How to Find an ECC-Rater (Formerly a HERS Rater)
Start with the ECC-Provider, because only a provider can certify a rater. The Energy Commission lists one approved provider, CHEERS, and each provider must keep a public list of its certified rater companies. Check that the rater is certified for the 2025 Energy Code and for your type of project, then book before the work is installed.
- Choose your report
- Upload your plans
- Pay securely
- Permit-ready report by email
Where the lists are
The Commission’s ECC-Providers page names every approved provider and links to its website. As of October 2026 it lists one, California Home Energy Efficiency Rating Services (CHEERS), approved on 12 November 2025, with one other application pending. The Standards require each provider to maintain a publicly available list of certified ECC-Rater Companies, and the compliance manual says to browse the providers’ websites for listings of raters and companies. CHEERS runs a Find a Pro directory for checking a named rater and links to a list of its certified companies.
Check before you hire
- The code cycle. A rater certified for 2022 stays a 2022 ECC-Rater until completing 2025 certification, so ask for 2025 certification on a permit applied for on or after 1 January 2026.
- The scope. The Commission notes that some raters are certified only for limited building types, measures or compliance types, so confirm yours covers new construction, additions or alterations.
- The standing. Providers track each rater’s status, from certified to suspended or decertified, and the rater’s certification number must appear on the report to the owner.
- The independence. A rater may not work for the builder or installer, as whether your contractor can do the test explains.
- The name. A company that still has HERS, the former program name, in its title can be a valid ECC-Rater Company: the Commission says raters may keep HERS in their names because a mandated renaming would be burdensome, and it suggests they consider rebranding ahead of the 2028 code.
Who hires, and when
The builder or building owner hires the rater. For an HVAC changeout the installing contractor may do so only with the homeowner’s authorization. The builder arranges the rater before installation so testing can finish without delaying final approval, and passes the rater the approved CF1R. What each test needs on the day is in the guide to preparing for the ECC-Rater.
If something goes wrong
Each provider must run a query and complaint system. The Consumer Information Form the rater gives you before testing starts must explain how to use it. A failed test is its own situation, covered in what happens after a failed test, and prices in what ECC verification costs. The role itself is what an ECC-Rater does.
Common Title 24 Questions
- When is Title 24 required for a home?
- Does a remodel need Title 24?
- Does a room addition need Title 24?
- What plans are needed for a residential Title 24 report?
- How much does a residential Title 24 report cost?
- How long does a residential Title 24 report take?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Section 10-103(a)5 requires a certified ECC-Rater, certified by a Commission-approved ECC-Provider. A RESNET Index score is a separate rating; see Title 24 compared with a RESNET Index score.
Ask for the certification number, which must appear on the rater's report to you, and use the provider's directory. CHEERS offers a Find a Pro search for a named professional. The Standards also have each provider keep a list of certified raters with their status.
No. The Commission lets raters and companies keep the old name, and advises specifying certifications, such as a 2025 ECC-Rater, rather than relying on the title.
Explore ECC-Raters
- Can My HVAC Contractor Do the HERS (Now ECC) Test Himself?
- How Much Does HERS Testing (Now ECC Verification) Cost?
- What Is an ECC-Rater?
- Which Jobs Need HERS Testing (Now ECC Verification)?
- ECC-Rater vs the Former HERS Rater in 2026
View all ECC-Raters guides → · CHEERS and ECC · Title 24 guide