REScheck & COMcheck Burlington MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Burlington
- Burlington enforces the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Code for new construction and major renovations. IECC Climate Zone 5A.
- Massachusetts has three energy-code levels - base (2021 IECC), Stretch, and Specialized (Opt-In) - and Burlington is on the Stretch Code.
REScheck & COMcheck in Burlington
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Burlington 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 Burlington permit application.
2026 Mass Save incentives in Burlington
- 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 Burlington MA
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants prepares REScheck (residential) and COMcheck (commercial) compliance documentation for Burlington 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 Burlington building permit application.
What Is a REScheck and What Is a COMcheck?
REScheck and COMcheck are DOE-developed programs that show a building meets the IECC energy code. Which one your Burlington project needs depends on whether the work is residential or commercial — here is how they differ.
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?
REScheck is the DOE’s residential compliance tool. It covers one- and two-family dwellings and low-rise multifamily (three stories or fewer), using a UA trade-off so a stronger wall or roof can make up for a weaker window while the overall envelope still meets the IECC.
When Do You Need a REScheck in Burlington?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Burlington that do not need a HERS rating. It is typically the right tool for:
- Residential additions of 1,000 sq ft or less that are not more than 100% of the existing home
- Basement and attic conversions that do not change the footprint or roofline
- Renovations and alterations to existing homes that need envelope documentation
- Detached accessory structures with conditioned space, where Burlington's building department accepts REScheck
- New homes only in base-code towns; Stretch and Specialized Code towns require a HERS rating or Passive House for new homes
Commercial Work That Needs a COMcheck in Burlington
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Burlington. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- Commercial buildings — offices, retail, restaurants, warehouses, and mixed-use
- New mechanical (HVAC) or service water heating systems in commercial spaces
- Tenant fit-outs and interior or exterior lighting alterations
- Envelope work on commercial structures requiring IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 compliance
- Restaurant build-outs and retail white-box improvements
What We Deliver for Burlington Projects
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 Burlington.
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.
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.
Serving Burlington and Middlesex County
Burlington 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 Burlington currently enforces.
REScheck & COMcheck Pricing in Burlington
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 Burlington. Send your plans for an exact quote.
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Which Energy Code Report Does a Burlington Project Need?
Burlington adopted the Massachusetts Stretch Code effective July 1, 2019, according to the state's adoption list, and is not one of the 60 communities on the Specialized (Opt-In) Code. Projects in Burlington follow the Stretch Code (225 CMR 22.00 and 23.00). We confirm Burlington's current code status against the state list before we prepare any report.
| Your Burlington project | What the energy code paperwork usually is |
|---|---|
| New single-family home or low-rise residential building | In Stretch Code towns, a HERS rating (maximum HERS 42 mixed-fuel, 45 all-electric) or Passive House. REScheck is not accepted for new homes under the Stretch Code. |
| 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 or a HERS/performance path |
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. Burlington is in Middlesex County, served from our Somerville (519 Broadway) office.
How We Prepare Your Burlington REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Burlington 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 Burlington 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 Burlington Permits
Burlington is a Stretch Code community, effective July 1, 2019 according to the state's adoption list, and has not adopted the Specialized (Opt-In) Code. Building permits are handled by the Building Department at 25 Center Street, and the town uses an online permitting system, an OpenGov portal, for building permit applications.
Mixed-use and commercial projects
Burlington Town Meeting approved MBTA Communities zoning in May 2024. According to local coverage, the district covers more than 50 acres, mostly areas already zoned for multifamily, plus about 8 acres of commercial land known as the Staples triangle that could see mixed-use redevelopment. Commercial and mixed-use buildings use COMcheck for the envelope, lighting and mechanical systems. Under the Stretch Code, a commercial building over 20,000 sq ft needs more than COMcheck, typically an energy model.
Residential projects
- REScheck: small additions and alterations where the prescriptive path is allowed, such as an addition up to 1,000 sq ft that is not more than 100% of the existing home.
- HERS rating: new homes, at HERS 42 or lower (mixed-fuel) or 45 or lower (all-electric).
- Whole-house HERS rating: larger additions and major renovations, at 65 (mixed-fuel) or 70 (all-electric).
Our Somerville office at 519 Broadway is HEEC's nearest location to Burlington. Reports come as PDFs ready to upload to the town's online portal.
For a COMcheck we need the architectural plans, the lighting layout and fixture schedule, and the mechanical equipment schedule. For a REScheck, floor plans, wall sections and window specifications are usually enough.
If the plans change during review, we revise the report so the copy on file matches what is built.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Burlington Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Burlington?
Under the Massachusetts Stretch Code, new homes need a HERS rating (HERS 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric) or Passive House. REScheck is used for additions of 1,000 sq ft or less that are not over 100% of the existing home, basement and attic conversions, and renovations. We confirm Burlington's code status before we start.
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 Burlington?
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.
How do I apply for a building permit in Burlington?
Burlington's Building Department, 25 Center Street, takes building permit applications through the town's online permitting system, an OpenGov portal. Your REScheck, COMcheck or HERS documents are uploaded with the application.
Does Burlington's MBTA Communities zoning change the energy code?
No. Zoning controls what can be built and where; the energy code comes from Burlington's Stretch Code adoption, effective July 1, 2019. New commercial and mixed-use buildings use COMcheck, and commercial buildings over 20,000 sq ft need more than COMcheck.
Related: HERS rating in Burlington · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Burlington?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Burlington permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Burlington and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Burlington — including Burlington Center, and Wildwood. Every Burlington project is filed with the Town of Burlington 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 Burlington, including Woburn, Bedford, Lexington, Wilmington, and Billerica. 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 Burlington rating on the schedule.
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