Title 24 Compliance Explained

Title 24 is the California Code of Regulations chapter that governs the energy performance of buildings. Part 6 covers residential buildings. The current version (2022 code, effective 2023, updated through 2026) is the most aggressive building energy code in the United States. Every new home, every addition over 700 sq ft, and every major alteration must demonstrate compliance with Title 24 before a permit is issued.

Title 24 is the California Code of Regulations chapter that governs the energy performance of buildings. Part 6 covers residential buildings. The current version (2022 code, effective 2023, updated through 2026) is the most aggressive building energy code in the United States. Every new home, every addition over 700 sq ft, and every major alteration must demonstrate compliance with Title 24 before a permit is issued.

Title 24 offers two ways to comply. The prescriptive path is a checklist: meet minimum R values for insulation, maximum U factors for glazing, efficiency minimums for HVAC, and so on. The performance path uses energy modeling software to prove that your design meets an overall energy budget, even if individual elements fall short of the prescriptive minimums. Most of our projects use the performance path because it gives design flexibility.

Since 2020, all new homes in California must include a photovoltaic array sized to offset the dwelling's annual electricity usage. The 2022 code allows battery storage to substitute for a portion of the PV requirement. In practice, every new single family home we design includes a 5 to 12 kW array depending on square footage and orientation.

Title 24 compliance adds approximately 6 to 9 percent to construction cost on a new home. The majority of that cost is the photovoltaic array, which pays back in 7 to 12 years at current utility rates. The insulation and glazing upgrades add 2 to 3 percent but also reduce operating cost by 20 to 30 percent over the life of the home.

Orient the long axis of the home within 30 degrees of true south. Minimize west facing glazing. Use deep overhangs or brise soleil on south and west exposures. Specify low SHGC glazing on west facing windows. Insulate above code minimum by 10 to 20 percent. Use a heat pump HVAC system. All of these moves help Title 24 compliance while also producing a better building.

Most designers outsource Title 24 to a consultant. That consultant charges $400 to $900 per home, runs the calculations after the design is locked, and identifies problems that could have been avoided during design. We integrate Title 24 analysis from the first schematic. It is faster, cheaper, and produces a better result.