Best 16 Sustainable Building Material Companies in Florida

Images courtesy of PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc., Rammed Earth Works, Adobe Homes, and Rizome Bamboo.

Are you looking for the best sustainable building material companies in Florida?

Whether tackling an ambitious renovation project or laying the foundation for a brand-new structure, using sustainably-sourced materials from a reputable company is a must. This is one way to combat climate change.

As more people shift towards sustainable construction, many companies are coming up to meet the rising demand. Unfortunately, not all these companies can build sustainable structures in line with the building code standards. That’s why you must be vigilant when looking for a sustainable building material company in Florida and elsewhere.

In the rest of this article, I’ll discuss the best 16 sustainable building material companies in Florida. I’ll help you choose a company that will meet your needs by examining what makes these companies unique and sustainable. Let’s get started!

Rammed Earth Construction Companies in Florida

Rammed earth construction involves packing soil into forms and then compressing it. This produces a monolithic wall resistant to water, fire, and pests.

Rammed earth construction companies in Florida include:

1. PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.

This is a company established in 1998 by Dr. Nabil Taha.

Taha was an engineering professor at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) who resigned to focus his time and experience at PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.

Although the company is headquartered in Klamath Falls, Oregon, it’s licensed to operate in all 50 states in the U.S. It’s also present in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia in Canada.

The company has a branch in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s from here that you can get its rammed earth construction services.

PSE’s mission is to ensure the highest professionalism and timely services at competitive rates.

The company has partnered with architects, developers, and designers to achieve its mission. This is the company’s central pillar for creating ground-breaking structures.

By incorporating creative touch home design, PSE has shown how it can bring a project to life. The designers work directly with clients and structural engineers to develop a dream home from start to finish.

What’s more?

The company uses state-of-the-art software to create fully-immersive designs to help you visualize your dream home.

2. Rammed Earth Works

Rammed Earth Works produces rammed earth panels for customers globally. It manufactures 3-inch (7.6 cm) thick rammed earth panels for construction. These panels are 5 inches (12.7 cm) high and 12 inches (30.5 cm) long.

Although the company has standard sizes for its rammed earth panels, you can request a custom-made option to meet your building needs.

Established in 1976, Rammed Earth Works is among Florida’s best sustainable building material companies. It has worked on some of the most outstanding projects in the state.

The company’s unique approach incorporates color selection at the beginning of each project. According to the company, this is an essential step that helps determine the soil needed.

The company provides samples to clients to choose a preferred appearance. It then uses the client’s selection to source the right soils from the best local resources.

Rammed Earth Works’ precast panels weigh up to 2,600 pounds (1,200 kg). They’re built in steel frames for easy installation as veneer pieces and shipped anywhere in the world.

Adobe Building Companies in Florida

Adobe is an unfired earth brick. These bricks are made from sand, clay, straw, and water. The ingredients are mixed, trampled, and formed into bricks before sun-drying.

Adobe bricks are among sustainable building materials because they have low embodied carbon and create energy-efficient homes due to their high thermal mass.

Adobe building companies in Florida include the following:

3. Adobe Homes

Founded by Rami Zohar, a homebuilder with over 40 years of experience, Adobe Homes is among the best sustainable building material companies in Florida.

Having traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe with his family, Zohar drew inspiration from the old-world construction style.

This inspired him to create structures with simple lines and natural materials, hence Adobe Homes’ mission of bringing back traditional building techniques in modern times.

At first, Zohar, in conjunction with his father, learned the art of building ‘from the ground up.’ This essential skill shaped his career and success as an adobe home builder.

Adobe entails building from the ground up by laying the bricks in courses. The adobe bricks are then held together with a mud mortar to create a monolithic wall that makes the home energy efficient.

Adobe Homes designs floor plans to make the process easier for clients. Therefore, if you want to build an adobe home, all you have to do is select your preferred floor plan and elevation. After that, inform the company where you want to build the house.

Once on the site, the company wants to ensure everything is done correctly and within the law. Therefore, it starts with the following:

• Analyzing boundary survey: The company’s surveyors analyze the boundary survey to demarcate setbacks, property lines, and the location of utilities (septic restrictions, electrical, water, and sewer).
• Analyzing the soil: It checks the soil composition in the area to determine the necessary foundation requirements.
• Zoning restrictions: It ensures the structure complies with the local zoning and building codes.

Cob Building Companies in Florida

Cob is another sustainable building material that’s gaining traction today. It’s made by mixing subsoil (sand and clay), straw, water, and lime.

Cob building entails laying cob in courses to create the wall. Each course is left to dry before the next one is added. This ensures the wall is strong and will last for generations.

Here are some of the Cob building companies in Florida:

4. PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.

PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. is one of the companies committed to sustainability and promoting natural building techniques.

The company is licensed to offer engineering consulting services throughout the U.S. It offers consultation services to those who want to build with cob.

PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. built the East Coast’s first commercial code-approved cob house. This is evidence that the company has what it takes to build cob structures that meet regulations.

The company has a branch in Jacksonville, Florida.

Bamboo Building Companies in Florida

Bamboo is a sustainable and renewable resource. It’s a grass that grows incredibly fast and can be used in building structures for residential and commercial projects.

Bamboo building companies in Florida prove that it’s possible to build structurally sound homes with this material. Here are some of the companies:

5. Rizome Bamboo

Rizome Bamboo is a company dedicated to proving bamboo’s viability as a building material.

The company aims to save as many trees as possible by fronting bamboo as an alternative building material. This way, it aims to minimize the over-reliance on trees, a factor that has led to the depletion of forests.

Rizome Bamboo manufactures engineered bamboo lumber, a sustainable alternative to traditional wood. This lumber is designed to be strong, affordable, gorgeous, and fire-resistant.

It also manufactures bamboo boards with smooth surfaces suitable for luxury construction projects. The boards come in the following dimensions:

• Thickness: ¼ inch (0.64 cm) to ½ inch (1.27 cm).
• Width: 1 inch (2.54 cm) to 6 inches (15.24 cm).
• Length: up to 10 feet (3.05 m).

Besides the above dimensions, you can request a custom size for specific needs.

Other products include:

• Veneers: Suitable for gluing to conventional or engineered wood with high adhesion integrity.
• Panels: They’re made from woven strand bamboo or solid bamboo veneers. These panels are ideal for laying up in different configurations based on your design requirements. The company also manufactures veneer panels for use as door and wall paneling.
• Laminated veneer lumber: Superstructural LVL with excellent tensile and bending strength. They’re also highly resistant to deflection.
• Laminated strand lumber: Is built for strength, making it ideal for areas that require maximum deflection resistance, like beams.

6. North Florida Bamboo

Based in Jacksonville Beach, North Florida Bamboo is a company that supplies the highest quality non-invasive bamboo for construction and other projects.

With a focus on bamboo construction, this company allows customers to buy bamboo for DIY installations or hire its experts for professional installation.

Not only does it supply quality bamboo products, but North Florida Bamboo also offers consultation services to help customers find the best solution for their projects.

The best part is that it begins every project with a free consultation. This is advantageous, especially if you’re on a tight budget and want to maximize your investment.

The company also offers custom fabrication services tailored to fit any design requirements.

North Florida Bamboo is among the few companies that offer a warranty on their products and installations. Its bamboo installation services come with a 30-day warranty. Any issues happening within this period will be addressed at no additional cost.

7. Ocoee Bamboo Farm

Located in Ocoee, Florida, Ocoee Bamboo Farm specializes in clumping bamboo for construction and other projects.

The company chose to specialize in clumping bamboo because these species have long fibers, making them as strong as mild steel. As a result, these bamboo species are ideal for:

• General construction
• Making roofing tiles
• Furniture construction
• Flooring
• Fencing
• Ornamental landscaping
• Privacy and wind barriers

The company’s pro install team is certified and highly experienced in installing bamboo for different projects.

Besides construction and landscaping, Ocoee Bamboo Farm offers bamboo-based craft items. These crafts can decorate your home or office space with a unique, eco-friendly touch.

If you’re worried about selecting the most suitable bamboo species for your project, Ocoee Bamboo Farm has a bamboo selector to help customers find the best option.

8. Bamboo Home Builders

Bamboo Home Builders is one of the best sustainable building material companies in Southwest Florida.

The company focuses on custom-designed homes for clients.

With an emphasis on polished extras, Diamond Day Delivery Policy, and excellence in craftsmanship, Bamboo Home Builders creates homes that customers can be proud of.

What makes the company unique is its commitment to innovative custom bamboo designs. With its portfolio of pre-designed homes, you can pick a style that suits your needs and then get it custom-made.

Gary Roberts, the company’s founder, applies his extensive knowledge and experience in the construction industry to create distinctively designed homes for his clients.

9. Bamboo Supply Company

Established in 2001 in Lakeland, Florida, the Bamboo Supply Company has been at the forefront in supplying bamboo building materials.

The company specializes in bamboo poles, stakes, Moso poles, thatching, and bamboo fences.

Its sustainability aim is to use bamboo as an eco-friendly material to reduce the carbon footprint of construction projects.

The Bamboo Supply Company takes pride in its excellent customer service. By shipping daily using the cheapest methods, the company aims to ensure products are delivered promptly and cheaply to customers.

Earthbag Building Companies in Florida

Earthbag is a sustainable building technique that entails filling bags with soil and stacking them to form walls.

Companies specializing in earthbag building in Florida include the following:

10. PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.

As a company made up of structural engineers, architects, and designers, PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc. is one of the leading green building companies in Florida.

The company is licensed in all 50 U.S. states and offers different sustainable building material services, including earthbag construction.

PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.’s unique approach is specializing in different sustainable building methods to offer clients a wide range of options for their construction projects.

The company has a unique approach to projects whereby it works with local agencies to merge code enforcement.

Hempcrete Construction Companies in Florida

Hempcrete (hemp-lime) is a sustainable biocomposite building material made by mixing hemp hurds, sand, lime (a binder), and pozzolans. It makes excellent insulating infills between frame members.

The best hempcrete construction companies in Florida include:

11. American Lime Technology

American Lime Technology prides itself as the leader in sustainable hemp and lime-based construction materials in North America, specifically Florida.

The company is credited for building the first hempcrete structure in Florida.

Besides construction, the company specializes in fireproof, hygroscopic, and breathable hempcrete. These are the critical qualities of a long-lasting hempcrete house.

The best part is that the company ensures all projects comply with the adopted Florida building code of 2007 and the supplements of 2009. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about meeting the code requirements for your project.

12. Miami Hempcrete

This is a company that specializes in hemp building and supplying hemp-based building materials for use in commercial and residential projects.

Miami Hempcrete’s mission is to provide sustainable building solutions for customers looking to reduce energy consumption through hemp insulation.

The company supplies energy-efficient, non-toxic, and eco-friendly hemp building materials.

Besides building and supplying the materials, it sells premium hempcrete houses. Thus, it’s your go-to company if you want to avoid the hassles of building and go straight to ownership.

13. Tampa Hempcrete

Besides building hempcrete homes in the Tampa region, Tampa Hempcrete also supplies hemp-based building materials.

The company provides lightweight, breathable, and high-performance hempcrete insulation solutions for different construction projects. The houses are non-toxic and fireproof with no off-gassing.

The company’s unique approach is building monolithic hempcrete walls. This is essential because such walls are stronger and can withstand hurricanes and summers in Tampa.

Instead of building a home from scratch, you can buy a ready-made hempcrete house from the company.

Straw Bales Construction Companies in Florida

Straw bale is an eco-friendly material made from straw, one of the most sustainable materials in the world.

The most commonly used straw for construction is wheat, rice, barley, and rye.

The best straw bales construction companies in Florida include the following:

14. Architectural House Plans

Architectural House Plans specializes in detailed and complete plans for unique homes. It focuses on sustainable building solutions, such as straw bale construction.

The company has a wide variety of plans to suit different construction needs.

The company’s approach to house design creates unique designs not found on any other site. This dispenses with the fear of buying stock-based plans and being unable to customize them for your needs.

Its focus is to help clients save more on their construction projects. It achieves this by incorporating energy, material, and space efficiency.

The company’s straw bale plans have been used to build durable houses in Florida, Washington, Connecticut, and California.

Cork Building Products and Companies in Florida

Cork is a green building material harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree every nine years. This harvesting period gives the tree sufficient time to regenerate its bark sustainably.

Cork building products have excellent insulation and fire resistance, are lightweight, and have good acoustic insulation properties.

The best cork-based construction companies in Florida include:

15. Cork Howard Construction

With over 25 years of excellence in the construction industry, Cork Howard Construction is known for its high-quality standards.

The company has a unique management approach that fosters good relationships with subcontractors and clients.

It specializes in high-end multi-floor tenant construction, build-outs and renovations, and other cork-based interior designs.

The company’s sustainability is enhanced by the fact that it has LEED Accredited Professionals in its team to promote environmentally responsible buildings.

16. Bayfair

Located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, Bayfair is a sustainable building material company that builds dream homes for its customers.

The company focuses on cork as one of its sustainable building materials. It incorporates this material in its designs to build energy-efficient walls and floors.

Moreover, it integrates cork in its decorative features to enhance the aesthetic appeal of construction projects.

As a custom home builder, Bayfair designs its cork structures to be:

• Highly insulating
• Sustainable
• Highly durable

Final Thoughts On Sustainable Building Material Companies in Florida

As an eco-conscious homeowner, sustainable building material companies in Florida offer an excellent opportunity to build your dream home while conserving the environment.

These companies specialize in rammed earth, hempcrete, straw bales, earthbags, and cork-based materials.

Since each company has a unique approach that sets it apart, you should choose one that best meets your needs.

Finally, check the company’s portfolio for evidence of successful projects before deciding which firm to use.