Title 24 Energy Compliance in San Bernardino, CA
Every ADU permitted in San Bernardino must pass California’s Title 24 energy code before the city issues a building permit. That means a compliant energy calculation report – generated by a certified HERS analyst – must be attached to your permit set before the plan check even begins. Without it, your application is returned, your timeline slips, and your construction start moves with it.
At Ellery ADU Studio San Bernardino, ADU Design & Permitting services build Title 24 compliance into the permit set from the first design session, not bolted on after the drawings are done. Nadia Ellery’s team has handled energy compliance documentation for more than 900 ADUs since 2015 – detached units, garage conversions, junior ADUs, prefab placements – across every parcel configuration this city throws at us. If you’re working on an ADU and need to know exactly where Title 24 fits into your project, call us at (909) 359-6463 or read through this page first. Either way, you’ll leave with a clear picture.
This page is a child of our ADU Design & Permitting in San Bernardino service – the full permit set, Title 24 included, is part of one contract at one written price.
When You Need Title 24 Energy Compliance
California’s Title 24, Part 6 applies any time a permit is pulled for new construction or a change in conditioned space. For ADU work in San Bernardino, here are the specific situations that trigger the requirement:
- New detached ADU construction. Any new structure with heating, cooling, or mechanical ventilation needs a full Title 24 energy analysis. In San Bernardino’s Inland Empire climate zone – CEC Climate Zone 10 – that means demonstrating compliance with both the envelope requirements (insulation, windows, cool roof) and the HVAC and water heating specifications before the city will accept your plans.
- Garage conversion to an ADU. Converting an attached or detached garage into conditioned living space triggers a Title 24 analysis on the converted area. The existing slab, framing, and wall assembly all factor into the calculation – what was built to house two cars is rarely built to house a person, and the energy model has to account for those differences.
- Junior ADU with new HVAC or water heating. A JADU carved from existing interior space may qualify for a simplified compliance path, but the moment you add a new mini-split, tankless water heater, or heat pump water heater, you need the documentation to prove it meets current standards.
- Prefab or modular ADU placement. Brands like Abodu and Dvele ship with factory-generated energy packages, but those packages still need to be incorporated into the site-specific Title 24 report that matches your San Bernardino parcel, orientation, and utility connection type. A factory document alone does not satisfy the city.
- Permit re-submission after a prior rejection. If a previous designer submitted plans without a compliant energy report – or with a report that didn’t match the construction documents – the city will flag it at plan check. We see this regularly when homeowners come to us for a second opinion on a permit set already in hand.
- Scope changes mid-permit that affect conditioned space. Adding a window where there wasn’t one, upgrading the HVAC system, or changing the roof assembly after the energy report is filed requires an updated calculation. Skipping this step is the most common reason a final inspection fails.
Our Title 24 Energy Compliance Process
We treat the energy report as architecture, not paperwork. It shapes decisions about window placement, wall assembly, and mechanical systems before a single line is drawn in the construction documents. Here’s how we move through it:
- Site and scope assessment. Before we run any numbers, we document the parcel: orientation, shading from existing structures or trees, utility type (gas versus all-electric, which San Bernardino increasingly favors under reach code considerations), and the ADU configuration. For a detached ADU in a neighborhood like Del Rosa or Muscoy, orientation relative to the afternoon sun matters more than most homeowners expect – CEC Climate Zone 10 carries serious cooling loads through July and August, and the energy model needs to reflect that.
- Energy modeling using CEC-approved software. Our HERS-certified energy analyst runs the compliance calculation using approved software – EnergyPro is the standard we use on San Bernardino projects. The model accounts for the building envelope (wall R-values, ceiling insulation, window U-factor and SHGC), the mechanical systems (HVAC efficiency, duct location and leakage, water heating), and indoor air quality requirements under ASHRAE 62.2. We model to pass on the first plan check submission, which means we don’t back into compliance at the last possible margin.
- Coordination with the architectural drawings. The Title 24 report is only valid if the numbers in it match the construction documents exactly. We cross-reference insulation specs, window schedules, and mechanical equipment selections between the energy report and the permit drawings before anything is submitted. This is where the single-contract design-build model prevents the most common failure point: when the designer and builder are separate parties, the energy report often reflects the design intent, while the contractor installs what’s available or cheaper. Under one contract, we specify and we build – so the report and the work match.
- HERS verification scheduling. Title 24 compliance doesn’t end at permit issuance. Certain measures – duct leakage, refrigerant charge, envelope air sealing – require field verification by a third-party HERS rater during construction. We schedule those inspections as part of the project timeline, so they don’t become a last-minute scramble that delays your certificate of occupancy. If your ADU uses a mini-split heat pump (increasingly common on San Bernardino projects where gas is being phased back), refrigerant charge verification is a mandatory HERS measure.
- CF1R and CF2R documentation delivered to you. The CF1R is the compliance certificate that accompanies your permit set. The CF2R is the installation certificate your contractor (us, under the same contract) signs off on when each compliant measure is installed. Both documents go into your project’s photo and document record – the same documented record that applies to every Ellery project under The Haven Standard. You receive copies, not a promise that they exist.
- Final plan check response, if needed. Plan check comments related to energy compliance are common and not a sign of a bad submittal – San Bernardino’s plan check reviewers ask clarifying questions, especially on non-standard configurations. We respond to those comments at no additional charge as part of the permit service. The written price you received at signing (Haven Standard, Clause 1) covers the full permit cycle, not just the first submission.
Title 24 Energy Compliance Pricing in San Bernardino
If you’re wondering How Much Does ADU Design & Permitting Cost? (2026 Price Guide) - San Bernardino, CA, Title 24 energy compliance is priced as part of the full permit set, not as a separate line item you discover after signing. Here’s what the standalone energy compliance work typically costs when it’s scoped on its own, and what drives the range:
| Scope | Typical Range (San Bernardino market) |
|---|---|
| Title 24 energy report only (new detached ADU, under 500 sq ft) | $650 – $950 |
| Title 24 energy report (500-1,200 sq ft, full HVAC modeling) | $900 – $1,400 |
| Garage conversion – energy report on converted area | $550 – $850 |
| Energy report revision after plan check comment | $0 (included in Ellery’s permit package) |
| HERS field verification (third-party, scheduled by Ellery) | $250 – $500 per required measure |
What moves the number up: all-electric ADUs require a more detailed mechanical analysis than gas-hybrid units. ADUs with non-standard window configurations, vaulted ceilings, or concrete construction (a common feature in older San Bernardino parcels where the homeowner wants to use an existing masonry structure) take longer to model accurately. Prefab units from brands like Cover or Mighty Buildings come with factory energy packages that simplify the site-specific report – and that savings gets passed through in the project pricing.
What doesn’t change: the written price is given before any work starts. That’s Haven Standard Clause 1, and it applies to every project, including Title 24 work. You will not see an energy compliance line item appear on an invoice that wasn’t on the written quote.
For ADU Design & Blueprints that include Title 24 compliance, architectural drawings, and the full permit set, call (909) 359-6463. A live person answers – no voicemail queue.
Why Title 24 Compliance Is Harder in San Bernardino Than the Coast
San Bernardino sits in CEC Climate Zone 10. That matters because Zone 10 has some of the most demanding cooling load requirements in the state. Coastal climate zones deal with mild summers; San Bernardino deals with sustained periods above 100°F, afternoon solar gain that hits west- and south-facing walls hard, and diurnal temperature swings that require the energy model to account for both peak cooling and overnight heating loads.
In practical terms, this means the Title 24 prescriptive path – where you follow a fixed checklist of minimum requirements – is often harder to satisfy in San Bernardino than the performance path, where you model the actual building and prove it performs at least as well as a code-minimum reference structure. We default to the performance path on most San Bernardino ADU projects because it gives us more design flexibility and consistently produces a better energy outcome for the finished unit.
It also means window selections matter more here than they would on a project closer to the coast. A window with a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) – the measure of how much solar radiation passes through the glass – reduces the cooling load and can allow a smaller, less expensive HVAC system. We specify window packages with that tradeoff in mind, and the energy model documents the outcome so the city can verify it.
Prefab ADUs and Title 24 in San Bernardino
Factory-built ADUs are showing up more frequently on San Bernardino parcels, and the Title 24 question comes up almost every time. The short answer: a factory energy package from a prefab manufacturer does not replace the site-specific Title 24 report required for the San Bernardino permit. It supplements it.
When we coordinate a prefab placement – whether from Abodu, Cover, or another manufacturer – we pull the factory’s thermal envelope specs, window U-factor and SHGC documentation, and mechanical equipment data, then incorporate those inputs into a site-specific EnergyPro model that accounts for your parcel’s orientation, shading, and utility connection. The factory document becomes a source of verified inputs; the compliance report is what the city actually reviews.
This step is frequently skipped when a homeowner sources the prefab unit independently and hires a separate permit expediter who isn’t familiar with that manufacturer’s documentation package. The result is usually a plan check correction that adds four to six weeks to the timeline. Under our single-contract model, the prefab coordination and the energy compliance are part of the same scope, handled by the same team.
Key Takeaways
- Title 24 energy compliance is required for every ADU permit in San Bernardino – new detached, garage conversion, JADU with new mechanicals, and prefab placements.
- San Bernardino’s CEC Climate Zone 10 carries high cooling loads that make the performance compliance path more practical than the prescriptive checklist on most projects.
- The CF1R compliance certificate must match the construction documents exactly – a mismatch between the energy report and the drawings is the most common reason for plan check corrections on ADU permits.
- HERS field verification is required during construction for certain measures (duct leakage, refrigerant charge, air sealing) – it’s part of compliance, not optional.
- Ellery’s written project price covers the energy report, any plan check responses, and HERS scheduling as part of one permit package – under Haven Standard Clause 1, that price is given in writing before any work starts.
- The 365-Day Done Right Promise applies: if the finished ADU is not built to the permitted drawings – including the energy compliance measures documented in the CF1R – Ellery makes it right, in writing.
FAQs – Title 24 Energy Compliance in San Bernardino
What exactly is a Title 24 energy report and who prepares it?
A Title 24 energy report – formally called a Certificate of Compliance, or CF1R – is a calculated document showing that your ADU’s building envelope, HVAC system, water heater, and lighting meet California’s energy code standards for your climate zone. It must be prepared using CEC-approved software by someone trained in energy compliance modeling; it is not a form you fill out yourself or a checklist a general contractor signs. At Ellery, a HERS-certified analyst prepares the report using EnergyPro, and Nadia Ellery’s design team cross-references it against the construction documents before submission. Search ADU Design & Permitting Near Me in San Bernardino, CA or call (909) 359-6463 to get a written price that includes this work.
How much does Title 24 compliance cost for a San Bernardino ADU?
A standalone Title 24 energy report for a new detached ADU in San Bernardino typically runs $650 to $1,400 depending on unit size and mechanical complexity. Garage conversion reports tend to come in at $550 to $850. HERS field verification during construction adds $250 to $500 per required verification measure. When Title 24 is part of an Ellery full permit package, it’s included in the written project price under Haven Standard Clause 1 – you see the number before any work starts, not after. Call (909) 359-6463 for a written project price.
Can I use a Title 24 report from a prefab manufacturer instead of getting a site-specific one?
No. A manufacturer’s energy documentation – from brands like Abodu or Cover – provides verified thermal and mechanical specs for the factory unit, but San Bernardino’s building department requires a site-specific compliance report that accounts for your parcel’s orientation, shading, and utility configuration. The factory package feeds into the site report as verified inputs; it does not replace the report. Submitting a manufacturer document alone will result in a plan check correction. We handle this coordination as part of the permit set – the two documents work together, not separately.
What happens if my ADU fails the HERS field inspection during construction?
A HERS field inspection failure means a specific installed measure – duct leakage, refrigerant charge, or air sealing, most commonly – didn’t meet the performance threshold documented in the CF1R. The HERS rater issues a correction, the issue is remediated, and the rater returns to verify. Under Ellery’s 365-Day Done Right Promise, if the installed work doesn’t match the permitted drawings and compliance documents, we correct it at no additional charge. The written warranty covers this before the project starts, not as a goodwill gesture after a dispute. Call (909) 359-6463 with questions about a specific project scenario.
Ellery ADU Studio San Bernardino handles ADU Design & Permitting in San Bernardino from first sketch through final inspection, with Title 24 energy compliance built into the permit set from the start. If you have a written estimate from another firm or a permit application already in progress, we offer a free second opinion – a documented review of what you have and what it would take to get it across the finish line. Call (909) 359-6463 to schedule that conversation. A written price for your project is part of the first meeting, not something we send later.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio San Bernardino, serving San Bernardino.