Can a Building Department Approve a Permit if the Report Says Does Not Comply?
No. A department may not issue the permit until it determines in writing that the construction is designed to comply with Part 6, and a CF1R must carry a signed declaration that it does. A report that says it does not comply cannot support either step. Redesign, switch routes or, rarely, use a Commission procedure.
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Two gates, not one
The first gate is the permit. Section 10-103(d)1 bars issuing it without a written determination, and approval with the department's normal stamp counts as that writing. The second gate is the signature. The certificate of compliance carries a declaration, signed by the documentation author and by the responsible person, that the features indicate compliance with Parts 1 and 6. A report showing a shortfall cannot honestly carry it, and a plans examiner also checks the CF1R for errors.
A paperwork waiver is not a compliance waiver
For small alterations such as water heater or window swaps, a department may require no certificate or a simplified one. Section 10-103(a)1C adds that this allowance does not authorise any work that breaks the code, so the waiver covers forms, not the standard.
If one is issued anyway
A permit issued over a failing report still faces the final inspection. Final approval needs the house to conform to the approved CF1R and the required certificates, and the final is not complete until compliance is verified. Separately, when an agency fails to enforce, the Commission may give 10 days' written notice and then condition permit issuance on its own determination.
The three real options
- Redesign. Change the features that spend margin; the list of fixes shows how.
- Switch route. A failed prescriptive check can move to the performance method, which trades features against each other.
- Ask the Commission. Exceptional design and exemption are narrow, as the variance page shows.
For the no-report case read what if there is no report and why a design does not comply. Our residential reports are built from your plans.
Common Title 24 Questions
- What is Title 24?
- Do I need a Title 24 report?
- How much does a Title 24 report cost?
- How long does a Title 24 report take?
- What is included in a Title 24 report?
- What plans do I need to upload?
Frequently Asked Questions
Section 10-103(d)1 calls for a written finding that the design complies, so a failing line is fixed rather than waived.
It still fails. A small gap often closes with one equipment or glass change, then the CF1R is re-run and re-signed.
Explore Failed Compliance
- Can You Get a Variance or Exemption From the Energy Code?
- What Can and Cannot Be Traded Off in the Performance Method?
- What Does a Compliance Margin Shortfall Mean on a CF1R?
- What Happens If You Have No Title 24 Report?
- My Design Does Not Comply: Which Changes Bring It Back?
View all Failed Compliance guides → · Permits and Compliance · Title 24 guide