If you've started researching Title 24 requirements, you've likely run into the term CF1R — short for Certificate of Compliance, Form 1, Residential. It's the primary energy compliance document submitted with most residential building permits in California, and understanding what it actually contains helps demystify the broader Title 24 process.
The CF1R documents the specific energy features of your project as designed: building envelope details (insulation levels, window specifications, air sealing), the HVAC system and its efficiency rating, water heating equipment, and applicable mandatory measures like lighting controls and ventilation. It's generated using state-approved compliance software — CBECC-Res for residential projects — which runs your project's specifics against the energy budget for your climate zone and confirms whether the design passes.
There's an entire family of related forms worth knowing: the CF1R is the design-phase compliance certificate submitted with your permit application. The CF2R (Certificate of Installation) is completed later, during construction, by the contractor or installer, confirming that the equipment specified in the CF1R was actually what got installed. The CF3R (Certificate of Verification) is completed by a certified HERS rater for any measures that require field verification — confirming, for example, that ductwork was properly sealed or that refrigerant charge was correctly verified.
Together, these three forms create a paper trail from design intent (CF1R) through installation (CF2R) to field-verified performance (CF3R) — though CF2R and CF3R only apply to the specific measures that triggered them in your original compliance approach.
For most homeowners and contractors, the CF1R is the document that matters at permit submittal — it's what the building department reviews before issuing your permit. A complete CF1R package typically includes the compliance forms themselves, supporting documentation showing the calculations behind the numbers, and a clear summary of which (if any) measures will require HERS verification down the line.
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