Title 24 Energy Compliance in San Francisco, CA

Title 24 Energy Compliance in San Francisco, CA

Title 24 energy compliance is the set of California building standards that govern how much energy your ADU can use, and in San Francisco, almost every new accessory dwelling unit, garage conversion, or room addition must pass a Title 24 review before the city will issue a building permit. For most homeowners, this means a certified energy analysis of your plans, a documented compliance report, and in many cases an on-site verification of installed insulation, windows, HVAC, and lighting once the work is complete. Sutton ADU San Francisco handles this as a standard part of our ADU Design & Permitting in San Francisco service, so you’re not left chasing a separate energy consultant after your drawings are already done.

Since 2006, our team has folded Title 24 compliance into the design phase itself. That matters because a plan that fails energy review late in the game can add weeks to your permit timeline and thousands in redesign costs. We’d rather catch it on paper before a single stud goes up. If you’re planning an ADU and want a straight read on what Title 24 will require for your specific lot and floor plan, call us at (831) 272-7212.

When You Need Title 24 Energy Compliance

If you’re building in San Francisco, you almost certainly need it. But some situations make Title 24 compliance more involved than others, and knowing where you stand helps you budget correctly.

• New detached ADUs: Any newly constructed accessory dwelling unit in San Francisco must meet current Title 24 standards, including the building envelope, lighting, mechanical systems, and the solar-ready or solar-installed requirements depending on roof orientation.
• Garage conversions: Converting an existing garage into living space triggers Title 24 requirements for insulation, glazing, and ventilation, and older garages in neighborhoods like the Richmond and the Sunset often need significant envelope upgrades to pass.
• Second-story additions: Adding a bedroom above an existing single-story home in the Excelsior or Portola changes the building’s overall energy profile, which means the compliance analysis has to account for the combined structure, not just the new square footage.
• Prefab and modular ADUs: If you’re working with a factory-built unit from Boxabl, Plant Prefab, or another manufacturer, the factory spec sheets still need to be reviewed against the specific climate zone and local amendments that apply to San Francisco, which sits in climate zone 3C.
• Major mechanical upgrades: Replacing a furnace, adding a heat pump, or installing new ductwork as part of a larger ADU project requires documentation that the equipment meets Title 24 efficiency minimums, and the verification steps differ from new construction.
• Permit resubmissions: If you filed plans before a recent Title 24 code cycle update and the project stalled, your resubmission may need to be re-analyzed under the current standards, which are revised on a three-year cycle in California.

Our Title 24 Energy Compliance Process

Here’s how we fold Title 24 compliance into the design and permitting journey, step by step.

1. We start with your actual site, not a generic template. San Francisco lots come with narrow footprints, hillside setbacks, and varied sun exposure across neighborhoods like Noe Valley, Bernal Heights, and the Outer Sunset. We look at orientation, existing shade from neighboring buildings, and what the climate zone data says about heating and cooling loads for your specific block.
2. We model the building envelope in the Title 24 software. The compliance analysis runs on approved state software that calculates whether your planned wall assemblies, roof insulation, windows, and doors meet the required energy budget for climate zone 3C. We make adjustments during design, not after.
3. We deliver a written compliance document set. This includes the forms the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection requires with your permit application. You get a copy of everything we file, so there’s no black box between you and the city’s reviewers.
4. We coordinate the field verification. When your ADU is under construction, certain items like insulation levels, duct sealing, and lighting wattage need to be confirmed on site by a certified HERS rater or the installing contractor with signed verification forms. We schedule and manage that so your final approval doesn’t stall.
5. We close out the paperwork with the city. Once the compliance documentation is complete, we compile the final package for the building inspector so your final sign-off includes every energy requirement. If anything is flagged, we handle the correction and resubmission under our 365-Day Done Right Promise.

One note on how we work: the written price we give you before any work begins includes the Title 24 compliance scope as we’ve scoped it from your plans. You won’t get a call mid-project explaining that energy compliance turned out to be an “add-on service” at an “additional cost.” That’s not how we do anything.

Title 24 Energy Compliance Pricing in San Francisco

What you’ll pay for Title 24 compliance depends on whether it’s handled as part of a larger design package or as a standalone review, and on the size and complexity of your ADU. Here are the honest ranges we see in San Francisco.

• Standalone Title 24 compliance review for a simple garage conversion: $650 to $1,200. This covers the energy modeling and the compliance forms for a one-room conversion with basic insulation, glazing, and lighting upgrades.
• Full Title 24 documentation for a new detached ADU (400 to 800 square feet): $1,200 to $2,800. The range widens based on whether you’re using a standard prescriptive approach or a performance approach, and whether solar or solar-ready requirements come into play.
• Site verification and HERS testing: $400 to $900 if your project requires duct leakage testing, airflow verification, or field insulation verification. Not every project needs the full suite, and we tell you upfront which tests your specific plan will trigger.
• Title 24 included in a full ADU design and permitting package: This is where most of our clients land. The energy compliance work is bundled into the broader design and permitting fee, which runs $8,000 to $25,000 depending on whether we’re doing a detached new build, a garage conversion, or a second-story addition. We give you one written price for the whole scope before any work starts, so you’re never doing mental math on surprise line items.

What drives the price up or down in San Francisco specifically is your site’s shade pattern, the age of the existing structure you’re converting, and whether the city’s local amendments require measures beyond the state baseline. Older homes in the Richmond and Sunset, for example, often need more insulation than a new prefab shell from Plant Prefab or another factory builder. Lot orientation in neighborhoods like Glen Park or Eureka Valley, where steep hillsides block afternoon sun, can also shift the compliance equation.

We give free estimates. Call (831) 272-7212 and we’ll walk through your specific project and tell you what Title 24 will realistically cost based on your plans or your lot.

FAQs – Title 24 Energy Compliance

Is Title 24 compliance required for a garage conversion in San Francisco?

Yes. Any garage converted to habitable space in San Francisco must meet current Title 24 energy standards, and the city’s building permit reviewers will not issue your permit without the compliance documentation on file. The exact requirements depend on the size of the conversion, its windows, and the mechanical systems you’re adding. Call (831) 272-7212 for an exact quote on your garage conversion plans, and we’ll tell you what your specific project will trigger.

How long does Title 24 compliance take for an ADU?

For a standard ADU, the compliance analysis and documentation usually take three to seven business days once we have your final plans. If we’re handling your design in-house, the compliance work happens alongside the drawings, so you don’t add separate calendar time. Rush reviews are possible when a permit deadline is near, and we’ll tell you the surcharge before you agree to anything.

What happens if my ADU fails Title 24 review?

If your plans come back flagged, we correct the specific items the reviewer cited, re-run the compliance model, and resubmit the documentation. Common fixes include bumping the wall insulation, swapping to lower-e windows, or adding continuous exterior insulation, and in most cases the added material cost is modest compared to the cost of a new permit cycle. We handle all corrections in-house, and if any element of our completed compliance work proves wrong within the first year, our 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the rework.

Do prefab ADUs need Title 24 compliance in San Francisco?

Yes. Even a factory-built unit from Boxabl, Plant Prefab, or another manufacturer must be documented against Title 24 standards for your specific site in climate zone 3C. The factory specs get you close, but the city still requires a California-specific compliance package for the final assembly, foundation, and any on-site mechanical or electrical work. We’re experienced with these product lines and can handle the San Francisco-side documentation for whichever unit you choose.

Why Title 24 Compliance Comes Down to Who’s Doing the Paperwork

Here’s the thing most homeowners learn the hard way: Title 24 compliance is a paperwork discipline, not a construction skill. The person running the energy model has to be precise, and the person coordinating with the Department of Building Inspection has to care about the details. That’s where the people in the truck actually matter, and why we built our crew standard the way we did.

Every Sutton ADU San Francisco team member who comes to your property is held to the Threshold Standard: background-checked, identity-verified, uniformed, and photo-badged. Before your compliance walkthrough or field verification, we send you the name and photo of the exact person who will be at your door. When they arrive, they show a photo ID badge, every time. You’re not opening your home in the Outer Richmond or the Excelsior to a nameless inspector you’ve never heard of. You know who’s coming. Settled and rooted, which is what the name Sutton has meant since it first named a south farm in old England, and what adding a second home to your lot should feel like.

Miles Hartwell, who leads Sutton ADU San Francisco, has built this team around a straightforward promise: a written price before work begins, a 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing on every project, and a free second visit if any element of the work fails within the year. Title 24 compliance is exactly the kind of detail where that promise gets tested, because a missed document or a mis-filed form often doesn’t surface until inspection day. When it does, we make it right. No haggling, no re-invoice.

We work with the ADU product lines that hold up under San Francisco’s marine climate and strict energy codes, including Boxabl, Plant Prefab, and Tuff Shed structures where conversion makes sense. We also work with James Hardie exterior systems when the envelope requirements call for fiber cement siding. Our role in the energy compliance piece is the same regardless of the product: run the numbers straight, file the paperwork clean, and stand behind the result.

If you’re planning an ADU, a garage conversion, or a room addition in San Francisco, start with a conversation about what Title 24 will require for your specific lot before you commit to a floor plan. The earlier we’re involved, the more design money we save you. Call (831) 272-7212 for a free estimate, or start with our ADU Design & Permitting page to see the full scope of how we work. A live person answers the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No voicemail trees.

Written by Miles Hartwell, Owner at Sutton ADU San Francisco, serving San Francisco.