Dive Brief:

• Contractors who specialize in green building face some risks that their conventional-building counterparts do not have to deal with. 
• Green contractors likely will have a smaller pool of subcontractors experienced in green building, and they may have fewer suppliers from whom to source the materials they need to get the certifications the client wants.
• Performance insurance for sustainable projects can have peculiar twists and turns that not every agent understands, and it is worth having an attorney look over all contract language.

Dive Insight:

Part of the risks in sustainable construction come simply from its being a relatively new field. Different concepts, such as green roofs, have more ways to go wrong, like leaking. Doing planning ahead of bidding the project and understanding the client's goals can prevent headaches during construction.