The California CF-6R installation certificate is the older name for what the state now calls the CF2R, or Certificate of Installation. It’s the form the installing contractor signs to confirm that the energy-regulated work done on a home matches what the project’s approved energy design called for. If you’re holding paperwork or plans that reference a “CF-6R,” you’re looking at terminology from an earlier code cycle: since the 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, California has used CF2R for the same document.1California Energy Commission. 2022 Supporting Documents – Forms – Single-Family Residential
What the Form Is Called Now
California’s compliance forms follow a numbered system. CF1R is the Certificate of Compliance prepared during design, CF2R is the Certificate of Installation completed after the work, and CF3R is the Certificate of Verification produced by an independent third-party rater. The “CF-6R” label belonged to an earlier naming convention. Any project permitted under the 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, or 2025 Energy Code uses the CF2R designation.2California Energy Commission. 2025 Energy Code Compliance Documents – Forms for Single-Family Buildings
A second naming change took effect January 1, 2026, when the 2025 Energy Code became operative. HERS (Home Energy Rating System) Providers are now called Energy Code Compliance (ECC) Providers, and HERS Raters are now ECC Raters. Documents generated under the 2025 code show “ECC” where older documents showed “HERS.” Projects permitted under earlier cycles keep the HERS branding on their paperwork.3California Energy Commission. Home Energy Rating System Providers The compliance process itself hasn’t changed.
Where the CF2R Fits in the Compliance Sequence
The CF2R is the middle document in a three-form sequence. The CF1R comes first, prepared by the building designer or energy consultant before construction. It sets the energy budget and spells out exactly what equipment, insulation values, and performance levels the project must achieve. The CF2R follows, completed by the installing contractor after the work is finished, certifying that the actual equipment and materials match the CF1R specifications. The CF3R comes last, produced by a certified ECC Rater who independently tests and verifies the installed systems.4California Energy Commission. Building Energy Efficiency Standards
In practical terms, the CF2R is the contractor’s sworn statement that what went into the building is what the energy model said should go in. If the CF1R calls for a heat pump at a specified efficiency rating and R-38 attic insulation, the CF2R documents that those specifications were met. When the numbers on the two forms don’t align, the project can’t proceed to verification or final inspection.
Choosing the Right CF2R Variant
There isn’t one universal CF2R. The California Energy Commission publishes dozens of variants, each tailored to a specific building system or type of installation. The form you need depends on what work was performed and whether the project requires third-party field verification. Forms ending in “-E” do not require ECC field verification. Forms ending in “-H” do.1California Energy Commission. 2022 Supporting Documents – Forms – Single-Family Residential
The forms are grouped by system: Mechanical (MCH) for space conditioning, ductwork, fans, refrigerant charge, ventilation, and whole house fans; Envelope (ENV) for windows, insulation, roofing, and air leakage; Plumbing (PLB) for hot water distribution and pool heating; Electrical and Solar (ELC, PVB, SRA, STH) for electric-ready requirements, photovoltaic systems, battery storage, and solar water heating; Lighting (LTG) for residential lighting; and Additions and Alterations (ADD, ALT) for work on existing buildings that doesn’t require ECC field verification.2California Energy Commission. 2025 Energy Code Compliance Documents – Forms for Single-Family Buildings
A single project often needs several CF2R forms. An HVAC replacement with ductwork modifications might require a CF2R-MCH-01b-E for the system and ducts, a CF2R-MCH-20-H for duct leakage testing, and a CF2R-MCH-25-H for refrigerant charge verification. The CF1R itself will indicate which CF2R forms are needed. All current forms are available as fillable PDFs on the California Energy Commission’s website.
Who Fills It Out and What Goes on It
The installing contractor fills out the CF2R. Not the homeowner. The person responsible for the actual construction or installation of the regulated feature signs and submits the documentation. When multiple subcontractors handle different systems, each one signs for their portion of the work. A general contractor or builder can sign on behalf of subcontractors, but responsibility for accuracy stays with whoever did the installation.5ICC. California Administrative Code Title 24 Part 1 – 10-103 Permit Certificate Informational and Enforcement Requirements
Fields vary by form, but most CF2R forms ask for the same core information:
- Project identification: property address, building permit number, and the applicable energy code year.
- Contractor information: installer’s name, company, and California State License Board number.
- Equipment specifications: technical performance data taken from equipment labels and manufacturer documentation. For HVAC that means ratings such as SEER2, HSPF2, and capacity in BTUs. For insulation, R-values and installation depths. For windows, U-factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient.
- Compliance pathway: prescriptive or performance-based, matching what the CF1R used.
- Installer testing results: on forms with the -H suffix, the installer records any testing results produced before the ECC Rater arrives for independent verification.6Energy Code Ace. Roles and Responsibilities
- Declaration and signature: the installer signs certifying the information is accurate and complete.
The most common error is a mismatch between the CF2R and the CF1R. If the energy model specified a 16 SEER2 air conditioner and the contractor installed a 15 SEER2 unit, the CF2R won’t match the compliance document and the project will fail verification. Cross-reference every equipment specification against the CF1R before filling in the CF2R. If the installed equipment differs from the original design, the CF1R itself may need to be revised and re-registered before the CF2R can proceed.
Registering the Form Electronically
For low-rise residential buildings, completed CF2R forms must be submitted electronically to an approved ECC Provider data registry. Projects that require field verification and diagnostic testing need all three compliance documents, the CF1R, CF2R, and CF3R, registered with an ECC Provider before any of them can be submitted to the local building department.2California Energy Commission. 2025 Energy Code Compliance Documents – Forms for Single-Family Buildings
California currently has two approved providers running residential data registries: California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services (CHEERS), approved for the 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025 Energy Code cycles, and Golden State Registry (GSR), currently authorized for prescriptive 2022 Energy Code compliance for space conditioning alterations and replacements in existing single-family homes.3California Energy Commission. Home Energy Rating System Providers
Submissions follow the specifications in Reference Joint Appendix JA7 of the energy code.5ICC. California Administrative Code Title 24 Part 1 – 10-103 Permit Certificate Informational and Enforcement Requirements In practice, the contractor or an authorized documentation author uploads the form through the registry’s online platform. Once processed, the registry returns a registered version of the document carrying a watermark or unique electronic identifier that confirms it has been logged into the state-monitored compliance database. All properly completed CF2R forms need to be submitted or posted at the building site before ECC testing and post-construction verification can proceed.7Energy Code Ace. The Compliance and Enforcement Process
Posting on Site and Passing Inspection
A completed, signed, and dated CF2R must be posted at the building site for review by the local enforcement agency when you request a final inspection.7Energy Code Ace. The Compliance and Enforcement Process Building inspectors compare the posted CF2R against the registered version in the data registry and against the physical installation. If the actual work doesn’t match the approved plans or the compliance certificates, the documentation has to be revised and the installation corrected before the permit can close.
If an ECC Rater finds during field verification that a tested feature or system fails compliance thresholds, the contractor is required to correct the problem until the system passes.8California Energy Commission. Efficiency Division
What Happens If the Documentation Is Missing or Wrong
Skipping the CF2R or submitting an incomplete version stops the project. The local building department will not sign off on the permit without it. For new construction, that means no certificate of occupancy and you can’t legally move in. For renovation projects, an open permit creates problems for future work and can surface during property sales when buyers or lenders check permit records.
Local enforcement agencies can issue stop-work orders and deny permits when energy code documentation is missing. If an inspector or rater finds discrepancies between what was installed and what was documented, the contractor has to bring the installation into compliance before the project moves forward. In the worst case that means removing and replacing equipment that doesn’t meet the CF1R specifications, which costs far more than filling out the paperwork correctly the first time.
Keeping Your Copy
Property owners should store registered copies of every CF2R permanently. The contractor is responsible for giving the building owner a copy of the registered documentation after the work is finalized. These documents can be requested during future property sales, refinancing, or local energy audits, and the registered CF2R is the primary evidence that permitted installation work met code.