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For a California building permit application dated January 1, 2026, or later, the general statewide rule is the 2025 California Building Standards Code, commonly called the 2025 code or “2026 code.” Its residential provisions span multiple parts of Title 24, including the California Residential Code, Energy Code, and CALGreen. The local building department reviews the project, so the exact permit packet and any local amendments depend on where and what you are building.
What building code applies to a California home permit submitted in 2026?
The 2025 California Building Standards Code took effect on January 1, 2026. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) says it generally applies to buildings and structures with a permit application date on or after that date. The date of the application—not simply the date construction begins—is therefore the first detail to confirm with the enforcing city or county.
The statewide code cycle includes several parts relevant to residential projects. The California Residential Code is Part 2.5, the Energy Code is Part 6, and CALGreen is Part 11. The code also covers other building categories, and project classification can affect which provisions apply. Ask the local building department to confirm the applicable edition and classification for your project.
| Permit application date | General statewide code-cycle guidance | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Before January 1, 2026 | The 2025 code’s stated effective-date trigger does not apply on the basis of an earlier application date. | Confirm the governing edition and any transition rules with the local building department. |
| January 1, 2026, or later | The 2025 California Building Standards Code generally applies. | Confirm the project’s occupancy and building type, applicable local amendments, and required submittals. |
This date guidance is statewide and general; it does not substitute for a jurisdiction’s determination of a project’s code basis.
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What is changing for new homes under the 2025 Energy Code?
The California Energy Commission (CEC) describes the residential changes as performance-oriented. Energy-use budgets encourage efficient designs, but they are not a universal shopping list of required equipment. The emphasis and applicable requirements differ by building type.
| Building type | Notable 2025 Energy Code emphasis |
|---|---|
| Single-family homes | Energy-use budgets encourage heat-pump space heating and cooling and heat-pump water heating. The update also addresses HVAC efficiency and controls, including smart thermostats that can access energy-pricing information, and raises exterior-wall and window efficiency. |
| Multifamily homes | Energy-use budgets encourage heat-pump space heating and cooling. For low-rise buildings of three or fewer habitable floors with individual water heaters, the code encourages heat-pump water heaters. Other emphases include electric-ready requirements, stronger ventilation standards, increased envelope efficiency, and expanded EV charging access through dedicated circuits and parking spaces with chargers. Energy budgets vary by multifamily building type. |
Do California’s 2026 building rules require a heat pump?
Not as a universal requirement to install a particular product or use a particular fuel. The CEC says the update “does not mandate specific technologies or fuel types.” Heat pumps can help a design meet energy-use budgets, but the project’s compliance path and design determine what equipment is appropriate. Have the design professional evaluate the applicable requirements rather than treating an encouraged solution as a blanket mandate.
What do the statewide savings estimates mean?
In a January 13, 2026 news release, the CEC estimated that the 2025 Energy Code update would save $4.8 billion in energy costs over 30 years and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by about 4 million metric tons. These are agency projections, not measured results for an individual home or guaranteed savings for a particular owner.
What paperwork do I need for a new home permit in California?
There is no single statewide permit packet established for every new home. The city or county administering the review sets its application requirements and may have local amendments, forms, fees, and review procedures. Separately, energy compliance materials depend on the building type and the pathway used for the project.
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- Confirm the code date and edition. Give the local building department the permit application date and ask which code edition and transition rules apply.
- Confirm the project classification. Establish whether the project is single-family, low-rise multifamily, another multifamily category, or a different occupancy. Do this before selecting energy forms: the CEC publishes different materials for different building types.
- Choose the applicable energy-compliance pathway. The CEC’s 2025 Energy Code resources include approved compliance software, reference appendices, and compliance manuals for residential and multifamily projects. The manuals are intended to guide the building industry and regulators.
- Use the matching forms and documentation. CEC materials include separate forms for single-family, low-rise multifamily, and nonresidential, hotel, and high-rise multifamily categories. Confirm which form and supporting documents fit the project and its pathway.
- Get the jurisdiction’s current submittal checklist. Ask the city or county for its permit application, plan-submittal checklist, local amendments, fee schedule, and review process. Do not assume that a checklist from another jurisdiction is complete for your project.
- Coordinate equipment decisions with the design. Heat pumps, controls, and other electric equipment may support compliance, but the CEC’s stated approach does not make one technology or fuel universally mandatory.
CEC Energy Code resources and forms help with the statewide energy-compliance portion; they do not replace the local building department’s permit instructions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should wildfire-rebuild projects check?
The CEC’s January 2026 release describes a temporary suspension for certain projects involving repair, restoration, demolition, or replacement of residential structures or facilities substantially damaged or destroyed by the 2025 Los Angeles-area wildfires. Under the described exception, qualifying projects are not required to comply with solar and battery-storage requirements but must be solar-ready. Because the exception is narrow and depends on the project and current order, confirm eligibility and the operative requirements with the local building department before relying on it.
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