Title 24 Lab / Title 24 Energy Report Help for Homeowners
Not sure what the city is asking for? Start with the plans.
Energy compliance paperwork can be confusing when you are not in the trade. Upload what your designer gave you, tell us what the building department said, and we will help turn it into a clear request.
Representative stock photography. Not our projects, staff or offices.
You do not need to know the form names
Many owners first hear about Title 24 from a plan checker or a contractor. You do not need to decide which form applies before contacting us. Send the plan set, the address and any comments you have received, and we will describe what documentation the project appears to need and what it would cost under the published schedule.
Projects with permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026 are generally reviewed under the 2025 California Energy Code. Field verification is now described as ECC verification; older documents may still call it HERS.
- Plans from your designer or architect
- Project address and city or county
- Any plan check correction letter
- Notes on what is new versus existing
Intake example card: remodeling your home
Start with a short description in your own words: which rooms change, whether outside walls or windows change, and whether heating, cooling or water-heating equipment will be replaced. A new countertop and a changed heating system are different scopes. Do not guess that every remodel needs a whole-house model, or that a small project is automatically exempt. Your building department, also called the authority having jurisdiction or AHJ, determines what is needed for the permit scope.
Upload the current plan set if you have one. If you only have sketches, label them as preliminary and include dimensions and room uses where known; they help explain the request but may not be enough to prepare final documentation. Ask your designer for the current floor plan, relevant elevations and any wall or roof details affected by the work. Keep older versions separate so a reviewer can identify which design you intend to submit.
For changed windows or exterior doors, gather the schedule listing sizes and supported U-factor and SHGC ratings. These describe heat transfer and solar heat gain, not simply whether a window is double glazed. If ratings are undecided, say so instead of copying an estimate from an unrelated product. For equipment replacement, send the proposed model or performance information, location and a note about whether existing ducts or systems remain.
If the city has already asked for energy paperwork, attach the actual comment letter or screenshot with sheet references. Include an existing energy report if available, and identify what changed since it was prepared. The residential starting band is $149 for up to 2,000 conditioned square feet; larger areas and additional dwelling units follow the same published schedule. It is not a special remodel price or a promise that every sketch supports a finished report.
Intake example card: adding living space
For a home addition, show the existing house and proposed new space together. Floor plans should distinguish existing rooms, new conditioned living area and any other areas being changed. Tell us the proposed area and the total number of dwelling units included in the request. A room addition is not automatically an additional dwelling unit; your designer and reviewing department should confirm that distinction.
Gather elevations and sections showing roof, wall and floor construction, plus window and door schedules. Include insulation intentions, heating and cooling plans and water-heating changes when relevant. A model boundary can affect which existing features must be documented. Do not assume that the new square footage alone settles the modeling approach; identify any work to the original house so addition-alone and existing-plus-addition approaches can be scoped honestly.
Provide the project address, city or county and the recorded permit application date if known. The 2025 Energy Code applies to applications on or after January 1, 2026; ask the AHJ to confirm the recorded date for your project. A climate-zone lookup result can be included as advisory context, but the exact parcel still needs confirmation. You do not need to certify a climate zone yourself to ask for help.
Use the residential square-footage bands rather than an addition-only menu: $149 up to 2,000 conditioned square feet, $199 for 2,001–4,000 and $279 for 4,001–6,000. Above 6,000, the published base is $279 plus $50 per additional started 1,000 square feet; each dwelling unit beyond the first adds $75. We confirm which area and units are in scope before work begins. Upload the coordinated drawings so the price discussion follows the actual project, not just a room label.
Keep changes and expectations clear
City plan-check corrections caused by our modeling or report error are Free. If you or your designer change the plans after the report, architectural/design revisions are $75 flat. A major redesign requiring a rebuilt energy model is a custom quote after intake, not the flat revision fee. Send the earlier report, revised sheets and marked changes together so the reason for the revision is clear.
Optional residential rush is +$99 for next-business-day production after complete inputs. It is not an unconditional delivery promise and does not shorten city review. ECC field verification and field testing, acceptance testing, registry fees, CALGreen documentation and AHJ plan-check or permit fees are separate. Educational guidance is not legal advice. Upload your documents to have scope and missing information reviewed before work starts.
If you already have a correction letter
Upload the letter with the plans. If we prepared the original report and the correction came from our modeling or report error, we fix it at no charge. If the correction relates to a report from someone else or to a change in the design, we will explain the scope before any work begins.
Price and scope are always confirmed with you first. Nothing is charged online.
What the report is, and what it is not
Our work is documentation that supports your permit application. It is not an inspection, field verification or testing, and it does not guarantee approval; the building department decides. Some projects also need a separate ECC rater visit later, which your contractor can usually arrange.
Forward this to your permit desk or designer
Replace the blanks before using this educational template. Requirements vary by jurisdiction; the city's plan checker decides. Opening the draft uses your own mail app with no recipient filled in; nothing is auto-sent.
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 quoteKeep these cost notes
Three plain-language lines to share with your project team
Copy a line or select its text. These describe report preparation, not field verification, agency fees or permit approval.
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
Do I need a Title 24 report for my project?
It depends on the scope and what the building department requires. Read the guide on whether you need one, or upload your plans and we will tell you what the project appears to need.
Will the report get my permit approved?
No one can promise that. The report documents energy compliance for your application, and the building department makes the approval decision.
Can I see the price before sending anything?
Yes. The residential schedule is published on this page and on the pricing page. Price is confirmed with you before work begins, and no payment is taken online.
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.