REScheck & COMcheck Essex MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Essex
- Essex is a Stretch Code community - the statewide baseline 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 Essex is on the Stretch Code.
REScheck & COMcheck in Essex
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Essex 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 Essex permit application.
Mass Save rebates for Essex (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 135 Google reviews · (617) 501-6788
REScheck & COMcheck Essex MA
Fast, accurate REScheck and COMcheck energy code compliance reports for residential and commercial projects in Essex, 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 stamped, signed compliance report matched to your plans and ready to upload with your Essex 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 Essex 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.
REScheck Projects in Essex
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Essex 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
- Detached accessory structures with conditioned space
- Window and insulation upgrades that must be documented for a building permit
- Finished basements, attic conversions, and dormer additions on existing homes
- Permit applications needing residential envelope documentation on the prescriptive or UA trade-off path
When Do You Need a COMcheck in Essex?
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Essex. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- High-rise residential buildings of four stories or more
- Commercial buildings — offices, retail, restaurants, warehouses, and mixed-use
- New mechanical (HVAC) or service water heating systems in commercial spaces
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
- Restaurant build-outs and retail white-box improvements
What We Deliver for Essex Projects
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.
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 Essex.
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 Essex and Essex County
Essex sits in Essex 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 Essex County, matched to the code edition Essex currently enforces.
What a REScheck or COMcheck Costs in Essex
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 Essex. Send your plans for an exact quote.
Trusted by Essex 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 Essex?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Essex permit.
Email Energyconsultants01@gmail.com Call 617-501-6788HERS Ratings in Essex, Massachusetts
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants provides Essex with certified HERS ratings, blower door and duct leakage testing, and Massachusetts energy-code compliance for new construction, additions, and major renovations — with same-day preliminary reports.
We rate homes across the Commonwealth from our four offices. Reach the one nearest your Essex project — Somerville, Framingham, Marlborough, or Everett — or call (617) 501-6788 to schedule a Essex rating.
More Massachusetts Towns We Serve
Certified HERS ratings, blower door testing and energy code compliance across all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns.
