A multifamily HOMES reservation, from linking the building to the offer letter.
Pick a step
Dashed: shown to the other person, the project stays put
Drawn 19 October 2026 for staff portal #279, from customer portal #148 and contractor portal #82. Checked against IRA_Contractor_Portal main and its #82 test branch ben_update_10/13, this portal's main (#198, #231, #206) and its test site (#278), and IRA_Customer_Portal main and its test branch. The numbers give the saved walkthrough order. Diamonds are decisions. Solid arrows are handoffs; dashed arrows share information.
The same chart as a list
Owner hands over the building code — `LEA-`/`MEA-` code from an approved building, or the contractor's invite link.
The owner's Connect page shows each approved building's code under "Give your contractor your code", with Copy and "Email it to my contractor".
Codes start LEA- (low income) or MEA- (moderate income). A building gets its code once its income qualification is approved.
An expired code is never shown, and a building the program did not approve has no usable code.
The other way round: the contractor sends the owner an invite link (/link/...) or a PRJ- code, and the owner opens it or types it under "Use your contractor's code or link". The link works once.
Upload the energy model file — HPXML for 2–4 units, BuildingSync for 5 or more.
Missing: the contractor portal's test branch takes an HPXML version 4 file only. A BuildingSync file for a building of 5 or more units cannot be uploaded yet; staff are told to check that requirement themselves.
One model per building (#82 item 6). The test branch keeps one file per project.
Buildings of 2–4 units may use a BPI-2400 tool and an HPXML file (#82 item 6).
Buildings of 5 or more units need an ASHRAE Level II audit, a tool on Focus's approved list (eQuest, QBAT, Audit Template, TREAT or a 179D-listed tool), a BuildingSync file, and Asset Score and Audit Template reports (#82 item 6).
On the test branch, "Upload and check the file" sends the file straight on to the check against DOE's rules.
File checked against DOE's rules — Passes or lists what's wrong. Fields fill in from the file.
On the contractor portal's test branch, an HPXML file is sent to DOE's HPXML validator. The page says "DOE schema validation passed." or lists what is wrong.
A file DOE finds invalid is turned away with its list of errors. The contractor fixes it in the modelling tool and uploads it again.
If DOE's validator cannot be reached, the file is kept as not yet checked, and "Check with DOE again" tries later.
Address, units, floor area, year built, bedrooms, savings %, costs and measures fill in from the file and are shown read-only. The contractor does not type them (#82 item 7).
In the staff portal, Check against DOE rules checks HPXML files against PNNL's rules (#198) and BuildingSync files the same way (#231), and shows Passed or Failed.
Approve stays off while the latest check of the file fails (#198). Staff can still send it back.
A modeled HOMES project with no model file is flagged (#231).
Anything that doesn't match — Differences are listed; the contractor explains in a text box. Never blocks.
On the contractor portal's test branch, differences between the file and the building are listed under "Items for staff to review": unit count, address, ZIP, missing fields and DOE rule failures.
The page says "These items won't stop you sending the request."
The contractor explains in "Your explanation for program staff". When anything is listed, an explanation is needed before sending; the file itself does not have to change.
Program staff settle the differences, using the contractor's explanation (Ben, 19 Oct 2026, #82).
Send to the program — Savings and rebate worked out from the file.
Missing: the contractor portal's test branch sends the request but works out no rebate ("Staff will determine it from the assessment and program rules."). Its main branch works the rebate out from typed energy figures, not from the file, and cannot send yet.
19.5% savings counts as 20% (#82 item 8).
Each building's rebate is the smallest of its share of cost, the per-unit amount × units, and the building cap (#82 item 10).
Low income (LEA-): 100% of cost; $5,000 per unit, cap $250,000 at 20–34% savings; $10,000 per unit, cap $500,000 at 35% or more.
Moderate (MEA-): 50% of cost; $2,000 per unit, cap $200,000 at 20–34%; $4,000 per unit, cap $400,000 at 35% or more.
No income approval (market rate): 50% of cost; $1,500 per unit, cap $200,000 at 20–34%; $3,000 per unit, cap $400,000 at 35% or more.
Whether a project under 19.5% savings can be sent is still open on contractor portal #82. The test branch lets it be sent and flags it for staff.
On the test branch the contractor chooses HOMES reservation, assessment reimbursement or both, and gets a receipt number.
Owner reads and signs the proposal — The owner signs before staff decide.
Missing: not built on the customer side. The customer portal has no shared proposal and no signing for one (#82 section 4).
The contractor portal makes the proposal as a PDF from the contractor's lines. A HOMES proposal includes the first-year energy cost estimate (#82 4.1).
"Share with the owner" opens when the project is linked and its sections are done. Sharing freezes that version and records the date and time (#82 4.2).
The owner reads the shared proposal in their portal, with no accept button, and gets an email that it is there. A newer version shows before anything is sent (#82 4.3).
The owner signs only the before-work forms that apply: a low-income building owner acknowledgment for each low-income building, and a heat pump utility bill impact estimate for each building getting heat pumps (#82 4.4).
"Send to the program" opens only when the project is linked and shared, and every before-work form that applies is signed (#82 4.6).
Fix and resend — After Send back: the request and the problem list.
Missing: a Send back in the staff portal does not reach the contractor portal yet (#82 5.5).
On the contractor portal's test branch, a request staff mark as needing information shows "More information needed" with staff's note, and the contractor can send it again as a new version.
The problem list is staff's note. The list from a failed DOE check can be pasted into it (#198).
The contractor can replace the file before resending. The earlier version is kept.
Owner sees the outcome — Reserved / Project Approved, or Not approved and why. Documents on the project.
Missing: the customer portal shows "Project Approved" ("rebate funds are reserved for it") or "Rejected" with the program's reason, but never "Reserved" or "Not approved", and its project list only says Started or Submitted. Every document in one place is still refining on customer portal #113.
Approved: "Your project is approved and rebate funds are reserved for it. The work can go ahead."
Not approved: the program's reason shows under "The program's reason".
The project page lists "Project summary / offer letter" under After approval. Today the owner uploads a signed copy; the program does not send the letter through the portal.
Customer portal #113 (refining): every document on the project in one place, the owner's, staff's and the contractor's view-only ones, each with its type, who added it and when.