REScheck & COMcheck Belmont MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Belmont
- Belmont adopted the Massachusetts Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code effective January 1, 2025; the Stretch Code applies as the baseline. IECC Climate Zone 5A.
- Beyond the Stretch baseline, new mixed-fuel homes must be pre-wired for future electrification and add on-site solar where there is significant unshaded roof space.
- All-electric new homes must use heat pumps for space heating and hot water; fossil-fuel homes over 4,000 sq ft must reach net-zero (HERS 0), and new multifamily over 12,000 sq ft must meet Passive House.
REScheck & COMcheck in Belmont
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Belmont 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 Belmont permit application.
2026 Mass Save incentives in Belmont
- 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 Belmont MA
From small additions to commercial fit-outs in Belmont, we deliver the REScheck and COMcheck reports your Middlesex 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 Belmont building permit application.
REScheck vs. COMcheck: What’s the Difference?
REScheck and COMcheck are DOE-developed programs that show a building meets the IECC energy code. Which one your Belmont project needs depends on whether the work is residential or commercial — here is how they differ.
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.
When Do You Need a REScheck in Belmont?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Belmont 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 Belmont's building department accepts REScheck
- New homes only in base-code towns; Stretch and Specialized Code towns require a HERS rating or Passive House for new homes
When Do You Need a COMcheck in Belmont?
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Belmont. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- High-rise residential buildings of four stories or more
- Restaurant build-outs and retail white-box improvements
- Envelope work on commercial structures requiring IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 compliance
- Warehouse, industrial, and light-manufacturing conditioned spaces
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
What We Deliver for Belmont Projects
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.
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 Belmont.
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 Belmont and Middlesex County
Belmont 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 Belmont currently enforces.
REScheck & COMcheck Pricing in Belmont
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 Belmont. Send your plans for an exact quote.
Trusted by Belmont 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.”
Which Energy Code Report Does a Belmont Project Need?
Belmont 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 Belmont 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. Belmont is in Middlesex County, served from our Somerville (519 Broadway) office.
How We Prepare Your Belmont REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Belmont 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 Belmont 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 Belmont Permits
Belmont is one of the 60 Massachusetts communities on the Specialized (Opt-In) Code, effective January 1, 2025. Before that, Belmont had been a Stretch Code town since 2012. The Specialized (Opt-In) Code keeps the Stretch Code's HERS requirements and adds net-zero-ready rules for new construction, so it matters which category your Belmont project falls into.
Small projects versus new construction
- REScheck: still the right document for a small residential addition or alteration where the prescriptive path is allowed, such as an addition up to 1,000 sq ft that is not more than 100% of the existing home.
- New homes: a HERS rating is required (HERS 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric, or lower), on one of the Specialized (Opt-In) Code paths. REScheck is not an option.
- Larger renovations: work beyond the REScheck limits needs a HERS rating of 65 (mixed-fuel) or 70 (all-electric).
- Commercial: COMcheck covers envelope, lighting and mechanical, but a new commercial building over 20,000 sq ft needs more than COMcheck under the Specialized (Opt-In) Code.
How Belmont handles permits
Permits go through the Building Division, part of Building & Inspectional Services in the Homer Municipal Building at 19 Moore Street. Minor work such as insulation, roofing, siding and windows can be filed on the town's online permitting portal. Additions, structural work and anything that adds habitable space are submitted in person to the building inspector. Belmont's permit guidance asks for envelope R-values, heat loss information and HVAC sizing, and refers to energy code compliance, which is exactly what a REScheck or HERS report documents.
Mixed-use projects are part of Belmont's picture too: in July 2025 the Planning Board approved a five-story building at 43 White Street in Waverley Square with 44 homes over ground-floor commercial space, the first project under the town's MBTA Communities zoning.
Our Somerville office at 519 Broadway is the closest HEEC location to Belmont.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Belmont Projects
Is Belmont on the Specialized (Opt-In) Code?
Yes. Belmont adopted the Specialized (Opt-In) Code effective January 1, 2025, according to the state's municipal adoption list. New homes in Belmont need a HERS rating on a Specialized Code path. REScheck is still used for small additions and alterations that stay within the prescriptive limits.
Can I file a Belmont building permit online?
For some work. Belmont's online permitting portal handles permits such as insulation, roofing, siding, windows and non-structural kitchen and bath work. Additions, structural changes and projects that add habitable space or bedrooms are submitted in person to the building inspector.
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Belmont?
For a new home in Belmont, you need a HERS rating or Passive House, because Belmont 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 Belmont?
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 Belmont · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Belmont?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Belmont permit.
Email Energyconsultants01@gmail.com Call 617-501-6788
Mass Save®-Listed HERS Rater
U.S. DOE Efficient New HomeTrusted Partner — Verified
ENERGY STAR®Partner
Phius CertifiedPassive House Verifier
ICCMember★★★★★136 Google
Reviews
The Phius Certified Verifier logo is used under license from Phius.
Last updated · Home Energy Efficiency Consultants, RESNET-certified HERS raters
HERS Ratings Across Belmont and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Belmont — including Belmont Center, Cushing Square, Waverley, and Payson Park. Every Belmont project is filed with the Belmont Building Division (Office of Community Development), 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 Belmont, including Cambridge, Watertown, Arlington, Waltham, and Lexington. 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 Belmont rating on the schedule.
Belmont Specialized Energy Code — HERS Index Targets
Belmont enforces the Massachusetts Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code. The required HERS score depends on fuel type and project scope — a lower index is stricter.
| 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 Belmont 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.
