Is an as-built permit judged under the code from when it was built?

No. It is a new application, so the edition in force on the application date applies. The department sets that date.

Do I need record drawings of the ducts?

Part 6 describes them as part of an as-built record, but what your department requires with the application is its decision. Ask before the visit.

Title 24 for As-Built Permits in California

An as-built permit is an ordinary application for work already standing, so the Energy Code is checked against the code in force on the application date. The measured record you hand the department decides which compliance route is open and what has to be tested on site.

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What the as-built set records

Part 6 defines record drawings, which it also calls as-built drawings, as drawings of the as-installed location and performance data for lighting and space conditioning components. That includes duct and pipe layout and sizes, terminal device layout and airflow rates. For the energy model add scaled plans, sections and elevations, with each feature labeled existing, altered or new, as the compliance manual's steps for existing buildings direct.

Choosing the route

Three routes exist. The prescriptive rules for additions or alterations apply component by component. The performance method models existing, altered and new features together. Section 150.2(c) also lets any addition or alteration comply by meeting the requirements for the entire building. Whichever you pick, the department must determine in writing, and a permit stamp counts, that the construction is designed to comply with the Part 6 in force on the application date (Section 10-103(d)1).

What gets tested on work already built

Where the CF1R relies on field-verified features, it is registered and an ECC-Rater tests the installed system as it stands. A duct system that was extended must show leakage of 10 percent of airflow or less, or 7 percent or less to outside, and an entirely new duct system must test at 5 percent or less. Where neither can be met, every accessible leak is sealed and confirmed by a visual inspection and smoke test.

Paperwork that points back at the permit

A certificate of installation must state the permit number under which the work was performed (Section 10-103(a)3B). Work done before any permit existed therefore needs the department's direction on how it will be certified. A house cannot pass final inspection until compliance is verified.

The code edition, the classification of rooms and ADUs, and the evidence for hidden construction are covered on unpermitted work and as-built permits. What each classification triggers is on legalizing unpermitted construction, and the dating rule is on which energy code applies. Test details are in duct leakage testing. Our residential Title 24 reports work from measured drawings.

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