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Biodiversity conservation

Communities that sustain biodiversity

At KB Home, we recognize that our business and homes inherently use natural resources and impact the environment.

Our identified areas of nature-related risk and opportunities are:

  • Deforestation: The use of lumber, a key construction material in homebuilding practices, has the potential to contribute to deforestation and the loss of biodiversity. To address this concern, KB Home has adopted responsible lumber standards that outline environmental standards for all wood products sourced.
  • Water overuse: In our operations in some of the most water-challenged regions of the U.S., we see firsthand the growing concern around water availability in the communities in which we build. KB Home was the first national homebuilder to join the EPA’s WaterSense program in 2010. Further, every home built in our new communities in Arizona, California and Nevada since July 2022 has been WaterSense labeled, helping homeowners use less water and lower their utility bills in these severely drought-affected areas.
  • Water pollution: Since homebuilding operations have the potential to contribute to water pollution from jobsite runoffs to nearby waterways, our jobsite management practices include SWPPPs at each community. These mitigation efforts include dedicated concrete washouts, paint washouts, silt fencing and inlet drain protection. Within our homes, we have also incorporated products made from recycled ocean plastics.
  • Waste generation: Since construction operations generate significant waste that can accumulate in our landfills, we constantly evaluate our product designs to assess new opportunities to use natural resources more efficiently. Our approach to waste reduction includes updates to our Get Rid of Waste (GROW) internal initiatives to address jobsite waste and our value engineering and panelization work.

In addition to the risks and opportunities already addressed above, other approaches that we take to minimize our environmental footprint include the following:

  • Biodiversity protections: Beyond the thorough environmental assessment that we require for all our developments, we look for ways to contribute to or limit the impact on the local ecosystems. Wherever required and possible, we create conservation spaces; modify or delay our activities to accommodate migratory cycles; and assist or make financial contributions to nearby dedicated nature conservancy zones or organizations.
  • Community revitalization: We evaluate opportunities to build our new-home communities on previously developed lands and revitalize older neighborhoods. KB Home’s portfolio includes a mix of brownfields, greyfields and infill properties. With limited land resources available in many communities, we strive to maximize available housing stock by making efficient use of land, especially when developing in densely populated communities.
  • Strategic partnerships: We seek out opportunities to multiply our impact by selecting developers who integrate sustainability into their own practices wherever possible. Many of our developers have their own sustainable development plans in addition to conducting environmental assessments.
  • Technological innovations: We cultivate technological innovations that reduce our impact on the environment through supplier partnerships and mentorship of emerging innovators. We collaborated with suppliers to integrate products made from diverted plastic waste into the communities in which we build without sacrificing performance. Additionally, we have served as an advisor to clean energy and greywater treatment innovators in early stages of development for the past couple years.

The Foothills and Ridgeview in San Marcos, California

When building near potentially sensitive habitats, we integrate preservation and restoration initiatives into our development plans and ensure compliance with applicable environmental regulations. Last year, we began delivering homes in The Foothills and Ridgeview communities in San Marcos, California. As these communities are located near the Aqua Hedionda Creek, we knew it was important to ensure that an appropriate mitigation plan was in place to preserve the wetlands and address impacts to sensitive species. To maximize biodiversity opportunities, the following features are integrated into the community development plans:

  • Enhancing local habitats – Over 200 acres of Diegan coastal sage scrub will be preserved. These native plants are known to encourage biodiversity by providing habitats to local species. Additionally, we plan to offer restored and enhanced riparian zones along the Aqua Hedionda as we recognize these spaces are important to prevent habitat loss for the endangered local bird species, the Least Bell’s Vireo.
  • No net loss of wetlands – Mitigation measures along the Aqua Hedionda Creek will include restoration of 7 acres of degraded riparian areas to help ensure that this community development will have no net loss of wetlands. This restoration effort will also enhance the streambed and establish connective flow from the creek.
  • Reintroducing native vegetation – Initial site development involved removing over 2 acres of dense non-native vegetation, trash cleanup and weed control. A mix of native Californian plants will soon be planted to revegetate these areas. Additionally, as part of our long-term management plan, restoration areas will be maintained and monitored for five years after installation.
  • Maintaining wildlife access – As part of the development, an off-site easement adjacent to the property was included to provide a minimum 400-foot wide wildlife corridor. This is to allow local wildlife continued access to their habitats without disruption from human activities.