Whole-House Remodel Title 24 Checklist
A whole-house remodel is checked as a set of alterations, not as a new home. Only the components you change carry requirements, so the job starts with a scope list covering lighting, windows, insulation, heating and cooling, water heating and the roof. Anything left alone stays as it is.
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Step one: decide whether anything is an addition
Work that adds floor area and conditioned volume together is an addition and follows the addition rules. A loft built inside an existing vaulted ceiling adds area but not volume, so the compliance manual treats it as an alteration (Example 9-3).
Step two: walk the house system by system
- Lighting. An entirely new indoor lighting system is treated like new construction, so the luminaire and control rules of Section 150.0(k)1 and 150.0(k)2 apply in every room (Example 9-46).
- Glass. Replacement windows meet Section 150.2(b)1B. Adding more than 16 square feet of glass brings the total and west-facing area limits as well.
- Walls. Insulation you add must reach U-0.095 in 2x4 framing (R-15) or U-0.069 in 2x6 framing (R-21); existing 2x4 walls already at R-11 are excepted.
- Heating and cooling. A new air handler, outdoor unit or coil triggers duct testing, covered on the HVAC page.
- Water heater and roof. A replaced water heater follows Section 150.2(b)1H. A roof replaced over more than 50 percent of its area brings the cool roof test where the zone has one.
Pieces that pair up have their own checklists: windows with HVAC, HVAC with a water heater and roof with attic insulation.
Step three: pick one path for the whole job
Prescriptive compliance is all or nothing: every applicable requirement is met, or the project moves to the performance approach. If a few alterations fall short there, others must beat the prescriptive level to compensate. Section 150.2(c) also lets the entire building be shown to comply.
Step four: line up the paperwork before the permit
Duct testing and refrigerant charge checks need an ECC-Rater, so the CF1R must be registered with an ECC-Provider before it goes to the building department, and it must show the load calculation results (CF1R explained). To claim credit for verified existing conditions, that check happens before construction starts. Lighting is recorded on the CF2R-LTG-01-E. For the broader rule, see does a remodel need Title 24, or order the residential report.
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 energy documents are needed for finishes alone. Requirements attach to altered lighting, envelope, space-conditioning and water-heating components, and the building department decides what it wants with the permit application.
Not unless you alter them. Components that stay untouched are not required to be brought into compliance, and requirements attach to the altered component and the equipment serving it.
Explore Permit-Ready Reports
- Can a Building Department Waive the Title 24 Report? When "You Don't Need One" Is Allowed
- Can I Submit a Title 24 Report Electronically? Signatures, PDFs and Registered Copies
- Can Title 24 Be Done From Preliminary Plans?
- Title 24 Checklist Before Building Permit Submittal
- What Is a Title 24 Compliance Letter?
View all Permit-Ready Reports guides → · Reports and Calculations · Title 24 guide