REScheck & COMcheck Cambridge MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Cambridge
- As of July 1, 2023, Cambridge enforces the Massachusetts Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code on top of the Stretch Code baseline - IECC Climate Zone 5A.
- The Opt-In code goes further than the Stretch baseline: new fossil-fuel homes must be pre-wired for electrification and include on-site solar where roof space allows.
- New all-electric homes rely on heat pumps for heat and hot water; large fossil-fuel homes over 4,000 sq ft must hit net-zero (HERS 0), and multifamily over 12,000 sq ft must be Passive House.
- Cambridge also participates in the Massachusetts Municipal Fossil Fuel-Free Building Demonstration Program - new construction and major renovations must be built fossil-fuel-free (all-electric), a step beyond the Specialized Code.
REScheck & COMcheck in Cambridge
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Cambridge 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 Cambridge permit application.
Mass Save rebates for Cambridge (2026)
- 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.
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REScheck & COMcheck Cambridge MA
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants prepares REScheck (residential) and COMcheck (commercial) compliance documentation for Cambridge projects. When your build does not trigger a full HERS rating, these DOE compliance reports are the fast, affordable path to your permit.
What we deliver
A signed compliance report matched to your plans and ready to upload with your Cambridge building permit application.
REScheck vs. COMcheck: What’s the Difference?
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 Cambridge can confirm compliance quickly.
What is a COMcheck?
COMcheck is DOE software for commercial buildings and high-rise residential (four stories or more). It checks the building envelope, interior and exterior lighting, and mechanical systems against the IECC or ASHRAE Standard 90.1, and can trade off components across the design.
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.
REScheck Projects in Cambridge
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Cambridge that do not need a HERS rating. It is typically the right tool for:
- A residential addition of 1,000 sq ft or less (and not more than 100% of the existing home); new homes in Cambridge need a HERS rating instead
- Multifamily buildings of three stories or fewer
- Window and insulation upgrades that must be documented for a building permit
- Finished basements, attic conversions, and dormer additions on existing homes
- Projects where insulation and window trade-offs are enough to demonstrate compliance
COMcheck Projects in Cambridge
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Cambridge. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- Commercial buildings — offices, retail, restaurants, warehouses, and mixed-use
- Restaurant build-outs and retail white-box improvements
- 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 We Deliver for Cambridge Projects
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.
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 Cambridge.
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.
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.
Serving Cambridge and Middlesex County
Cambridge sits in Middlesex 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 Middlesex County, matched to the code edition Cambridge currently enforces.
What a REScheck or COMcheck Costs in Cambridge
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 Cambridge. Send your plans for an exact quote.
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Which Energy Code Report Does a Cambridge Project Need?
Cambridge has adopted the Massachusetts Specialized Code (the municipal opt-in code, 225 CMR 22.00 Appendix RC for homes and 225 CMR 23.00 Appendix CC for commercial and multifamily). New homes must be built to the net-zero-ready Specialized paths, new homes over 4,000 sq ft must use the all-electric or zero-energy path, and new multifamily buildings over 12,000 sq ft must be Passive House certified.
| Your Cambridge project | What the energy code paperwork usually is |
|---|---|
| New single-family home or low-rise residential building | A HERS rating or Passive House certification on a Specialized Code path. REScheck is not accepted for new homes. |
| Residential addition of 1,000 sq ft or less (and not over 100% of the existing home) | REScheck (REScheck-Web, 2023 Massachusetts Stretch Code) or the prescriptive tables |
| Residential addition over 1,000 sq ft or over 100% of the existing home | A HERS rating of the whole house (HERS 65 or lower mixed-fuel, 70 or lower all-electric) |
| Basement or attic conversion with no change to footprint or roofline | No HERS rating required; REScheck or prescriptive documentation |
| Residential renovation or alteration | Prescriptive alteration rules; REScheck can document the envelope. Large "extensive" alterations over 1,000 sq ft may need a HERS rating. |
| New commercial building up to 20,000 sq ft | COMcheck: Envelope, Lighting and Mechanical certificates plus the Plan Review Inspection Checklist |
| New commercial building over 20,000 sq ft | COMcheck Lighting and Mechanical, with the envelope shown by backstop and thermal-bridge calculations, on a performance path (Targeted Performance/TEDI or ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G) or Passive House |
| Commercial addition, alteration, or lighting/HVAC change | COMcheck for the altered systems |
| Multifamily building over 12,000 sq ft | Passive House certification (Phius or PHI) |
Based on 225 CMR 22.00 and 23.00 (Massachusetts energy code, 2025 edition). Building departments make the final call, so we confirm the path for your project before we start. Cambridge is in Middlesex County, served from our Somerville (519 Broadway) office.
How We Prepare Your Cambridge REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Cambridge project. We tell you the same day whether you need a REScheck, a COMcheck or a HERS rating.
We model the building
We enter every assembly, window, light fixture and HVAC unit as designed and flag anything that fails before the plan reviewer sees it.
Permit-ready report
You get the signed compliance certificates and checklists, ready to upload with your Cambridge building permit application.
Plan review support
If the building department asks for changes, we revise the report and answer the reviewer's questions.
REScheck & COMcheck for Cambridge Permits
Cambridge's City Council voted to adopt the Specialized (Opt-In) Code in January 2023, and it took effect on July 1, 2023. Every energy report for a Cambridge permit is chosen with that code in mind.
Homes and condos. REScheck covers the smaller jobs: an addition up to 1,000 sq ft that is no more than 100% of the existing house, or an alteration where the prescriptive path applies. New homes in Cambridge need a HERS rating (HERS 42 mixed-fuel, 45 all-electric), as do larger additions and renovations (HERS 65 mixed-fuel, 70 all-electric). In the city's summary of the Specialized Code, multifamily buildings over 12,000 sq ft must meet Passive House standards or net-zero home performance scores.
Labs, offices and retail. COMcheck documents envelope, lighting and mechanical compliance for commercial buildings and fit-outs. Commercial buildings over 20,000 sq ft need more than COMcheck: a performance path with envelope backstop and thermal-bridge calculations. Big mixed-use plans like Cambridge Point near Alewife, Healthpeak's roughly 4.6 million sq ft project approved in September 2026, are in that tier. After occupancy, larger non-residential buildings also fall under the city's BEUDO emissions limits.
Filing. The Inspectional Services Department at 831 Massachusetts Ave takes new construction and addition/alteration permits through its OpenGov portal. We deliver your report as upload-ready files, and our Somerville office at 519 Broadway is a short drive away. Send us the permit set first and we will confirm whether your Cambridge job needs a REScheck, a COMcheck or a HERS rating before any modeling starts.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Cambridge Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Cambridge?
For a new home in Cambridge, you need a HERS rating or Passive House, because Cambridge is on the Specialized Code. REScheck is used for smaller additions (1,000 sq ft or less and not over 100% of the existing home), basement and attic conversions, and renovations.
When is a COMcheck required in Massachusetts?
A COMcheck documents commercial energy code compliance for new commercial buildings up to 20,000 sq ft (envelope, lighting and mechanical), for lighting and mechanical on larger buildings, and for commercial additions and alterations such as fit-outs, lighting changes and HVAC replacements. Massachusetts commercial code is based on the 2021 IECC with state amendments in 225 CMR 23.00.
What does a COMcheck include?
The COMcheck Envelope Compliance Certificate, the Interior and Exterior Lighting Compliance Certificates, the Mechanical Compliance Certificate, and the Plan Review Inspection Checklist. Massachusetts 225 CMR 23.00 Section C103.2 lists these as the construction-document requirements for buildings up to 20,000 sq ft.
What does a REScheck include?
A REScheck compares your home's envelope (insulation R-values and window U-values) to the code using a total UA trade-off, so stronger performance in one assembly can offset another. The report includes the compliance certificate and inspection checklist. Mandatory items such as air sealing and duct sealing still apply.
What size addition needs a HERS rating instead of REScheck?
In Massachusetts, a residential addition over 1,000 sq ft, or over 100% of the existing conditioned floor area, needs a HERS rating of the whole house (225 CMR 22.00 R502.1.1). Converting an existing basement or attic without changing the footprint or roofline does not.
What information do you need to prepare a REScheck or COMcheck?
Plans with wall, roof and floor sections, insulation types and R-values, the window and door schedule with U-factors and SHGC, and for commercial work the lighting fixture schedule with wattages, lighting controls, and HVAC and water heating equipment schedules.
Which software version is used in Massachusetts?
REScheck-Web with the 2023 Massachusetts Stretch Code option for residential, and COMcheck-Web set to the 2021 IECC (or ASHRAE 90.1-2019) for commercial, matching the code Massachusetts enforces.
How much does a REScheck or COMcheck cost in Cambridge?
REScheck reports start at $300 and COMcheck reports start at $600. The final price depends on the size of the project and how many assemblies and systems need to be entered. Send your plans for an exact quote.
When did the Specialized Code take effect in Cambridge?
July 1, 2023. The City Council voted to adopt the Specialized (Opt-In) Code in January 2023. New homes need a HERS rating or Passive House, and REScheck remains available for small additions and alterations.
How do I submit a building permit in Cambridge?
Cambridge's Inspectional Services Department takes building permits online through its OpenGov portal, including new construction and addition/alteration permits. We provide REScheck, COMcheck or HERS documents ready to upload.
Related: HERS rating in Cambridge · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Cambridge?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Cambridge permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Cambridge and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Cambridge — from Harvard Square, Kendall Square, and Central Square to Porter Square and East Cambridge. Every Cambridge project is filed with the City of Cambridge Inspectional Services 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 Cambridge, including Somerville, Boston, Watertown, Arlington, and Belmont. Our Somerville office at 519 Broadway is the closest of our four Massachusetts locations — see our Somerville office or call (617) 501-6788 to get a Cambridge rating on the schedule.
Cambridge Specialized Energy Code — HERS Index Targets
Cambridge enforces the Massachusetts Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code. The required HERS score depends on fuel type and project scope — a lower index is stricter. As a fossil-fuel-free community, new construction in Cambridge must be built all-electric, so the all-electric columns apply.
| 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 Cambridge project up front so you know the exact target and the fastest path to hit it — call (617) 501-6788.
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