The Plan Checker and My Consultant Disagree on Title 24: How Do I Get an Official Answer?
Climb the ladder in order: get the correction in writing with the section cited, ask the Energy Code Hotline for non-binding advice, take the dispute to the local board of permit appeals, then apply to the Energy Commission for a written determination that binds both sides. The Commission does not enforce the code itself.
- Choose your report
- Upload your plans
- Pay securely
- Permit-ready report by email
Step 1: the correction in writing
Ask the plans examiner to name the section behind the comment. The department, usually a city or county, enforces the code locally, and the Commission does not directly enforce it, so the first dispute is always with the department. See who enforces Title 24.
Step 2: advice that binds no one
The Energy Code Hotline answers compliance questions through its online form or by phone (hotline page). Separately, Section 10-107(b) lets the Commission's Executive Director give written advice on request. Useful as a citation to show the examiner, but it binds nobody.
Step 3: the local appeals body
A formal determination is only available once the dispute has been heard by the local board of permit appeals or other highest local review body. Where possible, the department notifies the Commission 15 days before the hearing and sends the result within 15 days after it.
Step 4: a binding written determination
After that hearing, either party may apply in writing to the Commission for a determination on how a Part 6 provision applies, delivering a copy to the other party at the same time. The determination binds both parties.
If the department does not enforce at all
Where an agency fails to enforce Part 6, the Commission can give 10 days' written notice and then make permit issuance depend on its own written finding that the design conforms. That power is aimed at the agency, not at disputes over one comment.
Before climbing, check whether the comment is a document problem rather than a rules problem; the corrections page and the rejection causes cover those. See our residential reports for the CF1R side.
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 10-107(a) ties the written determination to a dispute that has already been heard by the local board of permit appeals or the highest local review body.
No. It is advice, not a ruling, though it can help the examiner reconsider.
Explore Plan Check Problems
- The Plan Checker Asks for the Title 24 Software File: What Is It and Who Provides It?
- Which Title 24 Documents Does the Inspector Want at Final Inspection?
- How Long Does Title 24 Plan Check Take?
- Why Was My Plan Check Rejected for Title 24?
- What If Plan Check Returns Title 24 Corrections on a House?
View all Plan Check Problems guides → · Permits and Compliance · Title 24 guide