How to Complete and Submit Florida Form R405: Software, Inputs, and Submittal

Florida Form R405 is the residential energy compliance report produced by state-approved modeling software when a builder uses the simulated performance method under the 2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation (Eighth Edition). You submit it with your residential building permit application, your inspectors use it in the field, and a second, as-built version is required before the certificate of occupancy. You cannot fill it out by hand. The software builds the report after you enter every relevant detail about the building envelope, mechanical systems, orientation, and site.

What Form R405 Is and When to Use It

The code gives residential builders three compliance paths: the prescriptive method using Form R402, the simulated performance method using Form R405, and the Energy Rating Index method under Section R406.¹ R405 applies to single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses, and multifamily buildings of three stories or less.

The performance path lets you trade off between components. Better windows can offset slightly less attic insulation, for example, as long as the software confirms your proposed home’s projected annual energy cost stays at or below a code-defined baseline. Builders typically choose R405 when the prescriptive requirements feel too restrictive for the design. A home with large south-facing glazing might fail the prescriptive Solar Heat Gain Coefficient limit but pass the performance model if the cooling equipment and insulation compensate.

If you are renovating rather than building new, code requirements scale with the scope of work, so a minor remodel will not trigger a full R405 analysis.

Who Can Prepare the Form

For single-family homes, duplexes, and townhouses, no license or professional registration is required to prepare the energy compliance form.² A builder, a hired energy consultant, or a certified home energy rater can all run the software and sign as the preparer, certifying that the inputs match the construction plans.

The rules differ for commercial buildings and for multifamily residential above three stories, where a professional engineer under Chapter 471 or a licensed architect under Chapter 481 must certify compliance. For a typical single-family R405 submission, many builders hire a RESNET-certified home energy rater, who can also perform the blower door and duct leakage tests later in the project. Whoever signs the form carries responsibility for its accuracy. Knowingly submitting false information is a second-degree misdemeanor under Florida law.³

Approved Energy Modeling Software

Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation currently approves three programs for residential energy code compliance under the 2023 code: EnergyGauge USA, Right-Energy Florida (developed by Wrightsoft), and Ekotrope.⁴ Each models local weather data, solar orientation, and the interaction between your envelope and mechanical systems to project annual energy costs.

The program constructs a standard reference design, a hypothetical home with the same geometry as yours but using baseline code-minimum values for insulation, windows, equipment efficiency, and a 7 ACH50 air leakage rate. Your proposed design passes when its projected annual energy cost comes in at or below the reference home’s cost. EnergyGauge USA licenses run approximately $399 per year. Pricing for Right-Energy Florida and Ekotrope varies; contact the vendors directly.

Data You Need Before Running the Model

Gather every specification from your construction plans and product data sheets before opening the software. The inputs fall into four groups.

Building Envelope

Florida sits entirely within climate zones 1 and 2, so code targets are calibrated for hot, humid conditions. Minimum ceiling insulation under the 2023 code is R-30 in Zone 1 and R-38 in Zone 2, though installing R-30 across 100 percent of the ceiling area satisfies the R-38 requirement in Zone 2 where the full height of uncompressed insulation extends over the wall top plate at the eaves. Wood-frame wall insulation is R-13 in both zones, and floor insulation is also R-13.⁵ If your walls exceed R-13, the software gives you credit that can offset trade-offs elsewhere.

Window and glass door specifications matter enormously. Both climate zones cap SHGC for glazed fenestration at 0.25, meaning windows must block at least 75 percent of incoming solar heat.⁵ Zone 2 also requires a maximum fenestration U-factor of 0.40, while Zone 1 has no U-factor requirement. Impact-rated fenestration in Zone 2 gets a more relaxed U-factor cap of 0.65, a practical concession for hurricane-resistant windows. For each window group, collect the manufacturer-rated U-factor, SHGC, total area including the frame, and compass orientation.

Roof solar absorptance heavily influences cooling loads. The software’s standard reference design assumes an absorptance of 0.75 and emittance of 0.90, roughly equivalent to a medium-tone composition shingle. A white tile or cool metal roof with absorptance below 0.40 earns substantial credit.⁵ Pull absorptance and emittance ratings from the roofing manufacturer’s technical data.

Mechanical Equipment

For cooling equipment, gather the SEER2 rating from the manufacturer’s specification sheet. Federal minimum standards for the Southeast region require at least SEER2 14.3 for split-system air conditioners under 45,000 BTU and SEER2 13.8 for units between 45,000 and 65,000 BTU. Heat pump systems also need their HSPF2 rating entered.

Water heating is entered as a Uniform Energy Factor along with system type (electric resistance, heat pump water heater, gas, or solar) and storage capacity in gallons. Heat pump water heaters carry the highest UEF ratings and can significantly improve the performance score.

For ducts, you need insulation R-value, surface area, and location (attic, conditioned space, or other). Duct leakage testing is not automatically mandatory under the performance method. The standard reference design uses a default leakage rate of Qn 0.080, meaning 0.080 cubic feet per minute per 100 square feet of conditioned floor area at 25 Pascals.⁵ If your proposed design claims tighter ducts than the default, the ductwork must be tested by a qualified technician before the certificate of occupancy. Accept the default, and no duct test is required.

Air Leakage

Every new home in Florida must pass a blower door test. The code baseline for zones 1 and 2 is a maximum of 7 ACH50.⁵ The R405 standard reference design assumes the same figure. If your proposed design claims a tighter envelope, say 5 ACH50 for performance credit, the blower door test must verify the actual rate matches or beats that claim.

Homes testing below 3 ACH50 trigger a separate requirement: whole-house mechanical ventilation must be installed for indoor air quality. A certified home energy rater or a rating field inspector working under a rater’s supervision can perform the test.⁶ Budget roughly $250 to $350 for a combined blower door and duct leakage test.

Mandatory Lighting and Pool Equipment

Two requirements apply regardless of compliance path, and the software incorporates them. All permanently installed light fixtures (except kitchen appliance lights) must have an efficacy of at least 45 lumens per watt, or use lamps rated at 65 lumens per watt or higher.⁷ Standard LED fixtures easily clear this. If the home includes a swimming pool or spa, all heaters and pumps must have time switches or automatic controls capable of running on a preset schedule.⁸ Pumps with built-in timers satisfy this automatically.

What the Finished Report Package Contains

The software output is a packet, not a single sheet. A typical R405 submittal for a permit application includes the main Form R405 report, an input summary checklist for field verification (usually about four pages), an Energy Performance Level (EPL) display card, HVAC system sizing documentation per ACCA Manual S, and a mandatory requirements checklist.⁹

The main report page shows project information (builder name, address, permit number, jurisdiction), building characteristics (conditioned floor area, number of bedrooms, new or existing construction), and a component-by-component breakdown. That breakdown lists window areas with their U-factors and SHGCs, wall and ceiling insulation R-values, duct locations and R-values, cooling and heating system efficiencies and capacities, and water heater type and UEF. At the bottom is the comparison that matters: the reference design’s projected energy cost versus your proposed design’s projected cost. The proposed number must be equal to or lower than the reference number for the home to pass.

Submitting with the Permit Application

The complete R405 report package goes to your local building department as part of the initial residential building permit application. Most Florida jurisdictions now accept digital uploads through municipal permitting portals, though some smaller offices still take physical copies. Energy review fees are generally folded into the overall building permit fee rather than charged separately. The exact amount varies by jurisdiction.

The building official reviews the submittal to confirm the proposed design’s energy cost meets or beats the reference design and that the mandatory requirements checklist is complete. If the report shows a passing result but mandatory items are missing, such as the HVAC sizing documentation or the EPL card, the department will flag the application as incomplete. Resubmission after corrections is straightforward: regenerate the report with the corrected inputs and upload the new packet.

Field Verification and the As-Built Report

Once construction begins, the R405 input summary checklist becomes the inspector’s field guide. Inspectors verify that installed insulation matches the R-values in the report, that window labels show the specified U-factors and SHGCs, and that the HVAC equipment matches the model and efficiency claimed. Any significant change during construction, such as swapping to a lower-SEER2 air conditioner, requires a revised Form R405 that still passes the performance comparison. Submitting a revision without re-running the model is where projects run into stop-work orders.

Before the certificate of occupancy is issued, a second compliance report must be submitted confirming the as-built home matches the approved design. This report includes a certificate stating the building passes the performance matrix, along with the completed blower door test results and duct leakage test results if applicable.⁹ The building official must also verify that the signed EPL display card accurately reflects the plans and specifications.¹⁰

The EPL display card is a one-page document the builder signs, certifying the home’s energy performance level and the efficiencies of its installed components. Florida Statute 553.9085 requires this card to be included as an addendum to the sales contract for both presold and spec-built homes.¹¹ The building department will not grant final occupancy approval without it.

1
International Code Council. Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation – Appendix RD Forms
2
UpCodes. C103.1.1 Compliance Certification
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 837.06 – False Official Statements
4
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Building Codes and Standards – Energy
5
International Code Council. Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, Eighth Edition – Chapter 4 RE Residential Energy Efficiency
6
RESNET. Amendment Rater Categories of Certification
7
UpCodes. Chapter 4 RE Residential Energy Efficiency – 2023 FBC – Section R404.1
8
UpCodes. Swimming Pools, Inground Spas and Portable Spas (Mandatory)
9
Florida Building Commission. Form R405-2020 Residential Energy Compliance Report
10
UpCodes. Energy Performance Level (EPL) Display Card (Mandatory)
11
Florida Senate. Florida Code 553.9085 – Energy Performance Disclosure for Residential Buildings