01Key facts / TL;DR
It depends: the word remodel does not determine the Energy Code scope.
No, a cosmetic finish change does not automatically mean a whole-house energy model is needed.
Yes, altered regulated components can require documentation even without added floor area.
It depends whether a prescriptive alteration record or performance approach fits the actual work.
Remodel trigger checklist
Which altered components may need energy documentation
Open each item that matches your permit scope to see what it usually involves and what to send. This is a preparation aid, not a determination.
Altered-component documentation is not the same as a whole-building model
Opening several items here does not mean your project needs a whole-building performance approach. Project classification, the regulated scope of the permit, the permit application date and your building department (AHJ) govern what is required. Calling work cosmetic-only is not an exemption.
Kitchen or bath remodel
- Component scope
- Altered lighting, ventilation, water heating or envelope elements within the room, if they are part of the permitted work.
- Keep in mind
- Finishes alone do not settle the question, and a cosmetic-only label is not an exemption. Whether energy documents apply depends on what the permit actually alters.
- What to send
- Floor plan and lighting plan for the room, fixture and fan schedule, and a short note on what is new, replaced or unchanged.
HVAC change-out or new system
- Component scope
- The altered heating, cooling or duct components and how they connect to the existing system.
- Keep in mind
- A replacement does not automatically mean the whole house is modeled. Ducts, controls and related equipment may or may not be within the regulated scope.
- What to send
- Existing and proposed equipment details, duct work scope, and the floor plan showing served areas.
Windows, doors and other fenestration
- Component scope
- The replaced or added fenestration and its rated properties.
- Keep in mind
- Replacing some windows is a different question from adding new openings or area. Product labels and wall changes both matter.
- What to send
- Window schedule with sizes, orientation and product data if chosen, plus elevations marking new versus existing openings.
Roof replacement or reroof
- Component scope
- The altered roof assembly, roofing product and any insulation or deck work included in the permit.
- Keep in mind
- A reroof is not automatically a whole-building energy model. Assembly changes and product selection drive what is documented.
- What to send
- Roof plan, roofing product information if selected, and a description of any insulation, deck or attic work.
Lighting alterations
- Component scope
- The altered or added luminaires and controls in the affected spaces.
- Keep in mind
- Swapping a few fixtures and rewiring a space can be classified differently. The scope of the lighting permit governs.
- What to send
- Lighting plan or fixture schedule, control types, and the rooms where fixtures are new, replaced or unchanged.
Water heater replacement or change
- Component scope
- The replaced or new water heating equipment and its fuel or system type.
- Keep in mind
- A like-for-like swap and a system type change can be handled differently. Do not assume either answer before confirming.
- What to send
- Existing and proposed water heater details, location on the plan, and any related electrical or venting scope.
Educational information, not legal advice or a compliance determination. Confirm requirements and the applicable code cycle for your permit application date with your building department (AHJ).
02Write a changed-component list before choosing a report
A kitchen remodel might mean new cabinets and paint, or it might include new exterior openings, lighting, ventilation and water-heating changes. A bathroom remodel can also affect regulated systems. The useful question is what changes—not which room name appears on the proposal. Ask the designer to distinguish retained features from replaced, relocated or newly installed components.
For a whole-house project, more systems may be affected, but that still does not automatically establish the appropriate model boundary. Some work can be documented through applicable altered-component requirements; other designs may use supported performance analysis. Do not ask a preparer to choose the answer from a contractor’s total price or an unlabeled plan set.
The AHJ determines permit and submission requirements for the actual application. This guide does not grant an exemption for kitchens, bathrooms or “like for like” work. If the scope is finish-only, ask specifically whether any Part 6 records are required rather than assuming every permit needs a full energy report.
03A practical kitchen/bath/whole-house decision checklist
Use the checklist to identify questions, not to self-certify an exemption.
- +Envelope: are windows, glazed doors, insulation, roofs or walls altered? Provide dimensions and retained-versus-replaced labels; an unchanged room area does not mean an unchanged envelope.
- +Systems: are heating/cooling, ducts, water heating or ventilation changed? Identify equipment, controls, service areas and responsible designers instead of writing only “new HVAC.”
- +Lighting/electrical: identify affected lighting and controls and relevant electrical work. A product being described as efficient is not a complete scope or compliance statement.
- +Conditioning: is previously unconditioned space becoming living space, or is conditioned floor area increasing? That can lead to an addition/conversion question rather than alteration-only documentation.
- +Record: confirm the AHJ, application date, building classification and any prior accepted energy package. Ask which changed components and documents the reviewer expects.
04Alteration forms are not all the same
The CEC’s 2025 single-family catalog includes CF1R-ALT alteration forms and distinguishes records that do or do not involve ECC field verification. That is a reason to select the applicable current certificate carefully, not a reason to download the first ALT PDF found online. A focused alteration record may be the right task where a full performance model is unnecessary.
CF1R documents the proposed design. Applicable CF2R installation and CF3R verification records address later stages. ECC is current terminology; HERS may appear on older-cycle paperwork. A document without registration is not automatically appropriate when the project’s measures require registration. Confirm the actual scope and handoffs with the preparer, qualified participants and AHJ.
CEC single-family alteration formsResidential report preparation
05Worked decision: finishes become a system alteration
ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY: an owner initially requests cabinets, countertops and paint. The designer later adds replacement windows and a changed ventilation layout. The team does not label the revised project “cosmetic” merely because the original request was. It identifies the new component scope and asks what alteration documentation applies.
The preparer requests the window schedule, supported performance data and affected mechanical/lighting information. If the selected approach can be documented without whole-house performance analysis, the requested deliverable reflects that. If design tradeoffs require a supported performance approach, the team agrees its boundary and inputs before production. The example supplies no universal report waiver, permit exemption or passing result.
If construction-stage equipment differs from the coordinated design, the installer should not certify an obsolete schedule. The designer/preparer reviews the substitution and applicable document consequences. This is why a short changed-component list can be more useful than a large folder of unrelated product brochures.
06Application date and local questions are separate inputs
The 2025 California Energy Code applies to building-permit applications on or after January 1, 2026. Earlier valid applications can use the 2022 edition. Ask the AHJ about the recorded date, revised scope and any new application; construction start and the plan’s title-block date do not control that decision.
Local energy provisions can also affect some remodels. Do not infer a statewide heat-pump rule or a local exception from the remodel label. Identify actual HVAC work and ask the reviewing agency about applicable local provisions. A statewide calculation or a favorable efficiency comparison does not resolve that interpretation.
Existing-home altered-cooling local provisionsCEC additions/alterations chapter
07What to send—and what is not the same service
Send existing/proposed plans, a changed-component schedule, application history and the prior report if one exists. Include window U-factor/SHGC, assemblies/insulation and equipment information where affected. Mark retained and provisional features clearly. For a correction, attach the complete comments and actual reviewed package rather than only the latest drawings.
Report preparation is not architectural or mechanical design. It does not establish existing concealed construction, perform field testing or issue installer declarations. The deeper remodel service explains document deliverables; this decision guide helps determine which task to request before that workflow begins. No price, testing requirement or approval outcome is inferred solely from the room count.
If a report already exists, distinguish a reviewer’s correction from a client design change. Send the reviewed set, comment and revised sheets together. A mismatch caused by an incorrect report input is different from an owner selecting new equipment after preparation, and a major model rebuild is not automatically a minor revision. Use the published revision categories rather than assuming every remodel-related request has one fixed fee.
Additions/remodels servicePlan-check correction serviceExisting additions/alterations guide
08Six remodel decisions
Does replacing kitchen cabinets always require a full model?
No. Identify whether any regulated components change and ask the AHJ what documentation applies. Cabinets/finishes alone are different from changed windows, lighting, ventilation or equipment; this is not a blanket permit exemption.
Can a bathroom-only project still affect energy requirements?
Yes, depending on actual lighting, ventilation, hot-water or envelope work. Supply the changed-component scope instead of assuming the small room size decides the answer.
Does no added floor area mean no energy paperwork?
No. Alterations can affect regulated systems or envelope components without increasing area. The applicable approach and records depend on the changed work and edition, not area growth alone.
Which CF1R-ALT should I attach to the plans?
Select from the current CEC catalog after confirming scope, method and applicable verification/registration. Not every alteration certificate fits every remodel; ask the preparer and AHJ rather than choosing by filename alone.
Does whole-house remodeling force existing-plus-alteration modeling?
Do not infer one universal pathway. Establish changed and retained components and the applicable compliance method. Broader performance analysis may be appropriate, but the project basis must support its boundary and inputs.
What if my permit is older but the remodel changed?
Provide the recorded application date, accepted documents and revised scope. Ask the AHJ about amendments versus a new application before changing editions or reusing old assumptions.
09Choose the next documentation step
Use the published residential/commercial square-footage menu to understand report pricing, then send a scoped request rather than assuming a full model is necessary. Field testing, acceptance testing, registry fees, CALGreen and AHJ permit fees are separate. Intake is not payment, production acceptance or permit approval. This is educational information, not legal advice; confirm the applicable requirements and documentation with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
Start with the Title 24 decision hubDo I need Title 24 for windows?Do I need Title 24 for addition?Do I need Title 24 for adu?Confirm the application’s code editionWhat to send for an energy reviewCF1R versus installation/verification recordsSee published PricingGet a Quote / upload plans