshops across the state. The workshops are intended for people who want to learn the cob building technique.

The company also offers design services, consultations, and lectures for various materials.

The Year of Mud prides itself on offering the best cob workshops through collaboration with other natural builders. It provides accommodation and three meals per day for students throughout the session.

Some of the skills students acquire from these workshops include:

• Making a cob oven.
• Working with clay and lime plaster.
• Mixing and installing cob.
• How to build with cob.
• Demonstrating the differences between thermal mass and insulation.

5. Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage

Founded in 1997, Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is one of the best sustainable building material organizations in Missouri due to its focus and determination for eco-conscious and responsible living.

As a non-profit organization, Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage believes in building natural and healthy social structures that are vibrant and non-exploitative. It achieves its goals by using natural building materials like cob.

The best part is that the village strives to be as off-grid as possible. Therefore, besides building with natural materials, it powers these structures with renewable energy from wind and sun.

Moreover, the village fosters natural cultivation. Thus, its residents depend on local, in-season, and organic foods like home-grown vegetables.

The above discussion demonstrates that achieving off-grid living in the modern U.S. is possible.

The Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage values diversity among its members, most of whom come here to learn how to build and live sustainability. The village comprises families and individuals from all walks of life. It also hopes other sub-communities will eventually join to spread the sustainable living gospel.

Bamboo Building Companies in Missouri

Bamboo is an eco-friendly material due to its fast growth rate and ability to regenerate after harvesting.

Some bamboo species grow up to 2.91 feet (88.70 cm) daily, making it one of the best renewable construction resources.

Bamboo is also highly resistant to pests and diseases.

The best bamboo building companies in Missouri include:

6. Just Around the Corner, Inc.

Founded in 1989, Just Around the Corner, Inc. is a family-owned and operated business based in St. Louis, Missouri.

The company boasts itself as the best provider of flooring installation and refinishing.

Just Around the Corner, Inc. specializes in different types of flooring, including waterproof bamboo floors.

The firm prides itself on some of the most experienced experts in the flooring industry. For instance, Rich, the company’s leader, has been in service for over seven years. He has serviced over satisfied clients throughout this period.

Rich and his team of skilled experts provide high-quality Cali Bamboo flooring services to residential and commercial customers in Missouri.

The company also offers other flooring services such as hardwood installation, refinishing, staining, and consultations.

7. ReNüTeq

ReNüTeq boasts itself as a pioneer in structurally-engineered bamboo in Missouri.

Located in St. Louis, this company specializes in sustainable building technologies. It produces some of the best bamboo materials for commercial and residential projects.

The company guarantees quality and structurally-sound bamboo building materials made from Guadua bamboo from Latin America. Guadua is a known bamboo species for its excellent tensile and structural strength.

What sets ReNüTeq apart is that it uses patented techniques and processes to manufacture the highest-quality, architectural-grade bamboo products for the construction industry.

ReNüTeq specializes in two basic bamboo products:

• Structurally-engineered bamboo: It’s glued together through pressure and heat for structural purposes in different construction projects.
• Radial laminated bamboo: It undergoes rigorous processes with multiple pressure, heat, and compression exposures for enhanced strength. The method also makes this bamboo product highly waterproof and suitable for areas prone to high humidity.

ReNüTeq employs sophisticated technologies to create the above products. The best part is that its technology was subjected to ASTM testing standardization to guarantee quality and structural integrity.

Earthbag Building Companies in Missouri

Earthbag building is a technique that entails filling sandbags with soil and other inorganic materials for building structures.

The sandbags are arranged on top of each other, tamped down, and then held together with barbed wire for stability.

It’s a sustainable building technique due to its low carbon footprint and high thermal mass.

The best earthbag building companies in Missouri include:

8. PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.

PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. is a renowned structural engineering firm specializing in green building techniques.

The company recognizes the need to incorporate environmentally-friendly practices in construction to help combat the environmental effects of the construction industry.

As a company licensed throughout the U.S., PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. specializes in green building materials, including earthbags.

PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. has a unique earthbag construction that entails covering the sandbags. This is essential, especially in hot areas, as it helps protect the structure from the sun’s rays.

Hempcrete Construction Companies in Missouri

Hempcrete is a biocomposite material made from hemp hurds, sand, lime, and pozzolans.

Besides reducing waste products from the construction industry, hempcrete decreases energy use and the consumption of natural resources.

Moreover, it helps reduce emissions and toxic chemicals released into the environment due to steel and concrete production.

The best hempcrete construction companies in Missouri include:

9. Hempitecture

Hempitecture is among the best sustainable building material companies in Missouri due to its incorporation of plant fibers in construction.

The company uses plant fibers like hemp hurds to manufacture the most innovative building materials like hempcrete.

Hempitecture’s focus is to help customers build homes that contribute to better health while conserving the planet. Its hempcrete is made from American-grown hemp to support America’s economy, ingenuity, and agriculture.

The company built the first hempcrete house of 2020 in Warrenton, Missouri.

Hempitecture’s products are:

• Made with 90% plant-based fiber.
• High performance with a thermal resistance of 3.7 per inch.
• Easy to install due to their non-abrasive nature.
• Highly resistant to mold and pests.

10. Grow Missouri Hemp, LLC

As the name suggests, Grow Missouri Hemp, LLC is a company that helps people to create natural homes using hemp.

The company has a dedicated team of professionals who have been learning and educating customers in Missouri on how to build eco-friendly homes using hemp hurds.

Grow Missouri Hemp, LLC designs its hempcrete to provide excellent temperature and humidity regulation. Consequently, this helps lower energy costs.

11. RockWater

Located in Union, RockWater is among the best hempcrete construction companies in Missouri.

The company prides itself on being the premier manufacturer and supplier of the safest and superior hempcrete to contractors and DIYers.

It also trains contractors, builders, and homeowners on hempcrete installation and building code compliance.

Besides its sustainability qualities, hempcrete by RockWater is fire and pest-resistant and provides excellent insulation.

Earthship Construction Companies in Missouri

Developed by architect Michael Reynolds in the 21st century, earthship is an architectural design used to build self-sustaining homes. These structures are designed to collect and store water and energy.

The best earthship construction companies in Missouri include:

12. Earthship Biotecture

Founded by architect Michael Reynolds, Earthship Biotecture is the world’s best earthship building company.

The company has some of the best earthship designs for diverse climates. Therefore, whether you want to build on the hot plains of Missouri or the cold mountains, Earthship Biotecture has a design for you.

The company has an online store where customers can purchase construction plans.

You can purchase construction plans and build yourself or contract the company. If you hire the company, expect to pay approximately $275 to $375 per square foot for materials and labor.

Alternatively, you can opt for consultations with Reynolds at $400 per hour.

Recycled Steel Building Companies in Missouri

Recycled steel is sustainable because the process conserves energy and natural resources.

For instance, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, recycling a ton of steel conserves 1,400 pounds (635 kg) of coal, 2,500 pounds (1,134 kg) of iron ore, and 120 pounds (54 kg) of limestone.

The best recycled steel companies in Missouri include:

13. Al J. Mueller

Since its inception in 1974, Al J. Mueller has been providing quality steel construction services in Missouri.

The company specializes in pre-engineered steel buildings for different uses in the state.

Al J. Mueller designs its structures to be flexible and cost-effective. This makes the structures easily accessible and versatile for use in different projects.

The company enhances sustainable building by using 100% recycled steel. It acquires most of the components used to build the structures from a local recycling facility in St. Joseph. Consequently, this helps reduce transportation emissions due to reduced distances traveled.

Wood Plastic Composite Companies in Missouri

Wood plastic composites (WPCs) are sustainable building materials made from recycled plastic and a small amount of wood fibers. Therefore, it doesn’t contribute to deforestation.

The best wood plastic composite companies in Missouri include:

14. Missouri Vinyl Products

Founded in 2000, Missouri Vinyl Products is a locally-owned and operated company specializing in composite decking, fencing, and railing products.

Its decades of experience make it one of the best sustainable building material companies in Missouri.

The company’s vast expertise makes it possible to fabricate some of the best WPC decks in the state.

Missouri Vinyl Products employs modern technology to manufacture quality composite decking with a natural wood appearance. The decking is also low-maintenance.

15. Aesthetic Design and Build LLC

Since its establishment in 1991, Aesthetic Design and Build LLC has maintained its position as the premier manufacturer and supplier of composite decking in St. Louis.

The company employs its ability to think outside the box to develop creative deck designs. It also collaborates with customers to create designs that fit their needs accurately and precisely.

All composite decks from Aesthetic Design and Build LLC have unique finishings and customized designs for a natural appearance.

Final Thoughts On The Best Sustainable Building Material Companies in Missouri

Now that you know the best sustainable building material companies in Missouri, it’s time to get your project started.

Whether you’re looking for rammed earth, hempcrete, recycled steel, or wood plastic composites, Missouri has a variety of companies that’ll meet your needs.

So don’t wait to start building a sustainable abode — contact one of these firms for a quote today and get started.