How Much Does a HERS Test Cost? California Market Pricing (2026)
Straight answer: in the open California market, a single duct leakage test runs about $150–$400, a full HVAC changeout test package $200–$450, and QII verification $250–$500. Here are the published numbers, what moves them, and how to avoid paying for a retest.
By Roman Leonelli, CEO & Certified HERS / ECC Rater — CHEERS Rater #RCN13486 · Updated
The short answer
A HERS test (Home Energy Rating System test) is the field verification that California's Title 24 energy code — the Building Energy Efficiency Standards in Title 24, Part 6 of the California Code of Regulations — requires on many HVAC changeouts, new homes, ADUs, and additions. As of January 1, 2026, the California Energy Commission (CEC) calls this work Energy Code Compliance (ECC), but the tests and the prices are the same. If you want the full background first, read What is a HERS test?
Most California field-testing companies do not publish prices. The table below compiles the ranges that are published — by cost guides and by the minority of providers with public price lists — so you know what the market charges before anyone quotes you.
| Service | Typical market range | Published examples |
|---|---|---|
| Duct leakage test (single system) | $150–$400 per visit | Title 24 Energy Experts: $250–$400 by property size; HomeAdvisor: $150–$250 typical |
| Full HVAC changeout package (duct leakage, refrigerant charge, airflow, fan watt draw) | $200–$450 per visit | Title 24 Energy Experts: $200–$400; Energyguru a-la-carte stack: about $400–$450 plus $50 certification fee |
| Blower door (envelope leakage) test | $200–$600 | HomeGuide: about $350 average for a single-family home; $350–$450 with thermal imaging and report |
| QII verification (2–3 site visits) | $250–$500 | GetTitle24: $250–$500 depending on region and rater; Energyguru: $350 including three trips |
| Title 24 energy calcs / CF1R report (desk service) | $200–$500 flat | Energy Consult (San Pedro): $360 up to 2,400 sq ft; Title24Express: $350–$595 by size |
The ranges, service by service
Duct leakage test: $150–$400
The most common HERS test in Southern California — required on most permitted duct replacements and HVAC changeouts. Title 24 Energy Experts puts duct leakage testing at $250–$400 depending on property size, while HomeAdvisor cites $150–$250 as typical for HERS testing. Energyguru, one of the few raters with a fully published menu (Northern California, so treat it as a low-end statewide benchmark), lists duct leakage at $250 for the first test, $50 for each additional system, plus a $50 certification processing fee per address.
Full changeout package: $200–$450
When your CF1R — the Certificate of Compliance filed with your permit — calls for more than duct leakage, raters bundle the measures into one visit: refrigerant charge verification, cooling coil airflow, and fan watt draw. Title 24 Energy Experts reports $200–$400 for combined changeout testing depending on system complexity; stacking Energyguru's published a-la-carte rates for all four measures lands around $400–$450. Booking everything in one visit is meaningfully cheaper than paying for separate trips.
Blower door test: $200–$600
A blower door test measures whole-house air leakage by depressurizing the building envelope. HomeGuide's 2026 data shows a single-family average around $350, with basic tests at $200–$250 and tests that include thermal imaging and a written report at $350–$450. Title 24 Energy Experts quotes blower door testing starting at $400 for properties up to 1,000 square feet, increasing with size.
QII verification: $250–$500
QII (Quality Insulation Installation) is the pre-drywall insulation and air-barrier verification required on most new low-rise residential construction. GetTitle24 puts QII at $250–$500 depending on the region and the rater; Energyguru publishes $350 including three site trips, with extra trips at $85 each. The multiple required visits are the main cost driver. Details on what's checked: our QII verification service.
Title 24 / CF1R report: $200–$500
Not a field test, but you'll often buy it for the same project: the CF1R energy report your designer submits with the permit application. Published Southern California schedules cluster tightly — Energy Consult in San Pedro charges $360 for homes up to 2,400 square feet, and Title24Express runs $350–$595 by square footage. Online desk services advertise from $250.
What actually drives the price
- Which measures your CF1R requires. One duct test is cheap; duct leakage plus refrigerant charge plus airflow plus fan watt draw costs more — though far less per measure when bundled into one visit.
- Number of systems. A two-system house roughly means two of each test. Published menus charge $50–$100 for each additional system on the same visit.
- Home size and access. Larger homes mean more registers, longer setup, and bigger envelopes for blower door and QII work.
- Registry fees. Registering the results with a CEC-approved registry adds a processing fee — Energyguru publishes $50 per address.
- Retests. If the system fails, the return visit is usually billed. AES in Burbank publishes re-testing at $125 per hour.
- Travel and scheduling. Distance, rush requests, and weekend slots all move quotes.
How to avoid retest fees
Almost every avoidable HERS cost comes from a failed first visit. Five things that keep you at one visit:
- Seal ducts before the test, not after. Ask your HVAC contractor to mastic-seal all connections and boots when they install — duct leakage over the allowed limit is the most common failure.
- Have the CF2R done. The installing contractor's Certificate of Installation must be completed and registered before the rater can file the verification. Showing up to untested paperwork wastes the visit.
- Finish the install first. The system needs to be fully installed, powered, and operational — filters in, registers on, thermostat working — before the rater arrives.
- Bundle every measure into one visit. Published menus show each extra trip costs more than each extra test on the same trip.
- Clear access. Attic hatches, crawl spaces, equipment closets, and every register need to be reachable. Blocked access means a rescheduled — and billed — visit.
Why ERE quotes fixed prices
The pattern in the market is simple: desk services that produce CF1R reports publish flat prices, and field-testing companies almost universally don't — they quote job by job, after you call. We think that's backwards. ERE gives you a fixed quote before you book, based on your CF1R and your address, so the number you hear is the number you pay. Same-day registered results, serving Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire since March 2015.
Request a fixed quote Book online
Does the 2025 Energy Code change what you'll pay?
The 2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards took effect January 1, 2026, and apply to projects whose permit applications are submitted on or after that date (earlier applications stay on the 2022 code). For testing budgets, the relevant changes are scope, not rates: refrigerant charge verification is now required for heat pumps in all 16 climate zones (for air conditioners, in climate zones 2 and 8–15), and HRV/ERV systems need a fault indicator display verified by an ECC rater. The CEC has also renamed the program — HERS raters are now ECC raters — with no change to the forms: CF1R at permit, CF2R from the installer, CF3R from the rater.
Frequently asked
Who pays for the HERS test — the homeowner or the contractor?
Either can hire the rater, but the test must be performed by an independent third party — your installing contractor cannot test their own work. On HVAC changeouts, many contractors include the HERS test in their bid; check whether yours does before you accept it. If it's not included, you hire the rater directly, which also means you choose who shows up.
How long does a HERS test take?
Most single-system residential visits take about an hour on site. Multiple systems, a blower door test, or QII verification take longer or require separate visits. ERE registers passing results the same day, so your building department can see the CF3R before your final inspection.
What happens if my project fails the HERS test?
The rater documents what failed, your contractor fixes it, and the rater retests. The retest is usually billed — one Burbank firm publishes re-testing at $125 per hour — which is why it pays to have the contractor seal the ducts and finish their CF2R paperwork before the rater arrives.
Why don't most HERS testing companies publish prices?
Because the price depends on which measures your CF1R requires, how many systems you have, and where the property is — so most field-testing companies quote job by job. The ranges in this guide come from the minority of California providers that do publish rates. ERE gives you a fixed quote up front: call (310) 807-4800.
Will the 2025 Energy Code make HERS testing more expensive?
It can add measures. For permit applications on or after January 1, 2026, the 2025 Energy Code requires refrigerant charge verification for heat pumps in all 16 climate zones, plus new ECC-rater verifications such as HRV/ERV fault indicator displays. More required measures means more to test — but bundling everything into one visit keeps the cost down.
Is the CF1R report the same as the HERS test?
No. The CF1R (Certificate of Compliance) is the energy report your designer or energy consultant files at permit time — a desk document that typically costs $200 to $500 in the California market. The HERS test is the field verification of the finished work, documented on the CF3R. Many projects need both, and they're usually bought from different providers.
Want a number, not a range?
Send us your CF1R and your address and we'll give you a fixed quote — no surprises at the door. HERS / ECC testing with same-day registered results across LA, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.