REScheck & COMcheck Easthampton MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Easthampton
- Easthampton 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 Easthampton
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Easthampton 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 Easthampton permit application.
2026 Mass Save incentives in Easthampton
- 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 Easthampton MA
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Easthampton? We produce permit-ready energy code compliance reports for homes and commercial buildings across Hampshire County, matched precisely to your plans so your project clears plan review the first time.
What we deliver
A signed compliance report matched to your plans and ready to upload with your Easthampton building permit application.
Understanding REScheck and COMcheck
REScheck and COMcheck are DOE-developed programs that show a building meets the IECC energy code. Which one your Easthampton 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 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 Easthampton?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Easthampton 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 Easthampton'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
COMcheck Projects in Easthampton
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Easthampton. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- Envelope work on commercial structures requiring IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 compliance
- High-rise residential buildings of four stories or more
- New mechanical (HVAC) or service water heating systems in commercial spaces
- Warehouse, industrial, and light-manufacturing conditioned spaces
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
Inside Your REScheck or COMcheck Report
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 Easthampton.
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.
Serving Easthampton and Hampshire County
Easthampton sits in Hampshire 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 Hampshire County, matched to the code edition Easthampton currently enforces.
What a REScheck or COMcheck Costs in Easthampton
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 Easthampton. Send your plans for an exact quote.
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Which Energy Code Report Does a Easthampton Project Need?
Easthampton adopted the Massachusetts Stretch Code effective January 1, 2011 and the Specialized (Opt-In) Code (225 CMR 22.00 Appendix RC for homes and 225 CMR 23.00 Appendix CC for commercial and multifamily) effective January 1, 2025, according to the state's adoption list. 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 Easthampton 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. Easthampton is in Hampshire County, served from our Marlborough (272 Lincoln St) office.
How We Prepare Your Easthampton REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Easthampton 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 Easthampton 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 Easthampton Permits
Easthampton has new multifamily housing in the pipeline. Home City Development's five-story, 96-apartment building at 11 Ferry Street received a $4.4 million state HousingWorks grant in November 2024, and in July 2026 the NRP Group proposed 90 affordable units at 6 South Street. Both were reported as planned projects, not finished buildings.
Easthampton's code tier
Easthampton adopted the Stretch Code effective January 1, 2011 and the Specialized (Opt-In) Code effective January 1, 2025, according to the state's adoption list. Under the Specialized (Opt-In) Code, new multifamily buildings over 12,000 sq ft must be Passive House certified, and commercial buildings over 20,000 sq ft need more than a COMcheck. COMcheck still covers smaller commercial buildings, tenant fit-outs and lighting or HVAC changes.
Homes and additions
For a house, REScheck is the right document only 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. A new home needs a HERS rating of 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric, and a mixed-fuel home also needs on-site solar and electric pre-wiring. A larger renovation needs HERS 65 or 70.
Filing in PermitEyes
The Building Inspector's office in the Municipal Building at 50 Payson Avenue requires contractors to file through PermitEyes; paper applications are accepted only with prior approval and a $25 fee. Attach the energy report to the PermitEyes application with your plans.
HEEC's Marlborough office at 272 Lincoln St, Suite C1, is our closest to Easthampton.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Easthampton Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Easthampton?
For a new home in Easthampton, you need a HERS rating or Passive House, because Easthampton 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 Easthampton?
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.
Is Easthampton on the Specialized (Opt-In) Code?
Yes. Easthampton's Specialized (Opt-In) Code took effect January 1, 2025, according to the state's adoption list, after the city had been on the Stretch Code since January 1, 2011. New homes need a HERS rating, and REScheck is limited to small additions and alterations.
Can I file a paper building permit in Easthampton?
Only with prior approval and a $25 fee, according to the Building Inspector's page. Contractors are expected to file through PermitEyes, and the REScheck, COMcheck or HERS report can be attached there with the plans.
Related: HERS rating in Easthampton · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Easthampton?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Easthampton permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Easthampton and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Easthampton — including Easthampton Center, and Loudville. Every Easthampton project is filed with the City of Easthampton 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 Easthampton, including Northampton, Southampton, Holyoke, Westhampton, and South Hadley. 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 Easthampton rating on the schedule.
Easthampton Specialized Energy Code — HERS Index Targets
Easthampton 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 Easthampton project up front so you know the exact target and the fastest path to hit it — call (617) 501-6788.
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