Certified HERS Rater

We measure how a house
actually performs.

Blower door testing, duct leakage testing, and HERS Index ratings for builders and homeowners across the region — straight data, clear reports, no guesswork.

Request a Rating What's a HERS Rating?
Live Test Readout Recording
Building Pressure −50.2Pa
Air Changes / Hour 2.21ACH50
HERS Index Score 58Index
RETROTEC MODEL 5000 CAL 2025‑08‑13
The Whole Story

What a HERS Rating actually tells you

A HERS Index Score is the industry standard for measuring a home's energy efficiency — the lower the number, the less energy it takes to run the house. A home built to the current reference standard scores 100. A net-zero home scores 0.

Getting that number means physically testing the building, not estimating it. We pressurize the house with a blower door to measure how much air leaks through the envelope, run a duct blaster to check how much conditioned air is escaping through the ductwork, and combine that with the home's mechanical systems and insulation to calculate the final score.

You get a report you can hand to a lender, a code official, or a buyer — backed by real, calibrated measurements taken on site.

HERS Index Scale
0
Net Zero
100
Code Reference
150
Older Home

Every point below 100 represents roughly 1% less energy use than a home built to the reference standard. Most new construction we test lands between 45–70.

Massachusetts Energy Code

Which code applies to your town?

Massachusetts has three tiers of building energy code, adopted town by town. Pick your city or town below to see which one applies and what it means for your project.

Map of Massachusetts municipal building energy code adoption as of June 2026
Base Code
Stretch Code
Specialized Code
Statewide adoption map, Massachusetts Dept. of Energy Resources (DOER). View the official interactive map →
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Based on Massachusetts DOER municipal energy code adoption records, current as of June 2026. Adoption changes by local vote — confirm the current requirement with your building department before design. Official source →
Services

Testing, ratings & code compliance, done right the first time

From a single blower door test to full code compliance reporting, we scope every job to exactly what your project needs.

01

HERS Ratings

Full HERS Index certification for new construction and existing homes, from plan review through final verification.

02

Blower Door Testing

Whole-house air leakage testing to verify envelope tightness for code compliance or performance diagnostics.

03

Duct Leakage Testing

Duct blaster testing to measure supply and return leakage, total and to the outside.

04

Air Sealing Solutions

When a test misses target, we help find and fix the leaks — practical air-sealing to hit your ACH50 goal without a re-test surprise.

05

COMcheck Compliance

Commercial energy code compliance reports for the envelope and mechanical systems on commercial projects.

06

REScheck Compliance

Prescriptive-path code compliance documentation for residential projects that don't need a full HERS rating.

07

Existing Home Energy Audits

Diagnostic testing on existing homes to identify leaks, verify upgrades, and support rebate programs.

08

Pre-Construction Plan Review

We review plans before permitting so code and HERS compliance issues get caught on paper, not on site.

Mass Save® Partner

Get paid to build efficient

We're an approved Mass Save HERS rater. That means the site visit, insulation inspection, and final testing your project needs to qualify for a rebate are exactly what we do — on new construction, renovations, additions, and ADUs.

New Construction — Single-Family (1–4 Units)

All-electric heating, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying required at every tier. Incentives shown are single-family; multi-unit homes pay more per unit.

Base
$7,500–$11,250
≥15% savings above baseline. No certification required.
ENERGY STAR
$15,000–$22,500
≥30% savings or HERS ≤45. Infiltration ≤1.5 ACH50. ENERGY STAR NextGen certification required.
Passive House
$25,000–$40,000
Full Passive House certification (Phius or PHI), infiltration and ventilation per Passive House standard.
Adders
+$100–$9,000
Per-unit bonuses for heat pump water heaters, induction cooktops, smart thermostats, and ground-source heat pumps.

Renovations, Additions & ADUs

Major renovations (50%+ of the home) and additions of 500+ sq ft may qualify — existing fossil-fuel systems are still eligible at the Base tier.

Base
Up to $10,000
Existing fossil-fuel systems OK; additions must be all-electric. ≥5% savings above baseline. Pay-for-savings incentive.
All-Electric Base
Up to $15,000
Fully all-electric renovation & additions. ≥5% savings above baseline. Higher pay-for-savings rate.
Level 1
$20,000–$50,000
All-electric. ≥30% savings or HERS ≤55. Infiltration ≤5 ACH50. Fixed incentive per unit.
Level 2
$30,000–$60,000
All-electric. ≥50% savings or HERS ≤45. Infiltration ≤3 ACH50. HRV/ERV & EV-ready required.
Market Transformation adders stack on top of any tier — heat pumps (up to $13,500/unit), induction cooktops, heat pump clothes dryers, smart thermostats, and DOE/ENERGY STAR certifications can add thousands more to your incentive check.

We handle the preliminary site visit, insulation inspection, and final testing — and register your project with Mass Save so nothing holds up your check.

Start Your Mass Save Project
How A Test Day Runs

Four steps, one visit

Most single-family tests are scoped, run, and reported within the same visit.

01

Setup

We seal the test opening, tape registers, and get the blower door and duct blaster calibrated to baseline.

02

Test

We depressurize the house and ductwork, capturing pressure and flow readings across the full range.

03

Calculate

Readings feed the HERS software along with your home's systems and insulation to generate the Index score.

04

Report

You get a signed, code-ready report the same week — ready for the building department or your closing file.

Our Work

Recent jobs, real readings

A look at recent testing days across Massachusetts — equipment set up and readings pulled straight from the field.

Duct blaster and floor protection set up in a kitchen during a new construction test
New Construction — Duct Test Setup
Groveland, MA
Duct Leakage
Blower door reading -50.2 Pa and 2.206 ACH on the Retrotec gauge
Blower Door at −50 Pa
Groveland, MA
Envelope Test
Baseline pressure reading on the Retrotec gauge before a blower door test
Baseline Pressure Capture
Groveland, MA
Pre‑Test
Baseline pressure reading mounted on the blower door fan
Fan‑Mounted Baseline
Groveland, MA
Calibration
Close-up of blower door fan rings and gauge in a doorway
Blower Door Detail
Groveland, MA
Envelope Test
Blower door gauge showing -50.0 Pa and 6.485 ACH mounted on the test fan in a doorway
Blower Door Reading — 6.49 ACH50
Methuen, MA
Envelope Test
Blower door fan and gauge reading -50.0 Pa and 6.485 ACH in an interior doorway
Confirming the Setup
Methuen, MA
Envelope Test
Blower door fan and gauge reading -50.0 Pa and 6.485 ACH set up in a doorway
Full Rig, Ready to Test
Methuen, MA
Envelope Test
Blower door gauge showing -50.0 Pa and 3.875 ACH set up in a hallway doorway
Secondary Zone — 3.88 ACH50
Methuen, MA
Envelope Test
Blower door gauge showing -49.9 Pa and 3.932 ACH set up in a hallway doorway
Secondary Zone — 3.93 ACH50
Methuen, MA
Envelope Test
500+
Homes Tested
48hr
Report Turnaround
100%
Code‑Ready Reports
RESNET
Certified Rater
Get In Touch

Let's schedule your test

Send us your project details and we'll get back to you with availability — usually within one business day.

(774) 244-8386 vinny@vacconsult.com Ashland, MA — Serving MA, RI & NH
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Service Area

Based in Ashland, MA — available throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.

Massachusetts Rhode Island New Hampshire MetroWest Greater Boston