REScheck & COMcheck Brookline MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Brookline
- As of July 1, 2023, Brookline 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.
- Brookline 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 Brookline
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Brookline 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 Brookline permit application.
Mass Save rebates for Brookline (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.
RESNET-certified · 15,000+ ratings completed · 5.0 stars across 136 Google reviews · (617) 501-6788
REScheck & COMcheck Brookline MA
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Brookline? We produce permit-ready energy code compliance reports for homes and commercial buildings across Norfolk County, matched precisely to your plans so your project clears plan review the first time.
What we deliver
A stamped, signed compliance report matched to your plans and ready to upload with your Brookline 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 Norfolk 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 handles commercial work and high-rise residential of four stories or more. The DOE tool evaluates envelope, lighting (interior and exterior), and mechanical systems against either the IECC or ASHRAE 90.1, with trade-offs allowed across components.
When Do You Need a REScheck in Brookline?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Brookline that do not trigger a full performance-path energy rating. It is typically the right tool when your project is:
- New residential construction or an addition under 1,200 square feet that does not require a HERS rating
- Permit applications needing residential envelope documentation on the prescriptive or UA trade-off path
- Window and insulation upgrades that must be documented for a building permit
- Additions, alterations, or renovations to a one- or two-family home
- Detached accessory structures with conditioned space
When Do You Need a COMcheck in Brookline?
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Brookline. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- New mechanical (HVAC) or service water heating systems in commercial spaces
- Warehouse, industrial, and light-manufacturing conditioned spaces
- 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
Inside Your REScheck or COMcheck Report
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.
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.
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 Brookline.
Serving Brookline and Norfolk County
Brookline sits in Norfolk 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 Norfolk County, matched to the code edition Brookline currently enforces.
What a REScheck or COMcheck Costs in Brookline
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 Brookline. Send your plans for an exact quote.
Trusted by Brookline Builders & Owners
Google Review
“Best decision I made was hiring Home Energy Efficiency Consultants LLC. Their attention to detail and willingness to answer all my questions made the process stress-free.”
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Brookline?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Brookline permit.
Email Energyconsultants01@gmail.com Call 617-501-6788HERS Ratings Across Brookline and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Brookline — from Coolidge Corner, Brookline Village, and Washington Square to Chestnut Hill and Longwood. Every Brookline project is filed with the Town of Brookline 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 Brookline, including Boston, Newton, Cambridge, and Brighton. 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 Brookline rating on the schedule.
Brookline Specialized Energy Code — HERS Index Targets
Brookline 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 Brookline 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 Brookline project up front so you know the exact target and the fastest path to hit it — call (617) 501-6788.
More Massachusetts Towns We Serve
Certified HERS ratings, blower door testing and energy code compliance across all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns.
