What goes in the permit package
For a residential project under Title 24 Part 6, the AHJ typically expects, at permit submittal:
- The architectural drawings (site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, details).
- The structural drawings if separate.
- Title 24 energy compliance documentation — the signed CF1R, registered via CHEERS.
- Truss calculations, foundation calculations, and any other engineered documentation as required.
- Building department permit application, plan-check fees, and any AHJ-specific forms.
The report sits alongside the drawings. It's not embedded in the drawing set — it's a separate PDF (typically 8–14 pages depending on scope) that the AHJ stamps with the plan-check approval. Some AHJs ask for the report as a separate file upload in their ePlan submittal portal; others want it printed and bound with the drawing set. Confirm with the AHJ's submittal-checklist documentation.
Who signs what
Three certificates land at three different stages of the project, signed by three different actors. The CF1R is the only one that exists at permit submittal — the other two land later.
| Certificate | Stage | Signed by | What it asserts |
|---|---|---|---|
| CF1R — Certificate of Compliance | Permit submittal (design stage) | Responsible Designer (architect, engineer, or B&P-exempt designer) | The proposed design meets Title 24 Part 6 for the climate zone. |
| CF2R — Certificate of Installation | During / after construction | Installing contractor (typically GC or HVAC sub) | The equipment installed matches what the CF1R prescribed. |
| CF3R — Certificate of Verification | Before occupancy | ECC Rater (CHEERS-registered, formerly HERS Rater) | The installed equipment performs as the CF1R promised — verified by field test (duct leakage, refrigerant charge, QII, IAQ ventilation, etc.). |
The Responsible Designer who signs the CF1R is the same person responsible under B&P Code §§ 5537 and 6737.1 for the building design. For wood-framed single-family residences up to two stories and small (≤4-unit) two-story wood-framed multifamily buildings, an unlicensed designer or builder can take this role. Above that envelope, the signature has to come from a California-licensed architect or engineer. The Responsible Designer can delegate preparation of the energy analysis to an energy consultant (like us), but retains responsibility for everything submitted on the certificate.
What's not on the CF1R that the contractor still needs
The CF1R is a design-tier document. It tells the contractor what compliance targets the equipment has to hit — but it stops short of specifying which exact equipment. That selection is the contractor's job, and it has to be captured on the CF2R at install time. Specifically:
- Specific HVAC equipment model + AHRI reference number. The CF1R might say "Split-system heat pump, HSPF2 9.0 / SEER2 22 / EER2 16, 36,000 BTU/hr." The CF2R has to say "Carrier 25VNA836A003, Carrier FE5ANB006L, AHRI Ref #210123456." The AHRI directory lookup is the authoritative source for the rating — the manufacturer's marketing sheet isn't.
- Specific water-heater model + AHRI / NEEA reference. Same pattern. "Tier 3 HPWH, 50 gal" → "Rheem PROTERRA Hybrid PROPH50T2RH375 (NEEA Tier 3, UEF 3.45)."
- Window manufacturer, model, NFRC rating. The CF1R says "U-factor 0.27, SHGC 0.20." The CF2R has to name the specific NFRC-certified glazing product the contractor installed. The NFRC label on the installed glass is the field-verification artifact.
- Insulation product + thickness. The CF1R says "R-15 batt." The CF2R has to identify the specific insulation product (manufacturer, R-value, batt size or blown depth) actually installed.
- Duct material, R-value, and routing. The CF1R specifies sealed ducts to ≤5% leakage and R-8 in unconditioned space. The CF2R captures duct material, install location, and any modifications from the original design.
- Solar PV panel model, count, inverter, and connection point. The CF1R says "4.12 kWdc required." The solar contractor's CF2R-PV says "12× Q.PEAK DUO BLK ML-G10+ 395W panels (4.74 kWdc nameplate) + Enphase IQ8+ microinverters, connected to the main panel via dedicated 30A breaker."
- Battery storage, if installed. Storage isn't required by §150.1(c)14, but if installed, it appears on its own CF2R-Battery certificate.
The pattern across all of these: the CF1R sets the target; the CF2R documents the hit. The contractor's job at submittal is to confirm the equipment is on hand or orderable to meet the targets. The CF2R itself is generated and registered with CHEERS after install, by whoever holds the CHEERS account for the project (typically the energy consultant who prepared the CF1R, working from contractor-supplied model numbers).
The CHEERS portal's role through the project
CHEERS — California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services — is California's CEC- approved residential Energy Code Compliance (ECC, formerly HERS) Provider. Every Title 24 residential project gets a CHEERS registration number, and the CF1R / CF2R / CF3R for that project all live under that number in the CHEERS registry. When the AHJ asks for "the CF1R," they mean the registered version that came out of CHEERS — not an off-line PDF.
Contractor-facing touchpoints with CHEERS through a project:
- Project registration. The energy consultant registers the project with CHEERS at the design stage. CHEERS issues the registered CF1R. The contractor doesn't typically participate here.
- CF2R upload. After install, model numbers are submitted (either directly into CHEERS by the contractor, or to the energy consultant who enters them on the contractor's behalf). CHEERS produces the registered CF2R certificate.
- CF3R scheduling. The ECC Rater the project is working with coordinates with the GC to schedule field tests at the right point in construction — duct leakage testing after rough HVAC + before drywall, QII pre-drywall inspection at the same window, refrigerant-charge testing after system commissioning. Each completed test produces a CF3R certificate registered in CHEERS.
- Final occupancy. The AHJ verifies all required CF3Rs are registered before issuing final. The contractor's role here is to make the rater's schedule work — missed tests mean no CF3R means no final.
The CHEERS portal is at cheers.org. Contractors don't need an account to be part of a CHEERS-registered project — the energy consultant or rater holds the account and registers documents on the contractor's behalf. Contractors who run a lot of residential volume sometimes set up their own CHEERS account to file their own CF2Rs directly; that's a workflow choice, not a requirement.
What happens at close-out
Final occupancy is gated on the AHJ confirming the Title 24 compliance package is closed. The closing condition is the full CF1R / CF2R / CF3R set registered in CHEERS, with all required field-verification tests passed. The specific CF3R tests vary by project, but the most common are:
- Duct leakage testing — pressurize the duct system, measure leakage in CFM25, confirm it's below the prescriptive threshold (typically 5% of system airflow). Required when ducts run through unconditioned space.
- Refrigerant charge verification — for split-system AC and heat pumps in CZ2 and CZ8–CZ15 under the 2025 code's RCA path. Sub-cooling / superheat measurement against manufacturer spec.
- Quality Insulation Installation (QII) — pre-drywall inspection confirming cavity insulation is installed without compression, gaps, or voids. Mandatory for additions > 700 sf and NC projects on the prescriptive path.
- IAQ ventilation verification — measure whole-house mechanical ventilation airflow against ASHRAE 62.2 requirements.
- Fan watt-draw measurement — confirm installed air handler fan power doesn't exceed the prescriptive 0.45 W/CFM.
Each test produces its own CF3R registered in CHEERS. A failed test means a remedial step (re-seal a duct, re-charge refrigerant, repair an insulation void) and a re-test. The rater documents both attempts in CHEERS; the AHJ sees the final passing CF3R and uses it for the occupancy decision.
Field verification is a credentialed job — only an ECC Rater (formerly HERS Rater) under a CEC-approved Provider can sign the CF3R. The CHEERS rater directory at cheers.org lists every active rater statewide. OM Consulting is a CHEERS-registered ECC Rater, so the Title 24 report we generate is authored by someone trained on both the paperwork and the field side — but this service covers Title 24 documentation only. Book the CF3R field verification at close-out with the rater of your choice through the CHEERS directory. See our ECC Rater explainer for the credential detail.
Practical takeaway for GCs
At permit submittal, the only Title 24 deliverable you need is the signed CF1R from CHEERS (the registered Title 24 report) — the energy consultant produces and registers it. At install, the equipment model numbers (HVAC, DHW, windows, insulation, PV panels + inverter) have to be captured on the CF2R; coordinate with the energy consultant on whether you're submitting model numbers to them or filing the CF2R directly. At close-out, schedule the ECC Rater's field tests early enough that any failed measure has time to be remediated and re-tested before the final occupancy date you're targeting. The rater's calendar is the bottleneck on a typical close-out — book it three weeks out, not three days.