California Title 24 Energy Compliance: A Plain-English Guide
Why your remodel needs a HERS rater and what the energy compliance form really says.
Title 24, Part 6 (the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards) governs every new building and most remodels in California. The 2022 standards added a near-mandatory heat-pump pathway and electric-ready provisions. This article translates the compliance jargon into terms an owner can act on.
Two compliance paths
Prescriptive: meet a checklist of envelope R-values, window U-factors, and equipment efficiencies. Performance: model the whole building in approved software (EnergyPro, CBECC-Res) and trade off envelope for equipment. Most projects go performance because it allows real-world flexibility.
What triggers Title 24
Any addition over 700 sf, any window or skylight replacement >75 sf, any HVAC system change, any reroof of >50% of conditioned space (cool roof requirement), and any envelope alteration that exposes more than 50% of a wall cavity.
Heat pumps and electrification
2022 Title 24 makes heat pumps the prescriptive baseline for space heating and water heating. Gas furnaces and gas water heaters require performance-path compliance plus electric-ready wiring (240V circuit, 4'×4' wall area, drain). Most plan-checkers now flag gas-only projects automatically.
The HERS rater's role
Home Energy Rating System (HERS) raters are third-party CHEERS or CalCERTS-certified verifiers. They confirm duct leakage <5%, refrigerant charge, fan watt draw, and high-performance attic insulation install quality. Schedule them at HVAC rough and again at final — missed visits void compliance.
Common correction items
Insufficient envelope R-value (2x4 walls maxed at R-15 fail prescriptive; need R-21 + R-5 continuous), single-pane window kept in scope (must be U≤0.30 SHGC≤0.23), oversized HVAC (Manual J load calc required), and missing cool roof reflectance documentation on low-slope roofs.
Authoritative sources
- 2022 Title 24, Part 6 — Building Energy Efficiency Standards — California Energy Commission
- CHEERS HERS rater directory — California Home Energy Efficiency Rating System
- CalCERTS rater directory — CalCERTS Inc.
- ENERGY STAR Most Efficient (heat pumps) — U.S. Department of Energy / EPA
More from the library
- Residential Structural Engineering 101 for California Owners — Load paths, shear walls, and why your remodel needs an engineer's stamp.
- Seismic Retrofit Basics for California Single-Family Homes — Cripple walls, sill bolting, and the Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant program.
- Foundation Types in California: Raised, Slab, Pier, and Post-Tension — Which foundation belongs under which lot — and why it matters for your remodel.