Can Title 24 Be Done Before Final HVAC Equipment Is Selected?
Yes, provided the type of system and its efficiency are settled. The CF1R models a system type and a rating, not a brand. A model number can follow later, but the installed unit must still deliver whatever the report claimed.
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- Permit-ready report by email
What has to be decided first
The standard design in the compliance software already assumes minimum-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, so a report can carry minimum efficiency without a named product. The type cannot float. The prescriptive package for a new home calls for a heat pump, and the compliance manual notes that modeling a gas furnace instead raises the heating energy counted against the design. If no cooling system is specified, the software simulates a hypothetical one with the characteristics Table 150.1-A requires.
Where the model number starts to matter
- A claim above the default HSPF2, SEER2 or EER2 is checked by an ECC-Rater against a certified directory. The check records the outdoor unit and coil models, the directory certification number and, where needed to reach the rating, the air handler and metering device.
- Where compliance depends on a heat pump, the installed rated heating capacity at 47 and 17 degrees F must equal or exceed the values on the CF1R. If the directory does not publish a 17 degree rating, that test falls away.
The type decides which tests apply
For a ducted split or packaged heat pump the verified airflow is 350 cfm per ton, or 250 cfm per ton for a small duct high velocity system (Section 150.1(c)7A). A packaged unit charged at the factory can skip field charge verification if the installer certifies that on the certificate of installation. Systems of a type the standard procedures cannot verify use the weigh-in charge method, which the rater then verifies.
Keeping the choice open safely
Ask for the assumed efficiency to appear in the CF1R feature summaries. The compliance manual says the special features and modeling assumptions section lists items that, if not installed, mean the building would not comply. When a contractor proposes a different unit later, different equipment than the CF1R shows how that is handled. Sizing and selection rules are in HVAC load calculations, and the new-home baseline is on heat pump requirements. Plans that are still moving are the topic of preliminary plans. Our residential reports take the system type from your mechanical intent.
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
No. The system type and the efficiency you intend to claim are enough. Give the model once it is chosen if the report takes credit for a rating above the default.
The design may no longer comply, so the model is re-run with the installed unit before final inspection.
Explore What Is Title 24?
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- A Short History of the Title 24 Energy Code
- How Much Energy Does Title 24 Save?
- Mandatory, Prescriptive and Performance: The Three Parts of Every Title 24 Report
View all What Is Title 24? guides → · Title 24 Guide · Title 24 guide