How to Complete and Submit CEC Energy Compliance Forms: Title 24

Title 24 CEC compliance forms are the energy documents California requires with almost every building permit application, and they prove that a project’s design, installation, and field performance meet the state’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards codified in Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of Regulations. Permit applications filed on or after January 1, 2026 must comply with the 2025 Energy Code.1California Energy Commission. 2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards Completing the forms correctly means picking the right ones for your building type, preparing a Certificate of Compliance under either the prescriptive or performance path, collecting the right signatures, and registering the document through a CEC-approved data registry before the building department will accept it.

Which Forms Your Project Needs

The forms split into two families by building type, and each family covers a different phase of the project.

Single-Family and Low-Rise Multifamily

Residential projects use three core form types:2California Energy Commission. 2025 Energy Code Compliance Documents – Forms for Single Family Residential Buildings

  • CF1R, the Certificate of Compliance, prepared before the permit application. It documents the building design (insulation levels, window specifications, HVAC equipment, water heating) and shows the design meets the energy code.
  • CF2R, the Certificate of Installation, completed by the installing contractor to confirm that what was built matches the specifications on the CF1R.
  • CF3R, the Certificate of Verification, completed by a certified HERS rater after field testing to verify installed systems perform as designed.

Nonresidential, Hotel/Motel, and High-Rise Multifamily

Commercial and high-rise projects use a parallel set:3California Energy Commission. Forms for Nonresidential, Hotel/Motel, High-Rise Multifamily Buildings

  • NRCC, the Certificate of Compliance, the design-phase document equivalent to the CF1R.
  • NRCI, the Certificate of Installation, which confirms installed equipment and materials match the approved design.
  • NRCV, the Certificate of Verification, which must be registered with an Energy Code Compliance (ECC) provider.
  • NRCA, the Certificate of Acceptance, which documents acceptance testing for lighting controls, mechanical systems, and other covered components. Lighting controls and mechanical NRCAs must be completed by a Certified Acceptance Test Technician through an ATTCP provider.

Prescriptive or Performance Path

Before you can fill out a Certificate of Compliance, you have to decide how you are demonstrating compliance.

The prescriptive method is a checklist. Each building component — walls, windows, roofing, HVAC, water heating — must individually meet or exceed the efficiency thresholds set by the code. If every component hits its mark, the project complies. This works well for straightforward projects using standard materials and equipment.

The performance method uses energy modeling software to simulate the building’s overall energy use and compare it against a code-baseline building. Instead of meeting every individual component standard, the design has to show the building as a whole will use no more energy than the baseline. That flexibility lets a design with larger windows, for example, compensate with a more efficient HVAC system. Most custom homes and complex commercial projects end up on the performance path because it allows trade-offs between building systems.

What You Need Before You Start Filling Out Forms

Collect the project data that feeds the forms before you touch them. Getting this right at the start prevents rejected permit applications and expensive redesigns later.

  • Climate zone. California has sixteen zones, each with different energy requirements, and the CEC provides an online lookup by address. The zone determines insulation minimums, window performance requirements, and whether measures like cool roofs are mandatory.4California Energy Commission. Climate Zone Tool, Maps, and Information
  • Building envelope details: insulation R-values for walls, ceilings, and floors; window U-factors and Solar Heat Gain Coefficients; exterior wall assemblies and roofing materials.
  • Mechanical systems: efficiency ratings for furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps; duct locations and insulation; ventilation specifications.
  • Water heating equipment type, efficiency rating, and distribution system details.
  • For nonresidential work, lighting fixture types, wattage, and lighting control systems.
  • Project address and scope: new construction, addition, or alteration, and the exact square footage affected.

Every number on the compliance forms must match the architectural plans and engineering specifications. Discrepancies between the forms and the plans are one of the fastest ways to get a permit application sent back.

Approved Compliance Software

Performance-based compliance has to be done in state-approved energy modeling software, and permit applications filed on or after January 1, 2026 must use software approved for the 2025 Energy Code.5California Energy Commission. 2025 Energy Code Compliance Software The currently approved programs are:

  • CBECC 2025-2.1, the CEC’s free, public-domain software, approved for nonresidential, multifamily, and single-family residential projects.
  • EnergyPro 10.0, a third-party commercial program approved for nonresidential, multifamily, and single-family residential projects.
  • IES VE Title 24 2025 1.0, approved for nonresidential new construction only.
  • Right-Energy Title 24 2025.2.0, approved for single-family residential new construction only.

Many homeowners and general contractors hire an energy consultant to run the model and prepare the forms. For a single-family home, expect to pay roughly $150 to $275 for a straightforward project and $275 to $395 or more for a larger custom home.

Who Signs the Forms

Each Certificate of Compliance needs two signatures, and they mean different things.6Energy Code Ace. Roles and Responsibilities

The documentation author, often a building energy consultant, prepares the energy analysis and completes the certificate. Their signature certifies that the documentation is accurate and complete. They are not responsible for choosing the building features themselves; they may recommend energy-efficient options, but the designer makes the final call on what goes into the building.

The responsible designer (or “responsible person”) is the architect, engineer, or building designer who specifies the actual features that determine compliance. Their signature affirms responsibility for the design information on the certificate. Even when the documentation work is delegated to a consultant, the designer stays in charge of the specifications and must sign before the certificate goes to the building department. On projects where a licensed design professional is not required, the builder or general contractor can sign in the responsible designer’s block.

Registering the Document Through a Data Registry

Once the forms are completed and signed, certain documents must be registered through a CEC-approved data registry before the building department will accept them. CHEERS (California’s Building Energy Code Registry) is one of the primary registries;7California’s Building Energy Code Registry. CHEERS CalCERTS is another widely used option. The process:

  • The documentation author uploads the electronic compliance file to the registry’s portal.
  • Both the documentation author and the responsible designer apply electronic signatures before the submission is processed.
  • Pay the registration fee. CHEERS charges $45 for new construction and $30 for alteration projects, and CalCERTS fees are comparable.8CHEERS. Pricing
  • Once registered, the system generates a certificate with a unique registration number. That registered document is what building inspectors look for. Unregistered or non-certified forms will not be accepted and can hold up the entire permit.

You can check status by logging into the registry portal and looking for a “registered” designation. Keep the registration number handy, because inspectors will reference it throughout construction.

HERS Field Verification

Many residential projects require field verification by a certified HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rater. As of January 1, 2026, the field verification and diagnostic testing provisions have moved out of Title 20 and into the Energy Code itself (Title 24, Part 6), managed under the Energy Code Compliance program.9California Energy Commission. Home Energy Rating System Program – HERS

The specific tests depend on project scope. For an entirely new duct system, measured leakage must be 5 percent or less of system air handler airflow. Extensions of existing duct systems have a looser threshold of 10 percent total leakage or 7 percent leakage to the outside.10Energy Code Ace. Duct Leakage Requirements Refrigerant charge verification uses a standard procedure performed by the installer and rater, unless the system is equipped with a fault indicator display. Raters also inspect insulation installation quality, HVAC equipment, air ducts and vents, and thermostat settings, which may require access to the circuit breaker panel, attic, roof, or crawlspaces. During testing you may be asked to close all windows and exterior doors and turn off the clothes dryer or bathroom fans, since these can skew results.

Contractors often arrange a rater they work with regularly, but homeowners have the right to hire their own rater independently of the contractor.9California Energy Commission. Home Energy Rating System Program – HERS The rater completes the CF3R (or NRCV for nonresidential) and registers it through the data registry once testing passes.

When a Revised Form Is Required

Any significant change from the registered design requires updated compliance documents, which happens more often than people expect. Common triggers include substituting materials with different thermal properties (switching window models, changing insulation types), upgrading or downgrading HVAC equipment, or altering the envelope in ways that affect energy performance. When a change occurs, the calculations must be rerun to confirm the project still meets code, and the revised forms must be re-registered through the data registry with a new registration number.

A failed HERS verification test also forces a revision. If field measurements show duct leakage above the allowed threshold or refrigerant charge outside acceptable range, the project cannot proceed to final inspection. The responsible person must either fix the deficiency and have the rater retest, or update the documents to reflect actual site conditions and demonstrate an alternative compliance path. Either way, the data registry must be updated before the final energy inspection will be approved.

What Happens if You Skip or Falsify Compliance

Title 24 is enforced at the local level by city and county building departments under the authority of the California Energy Commission.11California Energy Commission. Building Energy Efficiency Standards The consequences are practical and immediate:

  • Permits will not be issued if the Title 24 report is missing or inaccurate.
  • Non-compliant documents or failed HERS tests can trigger stop-work orders and construction delays.
  • Non-compliant installations for HVAC, windows, lighting, or other covered systems will fail the final energy inspection, which blocks the certificate of occupancy.
  • Correcting non-compliance after construction has progressed typically means tearing out and replacing finished work.
  • Developers and contractors face potential legal disputes and contract violations for delivering non-compliant buildings.

Submitting certified forms is a prerequisite for any temporary or permanent certificate of occupancy. A building department will not finalize a permit without completed and registered energy compliance documentation.

Keeping the Records

Registered compliance documents should stay accessible on the construction site throughout the project. Inspectors can ask to see them at any point, and a copy should sit with the approved drawing set.12San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. Title-24 Single-Family Residential Energy/Green Inspection Requirements After the certificate of occupancy is in hand, hold onto the registered documents. Future renovations, real estate transactions, and energy audits all tend to call for them, and while the data registries keep electronic records, having your own copies avoids delays when you need them quickly.