What is Title 24?
Title 24 Part 6 is California's residential and non-residential energy code. Every new home, addition, or major remodel in California has to demonstrate that its envelope (walls, roof, windows, floors), heating and cooling, water heating, and lighting meet the state's energy targets for the project's climate zone. Newly-constructed homes and detached ADUs additionally need an on-site solar (PV) system sized per §150.1(c)14; additions, alterations, and attached ADUs are exempt under §150.2(a). The current version is the 2025 California Energy Code, effective January 1, 2026.
The proof of compliance is a document called a CF1R (Certificate of Compliance — Residential). It must be signed by a responsible designer (your architect or a licensed energy consultant) and submitted with your permit set. Generating that document — and getting it registered with CHEERS and signed — is what this service does for you.
What is a CF1R?
A CF1R is the Title 24 Certificate of Compliance for a residential project's design. It lists every input that affects energy performance — wall framing and insulation, ceiling and floor assemblies, window U-factor and SHGC, HVAC efficiency ratings, water-heater type and tier, required PV system size — and certifies that the design meets Title 24 Part 6 for its climate zone. Two related forms come later in the construction lifecycle:
- CF2R — Certificate of Installation, signed by the installing contractor once equipment is in.
- CF3R — Certificate of Verification, signed by an ECC Rater (formerly HERS Rater) after field verification of measures like duct leakage, refrigerant charge, and quality insulation installation.
Most permit applications need the CF1R at the design stage. The CF2R and CF3R land later, during and after construction.
The three design options
After we read your plans, you choose between three compliance pathways. They all satisfy Title 24 — they just get you there in different ways. You're trading off up-front cost, long-term comfort and energy bills, and how much equipment your contractor has to install.
1. Prescriptive
The straight-down-the-middle code path. Walls, windows, heating, cooling, and water heating all match the baseline numbers in the code book for your climate zone. Lowest design risk; most familiar to any framer or HVAC contractor.
2. 2x4 Performance
For builders who prefer the familiar 2x4 stud + R-15 wall assembly most California homes are already framed with. Because the walls aren't doing as much, the design compensates elsewhere — better windows, a cool roof, and a high-efficiency heat-pump water heater carry the compliance load.
3. 2x6 Enhanced
Steps the wall framing up to 2x6 studs with R-21 cavity insulation. The beefier shell means the rest of the design doesn't have to work as hard — equipment specs ease back, and you get a simpler wall assembly without continuous-insulation sheathing on the outside.
What happens after you choose
Once your project is paid and you've picked a design option, we drive it through four stages. You can track progress at any time on your project dashboard.
- Compliance verification. We run the analysis on the design option you chose and confirm the project complies with Title 24 for your climate zone. If the analysis falls short, we tune up specific equipment efficiency values (HVAC, water heater) on the same option until it passes — wall framing, insulation, and windows stay as shown. You'll get an email summary of any adjustments before the CF1R is registered with CHEERS.
- Registration with CHEERS. Your project is filed in the state CHEERS registry, which generates the official CF1R certificate. You'll get an email letting you know the CF1R has been sent to the responsible designer for signature.
- Designer signature. The responsible designer you identified countersigns the CF1R in CHEERS. We're not in the loop on that exchange — it goes directly between CHEERS and your designer.
- Signed CF1R delivered. The final signed PDF appears in your project dashboard, ready for your permit submittal. You'll get an email as soon as it's available.
Who signs the CF1R
The CF1R is signed by the project's Responsible Person — typically a California-licensed architect or engineer, except that B&P Code §§ 5537 and 6737.1 also let an unlicensed designer or builder take responsibility for wood-framed single-family homes up to two stories, and small (≤4-unit) two-story wood-framed multifamily buildings. You give us the designer's name and email during the workflow, and CHEERS sends the signature request directly to them once your project is registered.