Image by Jeremy Cove, 2026. 

Why work with Greening Homes? 

We’ve been dedicated green builders since 2007.

Greening Homes was founded with a simple mission: to reduce the environmental impact of every project we build.  Since day one, we’ve taken a holistic approach to green building—helping homeowners create healthier, more durable, and more energy-efficient homes.

As a licensed and insured general contractor, we specialize in renovations, deep energy retrofits, additions, and custom homes, integrating sustainable building practices into every project.

Our work ranges from single-room renovations and basement remodels to whole-home renovations, additions, and custom new homes.

If you’re here, you probably have questions about green building, healthy materials, or energy-efficient construction—and you’re not alone. Whether you’re planning a renovation or building from the ground up, most clients come to us looking for clear, practical guidance


We are experts at what we do. 

Hi, I’m Christopher Phillips.

President & Owner of Greening Homes LTD.

Masters in Building Science (2013, TMU)

Cert. of SBDC (2007, Fleming College )

LEED AP 2009


Recipient of the 2016 Industry Leader Award by

the Canadian Green Building Council (GTA)



The research below reflects the thinking that inspired the founding of Greening Homes. It outlines the principles that have shaped our approach to healthy, high-performance, and sustainable renovations, and continues to guide the green building practices we use today. 

Chris has held a LEED AP designation since 2009, has been formally trained in the German healthy building standard of Bau Biologie (Building Biology), and holds a Masters degree in Building Science with a specialization in green building assessment methodology from TMU. Chris is also recognized as a legal expert in both green and healthy building practices, acting on several occasions as a consultant for those with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities.

Before founding Greening Homes in 2007, Chris completed his training in Sustainable Building and Design at Fleming College. As part of the program, he helped build R.D. Lawrence Place in Minden, Ontario using a variety of natural building methods. Led by Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin, the program laid the foundation for Greening Homes’ Five Pillars approach to sustainable building.

We are a family business.

Larry Phillips

Director of Finance

After graduating from the Richard Ivey School of Business, Larry founded several successful companies before joining Greening Homes.

Originally planning to help with the company’s finances on a part-time basis, he now plays an active role in its continued growth.

Passionate about transparency and integrity, Larry has helped build the company’s reputation for honest, accountable business practices.

Yvonne Bambrick

Managing Director

Yvonne Bambrick is the Managing Director of Greening Homes, partner of Chris, and a Passive House Certified Tradesperson.

She holds an MA in Communication Management from the University of Technology Sydney.

She serves as Executive Director of the Forest Hill Village BIA and is an award-winning author, photographer, and longtime advocate for sustainable communities.

The Greening Homes team have completed formal training in Net Zero Energy building and Adaptiv Home Renovations (CHBA) and the entire site team is certified as Passive House Builders.

We are skilled in meeting the unique green building needs of each individual client. Whether that means an energy efficient new build or retrofit, an eye toward material re-use, a concern for building for the chemically sensitive, or a combination of needs, Greening Homes is Toronto’s long-standing and multi-award winning expert in specialized green building and design.


We practice what we preach.

The Green
Crew

Our renovations are led by an experienced team committed to sustainable construction and responsible building practices.

On our jobsites, you’ll often find more bicycles and transit passes than pickup trucks. We encourage low-impact habits, right down to reusable coffee cups and lunch containers.

Our commitment continues beyond the jobsite. We power our office with 100% renewable energy through  Bullfrog Power and use FSC-certified, 100% recycled paper and waterless printing.

To reduce emissions, we focus our projects in areas accessible by public transit.

→ Watch  a renovation walkthrough in Rosedale from our early years (2012)

→ Watch Greening Homes recognized as a Rescue Renovation  Hero (CHBA, 2018)

Why homeowners work with us.

Our clients come to us because they’re looking for more than a standard renovation. They want to make informed, intentional decisions about how their homes are built and how they perform over time. Some are looking to improve indoor air quality and create a healthier environment for their families. Others want to reduce waste, reuse materials, or explore more sustainable building practices without unnecessary complexity.

Many simply want guidance. Green building can feel overwhelming, and knowing what actually makes a difference (and what doesn’t) requires experience, research, and the right network.

That’s where we come in.

We help you navigate your options, whether you’re pursuing a net-zero home or focusing on practical, high-impact choices like healthier materials, better ventilation, or smarter resource use. Our approach is grounded in clarity, transparency, and expertise, so you can move forward with confidence, knowing your project reflects what matters most to you.

HEALTH-FOCUSED RENOVATIONS

Build with low-toxicity materials and better indoor air quality.

MATERIAL REUSE

Smarter sourcing, less waste, and more thoughtful material choices.

Energy & HOME Performance

Systems that improve comfort, efficiency, and long-term resilience.

Quality of Work

Well-built spaces that balance design, durability, and use.

TRANSPARENT PROCESS

A structured RFP process that brings clarity, alignment, and trust.

Responsible RENOVATION REPORT

A record of green choices, tracking impact and investment.

What our clients have to say. 

Greening Homes renovated our house this year. A full gut job that we started in January 2020, just before the pandemic. Our renovation happened during an unprecedented time and Chris and his team didn’t miss a beat. We have worked with many builders in the past and Greening Homes is the only one I would ever recommend. 


– Jason Behamdouni

We are so pleased that we chose Greening Homes to take us through our first major renovation — they really exceeded our expectations of a contractor experience. Greening Homes worked with us to devise and maintain a scope that would make best use of our budget. The regularity and transparency of their billing process was a great communication tool and brought us peace of mind throughout the process. Most of all, we were impressed by the professionalism, skill, organization, and patience of the crew who worked in our home day in and day out. We are thrilled with our new main floor, and love that our home is now dry and more energy efficient.


– Matt & Amanda

We had a fantastic renovation experience with Greening Homes. Everyone who worked on the house was skilled and did an excellent job. They were all punctual, unfailingly polite and helpful with any questions we had and kept a very organized, tidy work site. Our wonderful project manager gave us regular updates in writing and both the process and billing were completely transparent. We lived in the house during the renovation process and they were really terrific about it. I can honestly say I have nothing but praise for Chris Phillips and his great team.


– Kelly Rossiter

Greening Homes truly lives up to their slogan of “Renovations Done Responsibly.” They respected our budget limitations, encouraging us to reduce the initial scope of our plan to be more realistic. They also tracked our weekly progress against expenditures, and suggested opportunities for us to save money by performing labour ourselves when it was safe and reasonable to do so. They listened to our priorities and were helpful in maintaining the big picture focus on overall environmental impact, health implications of materials used, and energy efficiency. Communication was incredibly easy, with detailed daily email reports, in addition to phone calls and in-person meetings as needed.

– Julie & Mark

I hired Greening to perform a major renovation project on my home in Toronto – shortly after purchasing it. I engaged Greening based on the quality work they performed for my neighbour. She was very happy with the results and also – maybe more importantly – with the high level of transparency and communication throughout her project. My own experience supports this view. We traveled extensively during the renovation and were always able to work with Greening on rolling decisions. The entire Greening team are unfailingly polite and conscientious – We had no qualms with their presence in our home. The work performed was almost entirely as expected and when it didn’t meet our standards, Greening worked very hard to make it so.

– Dominic Auld

We hired Greening Homes for a large project that included digging out our basement and renovating our main floor. They approached the job with enthusiasm and were professional from start to finish. The quality of the work done is our house was even better than what we expected. I would not think twice about hiring them again.


– Liane Wainsbrough

Greening Homes does it right – professionally, environmentally and ethically. I have not been more pleased with a home renovation project. Estimates and invoices accurate and transparent, experienced staff in all aspects of the project, and the job looks great – they pay attention to details big and small. Thank you Greening Homes. Pleased to recommend you.

– Geri Sanson

I cannot recommend Greening Homes highly enough! The team, and especially Chris Phillips, are extremely knowledgeable, capable, and easy to work with. Unlike many contractors and builders, you never feel like you are being talked down to. Chris has been amazingly helpful, patient, and generous with his time. Everyone we encountered at Greening Homes was professional, conscientious, and genuinely interested in helping us execute our vision.


– Tad Franklin

I’ve personally dealt with Greening Homes for the last 5 years on a number of projects, and have always been impressed by the Owner and Staff professionalism and ethical approach to their business conduct. I would recommend Greening Homes wholeheartedly to all without reservation.


– Stone Harriman

We are so thankful to Greening Homes for transitioning our home into an asbestos-free, clean home with a beautiful new master bathroom addition. We would highly recommend them for the quality of their work, their attention to detail, and their ‘no surprises’ billing process.


– Sue Clayton

I have owned my house for over 16 years and have used quite a number of contractors to do work on the inside and outside of it. So, I believe that I am quite qualified to judge the good from the bad and I can honestly say that Greening Homes is one of the good ones–far and away! They care about their work, their clients, their sub-trades and about living out what Green means. I have recommended them to others and will use them again! Oh and when your neighbours comment on how nice the crew is that is working on your house , you know you’ve found good people! Thanks, Greening Homes!


– Belinda Burnett

We wanted to add a shower to an existing 3’ x 8’ two piece washroom in our basement and replace a poorly installed tile floor. Greening Homes came up with a great plan for installing the shower without compromising space in the basement, and were also able to troubleshoot a sump pump that was draining into the sewer line and salvage our existing floor heating mat during the installation of the new floor. All of this was done within our requested budget. This was our first experience with a contractor and we are really happy with the final product. We have some future renovations that we would like to do and we would definitely use Greening Homes again and continually recommend them to anyone who needs renovations.


– Andrew and Tara

We highly recommend Greening Homes to anyone who wants a conscientious, transparent and completely reliable contractor. And they truly practice the “green” they preach. They did a first floor reno that was done on time and below budget. Unlike every other contractor we’ve hired, they made the budget process transparent and made every effort to address any questions we had. The crew understood that their workplace was our home. They obviously cared about what they were doing and did everything to keep us happy. And their attention to minimizing the environmental impact of the reno was everything we could wish for. Finally, the quality of their work is excellent. They did what they said they would and now we have a beautiful first floor! Thank you Greening Homes!


– F . Hartmann

Greening Homes is the embodiment of the integrity of its owner, Chris Phillips. They not only completed our full home renovation on time and with exceptional care and skill, but we actually had money left over in our budget to do some extra work (a back patio). Their crew are conscientious and considerate, knowledgeable about green building and skilled. I would use them again and have already recommended them to friends who have told me they are so glad I did. These guys (and gals) are the real deal.

– Bettina Hoar

We know how important it is to have the right contracting company when it comes to your home. Let us assure you, Greening Homes is worth every penny!!!! We would not have found another company to have done a better job! They are very professional and yet it is obvious they put their heart into the job too. They do care about saving you money, and communicate your options. Their workers are not only highly qualified but very respectful while in your home. They completed the job within the timeline and our budget. Thank you Greening Homes and all Staff!!! We miss having you around here too.


– George and Maria

After having our house renovated by the wrong company, we were fortunate enough to find Greening Homes Ltd. Their knowledge on green materials and building practices was exceptional. They completed our renovation on time, they showed up when they said they would, and when they left, our place was spotless. They were extremely professional, and they finished the job on time and budget. I will always recommend this company to anyone renovating – they know what they’re doing, and it helped put my mind at ease knowing I was getting the best green building materials and the builders that worked with the highest professionalism!”

– Quinton