What if I have not chosen my windows yet?

The report can be prepared with target U-factor and SHGC values, and the windows you buy then have to meet them. Put the same values on the window schedule, and check the NFRC labels when the windows are delivered.

Do I really need a site plan?

It is not always required, but it settles orientation. The energy model records the direction each window faces, so a north arrow removes a common source of questions.

What file format should the plans be in?

PDF. Drawing sets exported from CAD and clear scans of hand drawings both work, as long as dimensions and schedules are legible.

Do I need details of my existing heating system for an addition?

Yes, if the addition will be served by it. Extending ducts or connecting to existing equipment can bring duct and equipment requirements into the project, so the report needs to know what is there.

Title 24 Checklist: What to Have Ready Before You Order

A practical list of the plans, schedules and project details to gather before you order, broken down by project type, so the report is prepared from what you send rather than from questions and assumptions.

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A Title 24 report is built from your drawings. The more of the building they describe, the fewer questions and assumptions stand between you and a permit-ready report. This checklist starts with what every project needs, then lists what to add for each project type. For the short answer, see what plans to upload. Decisions such as report type and timing are covered separately in 12 things to know before ordering.

Every project

The full street address. It sets the climate zone, and a ZIP code alone is not always enough to fix it.
A one-line description of the scope: new building, addition, alteration, or a combination.
The building department that will review it, and roughly when you expect to apply for the permit.
A dimensioned floor plan and elevations of every side, as PDFs.
A window and door schedule with sizes, plus the U-factor and SHGC if the products are chosen. Ratings come from the NFRC label or from the Energy Code's default tables.
A site plan with a north arrow, because the energy model records the direction each window faces.
The name of the person responsible for the design, who signs the CF1R, and whether they hold an active CHEERS account.
Any earlier Title 24 report for the property, with its date.

ADU

Start by confirming which kind of ADU it is, because the classification decides which requirements apply.

The ADU type: new detached building, attached addition, garage conversion, or conversion of existing conditioned space.
Wall, roof and floor construction: stud size, insulation, slab or raised floor, and whether there is an attic.
The heating and cooling system, such as a ducted heat pump or a mini-split, and the water heater.
The kitchen range hood, if it vents outdoors. In an ADU, its certification, airflow and sound rating are verified by an ECC-Rater.
For a new detached ADU, the solar plan: panels on the ADU itself, or new modules on the main house's existing system, included in the ADU permit.
For a garage conversion, what the existing walls, slab and roof are made of, and how the garage door opening will be filled in.

More on drawings for ADUs: What plans are needed for an ADU Title 24 report?

Addition

Existing and proposed floor plans, with the new conditioned area clearly marked.
The year the house was built. Where existing construction is unknown, the default values are based on it.
What you know about the existing house: wall and ceiling insulation, original or replaced windows, and the current heating and cooling equipment.
How the addition will be heated and cooled: by extending the existing system, with a new system, or with a ductless unit.
Whether ducts will be extended or replaced, and roughly how much.
Any existing windows, walls or equipment being changed at the same time, so they can be documented together with the addition.

Remodel or alteration

Alterations are documented by component, so the list is about what is changing.

Windows and doors: how many, their sizes, which wall each is in, and the new product ratings.
Heating and cooling: which parts are replaced. A new air handler, outdoor unit, coil or packaged unit triggers sealing and ECC testing of the connected ducts.
Ducts: whether any are added or replaced, and the approximate total length of the system.
The water heater: type, fuel, and the model if chosen.
Insulation and roofing: where insulation is added, and whether the roof covering or the whole assembly is replaced.
Hardwired lighting being replaced or added.

On documenting an existing house: What plans are needed for a residential Title 24 report?

New home

A complete design set: floor plans, all elevations, sections and a roof plan.
Assemblies for walls, roof, ceilings and floors, including insulation, the attic type, any radiant barrier, and whether ducts sit inside conditioned space.
The space heating and cooling system, and where the ducts run.
The water heating system and its location.
Ventilation: the whole-house ventilation fan and the kitchen range hood.
Solar: the array size and roof location if designed, and any battery.
For a production plan, whether the house must comply facing any direction, which the report can show for all four orientations at once.

Multifamily

Plans for each unit type, and how many of each there are.
The number of stories and the total conditioned floor area.
Common areas such as corridors, lobbies and laundry rooms, with their lighting.
Water heating: an individual heater in each unit, or a central system.
Ventilation for each unit, and any central fans.
Heating and cooling for each unit, and any central plant.

Low-rise multifamily buildings are documented on their own certificate family; see multifamily Title 24 forms.

Commercial

A floor plan that names the use of every space, because indoor lighting allowances depend on how each area is used.
A reflected ceiling plan and a lighting fixture schedule giving the input wattage of each fixture.
The lighting control scheme: switching, occupancy sensing and automatic shutoff.
The mechanical scope: an equipment schedule, or a written note of what is added, replaced or left alone.
Envelope details if walls, roof or glazing are changing.
Outdoor lighting and signs, if they are in scope.
For a tenant improvement, a clear line between new work and existing base building systems.

Commercial projects use NRCC certificates, and lighting controls and mechanical systems commonly need acceptance testing by a certified technician before final inspection. More detail: What plans are needed for a commercial Title 24 report?

What you do not need

A finished permit set. Design-stage drawings are better, because the results can still change the design. Nor do you need to know your climate zone or compliance approach in advance: the first comes from the address, the second from the design. If an item on these lists is not decided yet, say so rather than guessing, so the report states the assumption plainly and the drawings can be brought into line before submittal.

With Title24.Pro, ordering is 100% online: choose the report type, upload the plans as PDFs, and the permit-ready report comes back by email.