ECC / HERS Testing · Los Angeles
ECC testing in Los Angeles
The third-party verification your Title 24 permit needs before the inspector will close it. Since January 2026 it is called ECC testing. Before that it was HERS. Same tests, same certificate, same rater.
What changed in 2026, and what did not
On January 1, 2026 California moved code-compliance field testing out of the HERS program and into the new Energy Code Compliance program. Every certified HERS Rater was recognized as an ECC Rater on the same day.
For a contractor in LA almost nothing changes on site. We run the same diagnostics with the same calibrated equipment and file the same kind of certificate with CHEERS, which is the registry your city inspector checks. If your plans or your Title 24 report still say HERS, they do not need to be redone.
The part that did change is the list. Permits under the 2025 energy code can call for more verified measures than before, so a job you priced on last year's assumptions may need one or two extra tests. Send us the Title 24 report and we will tell you exactly which ones before we book.
What we verify on a typical LA job
Duct leakage is the one almost every permit needs. After that it depends on the scope: airflow across the coil, fan watt draw, refrigerant charge on split systems and heat pumps, whole-house ventilation, and QII when insulation is part of the work.
New construction usually needs a rough visit while the ducts are still reachable, then a final once the system runs. A straight AC or furnace change-out is usually one visit. An ADU sits somewhere in between.
How we work with contractors
We pick up the phone. That sounds small until a job is waiting on a final and the rater you used last time takes two days to call back.
Most weeks we can be on site within the same week, often sooner when an inspection is waiting. You can give us a lockbox code and get on with your day. If a number misses, you hear it on site with the reading and how far off it is, not in an email three days later. Nothing gets registered until it passes.
The numbers in our reports are the numbers we measured. That is the whole point of a third-party test, and it protects you if anyone ever looks at the job again.
How it works
- 1Tell us about the job
Address, scope, and where you are in the permit. Two minutes by phone or text.
- 2We schedule around your build
Rough and QII while the framing is open, final once the system runs.
- 3Testing on site
Calibrated equipment and a straight answer on the spot.
- 4Report and registration
Report plus the signed CHEERS certificate, the same day.
Common questions
Is ECC testing the same as HERS testing?
Yes. ECC replaced HERS for code-compliance testing on January 1, 2026. Every HERS Rater became an ECC Rater, and the tests and the CHEERS certificate are the same.
Which registry do you file with?
CHEERS. We are a CHEERS-registered ECC Rater, number RCN14576.
How fast do I get the paperwork?
The same day. You get the written report and the signed CHEERS certificate filed to the registry.
Other tests we run
Where we work
Need a test scheduled?
Call or text with the address and where you are in the permit. We will come back with a time and a price.
