REScheck & COMcheck Arlington MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Arlington
- As of January 1, 2024, Arlington 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.
- Arlington 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 Arlington
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Arlington 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 Arlington permit application.
Mass Save rebates for Arlington (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 Arlington MA
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants prepares REScheck (residential) and COMcheck (commercial) compliance documentation for Arlington 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 Arlington 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 Arlington can confirm compliance quickly.
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.
What is a COMcheck?
For commercial and four-plus-story residential buildings, COMcheck is required. It documents envelope, lighting, and mechanical compliance against the IECC or ASHRAE Standard 90.1 and produces the certificates a commercial plan reviewer expects.
Is a REScheck Right for Your Arlington Project?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Arlington that do not need a HERS rating. It is typically the right tool for:
- New residential construction or an addition of 1,000 sq ft or less that does not require a HERS rating
- Detached accessory structures with conditioned space
- Window and insulation upgrades that must be documented for a building permit
- Additions, alterations, or renovations to a one- or two-family home
- Permit applications needing residential envelope documentation on the prescriptive or UA trade-off path
When Do You Need a COMcheck in Arlington?
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Arlington. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- New mechanical (HVAC) or service water heating systems in commercial spaces
- Tenant fit-outs and interior or exterior lighting alterations
- High-rise residential buildings of four stories or more
- Commercial buildings — offices, retail, restaurants, warehouses, and mixed-use
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
What We Deliver for Arlington Projects
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.
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 Arlington.
Serving Arlington and Middlesex County
Arlington 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 Arlington currently enforces.
REScheck & COMcheck Pricing in Arlington
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 Arlington. Send your plans for an exact quote.
Trusted by Arlington Builders & Owners
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Which Energy Code Report Does a Arlington Project Need?
Arlington 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 Arlington 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. Arlington is in Middlesex County, served from our Somerville (519 Broadway) office.
How We Prepare Your Arlington REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Arlington 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 Arlington 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 Arlington Permits
Arlington is one of the Massachusetts towns on the Specialized (Opt-In) Code, which took effect here on January 1, 2024, after the town had used the Stretch Code since July 1, 2011. The Specialized Code builds on the Stretch Code, so the energy paperwork for an Arlington permit is stricter than in most towns.
REScheck still has a place. It covers small residential additions and alterations: an addition up to 1,000 sq ft and not more than 100% of the existing home, where the prescriptive path is allowed. A rear addition on a two-family or a finished attic often fits, and the mandatory air sealing and duct sealing rules still apply.
New homes and big renovations need a HERS rating. A new home needs HERS 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric, and under the Specialized Code a mixed-fuel home also needs on-site solar and pre-wiring for future electric equipment. New homes over 4,000 sq ft must take the all-electric or zero-energy path. Larger additions and major renovations need HERS 65 mixed-fuel or 70 all-electric.
Commercial and mixed-use projects use COMcheck for envelope, lighting and mechanical, but a commercial building over 20,000 sq ft needs more than COMcheck.
Arlington's Inspectional Services Department at 51 Grove Street takes permit applications through Town of Arlington Online Permitting, powered by OpenGov ViewPoint. Small mixed-use buildings are typical of new construction on the main corridors: in January 2025 the Redevelopment Board approved a building at 1513-1519 Massachusetts Avenue with five homes and one commercial space. HEEC's Somerville office at 519 Broadway is minutes away.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Arlington Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Arlington?
For a new home in Arlington, you need a HERS rating or Passive House, because Arlington 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 Arlington?
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.
Does Arlington's Specialized Code change what I need for a new home?
Yes. Arlington has been on the Specialized (Opt-In) Code since January 1, 2024. A new home needs a HERS rating, a mixed-fuel home must also add on-site solar and electric pre-wiring, and homes over 4,000 sq ft must take the all-electric or zero-energy path. REScheck is not used for new homes.
How are building permits filed in Arlington?
Through Town of Arlington Online Permitting, the OpenGov ViewPoint portal used by the Inspectional Services Department at 51 Grove Street. Upload your REScheck, COMcheck or HERS documents with the plans.
Related: HERS rating in Arlington · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Arlington?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Arlington permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Arlington and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Arlington — from Arlington Center, East Arlington, and Arlington Heights to Brackett and Morningside. Every Arlington project is filed with the Town of Arlington 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 Arlington, including Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Belmont, and Winchester. 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 Arlington rating on the schedule.
Arlington Specialized Energy Code — HERS Index Targets
Arlington 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 Arlington 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 Arlington project up front so you know the exact target and the fastest path to hit it — call (617) 501-6788.
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