Title 24 for duplexes and small multifamily.
A duplex, a triplex, two units on one lot — small residential buildings get the same energy model, registration and turnaround as a single-family home, one certificate per building. Send the plan set and it comes back registered, with you named as responsible designer.
Same model, a different certificate above two units
A duplex or two units on one lot is single-family work under the Energy Code (one or two dwelling units), so it gets a CF1R per building. Three or more units in one building is low-rise multifamily: under the 2022 and 2025 codes that’s the LMCC certificate rather than the CF1R — same energy model, same CHEERS registration, one certificate per building, and you still stay the responsible designer. What changes from a single-family job is the form and the unit count, not the process.
The same rate card applies per building under 3,000 square feet — there’s no separate multifamily markup. An ADU on the same lot as a duplex or the main house gets modeled as its own unit alongside whatever else is on the property. Detached ADUs added to an existing apartment property are their own case — see Title 24 for ADUs on a multifamily lot. Larger multifamily buildings, or projects that mix residential with commercial/mixed-use space, are quoted from the plans the same day — scope varies too much there to price sight-unseen.
Prices
Flat fees, in writing before I start. No hourly, no bid package, no change-order games — the number on the quote is the number on the invoice.
Your first report with me
One per client, homes under 3,000 square feet. Full energy model, CF1R and CHEERS registration. It’s a test run — send one job and see how it goes.
Every model after the first
The standard rate once you’re a client — the second building, ADU plus main house, the next project that walks in. Back in 3 business days.
Over 3,000 square feet
Quoted from the plans before any work starts, same day.
24×36 plan-sheet set
Your CF1R laid out full size, matched to your drawing set. Comes back as a PDF you drop straight in.
Revisions
Two revisions included, plus questions any time. Past two I quote first, before I touch it.
Commercial / tenant improvement
Send the plans and you’ll have a flat quote back the same day. No retainer, no minimum.
How it works
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01
Send the plans
A PDF of the architecturals and the project address. If something’s missing, I ask once, not five. Mechanical and plumbing don’t have to be picked yet: I model what I’d normally spec, tell you what I assumed, and rerun — that’s not a revision.
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02
I build the model
If the design does not comply as drawn, I tell you what the model needs to pass and the least disruptive way I can find to get there — your call what goes on the drawings.
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03
You get it back ready to sign
CF1R registered with CHEERS, you named as the responsible designer. 3 business days — 24–48 hours on your first one. $25 deposit when you send plans, taken off the invoice; the rest on delivery by Zelle, Venmo or Cash App.
One honest note
I’m not a licensed engineer or architect, and I don’t stamp drawings. On the CF1R I’m the documentation author — you stay the responsible designer. Nothing about your role on the job changes.
That’s on purpose. I’m not after your scope or your clients. I do one piece of the permit set — the piece that usually holds it up — and I do it fast.
Multifamily questions
If yours isn’t here, see the full FAQ or call and ask.
What exactly is a CF1R?
The Certificate of Compliance for low-rise residential work, commonly called a Title 24 report — the form that proves the design meets California’s Title 24, Part 6 energy standards. Plan check will not issue the permit without it. It comes out of an energy model built in CBECC-Res, registered with a data registry, and signed by the responsible designer. That whole chain is what you’re handing me.
Does the project need HERS field verification?
Sometimes — typically for duct leakage, refrigerant charge, or certain heat-pump and quality-insulation measures. The CF1R lists exactly which measures need it, and I’ll flag it in the email so it isn’t a surprise at inspection. The field testing itself is done by a third-party HERS rater the owner or contractor hires; that’s outside what I do.
How fast do I get it back?
24 to 48 hours on your first job, three business days for everything after that — a date you can put on the schedule, not an estimate. If your permit deadline is tighter than that, say so in the notes; I’ll tell you honestly whether I can hit it before you commit.
What do you need from me to start?
A PDF of the architecturals and the project address. Floor plans, elevations and a window schedule is plenty.
You don’t need the HVAC or water heater picked. If the plans don’t call them out, I model what I’d normally specify for that job — and I list every assumption in the email so nothing is buried. Swap any of it and I rerun; that doesn’t count against your free revisions.
The design doesn’t have to be finished either. Early is often better, because that’s when a compliance problem is still cheap to fix.
How does payment work?
Flat fee, quoted in writing before I start — the number on the quote is the number on the invoice. The only thing up front is a $25 deposit when you send plans through this site — it comes off the invoice, and it’s refunded if I can’t take the job. The rest is due on delivery: Zelle, Venmo or Cash App. No retainer, no minimum, and nothing to sign to keep sending work.
Send me the multifamily plans.
One report per building, same rate card as anything else under 3,000 square feet. Larger projects get a same-day flat quote.