Title 24 Code Compliance Consulting
California's Title 24, Part 6 is among the most rigorous energy codes in the nation. We navigate it with a design-first lens — not just documentation. Code strategy through permit submission.
We don't just deliver documentation — we guide better decisions. Our team brings together building systems expertise, policy fluency, and modeling depth to help clients meet code without compromising design intent. Each service can be scoped independently or combined for full-project support.
Two compliance pathways.
One strategic choice.
California Title 24 offers two routes to compliance. The right one depends on your project type, design ambitions, and how much flexibility you need.
Follow specific requirements for each building system. Envelope U-factors, equipment efficiency minimums, and lighting power densities must meet individual thresholds — no modeling required.
- No energy model required
- Straightforward documentation process
- System-by-system pass/fail criteria
- Best for standard building types and scopes
Compare your proposed building to a code-baseline model. As long as your building achieves equivalent or better overall energy performance, you comply — even if individual systems don't meet prescriptive thresholds.
- Full energy model required
- More design flexibility and tradeoffs
- Supports electrification and stretch goals
- Can unlock utility incentives and LEED credits
Our Title 24 services.
Scope us at any phase — early strategy through permit submission. Each service can stand alone or stack with others.
Before systems are locked in, we evaluate your project against Title 24 and recommend the compliance pathway that best fits your design intent, schedule, and budget. We identify risk early — before it costs you.
- Pathway recommendation — prescriptive vs. performance
- Early identification of compliance risks and tradeoffs
- System-level guidance before MEP design begins
- 2025 code cycle impact assessment
A formal preliminary compliance check against current design documents. We run the numbers, flag gaps, and provide written recommendations — so you know where you stand before permit documents are due.
- Preliminary energy model or prescriptive checklist
- Gap analysis against Title 24 requirements
- Written compliance memo for the design team
- Coordination with architect and MEP engineer
We produce the complete Title 24 compliance documentation package for permit submission — CF forms, energy model output, and all required certificates. Stamped, organized, and ready for the AHJ.
- Performance or prescriptive compliance documentation
- CF1R, CF2R, CF3R forms and energy model output
- Coordination with the permitting agency (AHJ)
- Response to plan check comments
- Certificate of Compliance preparation
We handle plan check comments and AHJ questions directly. When energy compliance is flagged during review, we respond with technical precision — keeping your permit moving.
- Written responses to plan check energy comments
- Direct coordination with AHJ reviewers when needed
- Revised calculations and documentation as required
When systems change in the field, compliance doesn't automatically follow. We review substitution requests and change orders for Title 24 impact and update documentation as needed.
- Equipment substitution review for compliance impact
- Updated CF forms if systems change
- Field change documentation support
Input 10 early-design project attributes — climate zone, HVAC type, glazing ratio, insulation, and more — and get the prescriptive standard design baseline for each building system. Built from CEC open-source rule files.
What changed in 2026.
California's 2025 Title 24 Part 6 standards took effect January 1, 2026. If you have projects in California, the changes affect your design process — significantly enough that designing first and handing off to an engineer for compliance later no longer works reliably.
Read the 2025 highlights →
The switch from Time Dependent Valuation to Long-term System Cost changes how systems score. Electric heat pump systems and renewable-ready designs now perform better under the compliance math.
New construction and major alterations over 50,000 sf must demonstrate at least a 10% reduction in embodied carbon vs. a baseline. Structural and enclosure material decisions now carry compliance implications.
Exhaust-only ventilation is no longer allowed in multifamily dwelling units. Balanced or supply ventilation is now required, paired with compartmentalization testing. This affects mechanical room sizing and system selection early in design.
In certain large buildings with overlapping cooling and heating loads, the code now requires heat recovery between systems rather than rejection — affecting system configuration and controls strategy.
Need a Title 24 strategy,
a permit package, or a second opinion?
We engage at any phase — early design through plan check response. Tell us where your project is and we'll scope from there.