Portland, ME Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)

Article VII of Chapter 6, adopted by Council Order 187-08/09 on April 6, 2009, sets energy-performance and roofing standards for public building projects rather than for private construction generally. Section 6-167 requires any new construction or renovation project owned or occupied by the City of Portland, or funded in whole or in part by the city, that reaches 2,000 square feet of floor area to be certified at or above the current LEED Silver Standard, plus certified compliant with the 'Better Roof Requirements' of Section 6-175.

1 baseline of at least 30% for new construction, 25% for existing buildings, and 20% for historic buildings. 'Funded in whole or in part' is defined in Section 6-166 to include any tax increment financing over $50,000, or any combination of city grants, HOME loans, CDBG loans, or Neighborhood Stabilization funds exceeding $50,000 in aggregate value to the project. Applicants submit a LEED checklist or equivalent third-party certification documentation with their building permit application under Section 6-168, and must file final LEED documentation (or an engineer's certification of equivalent compliance) with the Department of Planning and Urban Development before the city issues a certificate of occupancy, per Section 6-169.

Section 6-170 allows a partial exemption where compliance is a demonstrated hardship, for example, a conflict with other government building requirements, or alterations that would compromise a historic building's character as determined by the Historic Preservation Board, but the applicant carries the burden of proof and must show maximum effort toward the standard.