HVAC Replacement ECC/HERS Permit Closeout Guide

An HVAC replacement is not ready for permit final merely because the equipment runs. California’s closeout record may include the approved compliance certificate, contractor installation documents, required ECC/HERS verification documents, registry completion, and the building department’s own final inspection.

The exact package is project-specific. The CEC says field verification required for a project is specified on its Certificate of Compliance in the 2025 ECC counter sheet. Poppy Energy’s full-service ECC/HERS testing service can coordinate the rater portion once that certificate is available.

1. Collect the Permit and Compliance Documents

Start with the current permit card, approved mechanical scope, and complete CF1R. For 2025 single-family projects, Energy Code Ace lists CF1R-ALT-02-E for prescriptive alterations to space-conditioning systems as an ECC-required form in its official forms directory.

Check the form edition, address, system count, equipment schedule, duct scope, and ECC Feature Summary. The CF1R documents the approved design and equipment at permit application, according to Energy Code Ace’s CF1R description.

If the installed equipment or duct work differs from the certificate, send the discrepancy to the contractor and document author before testing. A field verification cannot make an inconsistent design document accurate.

2. Complete Contractor Installation Forms

CF2R Certificates of Installation document that the installed work complies with the Energy Code at construction. Energy Code Ace states that installers complete the applicable CF2Rs and submit them to the inspector on its 2025 residential forms page.

The specific mechanical CF2R depends on the scope. The official list includes separate documents for space-conditioning systems, ducts and fans, airflow and fan efficacy, refrigerant charge, ventilation, and other features. Use the form designations tied to the CF1R rather than choosing one by a familiar nickname.

Poppy scheduling recommendation: before calling the rater, confirm the following with the rater for the measures actually listed on the CF1R:

• Indoor and outdoor model numbers are legible and match the approved schedule
• Equipment can operate in the modes needed for the listed verification
• Thermostats and controls are installed
• Filters, grilles, registers, and access panels are in place as required by the applicable procedure
• For a listed final duct-leakage test, the air handler, plenums, connectors, boots, and registers are installed and sealed; confirm a rough-in configuration separately
• Installer CF2Rs are signed or ready in the provider workflow
• Utilities and safe access are available

These are coordination checks, not a claim that every project receives every listed test. The official support is procedure-specific: RA3.1.4.3.1 defines the completed duct-system configuration for a final total-leakage test, Table RA3.1-2 identifies rough-in alternatives, and RA3.3.3.1 specifies airflow-test operating conditions.

3. Schedule the Rater Verification

For HVAC alterations, the CEC says FV&DT is prescriptively required for most projects, but the certificate identifies the measures that actually apply, in its ECC counter sheet.

Send the rater the full CF1R, permit address, equipment labels, system count, duct scope, installer contact, and registry details. The rater matches those inputs to the applicable CF3R Certificate of Verification. The CEC’s forms library defines CF3R as the verification-stage document.

Do not order a national RESNET HERS Index when the permit asks for California compliance verification. The CEC explains that code-compliance FV&DT moved to ECC while optional whole-house rating remained separate on its ECC Program page.

4. Finish Registry Documentation

Projects with ECC measures use an approved provider registry for required compliance documents. The CEC’s ECC-Provider page states that approved providers operate residential data registries and oversee ECC-Raters.

Check that the correct project address and permit information appear in the registry; installer documents are complete; rater verification forms are signed after passing results; and any revisions are resolved. CHEERS describes building departments as registry users who confirm state energy requirements before approval.

A screenshot that says “test passed” may help project communication, but the building department may need the completed registered form package. Confirm its submission method with the jurisdiction.

5. Request Building-Department Final Inspection

The building inspector’s final is a separate enforcement step from rater verification. The CEC’s compliance-document library distinguishes design, installation, and verification forms; the authority having jurisdiction decides how those approved records must be presented for permit closeout.

Before requesting final, assemble:

Closeout item	Owner	Ready?
Permit card and approved mechanical plans	Contractor/owner
Current registered CF1R when required	Document author/contractor
Applicable CF2R installation forms	Installing contractor
Applicable CF3R verification forms	ECC-Rater
Correction or revision records	Responsible trade/document author
Manufacturer and commissioning records requested by jurisdiction	Contractor
Building-department final request	Permit holder

Ask the jurisdiction whether documents must be uploaded, printed onsite, or transmitted through its portal. Do not promise a universal closeout turnaround; scheduling and review are controlled by the local department and project readiness.

Failure Recovery: Find the Broken Link

If the permit cannot close, identify the stage rather than repeatedly rescheduling final:

1. CF1R problem: missing, wrong revision, wrong equipment, or wrong system count. Return to the document author.
2. CF2R problem: installer form missing or inconsistent. Return to the installing contractor.
3. Field-test problem: correct the documented condition and request reinspection under the applicable procedure. Poppy scheduling recommendation: confirm access needs with the rater before the return visit.
4. CF3R problem: passing verification not signed, linked, or registered. Coordinate with the ECC-Rater and provider.
5. Registry problem: project mismatch, duplicate record, unresolved signature, or document status. Use the provider’s support path.
6. Jurisdiction problem: department requests a particular submission or correction. Follow the written correction notice.

For a clearer answer before installation begins, read when California ECC/HERS testing is required. The best closeout strategy is to trace each CF1R feature through installer documentation, rater verification, registry completion, and the building department’s final—not to treat “HERS” as a single last-minute appointment.