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 stamped, 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 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
- Projects where insulation and window trade-offs are enough to demonstrate compliance
- Finished basements, attic conversions, and dormer additions on existing homes
- Detached accessory structures with conditioned space
- Multifamily buildings of three stories or fewer
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.”
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 617-501-6788HERS 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.
