Spec book · online
The Well Build Standard
The Healthy Home Spec Book.
Spec book · onlineComing soon
The Well Build™
Helping you build and renovate healthy, high-performance homes.
We guide you through building, renovating and maintaining a healthier home — one that prioritizes clean air, durable systems, smart materials and long-term wellness.
About us
A healthier home comes down to how it's built.
We are a team of passionate building science experts whose mission is to improve the way we build homes.
Homeowners increasingly understand that their homes affect their health. They want better indoor air, cleaner water, healthier materials, moisture resilience, and lasting performance.
But building a healthier home requires hundreds of connected decisions. Information is fragmented, product claims are difficult to compare, and many project teams lack specialized expertise across every category.
The Well Build makes complex building decisions easier to understand and act on.
CertifiedPassive House Tradesperson
Experience15+ years in healthy building
Works withHomeowners, builders, architects
I'm building or renovating
Work With Us
From one focused strategy call to full-service oversight from early planning through move-in.
See how we help → I want to learn firstGuides & Webinars
The same building-science thinking we use with clients, written down for any home and any budget.
Browse the library → I want to know what to buyProducts We Love
The tests, filters and fixtures we use in our own homes and specify on real projects.
See our picks →Our consulting services
Three ways to work with us.
Every project is different. Choose the level of support that matches your build — from a single call to full-service oversight from early planning through move-in.
We take on a limited number of projects at a time, on new builds, major renovations and additions. We work alongside your builder, not against them, and bring in trusted specialists when a project calls for it.
Master planMost common
The Well Build Master Plan
Typical duration4–6 weeks
Our complete pre-construction engagement: we review your plans, develop your full healthy-home material specifications, and coordinate with your builder and architect on a game plan for the build.
Best forHomeowners who have plans and a team, and are ready to build healthy.
- Full review of your plans, specs and project documentation
- Healthy-home material specifications developed for your build
- A written game plan your builder and architect work from
Build phase
Build Phase Advisory
Typical duration6–12 months
Everything in the Master Plan, plus ongoing advisory support through the construction phases where building-science decisions are hardest to fix later.
Best forHomeowners who want eyes on the project through the critical phases.
- Everything in the Master Plan
- Ongoing advisory through the phases that are hardest to fix later
- A virtual pre-drywall review before the walls close
Full service
Full-Service Consulting
Typical duration12+ months
We work alongside your architect, builder, engineers and interior designer from early planning through post move-in, coordinating decisions across every system.
Best forComplex builds that need continuous oversight.
- Support from team selection through move-in
- Coordination across architect, builder, trades and interior design
- Ongoing review of systems, materials and construction progress
Project engagements start in the five figures and scale with the size and complexity of your home. Tell us about your project and we will come back with pricing and next steps. Have one specific question instead? Book a one-time strategy call for $999.
Timing
When to bring us in.
Timing changes what's possible. Early on, a change is a line on a drawing. Once the walls are closed, it's demolition — which is why our full engagements start before construction, not during it.
01Ideal
Land & design
Site, orientation, assemblies and mechanical strategy are all still open. The cheapest point to change anything.
02Ideal
Permit set
Plans reviewed, materials specified and your builder aligned before pricing and details get locked.
03Still works
Foundation
Below-grade waterproofing, vapor barriers and drainage. Tight, but there's still real ground to cover.
04Still works
Framing
Sheathing, flashing, window installation and moisture details are all still ahead of you. The house itself is set, but plenty is still worth getting right.
05Strategy call
Rough-in & pre-drywall
The last look before everything is covered. Best used on one or two decisions you need to get right.
06Strategy call
Finishes & move-in
Finishes, ventilation setup, filters and how to run the house once you're living in it.
Master Plan, Build Phase & Full-Service
One-time strategy call
Stages 01–02 are where our engagements belong, and where most clients find us. Stages 03–04 still work. Past that, a single strategy call is usually the honest answer — tell us where you are and we'll say so.
What we look at
Everything that matters is inside the wall.
Once the drywall goes up, you'll never see these layers again. Here's what we check in every exterior wall, outside to in, and the defect each one prevents. Tap a layer.
The specifications shown here are examples. Every recommendation we make is custom to your project, your budget and your climate zone — a wall that performs in Vermont is not the wall we would specify in Florida.
- What goes wrong
- What we specify
Example only — not a specification. What we'd actually recommend depends on your climate zone, assembly and budget.
Also on every review
Ventilation (ERV / HRV)Humidity controlHVAC sizingRoof & attic assembliesBasement & slab moistureWet-area waterproofingMaterial off-gassingLow-EMF planningWater quality
And more
What you actually get · 01
The plan review.
We read your drawings the way a builder does, mark what will cause problems later, and explain the reasoning — the condition, why it matters, and what to do instead.
Example flagged area
Windows set too close to the roofline
Why it matters
When windows are placed too close to a roofline, they sit in a high water and splash zone. Roof runoff can overshoot flashing and repeatedly wet the window assembly, increasing the risk of leaks, rot and premature window failure.
What to look for
- Maintain ~12" minimum vertical clearance between the bottom of the window and the roof surface — more is better when possible.
- Consider running ice and water shield from the roof deck up the side wall to the bottom of the window.
Drawing from a real plan review. Client and builder details removed.
What you actually get · 02
The contractor specifications.
Findings become line-by-line specifications your builder and trades work from — their spec beside ours, with the reasoning behind every call.
Contractor specifications · excerpt
Contractor Specifications | Healthy Home Guidance
Vapor barrier (under slab)
Builder's spec
5 mil polyethylene
The Well Build notes
Specify 10 mil minimum — 5 mil tears during the pour and under foot traffic. Seal around every penetration, and run the barrier up the wall and cut it back later, so vapor and soil gases can't migrate up the side.
Crushed stone under slab
Builder's spec
Included
The Well Build notes
Specify #57 (3/4") gravel explicitly on the plans, 4" minimum. "Crushed stone" is too vague to hold a subcontractor to.
Framing lumber
Builder's spec
#2 SPF
The Well Build notes
Kiln-dried only, stored off the ground and covered. Stagger deliveries so lumber isn't sitting in the weather before close-in.
Flooring over new slab
Builder's spec
LVP, install per schedule
The Well Build notes
Test the slab for moisture before any impermeable flooring goes down. New concrete releases moisture for months, and LVP or rubber mats trap it — which is how you get mold under a brand-new floor.
Included in every project engagement
- 01A written review of your plans, with what we'd change and why
- 02Healthy-home material specifications for your project
- 03A project guidance document your team builds from
- 04Follow-up calls, plus 30 days of email support
- 05Our healthy-home guides, for you and your trades
Single strategy calls are scoped individually.
Want to work with us on your project? Fill out our intake form →A new build, alongside the builder
What stood out most to me was not only their expertise, but the way they worked with both me and my builder. They treated my builder with genuine respect for his experience and collaborated so well as a team.
They take the guesswork out of choosing healthy materials, provide clear and accurate pricing options, and stay closely connected with local reps and installers.
I was terrified the same mistakes would be made in the rebuild. She walked me step by step through how to rebuild correctly.
My only regret is not bringing them on earlier, during the planning stage.
Projects
Healthy homes look like this long before they look finished.
New construction and renovations we've guided, from framing and flashing to the finished kitchen.
Learn
Learn the building science yourself.
Guides, webinars and toolkits drawn from the same playbook we use with consulting clients. No project required — start where you are.
Webinar · on demand
The Well Build - Healthy Bathroom Webinar
$97.00
View
E-book
The Guide to Foam-Free Attics
Healthier, high-performing attics — without the foam.
E-book
The Well Build Guide to Foam-Free Attics
$19.99
View
E-book
The Guide to EMF & Solar Panels
What's actually going on behind your walls.
E-book
The Well Build Guide to EMF and Solar Panels
$9.99
View
Free guide
The Top 20 Things I See Wrong in New Builds
The failures we find over and over on new construction — and what they cost to fix later. Free, with photos from real job sites.
- 20 failures we find on new builds, with photos from real job sites
- Why each one gets expensive once the walls close up
- A 20-line walkthrough checklist to hand your builder
Products We Love
What we use in our own homes.
The tests and products we actually specify on projects and use ourselves. Some links are affiliate or discount links.
Test your water
Tap Score Water Testing
A world-class laboratory network with the ease of a DIY kit, so testing your drinking water is simple, fast and factual.
Browse test kits →
Test your air
Home Air Check
Professional-grade indoor air analysis at a reasonable price: an easy test kit, a real laboratory, and results you can act on.
See testing options →
Whole-house filtration
WateRx Whole House Water Filtration
A multi-stage, salt-free whole-house system sized to your home, with media matched to your local water report.
Tell us about your water →
More picks
The Full List
Fixtures, filters, finishes and monitors we've vetted on real projects, with notes on why each one made the cut.
See Everything We Recommend →Questions
The things people ask us first.
If your question isn't here, send it along with your project details and we'll answer it directly.
Where do you work?
Everywhere. We're based in New York, but almost all of our work is remote, and we've guided projects across the country — plus a few well outside it. We review plans, documentation and progress photos, and join calls with your local team, so where you're building isn't a limitation.
What does it cost to hire you for my project?
Project engagements start in the five figures, and scale with the size and complexity of your home and how long you want us involved. We don’t publish fixed prices because no two projects need the same scope.
The intake form asks what you’ve set aside for this kind of guidance, so we can come back quickly with real pricing. If a full engagement is more than your project needs right now, a one-time strategy call is $999.
Do you inspect or certify the work?
We don't certify work, and we don't perform code or structural inspections on site. All design and construction decisions remain the responsibility of you and your licensed professionals.
What we do on Build Phase Advisory and Full-Service engagements is review progress photos and video from the site and give your builder and trades real-time feedback — so problems get caught while they're still easy to fix.
Do we still need our architect and builder?
Absolutely. We don't replace anyone on your team. We work alongside your architect, builder and trades — the projects that go best are the ones where everyone is aligned early.
What if our builder doesn't want to work with a consultant?
It's worth asking them directly. We work with all types of contractors, and most appreciate having the building-science details specified clearly up front rather than discovering them mid-build.
Do you help with water filtration?
Yes. Water quality is part of every project review, and we can help you test your water and work out what your home actually needs — whole-house, point-of-use, softening, or nothing at all.
What happens after I submit the form?
We read every submission. If we think there's a potential fit, we'll reach out with next steps. We take on a limited number of projects at a time, so we'd rather tell you honestly than stretch ourselves thin.
Writing
Notes from the job site.
What we're seeing on real builds, a few times a month. Free to read, free to subscribe — no project required.
May 2026
The Well Build: Spray Foam Survival Guide
Feb 2026The Top 20 Things I See Wrong in New Builds
That'll cost you thousands to fix later.
Jan 2026Why Modern Homes Fail
Energy efficiency changed how buildings behave. Most homes are still being built as if it didn't.
Free to read. Unsubscribe anytime.
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