REScheck & COMcheck Agawam MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Agawam
- Agawam 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 Agawam is on the Stretch Code.
REScheck & COMcheck in Agawam
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Agawam 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 Agawam permit application.
2026 Mass Save incentives in Agawam
- 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 Agawam MA
Fast, accurate REScheck and COMcheck energy code compliance reports for residential and commercial projects in Agawam, 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 Agawam 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 Agawam project needs depends on whether the work is residential or commercial — here is how they differ.
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.
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.
REScheck Projects in Agawam
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Agawam 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
- Multifamily buildings of three stories or fewer
- Window and insulation upgrades that must be documented for a building permit
- Permit applications needing residential envelope documentation on the prescriptive or UA trade-off path
COMcheck Projects in Agawam
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Agawam. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- Commercial buildings — offices, retail, restaurants, warehouses, and mixed-use
- Warehouse, industrial, and light-manufacturing conditioned spaces
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
- Tenant fit-outs and interior or exterior lighting alterations
- Envelope work on commercial structures requiring IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 compliance
What Your Agawam Compliance Report Includes
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.
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 Agawam.
Serving Agawam and Hampden County
Agawam sits in Hampden 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 Hampden County, matched to the code edition Agawam currently enforces.
REScheck & COMcheck Pricing in Agawam
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 Agawam. Send your plans for an exact quote.
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Which Energy Code Report Does a Agawam Project Need?
Agawam 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. Agawam adopted the Stretch Code effective January 1, 2017, and it has not adopted the Specialized (Opt-In) Code.
| Your Agawam 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. Agawam is in Hampden County, served from our Marlborough (272 Lincoln St) office.
How We Prepare Your Agawam REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Agawam 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 Agawam 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 Agawam Permits
Agawam has been on the Stretch Code since January 1, 2017 and has not adopted the Specialized (Opt-In) Code. The Building Department at 1000 Suffield Street takes building, electrical, gas and plumbing permits through the town's OpenGov online portal, and paper forms can still be mailed or dropped off. For buildings other than one- and two-family homes, Agawam's permit application lists an "Energy Conservation Report" among the required items. That is where a COMcheck, or a REScheck for residential work, comes in.
Homeowners and small builders
If you are adding a room or finishing space, a REScheck is usually enough. It applies to a residential addition or alteration up to 1,000 sq ft that is not more than 100% of the existing home, where the prescriptive path is allowed. Build a new house in Agawam, though, and the Stretch Code calls for a HERS rating: HERS 42 for mixed-fuel or HERS 45 for all-electric. Larger additions and major renovations also move to HERS, with targets of 65 mixed-fuel or 70 all-electric.
Commercial owners and developers
COMcheck documents envelope, lighting and mechanical compliance for commercial buildings, from a retail fit-out to a new office. Under the Stretch Code, commercial buildings over 20,000 sq ft need more than COMcheck.
New housing keeps coming to town. Rosewood Way Townhomes in Feeding Hills, built by Way Finders, added 62 mixed-income apartments in ten townhome buildings and was nearing completion in late 2024.
HEEC's Marlborough office at 272 Lincoln St C1 is the nearest to Agawam. Share your plans and we will confirm which report the Building Department needs, then send a PDF you can upload in OpenGov.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Agawam Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Agawam?
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 Agawam'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 Agawam?
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.
What is the "Energy Conservation Report" on Agawam's permit application?
Agawam's building permit application for buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings lists an Energy Conservation Report. For most commercial projects that is a COMcheck. Agawam is on the Stretch Code, so large commercial buildings over 20,000 sq ft need more than COMcheck.
Can I apply for an Agawam building permit online?
Yes. Agawam takes building, electrical, gas and plumbing permits through its OpenGov online portal, and paper forms can still be mailed or dropped off at the Building Department, 1000 Suffield Street. We send reports as PDFs ready to upload.
Related: HERS rating in Agawam · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Agawam?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Agawam permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Agawam and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Agawam — including Agawam Center, Feeding Hills, and Mittineague line. Every Agawam project is filed with the Agawam 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 Agawam, including West Springfield, Springfield, Southwick, Westfield, and Longmeadow. Our Marlborough office at 272 Lincoln St is the closest of our four Massachusetts locations — see our Marlborough office or call (617) 501-6788 to get a Agawam rating on the schedule.
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