Quality Insulation Inspection (QII)

QII Inspection in Sacramento

Quality Insulation Installation (QII) field verification, commonly requested as a QII inspection, is used when a California project's approved compliance documents specify it. The verification compares visible insulation installation and related air-sealing details with those documents before finishes conceal the work.

Poppy Energy provides QII inspection in Sacramento for residential projects such as new homes, ADUs, and additions when QII is part of the selected compliance approach. Not every project automatically requires QII. Review the approved Title 24 report or ask the energy consultant and building department which measures apply.

Who Needs a QII?

Builders, owner-builders, insulation contractors, and homeowners may need to coordinate QII when it appears in the approved energy documentation. Because the work must remain visible, the project team should identify QII early and include it in the construction schedule.

QII is a California compliance inspection, not a national RESNET HERS Index. It also does not replace building-department inspections, energy modeling, or nonresidential acceptance testing.

QII Inspection Stages

QII can involve observations at more than one construction stage, depending on the approved documents and assembly details. Coordinate before insulation work begins so the rater can determine when framing, air barriers, sealing, and insulation need to be visible.

The primary insulation-stage visit occurs after the scheduled materials and air-sealing details are installed but before drywall or other finishes cover them. Attic or other assemblies may need access at a different stage. Do not cover work until the required observations are complete.

Documents Required for QII

Before scheduling, send the approved Title 24 energy report and QII-related pages, current plans, project address, permit number if available, insulation product information, and the site contact. The rater uses the approved project documents—not a generic checklist—to identify specified assemblies, insulation values, and verification details.

If documents change during construction, send the approved revision before the inspection. This avoids comparing installed work with an outdated design.

QII Site Readiness

The scheduled insulation areas should be complete, visible, safe to access, and free of stored materials that block cavities. Required air sealing should be complete, and insulation labels or product information should be available. A site contact should be reachable to answer scope and access questions.

QII focuses on installation quality: consistent coverage, proper fit around penetrations, avoidance of gaps and compression, alignment with the intended air barrier, and the materials and values identified in the approved documents. Related blower door testing measures finished-building air leakage and is a separate verification.

QII Deliverables

After the visit, the rater records observations and the pass or correction status for the inspected areas. Passing results are completed through the applicable California compliance documentation process. The rater's field verification supports permit closeout but does not itself issue a building permit or final approval.

Projects that also require duct testing, refrigerant charge verification, or fan efficacy testing should coordinate those services for the appropriate HVAC stage. Our full-service ECC/HERS testing team can review the complete verification list.

Corrections and Reinspection

If an observed area does not match the approved requirements, the project team receives a clear correction item. Common issues include gaps, compressed or displaced insulation, incomplete air sealing, incorrect material or value, and inaccessible assemblies.

The responsible trade completes the correction before work is covered. Depending on the issue and applicable documentation process, follow-up evidence or a site reinspection may be needed. See our QII correction notices guide for examples and preparation tips.

QII Pricing Factors

QII pricing depends on project size and complexity, travel, the number and timing of inspection stages, accessibility, document completeness, and whether reinspection is needed. Multi-unit buildings, phased insulation work, and projects with several assemblies generally require more coordination than a small single-stage project.

Send the approved documents and construction schedule for a project-specific quote. Packaging separate ECC verifications may reduce duplicate coordination, but each service is scoped from the project's actual requirements.