Can an Engineer or an Architect Perform a REScheck Report?

📐 REScheck for Architects and Engineers: Can Design Firms Perform Their Own REScheck Report?

Penned by Jobe Leonard from Rescheck.info, an admirer of all who design, draw, sketch, and calculate.

Jobe Leonard Rescheck.info

As an Engineer  or Architect, your firm is tasked with ensuring every residential project adheres to strict regulatory standards, including the mandatory energy efficiency codes (like the IECC). So, when the local authority demands a REScheck Report—the document that proves compliance—you likely ask: Can our architecture or engineering firm perform this REScheck analysis ourselves?

The technical answer is: Yes, why not?

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) developed the REScheck Web and Desktop programs to be accessible tools. Given your technical expertise and direct access to the construction documents, your team is certainly qualified.

However, for a design professional whose time is billed at a premium, the most critical question is: Is spending valuable design time on REScheck compliance the most efficient business decision?

The DIY REScheck Process: Technical Data Architects and Engineers Need

If your firm decides to handle the REScheck compliance in-house, the process requires meticulous data extraction from the blueprints you generated.

To generate a passing REScheck report, your team must accurately source the following specifications to align with the local energy code:

• Code Compliance Baseline: Identify the exact version of the IECC building code your project jurisdiction enforces.

• Detailed Assembly Specifications: Precisely define the insulation R-values and material specifications for the foundation, walls, and roof assemblies.

• Fenestration Metrics: Extract the official U-factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) for every window and exterior door from manufacturer specifications.

• Area Takeoffs: Calculate the exact square footage and lineal footage of all conditioned spaces and exterior surfaces.

After this comprehensive data entry, you run the software. If the design passes, you’ve secured the energy compliance documentation. If the design fails, the complexity of a REScheck begins to consume your billable hours.

Why REScheck Failures Cost Engineers and Architects Billable Hours

The true hurdle for architects and engineers managing REScheck in-house is the time sink associated with a design that fails the initial compliance check.

The program doesn’t offer the most cost-effective path to passing; it just demands a “trade-off.” Your firm must dedicate valuable resources to:

1. Non-Billable Troubleshooting: Highly compensated design staff must spend hours running multiple “what-if” scenarios, trying different insulation levels or product specifications to achieve compliance—time that is not easily billed to the client.

2. Resource Misallocation: Every hour spent troubleshooting a REScheck report failure is an hour diverted from high-value tasks like structural calculations, detailed design revisions, or securing new client contracts.

Streamline Compliance: Expert REScheck Reports for Design Professionals ($79)

You can eliminate this compliance overhead and redirect your firm’s focus back to profitable design work. We offer a specialized, flat-rate solution designed to be your dependable compliance partner:

• Guaranteed Fast Compliance: We are experts in navigating the REScheck trade-off process. We know exactly which pages of Rescheck Web and Rescheck Desktop software need to be explored.

• Expert Knowledge: We utilize the efficiency of the REScheck software daily. For a flat fee, you receive the full benefit of this technical knowledge, while meeting IECC energy efficiency requirements.

• Unbeatable Value for Time: For a low, flat rate of $79 per report with a 4-6 hour turnaround, you save your design firm hours of non-billable, technical troubleshooting time.

You can perform your own REScheck, but if you want to skip the compliance delays, secure permit approval quickly, and maximize your firm’s billable time, partner with us.

To get started immediately, simply email your order confirmation number, PDF plans, jobsite address, and square footage to service@rescheck.info and receive your compliant REScheck in about 4-6 hours.