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Building Code Reference

Got a Title 24 CF2R correction?

Installation compliance certificate

For builders in California, Greater Seattle, the Las Vegas area, the Denver area and Kansas City · CrossBeam Permits

What this code requires, how to fix it, and how cities and counties review it

What this code requires

Title 24 CF2R is the California Energy Code installation certificate that a licensed contractor completes and signs after installing the energy features shown on the CF1R compliance report. It documents that items like insulation, windows, HVAC equipment, duct sealing, and water heating were actually installed to match the approved design. The building department will not schedule a final inspection — and the city will not grant a certificate of occupancy — until the CF2R is on file. Almost every new construction and significant residential renovation in California that requires a Title 24 energy analysis will also require a completed CF2R.

How to fix it

  1. Identify which CF2R form version applies to your permit

    Check the date you applied for the permit. If you applied on or after January 1, 2026, you need the 2025-cycle CF2R form. If you applied before that date, you're on an earlier cycle and need the form for the cycle in effect on your application date. The form version is printed in the header of each PDF. Download the current-cycle forms directly from the California Energy Commission compliance forms page at energy.ca.gov — don't reuse a saved copy from an older project. Using the wrong cycle version is a guaranteed rejection, and you won't know until the inspector turns you away at the final.

  2. Pull the approved CF1R and compare every measure

    The CF2R must match the CF1R that was approved with the permit. Pull the CF1R and go section by section: insulation R-values for the attic, walls, and floors; window U-factor and SHGC ratings; HVAC equipment efficiency (SEER2 or EER2 for cooling, AFUE or HSPF2 for heating); duct insulation level; and water heater UEF. The CF2R asks for actual installed product model numbers. If any spec you installed is lower than what the CF1R shows, stop — you have a compliance issue to resolve before the form can be completed honestly.

  3. Fill out the installer sections with your CSLB license number

    The installer portion of the CF2R requires the contractor's name, company, CSLB license number, and signature. Each trade that installed a covered measure fills out its own section. The HVAC contractor signs off on the mechanical equipment and duct sections. The insulation installer signs off on the insulation section. The window or door installer covers fenestration if that's in scope. Leaving any required section blank or unsigned is a rejection. Review the form instructions carefully to see which sections apply to your project scope.

  4. Schedule an ECC-Rater if your CF1R lists verification measures

    The CF1R will call out which measures require ECC field verification. Common ECC triggers include duct leakage testing (when ducts are installed or altered in conditioned space), refrigerant charge verification for certain split-system HVAC equipment, and airflow measurement. If any ECC measures appear on your CF1R, a certified ECC-Rater (formerly called a HERS rater) must visit the site, perform the required tests, and complete and register a Certificate of Verification (CF3R). Find a rater through an ECC-Provider approved by the California Energy Commission. Give yourself at least one to two weeks of lead time.

  5. Submit the completed CF2R before calling for final inspection

    Once all installer sections are signed, register the CF2R with the ECC-Provider data registry (required for low-rise residential) and make it available to the building department, and have the ECC-Rater (if required) register the CF3R, before calling for your final inspection. Some jurisdictions also want a copy at the job site. Confirm the submission method with your local building department ahead of time. Keep a copy for your project file — the inspector will likely want to review it during the final walk-through.

  6. Resolve substituted products before completing the form

    If you installed a product different from what the CF1R specifies, work out the compliance issue before putting pen to paper on the CF2R. If the substituted product meets or exceeds the spec (higher R-value, lower U-factor, higher SEER2), just list what was actually installed — that's fine. If it falls short, you have two paths: a registered compliance consultant re-runs the energy calculation with the actual product to show the project still passes Title 24 as a whole, or you install the originally specified material. Never fill out the CF2R with specs that don't match what's in the walls — that's a false certification and can trigger stop-work or require corrective work after the fact.

  7. Keep the signed CF2R at the job site through the final inspection

    Even after submitting the form electronically, keep a printed copy at the job site through the final. Many inspectors pull up the form on their tablet but also want to see the physical copy to compare what's in the building against what was certified. If the site copy is missing or shows different numbers than what was submitted to the city, the inspector can stop the inspection and require you to sort it out before they sign off. Having the form on site costs nothing; losing the final costs weeks.

Take the Title 24 CF2R fix steps with you

All 7 steps in one email, so you have them on site instead of on this page.

Why you got flagged

Here's why plan-checkers flag CF2R: the most common trigger is simply that no CF2R was submitted with the permit documents at all. Many contractors treat the CF2R as something to worry about at final, not at submittal. But some jurisdictions require the forms to be attached during plan check, and even those that don't will catch the missing certificate when the inspector asks for it at the field inspection. Either way, a missing CF2R stops the clock.

A second common flag is a mismatch between the CF1R (the design compliance report) and the CF2R (what was actually installed). If your CF1R specifies R-38 attic insulation and the installed equipment listed on the CF2R shows R-30, the plan-checker will reject it. Same goes for windows: if the CF1R called out a U-factor of 0.28 and the CF2R lists a different product, you're getting flagged. The CF2R is supposed to confirm what was installed, not redo the energy design — if the numbers don't line up, something went wrong in the field.

A third scenario is an incomplete or unsigned CF2R. Each installing contractor must sign the CF2R sections for their work, and where field verification is required, the ECC-Rater completes a separate Certificate of Verification (CF3R) that depends on a registered CF2R. If an installer section is blank or unsigned, the certificate is not valid. Submitting a partial form is as bad as submitting no form at all.

Finally, watch for the wrong form version. California adopted new 2025 Energy Code forms for permits applied for on or after January 1, 2026. Submitting a 2022-cycle CF2R on a project that's on the 2025 cycle is an instant rejection. The cycle version must match the permit application date.

The official code

California Energy Commission: 2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Part 6)

Read the source →

Common questions

When do I need to submit the CF2R — at permit submittal or before final?
It depends on your jurisdiction. Some cities require the CF2R to be on file before they will even schedule the final inspection. Others accept it at the final field visit, as long as the inspector can review it on site. The safe move is to submit it before calling for the final — check with your local building department early in the project, not the week before your inspection date. Getting this wrong can mean the inspector turns you away and you wait another few weeks for the next available slot. With 60-day review cycles in many cities, one avoidable miscommunication is genuinely expensive.
What happens if the installed insulation R-value is higher than the CF1R spec?
Installing a higher R-value than specified is fine. List the actual installed product on the CF2R — the energy model that generated the CF1R used the minimum required spec, so exceeding it only helps compliance. The problem goes the other direction: if you installed less than what the CF1R shows, you need to either re-run the energy compliance calculation with a registered consultant to show the project still passes overall, or you need to install the correct material. Don't list the CF1R spec on the form if that's not what's in the building.
Do I need an ECC-Rater for every residential project?
No, not every project triggers ECC verification. The CF1R will list exactly which measures require third-party testing. Common ECC triggers include duct leakage testing when new or altered ducts are involved, refrigerant charge verification for certain split-system HVAC equipment types, and airflow measurement tests. Smaller-scope projects — a water heater replacement, a re-roof, or a simple panel upgrade — often don't trigger any ECC measures, and the CF2R can be completed entirely by the installing contractors with no CF3R. Read the CF1R carefully before assuming you need a rater, but also before assuming you don't.
Can I use a 2022-cycle CF2R form on a permit filed in 2026?
No. Permits applied for on or after January 1, 2026 fall under the 2025 energy code cycle and require 2025-cycle compliance forms. Submitting a 2022 form is a flat-out rejection. The cycle version is printed at the top of every form. Always download directly from energy.ca.gov rather than reusing a saved copy from a prior project. This is one of those easy mistakes that costs you a correction cycle.
What if the HVAC installer put in a different unit than what the CF1R shows?
First, check whether the substituted unit meets or exceeds the efficiency rating on the CF1R. If the new unit has a higher SEER2 or AFUE than what was specified, list it on the CF2R and note the substitution — you're fine. If the substituted unit has lower efficiency ratings, you have a compliance gap. You'll need a registered compliance consultant to re-run the energy model with the actual unit to confirm the project still meets Title 24 as a whole, possibly by compensating with a stronger measure elsewhere. Never list specs on the CF2R that don't match what's physically installed — false certification on a state compliance form is a serious problem.
Who signs the CF2R when multiple subs did the work?
Each subcontractor signs the section of the CF2R covering their scope. The insulation contractor signs the insulation section. The HVAC contractor signs the mechanical equipment and duct sections. The window installer signs the fenestration section. The general contractor is typically responsible for collecting all the signed sections and packaging them for submission to the building department. If any subcontractor has not signed yet, the form is incomplete and will be rejected. Chase down the signatures before calling for the final — don't assume your subs will have it ready the morning of the inspection.

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