REScheck & COMcheck Somerville MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Somerville
- Somerville adopted the Massachusetts Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code effective July 1, 2023; 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 Somerville
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Somerville 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 Somerville permit application.
2026 Mass Save incentives in Somerville
- 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 Somerville MA
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants prepares REScheck (residential) and COMcheck (commercial) compliance documentation for Somerville projects. When your build does not trigger a full HERS rating, these DOE compliance reports are the fast, affordable path to your permit.
What we deliver
A signed compliance report matched to your plans and ready to upload with your Somerville building permit application.
What Is a REScheck and What Is a COMcheck?
Both are free compliance software tools developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate that a building meets the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). They document your envelope, and for commercial work your lighting and mechanical systems, so a plan reviewer in Somerville can confirm compliance quickly.
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 the DOE’s residential compliance tool. It covers one- and two-family dwellings and low-rise multifamily (three stories or fewer), using a UA trade-off so a stronger wall or roof can make up for a weaker window while the overall envelope still meets the IECC.
Is a REScheck Right for Your Somerville Project?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Somerville 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
- Permit applications needing residential envelope documentation on the prescriptive or UA trade-off path
- Additions, alterations, or renovations to a one- or two-family home
- Projects where insulation and window trade-offs are enough to demonstrate compliance
- Window and insulation upgrades that must be documented for a building permit
When Do You Need a COMcheck in Somerville?
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Somerville. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- Restaurant build-outs and retail white-box improvements
- Tenant fit-outs and interior or exterior lighting alterations
- High-rise residential buildings of four stories or more
- Warehouse, industrial, and light-manufacturing conditioned spaces
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
What Your Somerville Compliance Report Includes
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 Somerville.
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.
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.
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.
Serving Somerville and Middlesex County
Somerville 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 Somerville currently enforces.
Transparent Pricing for Somerville Compliance Reports
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 Somerville. Send your plans for an exact quote.
Trusted by Somerville Builders & Owners
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“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 Somerville Project Need?
Somerville 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 Somerville 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. Somerville is in Middlesex County, served from our Somerville (519 Broadway) office.
How We Prepare Your Somerville REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Somerville 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 Somerville 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 Somerville Permits
Somerville moved from the Stretch Code to the Specialized (Opt-In) Code on July 1, 2023, one of the first cities in the state to do so. That change mostly affects new buildings. For a typical Somerville triple-decker or two-family, the energy paperwork depends on how big the job is:
- REScheck works for small residential additions and alterations: an addition up to 1,000 sq ft and not more than 100% of the existing home, a dormer, or an attic or basement finish, where the prescriptive path is allowed.
- A HERS rating is needed for any new home (HERS 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric, plus the Specialized Code's net-zero-ready requirements) and for a larger addition or major renovation (whole-house HERS 65 mixed-fuel or 70 all-electric).
- COMcheck covers commercial work such as storefront fit-outs, lighting changes and HVAC replacements. A new commercial building over 20,000 sq ft needs more than COMcheck: a performance path with envelope backstop and thermal-bridge calculations.
Permits are handled by Somerville's Inspectional Services Department at 1 Franey Rd and filed online through Citizenserve. ISD states that all new ground-up construction and major renovations must comply with the Specialized Code, so the reviewer will expect energy documentation that matches your scope from the first submission.
Large mixed-use districts such as Boynton Yards, next to Union Square, combine lab, office, apartments and retail, which is where COMcheck and multifamily energy paths overlap. Our Somerville office at 519 Broadway is a short trip from most job sites in the city, and we can tell you the same day which report your plans need.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Somerville Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Somerville?
For a new home in Somerville, you need a HERS rating or Passive House, because Somerville 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 Somerville?
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.
When did Somerville switch to the Specialized (Opt-In) Code?
Somerville has used the Specialized (Opt-In) Code since July 1, 2023, according to the state's adoption list. Before that it had been a Stretch Code city since January 1, 2012.
How do I file a building permit in Somerville?
Somerville building permits are filed online through Citizenserve and reviewed by the Inspectional Services Department at 1 Franey Rd. Upload your REScheck, COMcheck or HERS documentation with the application.
Related: HERS rating in Somerville · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Somerville?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Somerville permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Somerville and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Somerville — from Davis Square, Union Square, and Ball Square to Winter Hill and Assembly Square. Every Somerville project is filed with the City of Somerville Inspectional Services Division, 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 Somerville, including Cambridge, Medford, Everett, Boston, and Arlington. 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 Somerville rating on the schedule.
Somerville Specialized Energy Code — HERS Index Targets
Somerville 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 Somerville project up front so you know the exact target and the fastest path to hit it — call (617) 501-6788.
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