What range hood does an ADU kitchen need to pass Title 24?

Every ADU kitchen needs a local exhaust system, usually a vented range hood. Under the 2025 Energy Code, that hood must meet a minimum airflow or capture efficiency rating that depends on the dwelling unit's floor area and whether the range is electric or gas. Smaller units need stronger hoods, and an ECC-Rater must verify the installed hood.

Minimum hood ratings (Table 150.0-G)

The hood must meet either the capture efficiency (CE, tested to ASTM E3087) or the airflow rating for your unit size:

• Under 750 sq ft: electric range 65% CE or 160 cfm; gas range 85% CE or 280 cfm.
• 750 to 1,000 sq ft: electric 55% CE or 130 cfm; gas 85% CE or 280 cfm.
• Over 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft: electric 50% CE or 110 cfm; gas 80% CE or 250 cfm.
• Over 1,500 sq ft: electric 50% CE or 110 cfm; gas 70% CE or 180 cfm.

Most ADUs fall in the two smallest bands. A hood that's fine in a large house can fail in a compact ADU.

Open kitchens and enclosed kitchens

• Nonenclosed (open) kitchens must use demand-controlled exhaust, meaning a hood or fan the occupant turns on when cooking.
• Enclosed kitchens can use demand-controlled exhaust or a continuous exhaust fan sized to 5 air changes per hour of the kitchen's volume.

Installation and verification

• Installer airflow check: the installer either measures the airflow or installs a fan and duct that conform to the prescriptive duct sizing table (Table 150.0-H). That table only applies when the duct run is 25 feet or less, has no more than three elbows, and has a properly sized exterior termination.
• Sound rating: the hood must meet the code's sound rating requirement.
• ECC verification: the CEC's 2025 ADU FAQ confirms that a newly installed vented range hood needs ECC-Rater verification of its certification, airflow and sone rating (Sections 150.2(a)1Cii, 150.0(o)1G and 150.0(o)2B). This applies to new ADUs and ADU additions.

Tips that avoid failed inspections

• Choose the hood model during design, not at the appliance store, and confirm it's listed in an approved directory at the rating you need.
• Keep the duct short and straight, and vent it to the outdoors. A recirculating hood doesn't provide exhaust.
• If the ADU has a gas range, plan for the much higher rating, along with electric-ready wiring for a future electric cooktop in a new detached ADU.

What this means for your MEP plans and Title 24 report

The mechanical plan should name the hood, its rated airflow or capture efficiency, the duct size and length, and the exterior termination. The CF1R lists the hood among the ECC-verified measures. Picking a qualifying model before permit avoids a swap during construction. See ADU ventilation requirements, mechanical plans, and the ADU Title 24 guide.

Sources: energy.ca.gov, energy.ca.gov, energy.ca.gov.