Title 24 HERS, Permits & Final Inspections in Los Angeles
CHEERS-certified HERS / ECC Rating, mechanical/electrical/plumbing permit expediting, and final inspections across Los Angeles. Same-day field results. We work with LADBS at the Downtown HQ and the Van Nuys Valley counter every week - Mid-City to Eagle Rock, Westwood to Boyle Heights, Sylmar to Woodland Hills.
Los Angeles is our #1 city by volume.
More ERE permits run through Los Angeles than any other city we serve. The work is spread across 80+ ZIP codes and four distinct sub-regions: Mid-City (90019, 90016) and South / Central LA; the Eastside - Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Glassell Park, Lincoln Heights, El Sereno, Boyle Heights (90042, 90026, 90041, 90065, 90031, 90032, 90033); the Westside - Westwood, Brentwood, West LA (90024, 90025, 90049); and the San Fernando Valley, where we run 80+ permits a year through Sylmar, Chatsworth, Winnetka, Canoga Park, Northridge, Reseda, Woodland Hills, Granada Hills, and Porter Ranch (91342, 91311, 91306, 91304, 91325, 91335, 91367, 91344, 91326). The 405, 101, 5, and 10 freeways are our daily commute.
Working with the Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety (LADBS)
- Department: Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)
- Downtown HQ: 201 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
- Valley counter: 6262 Van Nuys Boulevard, Van Nuys, CA 91401
- Phone: (213) 482-0000
- Submission methods: Online Portal (ladbs.org e-permits), In-Person Counter
- Counter hours (typical): Monday to Friday, ~7:30 AM to 4:30 PM at both locations. Some over-the-counter services require an appointment; many MEP permits can be issued online without ever visiting a counter. Always confirm current hours and counter availability on ladbs.org before showing up.
LADBS is the largest building department in our service area, and unlike smaller cities, it operates from two main public counters - the Figueroa headquarters Downtown for everything south of the Hollywood Hills, and the Van Nuys counter for the entire San Fernando Valley. We pull mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits at whichever counter (or via the online portal) makes sense for the project address, run plan-check correction cycles, and coordinate with LADBS inspectors. Most simple MEP scopes go through e-permits without a counter visit at all.
What we do in Los Angeles
- Title 24 HERS / ECC Rating testing - duct leakage, refrigerant charge, cooling coil airflow, fan efficacy. CF1R / CF2R / CF3R prepared and registered with CHEERS, at no additional charge.
- Permit expediting - mechanical, electrical, plumbing through LADBS. Online e-permits or in-person at Figueroa or Van Nuys, whichever the scope requires. Plan-check corrections handled.
- Final inspections & closeout - we set up the final with the City of Los Angeles and the homeowner, confirm both are available, brief the homeowner on what the inspector will want to see, and hand off the HERS test and permit packet. When roof or attic access is needed, we drop a single-story ladder in the morning and pick it up that afternoon.
Climate Zone 6, 8, 9, or 16 - what it means for your test
Los Angeles is one of the few cities in California that spans four climate zones. The Westside and coastal-influenced neighborhoods (parts of West LA, Brentwood, Westwood) sit in CZ 6. Pockets of Mid-City and parts of South LA fall in CZ 8. Most of the LA Basin proper - Mid-City, the Eastside, the central Valley floor - is CZ 9, which is where the majority of our LA permits land. Mountain-edge neighborhoods (parts of the foothill communities and high-elevation Valley pockets) sit in CZ 16. The exact zone is set by the California Energy Commission and depends on the project address. Climate zone affects which Title 24 prescriptive paths apply and which HERS / ECC measures your project needs to verify, so we always confirm the zone for your specific address before quoting.
Frequently asked - Los Angeles
When does Title 24 require HERS / ECC testing for a Los Angeles project?
For most permitted work that touches energy systems, yes. HVAC alterations - replacing a coil, condenser, furnace, or more than 40 feet of ducting - typically require duct leakage testing and refrigerant charge verification. New construction and ADUs almost always require multiple HERS measures. Window replacements, insulation upgrades, and water-heater swaps may trigger HERS depending on scope and your climate zone. Los Angeles spans Climate Zones 6, 8, 9, and 16, so requirements vary block to block. LADBS plan check will tell you what's required when they review your permit; we can also confirm before you submit.
Do you also work in cities adjacent to Los Angeles?
Yes. Los Angeles is surrounded by independent cities with their own building departments, and we work all of them: Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Culver City, Santa Monica, Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, and Inglewood. Each has its own jurisdiction, plan-check process, and inspector pool, but they're all part of our regular weekly route. If you have permits pulled in one city and a final scheduled in another, we coordinate both.
What's the typical permit-to-closeout timeline in Los Angeles?
For a standard MEP permit (HVAC change-out, electrical service upgrade, water heater swap), figure roughly 2 to 4 weeks from submittal to permit issuance via the LADBS e-permit portal - often faster on simple over-the-counter scopes. Plan-check work tends to run longer than smaller departments because of LADBS volume. The HERS / ECC test happens once installation is done, with same-day field results. Final inspection scheduling adds another 2 to 10 business days. Most simple projects close out within 5 to 8 weeks. ADUs and additions take longer because of plan check.
How fast can ERE finish a HERS test in Los Angeles?
Same-day field results in your inbox the day of the test, and CF3R registered with CHEERS. Booking lead time is typically less than a week - Los Angeles is our highest-volume city, so we're on the road in the LA Basin, Westside, Eastside, and the San Fernando Valley every business day, and we can usually slot in a test within 2 to 5 business days.