The study looked at four areas of focus:

1. Energy Use
2. Building Material Use
3. Water Use
4. L and Use and Conservation of Open Space and Habitat

The study highlights a number of green building practices and approaches used by the top 13 builders, and points out areas of improvement. It concludes that although many of the companies are making attempts at sustainability, none have fully embraced the practice in all areas of their business.

Bottom line, some of the "big guys" are doing very good stuff. They're clearly market leaders. But there's still room for improvement.

The study, however, doesn't attempt to capture the innovation and impact of the nation's 75,000+ small to midsize builders. In my decade of experience in this industry, I've found that the most innovative, forward thinking companies are the small, nimble ones, not the behemouths.

Do you know any small builders or remodelers doing really innovative stuff?