What Is a Title 24 Report? CF1R Basics for California

A Title 24 report is the energy document California requires with your building permit application. Its official name is the Certificate of Compliance, or CF1R, and it shows that your design meets the California Energy Code.

"Title 24" is the part of the California Code of Regulations that holds the state building codes. The energy rules are Part 6, also called the Energy Code. The California Energy Commission (CEC) writes it and updates it every few years.

Which version of the Energy Code applies?

The 2025 Energy Code. The CEC says buildings whose permit applications are submitted on or after January 1, 2026 must comply with it. If your permit application went in before that date, your project stays on the earlier code.

Who needs a Title 24 report?

You need one when your project falls under the Energy Code. For homes, that usually means:

A new home, including a new detached ADU.
An addition. The Energy Code calls any change that adds conditioned floor area and volume an addition. That includes attached ADUs and turning a garage into living space.
An alteration that changes something the code covers, like a new water heater, a new heat pump, new windows, or new lighting.

Small alterations and additions often use a short prescriptive form. New homes usually use a full computer model. Either way, the document is a CF1R. For project-by-project rules, including window, HVAC and water heater replacements, see When is Title 24 required?

What is in a Title 24 report?

The CF1R lists the minimum energy features your design needs to pass. The CEC's compliance manual says it must match your plans and must include the results of the heating and cooling load calculations.

A typical CF1R for a home covers:

Project address, building type and climate zone.
Insulation in the walls, roof or ceiling, and floor.
Window and door ratings (U-factor and SHGC).
Heating and cooling equipment and its efficiency ratings.
Water heater type and rating.
Ventilation and kitchen exhaust.
Solar PV and battery-ready items, when they apply.
A list of items an ECC-Rater must test or verify in the field.

How is a Title 24 report made?

There are two ways to show compliance.

Prescriptive approach. Your project meets a fixed list of requirements, item by item. It is simple, but there is no room to trade one feature for another. The CEC manual says additions and alterations generally use this approach.

Performance approach. An energy consultant models the building in CEC-approved compliance software. The software compares your design's energy use against a standard design. You can trade a little here for a little more there, as long as the whole building passes. The manual says new buildings using the performance approach must use CEC-approved software.

Who prepares and signs the CF1R?

Two people usually sign it:

The responsible designer. This is the person in charge of the building design. Their signature says the building complies. For wood-framed homes up to two stories that do not need a licensed designer, the builder may sign in this block.
The documentation author. This is the energy consultant who prepared the report. Their signature says the paperwork is accurate and complete. It does not make them responsible for the design itself.

The CEC manual also says the ECC-Rater cannot sign the CF1R as the responsible designer.

What does "registered" mean?

Some projects need field testing by an ECC-Rater after construction. When that is true, the CF1R must be registered with a CEC-approved ECC-Provider before you submit it. Registration gives the CF1R a registration number, and the building department will only accept the registered copy.

Today the CEC lists one approved ECC-Provider for the 2025 code: CHEERS. It runs the registry where the CF1R, the installers' CF2R forms and the rater's CF3R forms are stored.

Not every project needs registration. The CEC manual says registration is required for any home project that needs a CF3R, and that not all projects need one.

How does the CF1R fit into the permit?

Your designer finishes the plans.
The energy consultant prepares the CF1R from those plans.
If registration is needed, the designer and consultant sign it online in the registry.
The CF1R goes into your plan set for plan check. Many cities want it printed on full-size plan sheets.
During construction, installers sign CF2R forms. If testing is required, an ECC-Rater signs CF3R forms.
The inspector checks those forms before final sign-off.

What changes the requirements for my project?

Climate zone. California has 16. Insulation and window rules depend on yours.
Project type. A new detached ADU is treated as a new home. An attached ADU or garage conversion is an addition. Converting space that was already heated or cooled is an alteration.
Size. Some rules change with floor area. For example, quality insulation inspection (QII) does not apply prescriptively to ADU additions of 700 square feet or less.
Equipment. A new mini-split, heat pump water heater or kitchen hood brings its own requirements and tests.

What should I send to get a report started?

A floor plan with dimensions, elevations, and a window and door list are the usual starting point. A roof plan and a wall section help. If you already know the heating, cooling and water heating equipment, include it.

For the whole process in one place, from code basics to final inspection, see our complete Title 24 guide.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a Title 24 report?

It is the energy compliance document California building departments ask for at permit time. Its official name is the Certificate of Compliance, or CF1R. It shows that your design meets the California Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6).

Which code cycle applies right now?

The 2025 Energy Code. The California Energy Commission says buildings whose permit applications are submitted on or after January 1, 2026 must comply with it.

Who signs the CF1R?

The person responsible for the building design signs it. If an energy consultant prepares it, the consultant signs as the documentation author. For wood-framed homes up to two stories that do not need a licensed designer, the builder may sign as the responsible designer.

Does every Title 24 report get registered?

No. Registration with an ECC-Provider is required when the project needs field verification by an ECC-Rater (a CF3R). Many new homes, ADUs and additions do. Some small projects do not.

Where does the CF1R go in my plan set?

It must be included with the plans you submit for permit. Many building departments want it printed on plan sheets the same size as the rest of the set. Ask your building department what it prefers.