What Does "Title 24 Compliant" Mean? For a Product, a Part and a Whole Building
The phrase has no single meaning. For a product it means a listing or rating the code accepts, such as the Energy Commission appliance database, an NFRC rating or a JA8 marking. For a building it means an approved certificate of compliance, installed features that match it and a final inspection that finds them consistent.
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Ask: compliant with what, shown by what?
Part 6 regulates the envelope, space-conditioning and water-heating systems, pools and spas, solar-ready provisions, indoor and outdoor lighting, electrical power distribution and signs (Section 100.0(b)). It does not issue one seal for a whole house, so a seller's "Title 24 compliant" is a claim to test against evidence the code names.
A product: look for a listing, a rating or a mark
- An appliance covered by the Appliance Efficiency Regulations may be installed only if it fully complies with them, and its efficiency is confirmed from the Commission's appliance database, a federal directory or an approved trade directory (Section 110.1).
- A window or exterior door carries an NFRC-rated U-factor and SHGC, or takes the default values in Tables 110.6-A and 110.6-B when it has no rating (Section 110.6(a)). See a window with no NFRC label.
- Luminaires and light sources must be certified and marked as Joint Appendix JA8 requires (Section 150.0(k)); see compliant light fixtures.
- A product Part 6 does not address is governed by Title 20, Sections 1601 to 1609 (Section 100.0(h)).
A building: certificates, then a final
A new single-family house meets the mandatory measures, then either the performance or the prescriptive route. Its proof is the certificate of compliance, the CF1R, which the building department approves by stamp or authorized signature before it issues the permit (Part 1, Section 10-103(a)2A). The installers then sign certificates of installation, and at final inspection the department checks that what was installed agrees with the certificates and approved plans (Section 10-103(d)2). The CF1R page describes the document.
What sits outside the idea
The Energy Code sets no efficiency rules for plug-in portable lamps, or for elevators and dumbwaiters (compliance manual, Building Systems Covered).
What to ask for in writing
Ask a seller for the model number, so you can find the listing yourself. Ask a contractor for the registered certificates at the end of the job. What Title 24 is gives the wider picture, and a residential Title 24 report is the building-level document.
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
Part 6 uses "certified" for a manufacturer's certification to the Energy Commission, so it usually points to a product listing. "Compliant" is wider and can mean a product, a system or a whole building.
Not automatically. Listed products meet the product rule, but the building still needs a certificate of compliance showing that the design meets the standards.
Explore What Is Title 24?
- What Is a Reach Code?
- What Is Title 24?
- Who Enforces Title 24?
- Are New California Homes Zero Net Energy?
- Do New Homes Have to Be All-Electric in California?
View all What Is Title 24? guides → · Title 24 Guide · Title 24 guide