What is the difference between special features and ECC features?

Special features are design elements the result depends on that the building inspector checks, such as ducts in a crawlspace or a radiant barrier. ECC features must be field-verified or tested by an independent ECC-Rater, who records the result on a CF3R.

Does a small compliance margin matter?

A margin of zero or more is a pass. A small margin simply means there is little room for substitutions: a cheaper window or a less efficient unit installed during construction could take the design below the standard, and the documents would need to be revised.

Why does my CF1R show results for four orientations?

The design was checked facing north, east, south and west so that it complies in any orientation. The option exists for production homes and master plans that may be built facing different directions. Each orientation has to comply on its own.

Is the long-term system cost my energy bill?

No. LSC is a 30-year present value cost to California's energy system, used to compare the proposed design with the standard design. It is not a forecast of what you will pay a utility.

How to Read Your CF1R, Page by Page

A section-by-section guide to the CF1R performance certificate: what each part records, how to check it against your plans, and what it means for the people building the house.

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A CF1R is dense, but it follows the same order every time. This guide walks through the performance certificate, form CF1R-PRF-01-E, which compliance software produces for a new home, an ADU or an addition modelled with the performance approach. If you want the basics first, see What is a CF1R?, and for sample pages see the Title 24 report example. Prescriptive certificates for additions and alterations are shorter and laid out differently, but the declarations, the registration details and the need to match the drawings are the same.

The header and footer on every page

Each page carries the form number, the project name, the calculation date and time, and a page count. On a registered certificate the foot of each page also shows the registration number, the registration date and the ECC-Provider, such as CHEERS. Check that every page comes from the same calculation run; a set that mixes pages from two runs describes two different designs. The footer also names the code edition the certificate was generated under, which should be the 2025 standards for any permit application submitted on or after 1 January 2026.

General information

This block identifies the project: name, city, ZIP code, climate zone, standards version, software version, building type, project scope, conditioned floor area, number of stories and bedrooms, front orientation, average window U-factor, glazing percentage and fuel type.

Many plan check mismatches start here. Check the address and floor area against your drawings, confirm the climate zone, and make sure the project scope describes what you are building, because new construction, additions and alterations are assessed differently. If the front orientation reads "all orientations", the design was checked facing north, east, south and west, and it can be built in any of them.

Compliance results

A short statement says whether the building complies, and flags whether it includes features that need ECC field verification and features listed as special features. Those two flags tell you whether the next two sections apply to you.

Required special features

These are features the result depends on that need extra attention from the building inspector: for example ducts in a crawlspace, an attic radiant barrier, zonal control, an exposed slab floor or a particular water heating arrangement. If a listed feature is not installed, the building does not comply. Make sure each one appears on the drawings and that the contractor installing it knows.

ECC feature summary

This list is the ECC-Rater's work: items such as duct sealing, refrigerant charge, system airflow, fan watt draw, verified SEER2, EER2 or HSPF2 ratings, heat pump heating capacity, ventilation airflow and kitchen range hood verification. Each needs a registered CF2R from the installer and a registered CF3R from the rater. Give this page to your HVAC contractor before equipment is ordered: if the report claims better than minimum efficiency, the installed unit must match it, and the rater will check.

The compliance summary and margins

This table compares two versions of your building. The standard design is a building of the same size with the prescriptive requirements applied; the proposed design is what you are building. On a 2025 certificate the comparison is made in long-term system cost (LSC), once for efficiency measures and once in total including solar and batteries, and in source energy. Where it applies, new construction is also checked for peak cooling: the proposed design may use no more than 120 per cent of the standard design's cooling energy between 4 pm and 9 pm.

The compliance margin is the standard figure minus the proposed one. The building complies when the proposed design is equal to or better than the standard in every applicable category. LSC is a 30-year present value cost to California's energy system. It is not a prediction of your utility bill, so do not read the figures that way. A margin close to zero is still a pass, but it leaves no room for a cheaper window or a different unit during construction.

The CEC's modelling rules also define Energy Design Ratings: EDR1 for source energy, and EDR2 for efficiency and total, on a scale where 100 represents a reference home built to the 2006 IECC and lower is better. If your certificate shows EDR scores, read them the same way: the proposed design must not exceed the standard.

Results by end use

A second table splits the totals into space heating, space cooling, ventilation, water heating and any battery or flexibility credit. One line can show a negative margin while the building still complies, because the test is on the totals. This table shows where the design is strong and where it relies on a trade-off. An energy use intensity table may follow for information, and where solar applies, a PV section gives the required system size or the exception used.

Envelope

The building features, opaque surfaces and constructions tables list each wall, roof, ceiling and floor with its area, orientation and assembly, including insulation R-values. The building inspector checks installed insulation against the CF1R before the drywall goes on, so the insulation contractor needs these values, not only the drawings.

Fenestration

The fenestration or glazing table lists each window, glazed door and skylight with its orientation, area, U-factor and SHGC. The plan checker compares these values with the window schedule on your drawings, and the inspector checks the installed products. Give the window supplier these figures, and check the labels on delivery.

HVAC and water heating

These tables name the heating and cooling system and its rated efficiencies, such as HSPF2, SEER2 and EER2, and for ducted systems the duct location, insulation, airflow target and fan power. The water heating tables give the system type, distribution, heater type and efficiency. The installed equipment has to meet these figures, and it must be certified to the Energy Commission by its manufacturer.

Ventilation

The indoor air quality fans table gives the whole-house ventilation airflow, fan type and fan efficacy, and whether the system includes heat or energy recovery. These are among the items an ECC-Rater measures.

Mandatory measures

Mandatory measures apply whichever compliance approach is used, and the CEC notes that compliance software may not check them automatically. The Energy Commission publishes a mandatory requirements summary for single-family homes, covering items such as equipment certification, thermostats, insulation, ducts, ventilation and lighting controls. If your report includes it, treat it as part of the CF1R package, not an appendix to skip.

Signatures and registration

The last page holds two declarations. The documentation author certifies that the documentation is accurate and complete, and may give a CEA or ECC certification number. The responsible person, usually the designer, though the builder may sign where no licensed designer is required, certifies under penalty of perjury that the design complies and matches the plans. Where registration is required, both sign electronically, and only a registered copy showing its registration number is accepted at plan check. The registry's digital signature secures the document; it does not vouch for the accuracy of its content.

Using it on site

Keep a registered copy with the permit documents, because it has to be available for inspections.
Give the special features and ECC pages to every trade they affect.
Check that each installer's CF2R matches the CF1R; the ECC-Rater checks this too before completing the CF3R.
Before any substitution, ask whether it changes the CF1R. If it does, revise the documents before the work, not after.
At the end, the CF1R, CF2Rs and CF3Rs stay with the home.

For what goes wrong at plan check, see 15 Title 24 mistakes that trigger corrections. If your CF1R came from Title24.Pro and something on it no longer matches your plans, send the current drawings: revisions are unlimited until the project complies.