REScheck & COMcheck Ashfield MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Ashfield
- Ashfield adopted the Massachusetts Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code effective January 1, 2025; the Stretch Code applies as the baseline. IECC Climate Zone 6A.
- Beyond the Stretch baseline, new mixed-fuel homes must be pre-wired for future electrification and add on-site solar where there is significant unshaded roof space.
- All-electric new homes must use heat pumps for space heating and hot water; fossil-fuel homes over 4,000 sq ft must reach net-zero (HERS 0), and new multifamily over 12,000 sq ft must meet Passive House.
REScheck & COMcheck in Ashfield
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Ashfield additions, alterations and renovations (from $300); new-construction performance projects use a full HERS energy model instead.
- Commercial projects use COMcheck for the prescriptive path (from $600); larger new commercial buildings need third-party performance certification under the Stretch Code.
- 24-48 hour turnaround - documentation ready to upload with your Ashfield permit application.
2026 Mass Save incentives in Ashfield
- All-electric renovations and additions can earn Mass Save incentives up to $20,000 (Level 1) or $30,000 (Level 2) for a single-family home, verified by a RESNET-certified HERS rater.
RESNET-certified · 15,000+ ratings completed · 5.0 stars across 136 Google reviews · (617) 501-6788
REScheck & COMcheck Ashfield MA
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Ashfield? We produce permit-ready energy code compliance reports for homes and commercial buildings across Franklin County, matched precisely to your plans so your project clears plan review the first time.
What we deliver
A stamped, signed compliance report matched to your plans and ready to upload with your Ashfield building permit application.
Understanding REScheck and COMcheck
Both are free compliance software tools developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate that a building meets the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). They document your envelope, and for commercial work your lighting and mechanical systems, so a plan reviewer in Ashfield can confirm compliance quickly.
What is a COMcheck?
COMcheck handles commercial work and high-rise residential of four stories or more. The DOE tool evaluates envelope, lighting (interior and exterior), and mechanical systems against either the IECC or ASHRAE 90.1, with trade-offs allowed across components.
What is a REScheck?
For homes, REScheck is the go-to. This DOE program checks residential envelopes — detached houses and multifamily up to three stories — and allows insulation and fenestration trade-offs to show prescriptive or component-based IECC compliance.
Is a REScheck Right for Your Ashfield Project?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Ashfield that do not trigger a full performance-path energy rating. It is typically the right tool when your project is:
- New residential construction or an addition under 1,200 square feet that does not require a HERS rating
- Detached accessory structures with conditioned space
- Projects where insulation and window trade-offs are enough to demonstrate compliance
- Multifamily buildings of three stories or fewer
- Finished basements, attic conversions, and dormer additions on existing homes
Commercial Work That Needs a COMcheck in Ashfield
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Ashfield. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- High-rise residential buildings of four stories or more
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
- Envelope work on commercial structures requiring IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 compliance
- Warehouse, industrial, and light-manufacturing conditioned spaces
- New mechanical (HVAC) or service water heating systems in commercial spaces
What Your Ashfield Compliance Report Includes
COMcheck report
The COMcheck Envelope, Lighting, and Mechanical Compliance Certificates plus the Plan Review Checklist — the full package a commercial plan reviewer expects for permit submission.
Fast, permit-ready turnaround
We deliver documentation ready to upload with your building permit application, and we answer plan-review questions if the department asks for revisions.
REScheck report
A signed REScheck compliance certificate matched to your plans, the inspection checklist, and the UA trade-off summary showing your insulation R-values and window U-factors meet the residential energy code.
Plans matched to code
We enter your assemblies, fenestration, and (for commercial) lighting and mechanical details exactly as designed, so the report reflects what you are actually building in Ashfield.
Serving Ashfield and Franklin County
Ashfield sits in Franklin County, Massachusetts, in IECC climate zone 5A — the cold-climate zone that drives the insulation and air-sealing levels your REScheck or COMcheck must document. We prepare compliance reports for projects throughout Franklin County, matched to the code edition Ashfield currently enforces.
What a REScheck or COMcheck Costs in Ashfield
Transparent starting prices. Final cost depends on project size, number of assemblies, and scope.
- REScheck (residential): starting at $300
- COMcheck (commercial): starting at $600
- Revisions to match plan-review comments are handled promptly
REScheck reports start at $300 and COMcheck reports start at $600 for projects in Ashfield. Send your plans for an exact quote.
Trusted by Ashfield Builders & Owners
Google Review
“Best decision I made was hiring Home Energy Efficiency Consultants LLC. Their attention to detail and willingness to answer all my questions made the process stress-free.”
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Ashfield?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Ashfield permit.
Email Energyconsultants01@gmail.com Call 617-501-6788HERS Ratings Across Ashfield and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Ashfield — including Ashfield Center, and South Ashfield. Every Ashfield project is filed with the Town of Ashfield Building Department, and we handle the energy model, blower door and duct leakage testing, and the compliance paperwork from start to finish.
We also serve the communities right around Ashfield, including Conway, Buckland, Goshen, Plainfield, and Cummington. Our Marlborough office at 272 Lincoln St is the closest of our four Massachusetts locations — see our Marlborough office or call (617) 501-6788 to get a Ashfield rating on the schedule.
Ashfield Specialized Energy Code — HERS Index Targets
Ashfield enforces the Massachusetts Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code. The required HERS score depends on fuel type and project scope — a lower index is stricter.
| Project type | Mixed-fuel | Mixed-fuel + solar | All-electric | All-electric + solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | HERS 42 | 42 | 45 | 45 |
| New construction — embodied-carbon credit | 45 | 45 | 48 | 48 |
| Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) | 52 | 55 | 55 | 58 |
| Major alteration / renovation / change of use | 65 | 70 | 70 | 75 |
A HERS rating is triggered by new construction, additions over 1,000 sq ft (or more than 100% of the existing conditioned area), and Level 3 alterations over 1,000 sq ft affecting more than 50% of the home. New homes must also pass a blower-door test at 3.0 ACH50 and include electrification-ready wiring for heat pumps, EV charging, and solar. We model your Ashfield project up front so you know the exact target and the fastest path to hit it — call (617) 501-6788.
More Massachusetts Towns We Serve
Certified HERS ratings, blower door testing and energy code compliance across all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns.
