REScheck & COMcheck Danvers MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Danvers
- Danvers 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 Danvers is on the Stretch Code.
REScheck & COMcheck in Danvers
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Danvers 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 Danvers permit application.
Mass Save rebates for Danvers (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 Danvers MA
Fast, accurate REScheck and COMcheck energy code compliance reports for residential and commercial projects in Danvers, Massachusetts. We prepare the documentation your building department needs to issue a permit — without the cost of a full performance-path energy rating when your project does not require one.
What we deliver
A signed compliance report matched to your plans and ready to upload with your Danvers building permit application.
What Is a REScheck and What Is a COMcheck?
These are the two standard software tools plan reviewers accept for energy code compliance. Developed by the DOE, they let a Essex County project demonstrate that its envelope (and, for commercial, lighting and mechanical) meets the IECC.
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.
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.
When Do You Need a REScheck in Danvers?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Danvers 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 Danvers's building department accepts REScheck
- New homes only in base-code towns; Stretch and Specialized (Opt-In) Code towns require a HERS rating or Passive House for new homes
Commercial Work That Needs a COMcheck in Danvers
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Danvers. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- Tenant fit-outs and interior or exterior lighting alterations
- Restaurant build-outs and retail white-box improvements
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
- Warehouse, industrial, and light-manufacturing conditioned spaces
- Commercial buildings — offices, retail, restaurants, warehouses, and mixed-use
Inside Your REScheck or COMcheck Report
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 Danvers.
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 Danvers and Essex County
Danvers 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 Danvers currently enforces.
REScheck & COMcheck Pricing in Danvers
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 Danvers. Send your plans for an exact quote.
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Which Energy Code Report Does a Danvers Project Need?
Danvers has not adopted the Stretch Code (used by 242 Massachusetts communities) or the Specialized (Opt-In) Code (used by 60), so projects in Danvers follow the Massachusetts base energy code. The Stretch Code's mandatory HERS targets for new homes and large renovations do not apply here.
| Your Danvers 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 or the prescriptive tables |
| Residential addition over 1,000 sq ft or over 100% of the existing home | In Stretch and Specialized (Opt-In) Code towns, a HERS rating of the whole house (HERS 65 or lower mixed-fuel, 70 or lower all-electric). Danvers is on the base code, so this requirement does not apply; we confirm the documentation path with the building department. |
| 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. Danvers is in Essex County, served from our Everett (371 Main St) office.
How We Prepare Your Danvers REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Danvers 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 Danvers 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 Danvers Permits
Danvers is one of the Massachusetts communities on the base energy code. The state adoption list shows Danvers has not adopted the Stretch Code or the Specialized (Opt-In) Code, so the Stretch Code's mandatory HERS targets do not apply to Danvers projects.
Permits are handled by the Danvers Inspectional Services Department at Town Hall on Sylvan Street. The town says the building permit application can be completed online or in person at the Inspectional Services office. We send energy reports as PDFs that work either way. A basement or attic conversion that does not change the footprint or roofline is treated like an alteration and is usually documented with a REScheck.
What a Danvers project usually needs
| Project | Energy documentation |
|---|---|
| Addition up to 1,000 sq ft and not more than 100% of the existing home, or an alteration | REScheck, where the prescriptive path is allowed |
| New home | Prescriptive path or REScheck is typically available on the base code; a HERS rating is optional. In Stretch and Specialized towns the same house would need HERS 42 (mixed-fuel) or 45 (all-electric). |
| Large renovation | No Stretch Code HERS 65/70 requirement in Danvers; we confirm the path with Inspectional Services |
| Commercial building, retail or office fit-out | COMcheck for envelope, lighting and mechanical. The extra Stretch Code requirements for commercial buildings over 20,000 sq ft do not apply here. |
If Danvers adopts the Stretch Code later, new homes and large renovations would need HERS ratings, so we check the state list before every report.
Our Everett office at 371 Main St is the closest HEEC location to Danvers.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Danvers Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Danvers?
Danvers is on the Massachusetts base energy code, not the Stretch Code, so the Stretch Code's HERS targets for new homes (HERS 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric) do not apply. 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 Danvers's code status before we start.
Is Danvers on the Stretch Code?
No. According to the Massachusetts energy code adoption list, Danvers is on the base energy code and has not adopted the Stretch Code or the Specialized (Opt-In) Code. The Stretch Code HERS targets for new homes and large renovations do not apply in Danvers.
Can I apply for a Danvers building permit online?
Yes. The Town of Danvers says the building permit application can be completed online or in person at the Inspectional Services office in Town Hall on Sylvan Street. We deliver REScheck and COMcheck reports as PDFs for either route.
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 Stretch Code and Specialized (Opt-In) Code towns, 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). Danvers is on the base energy code, so this Stretch Code trigger does not apply to Danvers projects.
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 set to the Massachusetts code that applies in Danvers (the base energy code) for residential, and COMcheck-Web set to the 2021 IECC (or ASHRAE 90.1-2019) for commercial.
How much does a REScheck or COMcheck cost in Danvers?
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.
Related: HERS rating in Danvers · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Danvers?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Danvers permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Danvers and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Danvers — including Danvers Center, Danversport, Tapleyville, and Putnamville. Every Danvers project is filed with the Town of Danvers 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 Danvers, including Peabody, Beverly, Middleton, Topsfield, and Salem. 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 Danvers rating on the schedule.
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