Frequently Asked Questions

The fee for an assessment with a standard report is $550, regardless of the home's square footage. If your property is in a BayREN rebate-eligible area (excluding Berkeley and Palo Alto), the net cost is $300 after applying the $250 BayREN rebate.

For Berkeley BESO compliance, we offer a full-service package — including the assessment and city filing — for $600 per single-family home. See details here.

We service single-family homes and side-by-side duplexes. We are not able to perform assessments for multi-unit dwellings.

Berkeley BESO exception: Stacked duplexes within Berkeley city limits can be assessed together as a single unit under a BESO-required workaround. For pricing details, please see the Berkeley Time of Sales BESO section on our website.

A standard HES report is typically completed and approved within 3–4 business days after the on-site visit. City-mandated reports — such as Berkeley BESO or Piedmont Pre-Sale HES — can sometimes be delivered sooner, within 1–3 business days.

You can schedule a convenient time directly using the Schedule an Inspection button at the bottom of this page. Booking is handled through Google Calendar — no account required.

The assessment evaluates your home's energy efficiency based on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) standards. Key items include:

• Building envelope dimensions, ceiling heights, and all windows
• Insulation levels in the attic, crawlspace, and exterior-facing walls
• Photographs of the exterior, interior, foundation, HVAC, water heater, electrical panel, major appliances, and any existing solar PV system

The on-site assessment usually takes less than 2 hours to complete.

The official DOE report includes your current energy cost and score, plus estimated costs and scores if you were to perform Weatherization Upgrades (insulation and air sealing) and Full Home Electrification.

Please ensure clear access to:

• Attic and crawlspace access points (hatches)
• The floor space directly beneath the attic hatch
• The water heater, heating system, and major appliances

If you have documentation of any recent energy upgrades, please have it available — this helps us accurately reflect your home's current condition in the assessment. This includes records for:

• Insulation installation
• Professional air sealing
• Heat pump installation (space heating or water heating)
• Solar (PV) or battery storage systems

We do not provide these tests directly, but we can refer you to external specialists if you'd like them performed.

A Blower Door Test measures total air leakage but does not pinpoint specific leak locations. For older homes, the HES simulation software's default assumptions for air leakage are generally quite accurate.

These tests are most valuable after a retrofit project to verify the quality of the work.