You need the insulation accepted before drywall, and the builder specifies RESNET Grade I. Plan an inspection of the installation quality. Grade I does not describe a different brand or replace the specified thermal resistance. Johns Manville’s Grade I explanation distinguishes the installation grades and the importance of uniform coverage at the specified thickness.
Agree which standard applies, who reviews the work, and what records they need before the crew starts. Put the review on the schedule while the work remains accessible.
What grades I, II, and III mean
RESNET uses installation grading within its energy-rating framework. The grades describe the quality of the installed insulation rather than the nominal label on the package. Grade I is the highest installation category; Grades II and III reflect progressively poorer installation. Johns Manville.
Use this table to compare the grades. Follow the grading procedure for the installed material.
Scroll to read all columns.
| Grade | Meaning for the installer | Recommended next action |
|---|---|---|
| I | Uniform coverage at specified thickness, fitted around obstructions | Document the reviewer’s finding and protect the work |
| II | Some gaps around obstructions or incomplete fill | Ask for the defect locations and correction criteria |
| III | Larger gaps and voids, or missing inspection evidence | Establish whether the result reflects defects or missing inspection evidence |
RESNET’s guidance on missing pre-drywall documentation explains that uninspected insulation can require Grade III modeling. That result reflects missing inspection records. It does not mean the reviewer saw poor insulation in every concealed cavity.
Keep the installation record and the modeled result together. Ask the rating professional to explain any difference before describing the work publicly as Grade I.
Confirm the edition before quoting a threshold
RESNET’s approved standards page states that ANSI/RESNET/ICC 301-2019 remains mandatory for HERS through December 31, 2026. It identifies 301-2022 as mandatory beginning January 1, 2027, with separate provisions for later voluntary use of 301-2025.
For a project crossing that transition, ask the rating provider which standard and addenda govern. Write the standard and addenda on the installation checklist. Do not copy a percentage from a draft appendix or use a loose “Grade 1” label without identifying how the work will be graded.
Request the criteria for each installed material and assembly. Batts, loose fill, and other insulation systems need the relevant procedure. Your crew should know what the reviewer will examine before any cavity becomes inaccessible.
Find the defects before the reviewer does
ENERGY STAR’s thermal-enclosure guidance identifies gaps, voids, compression, and incomplete air-barrier alignment as quality concerns. Check those items on the crew’s walk, using the project’s grading criteria.
For batt work, ask the lead installer to show how the specified product fits around wiring, pipes, blocking, and irregular cavities. Review narrow bays and transitions rather than judging only the easy open cavities. Johns Manville emphasizes fitting the insulation to the space and working around obstructions. Grade I installation components.
List corrections by location:
- Room or elevation and cavity identifier.
- Installed material and intended assembly.
- Observed condition requiring review.
- Person responsible for the correction.
- Required reinspection or acceptance.
- Photograph after correction, before covering.
Avoid an entry such as “touch up insulation.” Describe the location and repair so the returning installer can find and fix it. List an unresolved detail separately from a missed area.
The insulation trade page can help define the package. Use insulation inspection planning to coordinate the release to drywall.
Keep air sealing and insulation distinct
The DOE home-insulation guide explains insulation in terms of resistance to heat flow and material performance. Its air-sealing guide addresses uncontrolled air movement through openings. Check air sealing and insulation separately.
Ask the builder to identify the air-control layer and the crew sealing each penetration. Put that assignment beside the insulation scope. Name who seals each hard-to-reach joint before the insulation and rough-in crews leave.
Walk the boundary of the conditioned space with the builder or rating professional. Mark changes at adjoining attics, floors, kneewalls, and service areas for discussion. Request an approved detail where the intended boundary is unclear.
If a later trade disturbs the work, reopen the affected location. Have the responsible crew report the change, arrange repair, and get the required recheck before covering it. The original acceptance should remain a dated record of the earlier condition.
Book the rating visit and permit inspection separately
For HERS work, the inspection belongs in the rating team’s process. RESNET defines a Rating Field Inspector as working under a certified Home Energy Rater’s direct supervision. Rating Field Inspector responsibilities.
For an energy-rated home, ask the builder or rating provider who performs and documents the insulation assessment. Request the person’s role, scope, visit date, and deliverable. Do not substitute the installer’s own completion statement for the project’s required rating evidence.
RESNET explains that a properly supervised thermographic inspection can support Grade II in qualifying circumstances, but cannot establish Grade I. Missing inspection documentation. Do not promise that photographs or a later thermal image will cure a missed Grade I inspection.
Permit inspection is another checkpoint. Raleigh schedules concealed-insulation inspection after framing approval and before coverings. City inspection stages. Confirm both the local inspection and the rating-program visit before releasing drywall.
Put each inspection on its own line in the schedule. Record which inspection occurred, what it covered, and whether corrections remain. Tell the next crew which checks passed and which corrections remain.
Release the work with a useful record
Before the crew leaves, meet briefly with the site lead. Confirm the agreed product and assembly, completed corrections, inspection status, and remaining exposed areas. Name the contact for any return work.
Retain package labels, product instructions, installation photographs, and the reviewer’s documentation in the project file. Index photographs to the correction list. Keep owner addresses and private project details out of any public portfolio.
Tell the drywall crew which areas it may cover and which must stay open. If one area remains open, mark it physically and on the schedule. Use the trade-handoff guide to make that release clear to the next crew.
Make the correction visit part of the release
If the reviewer identifies a defect, ask for its location and the applicable acceptance criterion. Assign the repair before calling the whole package complete. Have the builder confirm which areas remain open and whether another visit or specific documentation is required.
For example, identify a missed narrow bay by location on the correction list. The assigned installer completes it, records the revised condition, and requests the required acceptance. Keep that item open until its required acceptance is recorded.
Reserve access for the recheck when planning drywall delivery. Tell the receiving crew which rooms or assemblies remain held. Keep the correction record with the original assessment so the next reviewer can follow what was corrected.
Where Cercha fits
Cercha lets an insulation contractor show installation-stage work in a portfolio and Gallery. Builders can review that work and builder or sub endorsements before starting a conversation through Messages. Discuss the project’s grading and inspection requirements directly with the contractor and rating team.