REScheck & COMcheck Lynn MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Lynn
- Lynn is a Stretch Code community - the statewide baseline 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 Lynn is on the Stretch Code.
REScheck & COMcheck in Lynn
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Lynn 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 Lynn permit application.
Mass Save rebates for Lynn (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 Lynn MA
From small additions to commercial fit-outs in Lynn, we deliver the REScheck and COMcheck reports your Essex County building department requires — accurate, signed, and turned around quickly.
What we deliver
A signed compliance report matched to your plans and ready to upload with your Lynn 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 Lynn 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?
REScheck is DOE software for residential compliance — detached one- and two-family homes and multifamily buildings three stories or fewer. It runs a UA (insulation and window) trade-off calculation against the IECC, letting extra performance in one assembly offset another so the whole envelope still passes.
Is a REScheck Right for Your Lynn Project?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Lynn 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 Lynn need a HERS rating instead
- Finished basements, attic conversions, and dormer additions on existing homes
- Detached accessory structures with conditioned space
- Projects where insulation and window trade-offs are enough to demonstrate compliance
- Permit applications needing residential envelope documentation on the prescriptive or UA trade-off path
Commercial Work That Needs a COMcheck in Lynn
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Lynn. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- Envelope work on commercial structures requiring IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 compliance
- Restaurant build-outs and retail white-box improvements
- New mechanical (HVAC) or service water heating systems in commercial spaces
- Tenant fit-outs and interior or exterior lighting alterations
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
What Your Lynn Compliance Report Includes
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 Lynn.
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.
Serving Lynn and Essex County
Lynn sits in Essex 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 Essex County, matched to the code edition Lynn currently enforces.
REScheck & COMcheck Pricing in Lynn
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 Lynn. Send your plans for an exact quote.
Trusted by Lynn Builders & Owners
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Which Energy Code Report Does a Lynn Project Need?
Lynn is not one of the 60 Massachusetts communities on the Specialized Code, so projects follow the Massachusetts Stretch Code (225 CMR 22.00 and 23.00), which 242 communities have adopted. The state's adoption list shows Lynn on the Stretch Code since January 1, 2020.
| Your Lynn 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. Lynn is in Essex County, served from our Everett (371 Main St) office.
How We Prepare Your Lynn REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Lynn 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 Lynn 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 Lynn Permits
Lynn has been on the Stretch Code since January 1, 2020, according to the state's adoption list, and it has not adopted the Specialized (Opt-In) Code.
Residential permits in Lynn
REScheck is the right tool for an addition of up to 1,000 sq ft that is no more than 100% of the existing home, and for alterations where the prescriptive path is allowed. For a new house, or a large addition or renovation, Lynn's Stretch Code calls for a HERS rating instead: 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric for new homes, and 65 mixed-fuel or 70 all-electric for renovations. A finished basement or attic with no change to the footprint or roofline does not trigger a HERS rating.
The Lynnway and commercial projects
COMcheck handles commercial buildings, fit-outs and lighting or HVAC work. Over 20,000 sq ft, a commercial building needs more than COMcheck, on a performance path with envelope backstop and thermal-bridge calculations. The waterfront along the Lynnway has drawn large residential projects, including Post Road Residential's 550 apartments at 810 Lynnway on the former Lynnway Mart site and the 331-unit Breakwater North Harbor.
Filing in Lynn
Lynn's Inspectional Services Department (ISD) takes permits through its SmartGov public portal, and since January 1, 2025 it has charged a $25 fee to process paper applications, one more reason to file online with digital energy reports. Our Everett office at 371 Main St is the closest HEEC office to Lynn, and we can usually tell you from the plans whether your project needs a REScheck or a HERS rating.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Lynn Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Lynn?
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. Lynn has been on the Stretch Code since January 1, 2020.
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 Lynn?
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 Lynn accept building permit applications online?
Yes. Lynn's Inspectional Services Department uses a SmartGov public portal, and since January 1, 2025 paper applications carry a $25 processing fee. We deliver REScheck, COMcheck and HERS reports as files ready to upload.
When did Lynn adopt the Stretch Code?
Lynn's Stretch Code took effect January 1, 2020, according to the state adoption list. Lynn is not a Specialized (Opt-In) Code community, so new homes need a HERS rating and small additions can use REScheck.
Related: HERS rating in Lynn · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Lynn?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Lynn permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Lynn and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Lynn — from Diamond District, West Lynn, and East Lynn to Wyoma and Lynn Highlands. Every Lynn project is filed with the City of Lynn 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 Lynn, including Swampscott, Saugus, Nahant, Peabody, and Revere. Our Everett office at 371 Main St is the closest of our four Massachusetts locations — see our Everett office or call (617) 501-6788 to get a Lynn rating on the schedule.
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