If you're planning a remodel in San Jose, two state rules will likely come up: Title 24 and SB 407. Neither is as scary as it sounds, and this guide explains what each one actually asks of you.
- Title 24 is California's energy code; it applies only to the parts of your home you actually alter, not the whole house.
- The 2025 standards apply to building permits applied for on or after January 1, 2026.
- SB 407 requires water-conserving toilets, showerheads, and faucets in homes built on or before January 1, 1994 — and replacing them can be a condition of permit final.
- For most remodels these rules add little cost, because new products already meet the standards.
What is Title 24?
Title 24, Part 6 is California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards, written and updated by the California Energy Commission. It sets minimum energy performance for things like insulation, windows, lighting, heating and cooling, and ventilation. The standards are updated on a roughly three-year cycle, and the 2025 standards apply to building permits applied for on or after January 1, 2026.
The important thing to understand: Title 24 is triggered by the scope of your work, not by every repair. You don't have to rebuild your whole house to code. You only have to bring the parts you're actually touching up to current standards.
What Title 24 covers in a remodel
- Insulation. If you open up walls, re-roof, or otherwise change the building envelope, the affected areas generally need to meet current R-value requirements.
- Windows. Replacement windows must meet U-factor and solar-heat-gain limits for our climate zone (San Jose is zone 4).
- Lighting. New or replaced lighting must meet efficacy standards, which usually means high-efficiency LED fixtures and the right controls.
- HVAC and ducts. New or altered ducts often need sealing and testing, sometimes verified by an independent HERS rater.
- Ventilation. Whole-house and exhaust ventilation requirements apply, especially in kitchen and bath work.
For a kitchen project, lighting and ventilation are usually the main items; see our kitchen remodeling page. For baths, ventilation and fixtures are front and center on our bathroom remodeling page.
What is SB 407?
SB 407 is a water-conservation law (California Civil Code sections 1101.1 through 1101.8). It requires older properties to swap out water-wasting plumbing fixtures for water-conserving ones. It applies to properties built on or before January 1, 1994.
A fixture is considered "noncompliant" if it was manufactured to use more than:
- 1.6 gallons per flush for a toilet
- 2.5 gallons per minute for a showerhead
- 2.2 gallons per minute for an interior faucet
For single-family homes, the deadline to have all noncompliant fixtures replaced has already passed (January 1, 2017). So for most older San Jose homes, this is already a standing legal obligation.
How SB 407 affects your remodel
Here's where it connects to your project. Since January 1, 2014, when you make building alterations to a single-family home, replacing any noncompliant fixtures is a condition of final permit approval. In plain terms: if you're pulling a permit on a pre-1994 home, the inspector can require compliant fixtures throughout before signing off, not just in the room you're remodeling.
The good news is that this is usually a small, inexpensive part of a remodel. Most fixtures sold today already meet these numbers, so it often comes down to swapping out a couple of old toilets or showerheads you'd probably be replacing anyway.
How this plays out in San Jose
San Jose's Building Division reviews remodel permits for Title 24 energy compliance, and final inspection requires proof that what was installed matches the approved plans. None of this should derail a well-planned project. The key is knowing which rules apply before you start, so they're built into the plan and the budget instead of surfacing as surprises at inspection. You can read more on our remodeling permits page.