Can Title 24 Calculations Be Done From PDF Plans?
Yes. A PDF of the plan set going to the building department is the usual input. The analyst takes areas off scaled floor plans, elevations and sections, and ratings from the window schedule and mechanical notes. Scans and hand drawings work when they are legible, dimensioned and complete.
- Choose your report
- Upload your plans
- Pay securely
- Permit-ready report by email
What the PDF has to carry
The model inputs must correspond to the final approved plan set. In the compliance manual the example collects areas for each window, wall, door, roof, ceiling and floor from scaled drawings: plans, sections and elevations. A PDF that cannot be measured, because it has no scale bar or dimensions, forces guesses, and guesses end up as corrections later.
The schedules the plan checker looks for
Plan examiners compare the certificate with the sheets. They look for window and skylight U-factor and SHGC in a schedule or floor-plan legend, and for HVAC data such as SEER2, EER2 and AFUE written on the plans. If those lines are missing from the PDF, the report and the drawings cannot agree. The plan-check mismatch page shows how that comment arises.
Scanned and hand-drawn sets
The calculation does not depend on a file type. What the code asks of the certificate is that it be legible and in the Commission-approved format, and electronic signatures are accepted on electronic documents, so the entire workflow can stay digital. For a sketch, add the missing dimensions, wall sections showing insulation, and the equipment notes before ordering. A project with no plans yet has its own route.
What a PDF cannot show on a remodel
Existing insulation, old windows and the age of the furnace are rarely readable from drawings of the new work. The calculation handles altered components by assumed levels, or by real values if an ECC-Rater verifies them, so a PDF of the new work is a start, though the existing house still has to be described. The existing-plus-addition page explains the trade.
One set, one version
Where the building department requires plans, the certificate is incorporated into them, and the project name and location must match. Send the revision you are submitting, not an earlier draft. If the architect changes sheets afterward, see what happens after plan changes. Our residential report and ADU report both start from an upload.
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. A legible PDF with scale, dimensions and schedules is enough for the calculation.
Send window sizes and their NFRC U-factor and SHGC labels separately. The plan checker still expects them written on the plans.
Explore Energy Calculations
- How Are Title 24 Energy Calculations Done, Step by Step?
- Is a Title 24 Calculation a Prediction of My Energy Bill?
- Is There a Title 24 Calculator?
- What Software Is Title 24 Compliance Done In?
- What Is CBECC? The State's Free Title 24 Compliance Software Explained
View all Energy Calculations guides → · Reports and Calculations · Title 24 guide