REScheck & COMcheck Wellesley MA - Quick Facts
Local energy code in Wellesley
- As of January 1, 2024, Wellesley enforces the Massachusetts Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code on top of the Stretch Code baseline - IECC Climate Zone 5A.
- The Opt-In code goes further than the Stretch baseline: new fossil-fuel homes must be pre-wired for electrification and include on-site solar where roof space allows.
- New all-electric homes rely on heat pumps for heat and hot water; large fossil-fuel homes over 4,000 sq ft must hit net-zero (HERS 0), and multifamily over 12,000 sq ft must be Passive House.
REScheck & COMcheck in Wellesley
- REScheck documents the prescriptive residential path for Wellesley 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 Wellesley permit application.
Mass Save rebates for Wellesley (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.
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REScheck & COMcheck Wellesley MA
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants prepares REScheck (residential) and COMcheck (commercial) compliance documentation for Wellesley 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 Wellesley 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 Wellesley 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 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 Wellesley Project?
REScheck is the simplest path for smaller residential projects in Wellesley 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
- Detached accessory structures with conditioned space
- Multifamily buildings of three stories or fewer
- Additions, alterations, or renovations to a one- or two-family home
- Window and insulation upgrades that must be documented for a building permit
COMcheck Projects in Wellesley
COMcheck is required for commercial and larger projects in Wellesley. Reach for a COMcheck when your project involves:
- Tenant fit-outs and interior or exterior lighting alterations
- Commercial buildings — offices, retail, restaurants, warehouses, and mixed-use
- High-rise residential buildings of four stories or more
- Envelope work on commercial structures requiring IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 compliance
- Medical, dental, and professional office construction
What We Deliver for Wellesley 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.
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.
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 Wellesley.
Serving Wellesley and Norfolk County
Wellesley sits in Norfolk 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 Norfolk County, matched to the code edition Wellesley currently enforces.
Transparent Pricing for Wellesley 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 Wellesley. Send your plans for an exact quote.
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Which Energy Code Report Does a Wellesley Project Need?
Wellesley 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 Wellesley 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. Wellesley is in Norfolk County, served from our Framingham (68 South St) office.
How We Prepare Your Wellesley REScheck or COMcheck
Send your plans
Email the permit set for your Wellesley 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 Wellesley 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 Wellesley Permits
Wellesley adopted the Specialized (Opt-In) Code at its 2023 Annual Town Meeting, and the code took effect on January 1, 2024. The town had been on the Stretch Code since January 1, 2012. The Building Department at 888 Worcester Street, Suite 160, offers many permits online through ViewPoint Cloud.
What Wellesley expects on commercial jobs
Wellesley's commercial building permit checklist says that when the thermal envelope is altered or energy code compliance is required, computations prepared by a Massachusetts registered professional must be submitted, with final affidavits at occupancy. COMcheck is the usual tool for those computations: it covers the envelope, lighting and mechanical systems. A commercial building over 20,000 sq ft needs more than COMcheck under the Stretch and Specialized codes.
Residential work
For a Wellesley home, the size of the project decides the report. A REScheck fits a small addition up to 1,000 sq ft that is not more than 100% of the existing home, or an alteration where the prescriptive path is allowed. A new house needs a HERS rating of 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric. A large addition or major renovation needs HERS 65 mixed-fuel or 70 all-electric.
Multifamily housing is growing in town too. The Nines added 350 apartments at Wellesley Park, and The Bellwether, a 34-condominium project at 192-194 Worcester Street and 150 Cedar Street, has been approved. Projects of that size need energy code planning from the design stage.
HEEC's Framingham office at 68 South St is the closest to Wellesley. We can prepare the energy documents for both your permit and your occupancy sign-off.
REScheck & COMcheck Questions for Wellesley Projects
Do I need a REScheck or a HERS rating in Wellesley?
For a new home in Wellesley, you need a HERS rating or Passive House, because Wellesley 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 Wellesley?
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.
What does Wellesley require for energy code on commercial permits?
Wellesley's commercial building permit checklist requires energy code computations from a Massachusetts registered professional when the thermal envelope is altered or energy code compliance applies, plus final affidavits for occupancy. A COMcheck report is the usual way to document envelope, lighting and mechanical compliance.
When did Wellesley's Specialized Code take effect?
Wellesley's 2023 Annual Town Meeting adopted the Specialized (Opt-In) Code, and it took effect on January 1, 2024. New homes need a HERS rating (HERS 42 mixed-fuel or 45 all-electric) or Passive House, and small additions can still use REScheck where the prescriptive path is allowed.
Related: HERS rating in Wellesley · Blower door testing · COMcheck & REScheck reports
Need a REScheck or COMcheck in Wellesley?
Send us your plans and we will tell you which report you need and get it back to you fast — ready for your Wellesley permit.
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HERS Ratings Across Wellesley and Nearby Communities
Home Energy Efficiency Consultants rates new homes, additions, and major renovations throughout Wellesley — including Wellesley Hills, Wellesley Square, Wellesley Farms, and Babson Park. Every Wellesley project is filed with the Town of Wellesley 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 Wellesley, including Natick, Needham, Newton, Weston, and Dover. Our Framingham office at 68 South St is the closest of our four Massachusetts locations — see our Framingham office or call (617) 501-6788 to get a Wellesley rating on the schedule.
Wellesley Specialized Energy Code — HERS Index Targets
Wellesley 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 Wellesley project up front so you know the exact target and the fastest path to hit it — call (617) 501-6788.
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