9 Most Important Rescheck Tips for Beginners

These Rescheck tips where authored by Jobe Leonard with Rescheck.info and the Reschexpert blog.  Jobe helps others with Reschecks through Rescheck service, Rescheck tips, and Rescheck studies like this.

Jobe Leonard Rescheck.info

9 Most Important Rescheck Tips for Beginners (2023)

Today we want to focus on those who are new to Rescheck and Rescheck software like Rescheck Web and Rescheck Desktop. Many readers of the Reschexpert blog run their own Rescheck services, use Rescheck software daily, and have an outstanding knowledge of everything related to Rescheck. This Reschexpert blog post is strictly for beginners in the world of Rescheck and we put together 9 great tips below to help them get their Rescheck created easily.

Rescheck Tip 1: Use Rescheck Web. Rescheck Web and Rescheck Desktop are the two options for Rescheck software. Rescheck Web is based online and can only be reached with an internet connection. Rescheck Desktop is downloaded to your computer’s hard drive and is stored there so you can access it anytime and anywhere. I used to preach all day about the benefits of Rescheck Desktop over Rescheck Web, because I routinely created Rescheck forms while I was on the road or at jobsite location on the edge of National Parks with very iffy internet connections. Not to mention that where I live has very slow outdated internet connections as well. Nothing has really changed with the reliability of internet connections and Rescheck Web only being available online. What has changed is that Rescheck Desktop is being phased out. Certain energy codes have not and will not ever be made available on Rescheck Desktop. These include IECC 2018, IECC 2021, IECC 2024, and IECC 2027. Also they are sunsetting the entire Rescheck Desktop at a later date that is not known. I say the number one beginner tip for using Rescheck in 2023 is to learn on Rescheck Web software. If you choose Rescheck Desktop software you might find yourself learning a new software again in 2024 or sooner when someone comes to you with an IECC 2018 or IECC 2021 Rescheck report.

Rescheck Tip 2: Use a paper set of plans. Screens are nice, but nothing beats the touch and smell of a freshly printed set of paper blueprints. You can make notes on your blueprints and store them easily. Trust me on this one and spend the extra $10-$15 on a set of paper plans. It will make your entire Rescheck calculation so much easier.

Rescheck Tip 3: Give yourself plenty of time. The beginner who is creating their first Rescheck will typically take between 10-12 hours to generate their first Rescheck. This is perfectly ok. Take the time to peck through the Rescheck software and figure out each one of the calculations. The first one may take 10-12 hours, but subsequent Reschecks will take far less time. If you use Rescheck.info as a service to create your Rescheck for you the lead time to receive your Rescheck is 4-6 hours.

Rescheck Tip 4: Use the correct computer. Both Rescheck Web and Rescheck Desktop do not require huge amounts of computing power. That being said I do not recommend smart phones, tablets, or a computer that is over 10 years old for the calculations. Accessing Rescheck Web or Rescheck Desktop takes place through a government website called energycodes.gov so using an older browser or computer may run into security issues. Your computer does not need to be top of the line, but make sure it is tuned up with applicable updates and security upgrades and in good working order to avoid losing your Rescheck project in the middle of a calculation.

Rescheck Tip 5: Avoid Rescheck services that price projects on a “price per square foot” basis. This is a recipe to be overcharged and makes changes painful and a financial burden. The bait and switch happens when they advertise a low price for Rescheck and then you see that a normal sized 3000 square foot house costs 4 times more than the advertised price. At Rescheck.info we charge only $79 for any size plan so you do not need a degree in advanced mathematics to use our Rescheck service.  Transparency in pricing is very important to us.  Fair and honest pricing will be beneficial to you as well as you move beyond your Rescheck and deeper into the total budget of your construction project.

Here is an example from a price per square foot Rescheck provider.  You order a 3000 square foot home without a basement and the cost is somewhere around $280 to get the Rescheck completed initially.  After consulting with your builder you decide to add a basement.  This addition adds another 1500 square foot to the structure.  The Rescheck then moves into a higher pricing bracket.  You are now on the hook for another $125 fee just for modifying your Rescheck and adding square footage.  At Rescheck.info we charge only $79 no matter what your square footage might be.

Maybe this is fair based upon what you initially agreed to when choosing a Rescheck, that was priced per square foot. Here is another Rescheck Case Study.  What if you made the size of your construction square footage smaller. In this example we are going to take away a conditioned 1500 square foot basement and the plan and square footage gets smaller. Will the price per square footage Rescheck then move your project into the lower cost bracket and give you a refund of the $125 difference that you already paid? The answer is no. At Rescheck.info our $79 any size plan pricing makes these obstacles in Rescheck obsolete.

At Rescheck.info we know that changes happen in construction all the time.  We understand that you only get to build your home one time. We want you to do it correctly, with the square footage you want, and with the options that you want installed.  We offer our Rescheck for only $79 on any size blue print and offer free modifications.  So if you want to add the 1500 square foot basement later in the project, we want you to do that too.  We will also add it on to your Rescheck free of charge, and much faster than any of the price per square foot Rescheck providers.  Which brings us to our next Rescheck Tip.

Rescheck Tip 6: Prepare for modifications. Building departments and building inspectors love to put their personal touch on Reschecks. This means changes. Be prepared to make alterations to your Rescheck after the initial submittal. Sometimes local regulations have special requirements that you will not be aware of until after your initial Rescheck submission. Be ready to fire up Rescheck Web multiple times and make any modifications the powers that be might request. If you choose to use Rescheck.info to create your Rescheck we offer free modifications.

Rescheck Tip 7: Understand window and door glazing requirements. Certain states and energy codes have maximum average U values and SHGC that you can have in your glazed windows and doors. Anything over these U Values and SGHCs and your project will automatically fail. Before you put any money down on a window and door package or start your Rescheck you should have some idea what your local requirements are.

Rescheck Tip 8: The Slab on a Rescheck used to be an area that offered tradeoffs. You could add more insulation to your ceiling, walls, windows, or doors to compensate for less insulation in your slab. This is no longer the case. Slab insulation where required is now mandatory, and this typically means that if your project requires an R10 in the slab at 4′ deep then nothing else will pass. If you try to install an R9 into the Rescheck software the project will not pass. Having a good idea of slab insulation requirements for your climate zone is a great idea for Rescheck beginners.

Rescheck Tip 9: Rescheck for Additions vary from those Reschecks used in new construction. A Rescheck for an addition is different in Rescheck software in multiple ways. The initial item you will check off is on the cover page of Rescheck Web or Rescheck Desktop software. You will toggle the option that turns your Rescheck into an “Addition”. After that the items that you include in your calculation are only those items that are added to the structure. In many cases the existing structure, as long as the insulation envelope is not disturbed, can be left off the calculation. Knowing which items to include in your Rescheck Addition and which items to leave off can be helpful for any beginner using Rescheck software for the first time.

At Rescheck.info we create Rescheck examples, Rescheck Tutorials, and Rescheck Tips for do it yourself Rescheck users. We also offer a low cost Rescheck service. We charge $79 to complete the Rescheck in 4-6 hours then offer free modifications for the life of the project. If you enjoyed these Rescheck tips and need a Rescheck created for you then simply email pdf plans, jobsite address, and square footage to service@rescheck.info and we will get your Rescheck completed quickly.