Hemp Voices: Aaron Grail, Aaron Grail Consulting and Construction
Aaron Grail, owner of Aaron Grail Consulting and Construction in northern California
We specialize in high-performance building, using advanced systems and carbon-capturing materials to create sustainable, healthier homes. Unlike traditional systems with 10+ components, hemp construction uses just three, ensuring ease of assembly without sacrificing reliability or efficiency. It's an elegant, effective and sustainable solution.
What was a win for your company in the past year?
A big win for my company this past year was moving from advocacy into real traction.
We didn’t just talk about healthier, low-carbon building—we actually got projects permitted, built, and taken seriously by officials and architects.
Hempcrete is a system, not a product. When it’s treated like insulation or structure or finish in isolation, projects struggle. When it’s treated like a wall system with specific boundaries, everything clicks.
In California, the primary barrier facing hemp and other bio-based and earthen building materials is regulatory lock-in created by Assembly Bill (AB) 130.
AB 130 froze most changes to the California Residential Code through 2031 to reduce permitting barriers, but in doing so unintentionally blocked recognition of proven, fire-resistive, and cost-effective materials already recognized in the International Residential Code, including hemp-lime. The Department of Housing and Community Development declined to consider IRC appendices for these materials without legislative direction. Californians rebuilding in wildfire-prone areas are denied safer, lower-carbon options, and builders face unnecessary permitting friction. We are petitioning the Legislature to amend AB 130 to allow voluntary use and ensure proper guidance for the application of these systems.
https://aarongrailconstruction.com
