Your HERS Test, Explained
No engineering degree required. Your contractor or city inspector said you need a HERS test, and now you are here. It is quick, it is painless, and we handle the paperwork. Here is exactly how it goes.
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1
Wait, What's a HERS Test?
California wants to know that new heating and cooling equipment actually performs the way it was designed to, instead of leaking air and wasting money every month. A HERS rater is an independent tester who checks the work and signs off. Think of it as a second set of eyes on your new system, and the last box to check before your permit can close.
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Send Us the Basics
Call or send the form with your address, what was installed (new AC, furnace, ducts and so on), and your permit number or a photo of your paperwork if you have it.
- Your address
- What was installed
- Permit number or a photo of the paperwork
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3
Pick a Day
We schedule around you and your contractor, and most visits take about an hour. Tell us the window that works and we will fit it in as early as we can.
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A Little Prep (Really, Just a Little)
Nothing needs cleaning. We just need to reach the equipment.
- Access to the indoor unit, the attic or crawl space, and the outdoor unit
- The thermostat reachable and the system powered on
- Pets are adorable, but a closed door makes the visit faster
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Test Day
Here is what you might see while we work. No holes, no mess, nothing taken apart.
- A fan temporarily attached to a vent. We are pressurizing the ducts to measure how much air escapes. It hums a bit.
- Gauges on your outdoor unit. We are checking that the refrigerant charge is correct.
- A tool held up to your vents. We are measuring how much air actually reaches each room.
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The Results
Passed? We register your certificates with the state and you are done with us. Did not pass the first time? That is normal, especially with ducts. We tell your contractor exactly what needs adjusting, they make the correction, and we come back to retest.
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Final Inspection
Your city inspector sees the registered paperwork, signs off on the permit, and you end up with a system that has been verified to work the way it should.
Quick Questions
HERS or ECC: what's the difference?
Mostly the name. On January 1, 2026, California's Energy Code Compliance (ECC) program replaced the HERS program for the field verification and diagnostic testing that permits require. HERS raters are now recognized as ECC-Raters, and paperwork under the 2025 Energy Code says “ECC” where it used to say “HERS.” Projects permitted under earlier code cycles still use HERS forms. Either way, we do the testing and register the results so your permit can close.
Do I have to be home?
Someone needs to let us in, but it can be your contractor. Plenty of our visits happen with no homeowner on site.
Is it loud?
About as loud as a vacuum cleaner in the next room, for a few minutes at a time.
Why do I pay for this if my contractor did the work?
State law requires an independent tester, so the person checking the work is not the person who did it. That rule exists to protect you.
How long does it take?
Most single-system homes take about an hour. Larger homes with multiple systems take longer, and we will give you the window when we schedule.
How much does it cost?
It depends on which tests your permit triggers. Send the address and what was installed and we will confirm the price before anyone drives out.
What if my system fails?
Nothing bad happens. The contractor corrects what we flag and we retest. Finding it now is much better than finding it with an inspector standing in the driveway.
What We Look At, and Why
Tap a marker to see what happens at each part of the system on test day.
Rooftop Unit
This is the equipment itself. We verify the refrigerant charge is correct and measure how much air moves across the coil. Get either wrong and the system runs longer, cools less, and wears out early.
What this test involvesThe Ducts
We seal the vents, pressurize the duct system and measure how much air escapes. Air leaking into the attic never reaches a room, so leaky ducts waste the capacity you paid for.
What this test involvesSupply Registers
We hold a flow hood over each vent to measure the air actually arriving in that room, then adjust until it matches design. This is what fixes the bedroom that never cools.
What this test involvesReturn Grille
Air has to get back to the equipment as easily as it leaves it. We measure the return side too, because a starved return makes an otherwise healthy system underperform.
What this test involvesInsulation
On new construction and additions we inspect insulation before drywall goes up, checking for gaps, compression and full coverage. Once the wall is closed, nobody can see it again.
What this test involvesTell Us About Your Project
Send the address and what was installed. We will tell you which tests apply and what it costs before anyone drives out.