Title 24 Guides

These guides are for people who have been told they need "Title 24" and want to get it right the first time: homeowners planning a first permit, designers and architects who send energy work out, and contractors who meet the paperwork at inspection. Each guide takes one task and goes into it properly. Short answers to single questions live in the FAQ, and the individual certificates are explained under Title 24 forms.

Everything here is written to the 2025 Energy Code, which applies to permit applications submitted on or after 1 January 2026.

The guides

• What every California homeowner should know about Title 24: which home projects it covers, who does what, the ECC field visits and the surprises that cost time.
• 12 things to know before ordering a Title 24 report: the decisions to settle first, from report type and code edition to what the price covers.
• Title 24 checklist: the plans, schedules and details to gather for an ADU, addition, remodel, new home, multifamily building or commercial space.
• How to read your CF1R, page by page: what each section of the certificate of compliance says, and what it means on site.
• 15 Title 24 mistakes that trigger plan check corrections: why each one happens and how to prevent it before you submit.
• How to choose a Title 24 consultant: what to look for, the questions to ask, red flags in a quote, and what the CEA credential means.

Where to start

If you are not sure a report is needed at all, read Do I need a Title 24 report? first. If you know you need one, the before-ordering guide and the checklist together cover most of what saves time. If you already have a CF1R in hand, start with the guide to reading it. For the code itself, Title 24 requirements summarises what it asks for and Title 24 compliance explains how a project shows it.