What Is HERS Verification and Do I Need It?

HERS — Home Energy Rating System — verification is a field inspection process that confirms certain energy measures specified in your Title 24 report were actually installed and performing as designed. It's a separate step from the paper compliance documentation, performed by a certified HERS rater, usually scheduled during specific phases of construction.

Not every Title 24 report triggers HERS requirements. Whether verification is needed depends entirely on which compliance measures your specific energy model relies on. Certain prescriptive credits — duct sealing to a specific leakage threshold, refrigerant charge verification on HVAC systems, whole-house mechanical ventilation airflow verification, and several others — are only valid if confirmed in the field by a HERS rater. If your project's compliance path doesn't use any of these credits, no HERS verification is required at all.

A well-prepared Title 24 report will clearly flag which measures, if any, require HERS verification — this should never be a surprise discovered during final inspection. Your Title 24 consultant should communicate this directly: 'this project requires HERS verification for duct sealing and refrigerant charge' or 'no HERS verification is required for this compliance path.'

The practical workflow: if HERS verification applies, you'll need to hire a certified HERS rater (separate from your Title 24 energy consultant, though some firms offer both services) to perform on-site testing at the appropriate construction phase — often before drywall for duct and envelope testing, and at system startup for HVAC-related measures.

The HERS rater completes a CF3R certificate documenting the verified measures, which becomes part of your permit file alongside the original CF1R. Skipping this step when it's required can hold up your final inspection and certificate of occupancy, so it's worth confirming HERS status early — ideally before construction begins, not after.