Title 24 Lab / Title 24 Reports for ADU Builders & Garage Conversion GCs
ADU builds and garage conversions: coordinate the energy scope before the next handoff.
For ADU builders, design-build teams and garage-conversion general contractors: assemble one coordinated plan set, identify the dwelling and system boundaries, and upload the inputs for a Title 24 Part 6 documentation quote. Title 24 Lab is a provisional brand, not a claim of licensing, local offices or permit authority.
Representative stock photography. Not our projects, staff or offices.
Name the scope before pricing the report
An ADU label does not describe the whole energy-compliance scope. A detached new dwelling, an attached addition and a conversion of previously unconditioned garage space can involve different starting conditions. Show what exists, what becomes conditioned and what changes in the main home. A garage converted to habitable accessory space is not automatically the same as a separate dwelling unit, and unconditioned storage is not automatically exempt from every altered-component requirement.
Use the shared garage decision matrix to frame the intake conversation, not to establish zoning eligibility or a permit exemption. The architect or responsible designer should identify intended use, dwelling separations and the permit scope; confirm classification and application-date requirements with the AHJ.
Intake example card: garage conversion to ADU
Start with an existing garage plan and a proposed plan showing exactly what becomes conditioned living space. Mark retained walls, slab and roof separately from replacement assemblies. Identify whether the intended use is a separate dwelling or another habitable accessory space; the designer and AHJ must confirm classification, not the energy-report request alone. A photograph of the garage is useful context but cannot replace measured drawings.
Upload the current floor plans, relevant elevations and sections, window and door schedule with supported U-factor and SHGC ratings, and proposed heating, cooling, ventilation and water-heating information. If work also changes the main-house envelope or shared systems, mark those changes and show which rooms each system serves. Do not assume that sharing a meter establishes an acceptable shared HVAC arrangement or a single model boundary.
Label preliminary sketches and unresolved equipment selections openly. For a permit-ready package, the drawings and modeled assumptions need to agree; identify the current sheet index and revision dates so older options are not mistaken for the final design. Include the recorded application date if known, existing energy documents and any correction letter. Use the published residential tiers for planning, then upload the package to confirm area, units and scope rather than treating a garage label as a fixed-price product.
Intake example card: new detached or attached ADU
Identify whether the proposal is a newly constructed detached dwelling or attached work, and show its relationship to the main home. These descriptions help scope the review but do not decide the compliance pathway by themselves. Provide a site plan and existing/proposed floor plans, elevations and sections, with conditioned area and dwelling separations clearly marked. Include assemblies, insulation intentions, window and door ratings, and equipment schedules consistent with the drawings.
State the total dwelling units included in the requested documentation. The published residential schedule adds $75 for each additional dwelling unit beyond the first; a main house appearing on a site plan does not automatically mean its full model is in scope. Explain whether main-house changes are included and identify any shared or changed systems so the requested report boundary can be confirmed before production.
Send the project address, reviewing agency and recorded application date if available. City, ZIP and a climate-zone note are useful advisory context only; confirm the exact parcel rather than assigning a zone from a city name. List unresolved design choices and one project contact who can coordinate answers. ECC field verification and CALGreen documentation remain separate from our design-phase report preparation. Use the intake checklist to organize PDF, DWG or ZIP files, then upload the coordinated set for scope review.
Send a coordinated builder intake packet
Provide legible existing and proposed floor plans, elevations and sections, with the conditioned-area boundaries and dwelling-unit count clearly marked. Include orientation, window and door schedules with supported U-factor/SHGC values, insulation and assembly details, and HVAC and domestic-hot-water intentions. Identify retained garage walls and slabs separately from new assemblies. Do not replace dimensions and sections with photographs alone; photos can support the drawings but cannot resolve every model input.
Send the project address, reviewing agency and recorded permit-application date if known. Add the current sheet index and revision dates, identify unresolved equipment choices, and nominate one person to collect designer answers. PDF is useful for the coordinated review set; DWG or ZIP support can be uploaded when helpful. Label unknowns rather than filling in assumed ratings.
Coordinate shared systems and main-house changes
Describe whether the project proposes a separate HVAC system, an extension to an existing system, or another arrangement for design-team review. Show which spaces each system serves and identify water-heating and ventilation scope. A shared utility meter does not establish that one compliance model or one equipment assumption fits every dwelling. If the main house also changes windows, insulation or equipment, mark those changes rather than treating them as invisible background.
For permit applications on or after January 1, 2026, current statewide guidance uses the 2025 California Energy Code; confirm the recorded date with the AHJ. Older-cycle documents may still use HERS wording. Current residential field-verification language is ECC, and required installer or verifier records remain separate from design-phase report preparation.
Use the residential menu, not an ADU-only price
The published residential square-footage bands and additional-dwelling-unit adder apply; there is no separate ADU, garage-conversion or remodel price menu. Tell us which conditioned area and units the requested documentation actually covers. Including a main home in the drawings is not, by itself, an instruction to quote a second report or charge an extra unit. Confirm the modeling and document boundary at intake rather than comparing prices for different scopes.
The shared pricing summary below carries the same owner-published tiers as the pricing page. Use the estimator for planning, then upload the coordinated package for confirmation. Submission is a scope-review request, not online payment or production acceptance. A larger resubmittal that needs the energy model rebuilt requires a custom quote, not the flat architectural-revision price.
Keep revisions and construction handoffs distinct
Keep the submitted report, reviewed drawings and complete correction letter together. Corrections caused by our modeling/report error are Free; architectural/design revisions are $75 flat; a full remodeled model or major resubmittal is Custom quote after intake. A comment letter can contain both a report issue and a design change, so preserve the comment numbers and mark the changed sheets instead of labeling the entire package one kind of revision.
Rush residential production is the published upgrade for next-business-day production after complete inputs, not an unconditional 24-hour promise. Scope review, unresolved drawings and AHJ review are separate. Design-phase CF1R documentation does not replace contractor installation certifications, required ECC field verification, nonresidential acceptance testing, registry/document-registration fees, CALGreen documentation or AHJ permit fees. We do not control reviewer staffing or approve permits.
Permit-desk sheets for your project file
Educational handoff notes, not a city submittal determination. Confirm requirements with your AHJ.
Upload plans for a scoped quoteBid line copy pack
ADU-builder proposal lines — residential pricing, not an ADU menu
Plain text you can paste into a bid. Select the text in any box to copy it. Final price and scope are confirmed after plan review.
No payment is taken online. Report preparation is not ECC field verification or acceptance testing.
Published schedule
Flat prices for report preparation
Residential
By conditioned floor area in the confirmed report scope.
- Up to 2,000 sq ft
- $149
- 2,001 to 4,000 sq ft
- $199
- 4,001 to 6,000 sq ft
- $279
- Over 6,000 sq ft
- $279 + $50per additional started 1,000 sq ft
- Each additional dwelling unit
- +$75beyond the first
Revisions
- Plan-check correction caused by our modeling or report error
- Free
- Architectural or design revision after the report
- $75 flat
- Full remodel of the energy model or larger resubmittal
- Custom quoteintake required
Rush
+$99 residential. Next-business-day production after complete inputs are received. Not a permit-approval or unconditional 24-hour promise.
Not included
- ECC field verification (formerly called HERS testing in older documents)
- Nonresidential acceptance testing
- Registry or document registration fees
- CALGreen documentation
- Building department (AHJ) plan check and permit fees
No payment is taken online. Price and scope are confirmed with you before work begins. Full pricing page
Educational code context: California Energy Commission 2025 Energy Code resources. Confirm the applicable scope, recorded application date and requirements with the AHJ. This is not legal or engineering advice; CEC resources do not set our prices.
Common questions
Is there a special ADU report price?
No. Use the published residential conditioned-square-footage tiers, with $75 for each additional dwelling unit beyond the first. Intake confirms the area, units and document boundary; major model rebuilds require a custom quote.
Do our-error plan-check corrections cost extra?
Corrections caused by our modeling/report error are Free. Architectural/design revisions are $75 flat; a major redesign requiring a rebuilt model needs a custom quote after intake. Send the comment letter and changed plans so the scope can be reviewed.
What about rush and work outside the report scope?
Optional residential rush is +$99 for next-business-day production after complete inputs, not a permit-approval guarantee. ECC field verification, acceptance testing, registry fees, CALGreen documentation and AHJ fees are separate.
Should I include the main-house drawings?
Include enough existing and proposed information to explain the project boundary and shared or changed systems. Mark main-house work explicitly; do not assume it is either excluded from or automatically included in the model.
Can a GC upload plans on the owner’s behalf?
A builder can typically coordinate the documentation request when authorized to share the plans. Identify the project contact and billing party; do not assume uploading establishes permit-applicant authority. Confirm authorization with the project team or AHJ when uncertain.
Does the report include ECC testing or CALGreen?
No. Our scoped deliverable is Part 6 design-phase documentation. ECC field verification, acceptance testing, registry fees, CALGreen documentation and AHJ fees are separate. Verify required handoffs with the responsible parties and AHJ.
Next step
Send the plan set. We will scope it.
Sign in to upload. No payment is taken online, and submitting is not order acceptance. Report preparation is not field verification or acceptance testing.