What Builders Need to Know About UAD 3.6

 The redesigned appraisal report creates a clearer path for documenting high-performance homes, but builders must supply the evidence

Beginning Nov. 2, 2026, all appraisal reports submitted to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac through the Uniform Collateral Data Portal must use the redesigned Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6. The change replaces multiple legacy appraisal forms with one dynamic Uniform Residential Appraisal Report that adapts to the property being appraised.

For homebuilders, this is more than a forms update. The new report gives energy-efficient and green features a defined, visible place in the appraisal. It can display renewable-energy components, building certifications, green or energy ratings, including a RESNET® HERS® Index score and the appraiser’s conclusion about their effect on value or marketability. It also accommodates exhibits supporting those entries.

But the report cannot recognize information the appraiser does not have. Many green fields are conditional: they appear when relevant information is available. That makes builder documentation and marketing essential. A high-performance home should arrive at appraisal with a clear, verifiable record, not a vague claim that it is “energy efficient.”

 Builders should take these four steps into consideration. 

Document the home before it is listed. Assemble the final home energy rating (HERS Index) certificate; energy efficiency program certifications (e.g., ENERGY STAR or Efficient New Homes Program); green building certifications; key energy-efficient component characteristics and projected energy performance. Complete the Appraisal Institute’s Residential Green and Energy Efficient Addendum and provide it with the contract package. The addendum helps translate technical features into information an appraiser can use.

Market performance consistently. Put the HERS Index score, certification and important efficiency features in the MLS listing, builder website, brochures and sales-center materials. Include a link to the public HERS Rated Home search so the rating can be verified. Consistent disclosure helps buyers understand the benefits and helps future appraisers find comparable sales with similar characteristics.

Create market evidence. UAD 3.6 improves reporting; it does not automatically assign a premium. Appraisers must support value conclusions with market evidence. If a HERS-rated or green-certified home sells no differently from a minimally code-compliant home and the listing never explained the difference, the appraisal may reasonably conclude the features have a neutral effect. Builders should train sales teams to connect verified performance with lower operating costs, comfort, durability and quality, and then track contracts, incentives, days on market and sale prices across comparable models.

Help the lender obtain appropriate competency. Attach the completed green addendum and supporting documents to the sales contract or lender package as early as possible. Ask the lender or appraisal management company to engage an appraiser with education and experience in high-performance homes and knowledge of relevant green-data sources. Builders should provide facts and answer questions, while respecting appraisal independence and never pressuring the appraiser toward a predetermined value.

UAD 3.6 collects substantially more structured property detail than the legacy forms, including expanded room, quality, condition, amenity and project information. Appraisers may therefore ask builders and sales representatives more questions. Designate one person to maintain a complete appraisal package for every model and lot, and give the appraiser prompt access to plans, specifications, certifications and rating verification.

The opportunity is straightforward: builders who make high-performance features easy to verify, easy to market and visible in closed-sale data give appraisers better evidence to analyze. The new form does not guarantee a higher appraisal. It does give builders a stronger pathway to ensure that investments in energy efficiency and green construction are seen, understood and, when supported by the market, reflected in value.

By Ryan Meres. He is RESNET Programs Director. He can be reached at ryan@resnet.us

This story is featured in our September/October issue of Green Home Builder. Read the print version here.