Best 15 Sustainable Building Material Companies in New York
Images courtesy of Rammed Earth Works, Adobe Building Systems, Permaculture New York, and Rising Earth Natural Building.
Are you a New York resident looking to build a greener, more sustainable home?
If so, your first step is to look for an established and reputable company for a long-lasting self-sustaining home. Having a list of the best sustainable building material companies in New York will help you narrow down the search.
Let’s face it — building a sustainable house to meet building code standards requires the utmost expertise.
From adhering to dimensional requirements to material mix proportions, sustainable construction requires a company that understands building code standards for a house that will stand the test of time. Hiring just any company may jeopardize your dream of an eco-friendly home.
In the rest of this article, I’ll discuss the best sustainable building material companies in New York. I’ll cover their sustainability and what makes each company unique to help you narrow your search. Let’s get started!
Rammed Earth Construction Companies in New York
Rammed earth construction is a technique that entails ramming a mixture of sand, gravel, silt, and clay into formworks to make the walls of a house. It’s a sustainable building material because it has a high thermal mass and a low carbon footprint.
Moreover, rammed earth is a recyclable material with low transport emissions because it’s mainly obtained from the building site itself.
The best rammed earth construction companies in New York include the following:
1. Rammed Earth Works
Rammed Earth Works specializes in manufacturing and supplying rammed earth panels globally.
The company supplies 3-inch (7.62-cm) thick rammed earth panels for construction projects worldwide. The panels are 5 inches (12.7 cm) high and 12 inches (30.48 cm) long, making them ideal for wall construction.
Besides the ready-made panels in the above dimensions, you can request customized options that meet your specs.
Rammed Earth Works is unique due to its global reputation as a company specializing in research and refining technologies for rammed earth construction.
With experience spanning hundreds of years in rammed earth building, this company has what it takes to build stable rammed earth structures.
The company’s focus is helping customers reduce costs and complexity while maintaining the structure’s intent and aesthetic expectations. It achieves this by incorporating value engineering throughout the concept designing and design development phases. This calls for collaboration between the company, the client, and architects.
Rammed Earth Works allows clients to request samples before manufacturing the precast rammed earth panels. Once the client is happy with the samples, the company designs the panels to meet the specs, weighing up to 2,600 pounds (1,180 kg).
Adobe Building Companies in New York
Adobe refers to sun-dried bricks made from sand, clay, straw, and water. These ingredients are mixed and trampled in specified proportions before forming bricks.
After sun-drying the adobe bricks, they are laid in courses to form walls with varying thicknesses.
The best adobe building companies in New York include the following:
2. Adobe Building Systems
Adobe Building Systems is a company that specializes in designing and building adobe brick homes worldwide.
The company has a unique approach to adobe construction that incorporates vertical reinforcements in seismic areas for excellent stability.
Moreover, the company installs service columns for plumbing and electricity. This is done to prevent water damage.
By using safe and simple scaffolding built right into the adobe walls, Adobe Building Systems is able to provide enhanced stability and support.
Besides construction, the company aims to teach adobe construction skills to as many people as possible. Therefore, it offers workshops where people can learn and gain hands-on skills to design and build with adobe.
With its focus on delivering high-quality homes that meet clients’ needs, Adobe Building Systems is the go-to choice for adobe brick construction. It can take your project from the designing and planning phase to training and construction completion.
In addition to the unique construction methods, Adobe Building Systems offers guidance on selecting the right mixtures for different types of walls. The company conducts detailed research to identify materials that make it possible for walls to bear the required loads.
Cob Building Companies in New York
Cob is a natural building material made from clay, sand, lime, straw, and water.
Cob’s sustainability is based on the fact that it doesn’t require heat treatment and is made from locally-sourced materials. Therefore, it has low embodied energy and carbon footprint, the two main climate change contributors.
The best cob building companies in New York are:
3. Permaculture New York
Permaculture New York combines its experience in landscaping and natural building to build healthy homes for healthy people.
What sets this company apart is its focus on green building. The company orients its homes based on water drainage and the sun’s location to maximize passive solar.
Maximizing passive solar comes in handy for adobe due to its high thermal mass.
High thermal mass means when exposed to the sun, adobe absorbs and stores the heat. The stored heat is released back into the house at night, warming the house without relying on central heating.
Permaculture New York also specializes in cob structures with a blend of wood and stone walls for maximum stability.
The company encourages clients to upcycle materials by incorporating salvaged items from nearby building sites.
Permaculture New York also offers workshops to teach people how to make cob homes.
The company’s commitment to green building and its sustainability mindset makes it an excellent choice for cob construction projects.
4. Rising Earth Natural Building
Owned by Mike McDonough, Rising Earth Natural Building is one of the best sustainable building material companies in New York.
Following his apprenticeship at the Cob Cottage Company, Mike McDonough has built a reputation for being one of the best cob builders in New York City.
The company specializes in building homes and conducting workshops. Through these workshops, the company teaches people how to build houses using natural materials.
The company offers classes for beginners as well as advanced natural building courses.
Besides building new cob houses, the company rehabilitates old structures to meet current safety standards.
What sets Rising Earth Natural Building apart is its focus on insulation.
As a natural builder, Mike knows that most earthen building materials are poor insulators. Therefore, he assesses every structure based on the site’s conditions before insulating it for a comfortable indoor environment.
By incorporating a unique finishing technique with lime and clay-based plasters, Mike ensures that clients can enjoy the warmth of their homes without relying on central heating.
Rising Earth Natural Building is an excellent choice for cob projects in New York City. With years of experience and a commitment to sustainability, this company offers the best services for natural building projects.
What’s more?
McDonough provides professional advice to ensure each structure is safe and comfortable for residents.
5. Cob Therapy
Cob Therapy specializes in cob workshops and lime plasters in New York.
The company aims to teach as many people as possible the art of making and building with cob.
As a family-owned natural building contracting team, Cob Therapy uses cob to build homes and other structures.
The company is well-known for its unique plastering techniques, which help create beautiful walls and floors that last years.
The company’s cob workshops entail the following:
- Applying cob to different wall systems for longevity.
- Applying clay and lime-based plasters on cob walls for beautification and protection against water damage.
- Learning the right proportions for mixing sand, clay, water, and straw for the best cob.
- How to sustainably source materials for making different natural building mixes.
- How to apply the different natural building mixes with hands and trowels.
- Building cob houses from the ground up.
- Wood species selection for the best performance.
At Cob Therapy, the team focuses on helping clients build beautiful, sustainable, and long-lasting homes.
The company is dedicated to ensuring that everyone involved in the project has a solid understanding of cob and lime plastering techniques by using this material to build:
- Homes and buildings
- Benches and ovens
- Saunas
- Garden walls
- Plasters and floors
Bamboo Building Companies in New York
Bamboo is a sustainable building material due to its rapid growth rate. Moreover, bamboo regenerates quickly after harvesting, making it an excellent renewable resource.
The best bamboo building companies in New York include:
6. Dragonfly Bamboo
Dragonfly Bamboo is a New York-based firm specializing in the coolest, most sustainable bamboo building products. It aims to make bamboo building materials affordable by eliminating the overpriced old designs.
Dragonfly Bamboo achieves its goals by partnering with other bamboo specialists in Vietnam and the Philippines.
The company maintains sustainability by focusing on natural bamboo that is not over-manufactured. This way, its bamboo products have the most negligible environmental impact.
Its products also incorporate minimal refining. It only uses drills, saws, sanders, and drying units without chemicals that could leach into the environment.
When it comes to sealing, the company only uses natural sealants like Tung and linseed oils. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the sealants.
What sets this company apart is that its bamboo products have a 15-year warranty. Thus, you can have peace of mind knowing its products are durable and built to last.
Earthbag Building Companies in New York
Earthbag is a building technique that entails filling polypropylene or burlap bags with soil and stacking them in layers to form a structure. It is a low-cost, eco-friendly option for building homes and other facilities.
The best earthbag building companies in New York include:
7. PSE Consulting Engineers Inc.
Founded in 1998, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. is a company that incorporates environmentally friendly building practices.
The company is licensed to offer sustainable building services like earthbag in the 50 U.S. states.
PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. has a unique approach that entails collaborating with the local agencies to merge code enforcement. This way, the company aims to create sustainable homes in line with the local building codes for each state.
Earthbag houses engineered by PSE Consulting Engineers Inc. are designed with an antique fashion and look. This adds an aesthetic appeal to the building, making it stand out from other earthbag constructions.
By merging existing and emerging sustainable construction technologies, this company has created beautiful, sustainable, and safe structures for its clients.
The company prides itself on excellent customer service. This has contributed immensely to the company’s 96% customer satisfaction rating.
PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. has a diverse customer base ranging from first-time homeowners interested in green building, municipal and government agencies, and business owners.
The company’s key strengths include:
- Responsive and timely services.
- Dedication to understanding clients’ needs..
- Fostering partnered relationships
- Commitment to excellence.
- Innovation.
- 100% client satisfaction.
Hempcrete Construction Companies in New York
Hempcrete is a bio-aggregate concrete. It’s made by mixing hemp shives with water and a lime-based binder. The resulting material is strong and safe for use in construction.
Hempcrete is a sustainable building material because it’s made from natural waste material. Therefore, its entire life cycle as a construction material is eco-friendly.
The best hempcrete construction companies in New York include:
8. New York Hempcrete
New York Hempcrete is a home builder and material supplier specializing in hempcrete.
The company focuses on the highest quality of durability and sustainability.
Due to its focus on creating carbon-negative homes, New York Hempcrete has earned appreciation from its clients who care about the environment.
New York Hempcrete Builders are highly experienced in creating breathable hempcrete walls. These walls are crucial for maintaining steady indoor temperatures without off-gassing.
By providing the best pricing on materials and qualified hempcrete builders, the company ensures excellent value for its customers.
9. Wood Stock Hempcrete
Wood Stock Hempcrete prides itself as the provider of natural breathing building envelopes in Stone Ridge, New York.
The company has a unique and sustainable approach that incorporates hemp-based walls and insulation.
Wood Stock Hempcrete uses hempcrete blocks to build walls and hemp wool insulation to ensure better home insulation.
It uses integral formwork made of recycled glass foam boards and hemp-lime mixtures to insulate the foundation.
These services come with expert advice from the company’s technicians to ensure durable and energy-efficient structures.
This company is unique because it allows customers to choose upgrades and build offers before commencing the project.
Sheep’s Wool Insulation Companies in New York
Sheep’s wool is a sustainable insulation material. It’s a renewable material because sheep are shorn periodically to allow wool to regrow.
Sheep’s wool insulation companies in New York include:
10. Natural Wool Insulation
Natural Wool Insulation specializes in pure wool life insulation made from sheep’s wool.
The company focuses on green building by keeping its wool natural without added chemicals.
Moreover, the company’s pure wool life insulation has been scoured to remove loose debris and dirt that can cause discomfort in the indoor environment.
Engineered Wood Companies in New York
Engineered wood is manufactured wood made by combining plastic and extruded, heated wood fibers. It’s another sustainable building material because it uses less of the tree per plank and utilizes waste wood from sawmills and other manufacturing processes; thus, it helps conserve trees.
The best engineered wood companies in New York include:
11. NYC Floor Pro
With over 25 years of designing, installing, and repairing wooden floors, NYC Floor Pro is dedicated to delivering customer satisfaction. It has the best installers, familiar with the latest floor installation techniques and access to the latest tools.
NYC Floor Pro prides itself as the provider of authentic engineered wood that doesn’t sacrifice quality.
The company offers various options for customers, such as engineered wood and luxury vinyl plank flooring, all of which guarantee value for money.
12. Wood Floor Planet
With over 25 years of experience installing, repairing, and selling engineered hardwood flooring in New York, Wood Floor Planet is dedicated to offering the best services.
The company’s engineered hardwood flooring comes in the following categories:
- Finished
- Unfinished
- Laminated
- Herringbone
- Parquet
Wood Floor Planet has a unique manufacturing process for its engineered flooring that makes it resistant to moisture. It achieves this by making its engineered wood with three to nine wood plies and bonding them under heat and pressure.
13. Kamco Supply Corp
Kamco Supply Corp is among the largest suppliers of building materials in New York.
Based in Brooklyn, New York City, this company specializes in many materials, including engineered wood.
It boasts a wide variety of engineered wood from different manufacturers to meet different construction requirements.
Kamco Supply Corp stocks generic and Eastern engineered wood products like Douglas fir and Norbord Rim Board.
14. First Class Wood Flooring
This is the leading supplier of engineered hardwood in Port Jefferson, New York.
With experience spanning a couple of decades, First Class Wood Flooring brings a unique combination of attributes to the table.
By hiring passionate and experienced engineered hardwood flooring installers, the company ensures that customers get the best services and products at competitive prices.
The company maintains its relevance by staying at par with the changing technology. As new engineered wood products emerge, First Class Wood Flooring stocks them and trains its staff on how to handle them.
Besides supplying and installing engineered wood products, you can also hire the company to refinish and repair your wooden floor.
15. Pioneer Millworks
For over 30 years, this company has been specializing in sustainable wood flooring, among them, engineered wood.
Pioneer Millworks has eco-friendly engineered wood products that are FSC-certified, low VOC, formaldehyde-free, and manufactured in the U.S.
Engineered wood products from Pioneer Millworks are designed for easy incorporation into any project while maintaining consistency.
The company’s engineered wood is ideal for use on cement slabs, over radiant heat, in basements, and in any space that requires minimal floor movement.
The company is unique in that it provides samples so customers can be sure of the product they’re getting.
Final Thoughts On Sustainable Building Material Companies in New York
When looking for sustainable building material companies in New York, these 15 should be your top options.
Each company offers unique attributes to ensure customers get value for their money.
You should choose based on your specific needs — whether it’s installation, repairs, refinishing, or material supply.
Remember to request samples from your chosen company to ensure it meets your expectations.
