# Title 24 Rules for Pool Equipment and ADUs | Remodel Your Vibe [Browser-friendly HTML version](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/website-guide/pages/articles/title-24-requirements-pools-adus-california/index) Source: https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/title-24-requirements-pools-adus-california Last modified: 2026-08-08T00:00:00.000Z Text part: 1 of 1 [Full website text index](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/llms-full.txt) | [Articles and guides](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/llms/articles-003.txt) | [Previous page](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/llms/pages/articles/pool-safety-fence-requirements-california/index.txt) | [Next page](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/llms/pages/articles/baseline-hillside-ordinance-los-angeles-guide/index.txt) --- 1. 1. [Resources](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles) 1. [Design Planning](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/category/design-planning) 1. Title 24 in Plain English: Pool Equipment and ADUs [Design Planning](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/category/design-planning) ### Title 24 in Plain English: Pool Equipment and ADUs Under the 2025 code, new pool pumps must be variable speed and new detached ADUs need solar. [Remodel Your Vibe Design Team](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/our-approach) August 8, 20265 min read Image: Title 24 in Plain English: What It Requires of Pool Equipment and ADUs In this article 1. What Title 24 actually is, and the two compliance paths 1. Pool and spa equipment: what the code demands 1. ADUs: which ones must carry solar 1. Envelope, equipment and what gets tested 1. Where projects get caught 1. Who does what, and what the compliance costs Title 24 is California's building standards code, and Part 6, the Energy Code, is the part that dictates hardware. For pools it means a variable-speed pump, a heater without a continuously burning pilot, a 36-inch length of straight pipe between filter and heater for future solar, and time-switch controls. For a newly built detached ADU it means solar photovoltaics, a heat pump baseline for space and water heating, and HERS verification. The 2025 edition took effect on January 1, 2026. Budget $400 to $900 for the energy calculations and $600 to $1,200 for HERS testing on an ADU. In this article 1. What Title 24 actually is, and the two compliance paths 1. Pool and spa equipment: what the code demands 1. ADUs: which ones must carry solar 1. Envelope, equipment and what gets tested 1. Where projects get caught 1. Who does what, and what the compliance costs #### What Title 24 actually is, and the two compliance paths Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations is the whole set of building standards. Part 6 is the Energy Code, updated on a three-year cycle. The 2025 edition took effect January 1, 2026. Part 11 is CALGreen, which covers water efficiency, construction waste diversion and indoor air quality. Compliance runs one of two ways. Prescriptive means you meet every listed requirement item by item; simple, but inflexible. Performance means an energy consultant models the building in approved software and shows it uses no more energy than a reference design; this is how most ADUs get built, because it lets you trade a better envelope against a bigger window wall. The paperwork is a set of registered certificates: the CF1R produced at design and submitted with plans, the CF2R signed by the installing contractor, and the CF3R signed by an independent HERS rater. No final inspection without them. Pro Tip Get the CF1R done before plan check submittal. It is a plan-check correction that stops everything if it is missing. #### Pool and spa equipment: what the code demands Section 110.4 of the Energy Code, together with the Title 20 appliance efficiency regulations, sets the pool rules. Pumps. Replacement and new residential filtration pumps above roughly 0.7 total horsepower must be variable speed. Budget $1,200 to $2,400 installed. This is a genuine operating saving, not a paper one: running a variable-speed pump at low RPM for longer cycles typically cuts pool pumping electricity by half or better. Heaters. No continuously burning pilot light. An on-off switch mounted outside the heater. Operating instructions posted. Piping. At least 36 inches of straight pipe between the filter and the heater, or dedicated suction and return lines, so solar heating can be added later without cutting into the equipment pad. Controls. Time-switch or automation control on the circulation pump. A gas heater runs $4,000 to $7,000 installed; a heat pump heater $6,500 to $12,000 and far cheaper to run in coastal climates. Pro Tip If you are already replacing the pump, run the solar stub while the pad is open. It costs almost nothing now and thousands later. Ready to Start Your Project? Schedule a free consultation with our design team. [Book a Consultation](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/contact-us) [Call 818-300-2393](tel:+18183002393) #### ADUs: which ones must carry solar This is where money changes hands. A newly constructed detached ADU is a new dwelling, so it falls under the Energy Code's photovoltaic requirement for new low-rise residential buildings. System size is calculated from conditioned floor area and dwelling count, so a 400 to 800 square foot ADU typically lands somewhere around 1 to 2.5 kW, roughly $5,000 to $12,000 installed. Exceptions exist where the roof has genuinely limited solar access, and community solar can substitute in some utility territories. An ADU created inside existing space (a garage conversion, a basement, part of the house) is treated as an alteration, not new construction, and does not carry the PV mandate. That is one of several reasons a garage conversion at $80,000 to $180,000 undercuts a detached build at $150,000 to $400,000 or more. Attached ADUs sit in between and depend on how the jurisdiction classifies the work. Confirm classification before you budget. Pro Tip If solar is a deal-breaker on budget, price the conversion route before assuming a detached unit is the only option. #### Envelope, equipment and what gets tested For a new ADU the prescriptive package is demanding. Expect high-performance windows in the range of U-0.30 and a solar heat gain coefficient near 0.23, attic or roof deck insulation at R-38 or better in inland climate zones, wall insulation with continuous exterior layers in colder zones, and duct systems inside conditioned space wherever possible. The 2025 code pushes heat pumps hard. The prescriptive baseline assumes heat pump space heating and heat pump water heating for new single-family construction, with electric-ready provisions where gas equipment is installed instead. A ducted or ductless heat pump for a small ADU runs $6,000 to $14,000; a heat pump water heater $3,500 to $7,000 installed with the required electrical circuit. A HERS rater then verifies the items the code says must be field-tested: duct leakage, refrigerant charge or fault indication, quality insulation installation and ventilation airflow. That testing is $600 to $1,200. Pro Tip Budget the electrical panel upgrade early: a heat pump, a heat pump water heater and an EV circuit often push an older 100-amp service past its limit. #### Where projects get caught Five recurring problems, all avoidable. Like-for-like heater swaps. Replacing a pool heater is permitted work. A unit with a continuously burning pilot will not pass, and neither will an installation with no external on-off switch. Undersized panel. Adding a 400,000 BTU heater, a variable-speed pump and outdoor kitchen circuits to a 100-amp service usually means a service upgrade at $3,500 to $8,000. No solar stub. Missing 36 inches of straight pipe between filter and heater is a correction that means cutting apart a finished equipment pad. ADU classified wrong. Assuming a detached unit is exempt from PV, then finding the requirement at plan check with the budget already fixed. Missing certificates. No registered CF2R or CF3R and there is no final inspection, regardless of how good the work is. None of these are engineering problems. They are sequencing problems. Pro Tip Ask your contractor to name the energy consultant and the HERS rater at contract signing. Unassigned, those roles get forgotten. #### Who does what, and what the compliance costs The compliance chain has four named parties, and each has to do their part or the file stalls. The energy consultant runs the model and registers the CF1R. On a small ADU that is $400 to $900; on a whole-house remodel with a large glazing package, $900 to $1,800. The designer or architect carries the assumptions from the CF1R onto the drawings, so window schedules and insulation notes match the model. The contractor installs to those numbers and signs the CF2R. Substituting a window with a different U-factor invalidates the model and forces a re-run. The HERS rater tests and signs the CF3R for $600 to $1,200. On a pool, the chain is lighter (the equipment schedule on the plans plus field verification at inspection), but the same principle applies: what is installed must match what was submitted. Pro Tip Keep the registered certificates with the closing documents; buyers' inspectors ask for them years later. #### Final Thoughts Title 24 is not the obstacle homeowners expect. On a pool it is four hardware decisions, and the variable-speed pump pays for itself in electricity. On an ADU it is a real cost: solar, heat pumps and HERS testing can add $12,000 to $25,000 to a detached unit, which is exactly why it belongs in the budget on day one rather than showing up as a change order at plan check. Where we build #### Build this at your home We build from Santa Clarita to Long Beach, Thousand Oaks to Riverside, and Orange County down to Mission Viejo. Start with your city: - [ADUs & Additions in Huntington Beach](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions/huntington-beach) - [ADUs & Additions in Los Angeles](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions/los-angeles) - [ADUs & Additions in Northridge](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions/northridge) - [ADUs & Additions in Porter Ranch](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions/porter-ranch) - [ADUs & Additions in Granada Hills](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions/granada-hills) - [ADUs & Additions in West Hills](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions/west-hills) [Explore ADUs & Additions](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions) #### Frequently Asked Questions Do I have to install a variable-speed pool pump? Yes, for new installations and replacements above roughly 0.7 total horsepower, which covers nearly every residential filtration pump. Budget $1,200 to $2,400 installed. The requirement comes from the Title 20 appliance efficiency regulations working alongside Title 24. Running one at low RPM over longer cycles typically halves pool pumping electricity, so the payback is real rather than theoretical. Does every ADU need solar panels? No. A newly constructed detached ADU is treated as a new dwelling and carries the photovoltaic requirement, usually landing around 1 to 2.5 kW for a 400 to 800 square foot unit, or $5,000 to $12,000 installed. An ADU created inside existing space, such as a garage conversion, is an alteration and does not trigger the mandate. What is the 36-inch pipe rule? The Energy Code requires at least 36 inches of straight pipe between the pool filter and the heater, or dedicated suction and return lines, so a solar heating system can be added later without rebuilding the equipment pad. It costs almost nothing during construction. Retrofitting it into a finished pad means cutting and re-plumbing at $800 to $2,000. What are CF1R, CF2R and CF3R certificates? They are the three registered Title 24 compliance documents. The CF1R is the design certificate produced by an energy consultant and submitted with plans. The CF2R is signed by the installing contractor confirming what was actually built. The CF3R is signed by an independent HERS rater after field testing. Missing any of the three blocks final inspection. Topics - title 24 - energy code - adu - pool equipment - permits #### About the author Remodel Your Vibe Design Team Written by the design team at Remodel Your Vibe, a licensed ( [CSLB #1119054](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/LicenseDetail.aspx?LicNum=1119054) ), bonded and insured, veteran-owned and family-operated design-build company based in Los Angeles. Our own crews design, permit and build pools, backyards, ADUs and interiors across Greater Los Angeles and Orange County. [How we work](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/our-approach) #### Who builds it - [CSLB License #1119054](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/LicenseDetail.aspx?LicNum=1119054) - Veteran-owned and family-operated - Years of experience building across Southern California - Our own crews build it. One team designs, permits and builds. #### Related services - [ADUs & AdditionsConvert the garage, build a backyard ADU or add a second story.](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/adus-additions) - [Swimming Pool & SpaBuild a new pool and spa, or give yours fresh tile and plaster.](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/swimming-pool-spa) - [Plans & Permits ServicesFrom first sketch to permit in hand, we handle the drawings and the city.](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/services/plans-permits) #### Talk it through with us Discuss your project with our design team and get expert advice. We call you back within one business day. [Book a Consultation](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/contact-us) [818-300-2393](tel:+18183002393) #### Ready to Transform Your Space? Let's discuss your vision. Schedule a free consultation with our design team and see how we can bring your project to life. [Book a Consultation](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/contact-us) [818-300-2393](tel:+18183002393) We call you back within one business day. #### Continue Reading [All Articles](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles) - [Design Planning Why Design Before Build Matters 6 min read](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/why-design-before-build-matters) - [Design Planning Why Design Before Build Really Matters 8 min read](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/why-design-before-build-really-matters) - [Design Planning Benefits of 3D Visualization for Backyard Projects 7 min read](https://www.remodelyourvibe.com/articles/benefits-3d-visualization-backyard-design) #### Further Reading ##### Educational - [Accessible Backyard Design: Planning to Age in PlaceAccessible backyard design benefits everyone. 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