Title 24 Energy Compliance in Burbank, CA

Title 24 Energy Compliance in Burbank, CA

Title 24 energy compliance is required for every new ADU and garage conversion in Burbank before the city issues a building permit. The report documents that your design meets California’s mandatory insulation, glazing, HVAC, water heating, and lighting standards – and without it, the Building & Safety Division at 150 N. Third Street simply won’t issue permits. At Ellery ADU Studio, every Title 24 report is produced in-house as part of the same permit set, at a written price confirmed before any work begins, under our design-build model that covers drawings through final inspection.

If you’re already working through the ADU process and have questions about where Title 24 fits, start with our ADU Design & Permitting in Burbank page – or call us directly at (747) 322-4648. A live person answers, no voicemail queue.

What Title 24 Actually Requires – and Why Burbank Has Extra Wrinkles

California’s Title 24, Part 6 is the state’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards. It’s updated roughly every three years – the 2022 Standards are currently enforced, and they’re meaningfully stricter than the 2019 version that governed most projects permitted before January 2023. For ADU work specifically, here’s what the report must document:

• Envelope performance: Wall and roof insulation R-values, window U-factors and Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC). In Burbank’s Climate Zone 9 – which covers most of the Flatlands, Magnolia Park, and the Hills neighborhoods – the SHGC limit of 0.25 is tighter than many owners expect, and it rules out a lot of off-the-shelf window packages.
• HVAC efficiency: Minimum SEER2 and EER2 ratings for any new cooling or heating equipment. Mini-split systems specified in Cover and Dvele prefab ADUs typically meet or exceed these thresholds, but site-built units need to be verified and documented.
• Water heating: Since the 2022 update, new ADUs in California must use a heat-pump water heater or solar thermal system – electric resistance is no longer compliant for new construction. This matters most for garage conversions in Burbank’s older Rancho and South Side stock, where the existing gas water heater can’t simply be reused in the new permitted space.
• Lighting: High-efficacy luminaires (LED, minimum 45 lumens per watt) throughout habitable space, with specific controls in bathrooms and kitchens.
• Air sealing and ventilation: A confirmed mechanical ventilation strategy and, for units over 400 square feet, a mandatory whole-building ventilation calculation.
• Solar-ready or battery-ready infrastructure: New detached ADUs in Burbank require conduit routed to a designated solar-ready location on the roof even if panels aren’t installed at permit. This is frequently missed by teams who pull permits infrequently.

Burbank’s Building & Safety plan checkers are specifically trained to flag Title 24 reports generated with older software or incorrect climate zone inputs. Climate Zone 9 is correct for Burbank – but we see submitted reports from other studios that default to Zone 10 (Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley) or Zone 7 (coastal LA), both of which will be caught at plan check and sent back.

When You Need a Title 24 Energy Compliance Report

The short answer: any permitted ADU project in Burbank triggers a Title 24 requirement. Here are the specific scenarios we handle most often:

• New detached ADU: Every new structure requires a full Title 24 CF1R (certificate of compliance), CF2R (installer certificates), and CF3R (field verification). Missing any one of the three stalls the final inspection.
• Garage conversion ADU: Converting a detached garage in Magnolia Park or Burbank’s West Side neighborhood requires a Title 24 report even though the footprint already exists. The new thermal envelope – added insulation, new windows, possibly a mini-split – must be modeled and documented. Under AB 2221, Burbank cannot require garage conversions to exceed new-construction energy standards, but compliance with current standards is still required.
• Junior ADU (JADU) interior conversion: If you’re converting a bedroom or interior space within the main house into a JADU with a separate entrance and efficiency kitchen, a Title 24 alteration analysis is required for any altered building components.
• Permit resubmission or plan check correction: If a previous permit application came back with a Title 24 deficiency – either missing documentation or a report generated with incorrect inputs – we can produce a corrected report and resubmit as part of a full plan check response.
• Pre-purchase feasibility: Homeowners evaluating a property on Glenoaks Boulevard or in the Rancho Equestrian District sometimes want a preliminary Title 24 feasibility review before closing, to understand whether the proposed ADU design will face energy compliance complications that add cost.
• Prefab ADU coordination: Factory-built ADUs from brands like Abodu sometimes arrive with a Title 24 report generated for a different California climate zone. Burbank’s plan checkers require either a zone-specific report or a documented compliance pathway showing the factory report applies to Zone 9. We handle this coordination within the same contract.

Before

After

Our Title 24 Energy Compliance Process

1. Site and design intake. We collect your existing drawings, site survey, and any preliminary design documents. For projects originating with Ellery, this information already exists in the project file. For clients bringing an outside plan set, we review it for climate zone consistency, equipment schedules, and envelope specifications before we model anything.
2. Energy modeling in compliance software. We run the project through California Energy Commission-approved software (EnergyPro or equivalent) using Burbank’s confirmed Climate Zone 9 inputs, local utility rates for Southern California Edison (SCE is the serving utility for most of Burbank), and the actual specified equipment from your design. The output is a compliance margin – how far above or below the performance target your design sits. We aim for a positive margin, not just bare compliance, because plan checkers scrutinize reports that land exactly at the threshold.
3. Design coordination if changes are needed. If the model shows a deficiency – most often an SHGC overage on south- or west-facing glazing in the Burbank Hills, or an undersized heat-pump water heater – we flag the specific element and propose a documented fix before the report is finalized. Because we hold both the design and the Title 24 work under the same contract, there’s no back-and-forth between a separate architect and a separate energy consultant. The correction happens inside the same project file.
4. Report preparation and permit package assembly. The completed CF1R is formatted for Burbank Building & Safety’s electronic plan check portal (ePlan). We assemble it alongside the architectural drawings, structural calculations, and the full permit application – one submission, one contact, one written scope.
5. Plan check response. If Burbank’s plan checker issues a correction specifically related to Title 24, we respond to it. Under the Haven Standard, corrections within the original scope are addressed without an additional charge – the written price you received at signing is the price.
6. Field verification documentation (CF2R and CF3R). During construction, installation of insulation, HVAC equipment, and windows must be field-verified by a certified HERS rater. We coordinate the HERS inspection and provide you with the completed CF2R (installer certificate) and CF3R (field verification) documents that the building inspector requires at final. These go into your project’s documented photo record.

Title 24 Energy Compliance Pricing in Burbank

Title 24 compliance is included in Ellery’s full design-build contract – it’s a line item in the permit set, not a separate engagement. For homeowners comparing quotes, exploring our How Much Does ADU Design & Permitting Cost? (2026 Price Guide) - Burbank, CA, or looking for a standalone report for an outside plan set, here are the ranges that reflect the current Burbank market:

• Standalone Title 24 report for an outside plan set (new detached ADU or garage conversion): $900 – $1,800, depending on design complexity and whether HERS coordination is included.
• Title 24 report as part of a full Ellery permit set: Included in the overall permit set fee, which typically runs $8,500 – $14,000 for a complete ADU permit package in Burbank – drawings, structural, energy, civil, and Title 24, from application through permit issuance. That number is fixed in writing before work starts, per Haven Standard Clause 1.
• Plan check correction / revised report (outside plan set): $400 – $750 to rework an existing report that has been flagged for incorrect climate zone, missing HVAC documentation, or water heater compliance issues.
• HERS coordination (when not bundled): Third-party HERS rater fees in Los Angeles County currently run $350 – $600 for the field verification visit. We coordinate the scheduling; the rater is an independent third party whose fee is passed through at cost.

Every quote is issued in writing before any work begins. That is not a policy we apply selectively – it is Haven Standard Clause 1, and it applies to every project, every time. Call (747) 322-4648 for a written estimate, or bring us a competing written quote and we’ll give you a free second opinion on it.

FAQs – Title 24 Energy Compliance in Burbank

Does every ADU in Burbank need a Title 24 report, or only new construction?

Every ADU permit in Burbank requires a Title 24 compliance report – new detached ADUs, garage conversions, and JADU interior conversions all trigger the requirement. The scope of the report varies: a new detached ADU needs a full CF1R/CF2R/CF3R package, while a JADU alteration may require only an alteration analysis covering the specific building components being changed. If you’re unsure which applies to your project, call (747) 322-4648 and we’ll tell you exactly what Burbank Building & Safety will require before you submit.

What climate zone does Burbank use for Title 24, and why does it matter?

Burbank is Climate Zone 9 under California’s Title 24 classification. It matters because glazing limits (particularly SHGC), insulation minimums, and ventilation calculations are all zone-specific. A report generated with Zone 7 (coastal) or Zone 10 (inland valley) inputs will be rejected at plan check. We see this error on roughly one in five outside plan sets we review – it’s the most common Title 24 rejection reason at Burbank Building & Safety and adds 3-6 weeks to a project’s timeline when it has to be corrected after initial submission.

Can I use my garage’s existing gas water heater in a converted ADU?

No – not under the 2022 Title 24 Standards. New ADUs, including garage conversions, are required to use a heat-pump water heater or solar thermal system. The existing gas water heater serving the main house can remain, but the new permitted ADU space must be served by a compliant system. In Burbank, where most pre-1980 garages were built with a gas hookup but no 240V panel capacity for a heat pump, this often means a panel upgrade is part of the project scope – something we identify at the design stage so it’s priced into the written contract before work starts, not discovered during rough framing.

What happens if my ADU fails the HERS field verification inspection?

A failed HERS inspection means the certified rater found a discrepancy between the installed conditions and the Title 24 report – usually a missing insulation batt, a window unit with the wrong U-factor, or an HVAC system not matching the specified model. For Ellery projects, this is a 365-Day Done Right Promise issue: if the installed work doesn’t match the permitted drawings and specifications, we correct it at no additional charge. The Promise is backed in writing before the project starts. For clients who come to us with a failed HERS inspection on someone else’s project, we can review the rater’s report and tell you exactly what needs to be corrected to pass re-inspection.

Why Ellery Handles Title 24 In-House

Most ADU studios outsource Title 24 to a third-party energy consultant. That creates a predictable problem: when the consultant’s report and the architect’s drawings don’t match – different window specifications, a last-minute HVAC substitution, a wall assembly change – neither party owns the correction. The designer says the consultant needs to update the report. The consultant says the designer needs to update the drawings. The homeowner waits.

Because Ellery holds the design drawings and the Title 24 modeling under the same contract, that gap doesn’t exist. When a James Hardie panel system changes the wall assembly depth and affects the insulation R-value, the energy model is updated in the same revision cycle as the drawings. When Burbank Building & Safety asks for a plan check correction, one person is accountable for both documents. That’s the practical value of our ADU Design & Permitting services under a single-contract design-build model, and it’s why we’ve been able to permit over 900 ADUs across Los Angeles County since 2015 without losing a project to a Title 24 standoff.

Nadia Ellery built this practice on the premise that the permit set is the product – not a side task handled by a subcontractor after the design is done. Title 24 compliance is part of that permit set. If you’re searching for ADU Design & Permitting Near Me in Burbank, CA and want to know exactly what a compliant, permitted ADU will cost – drawings, energy report, HERS coordination, and construction – call (747) 322-4648. A live person will answer, and you’ll have a written number before the conversation ends.

Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Burbank, serving Burbank.