US window procurement · For contractors and importers
NFRC label verification: check a CPD number
Before ordering windows, check the proposed product’s current certification in NFRC’s directory. Then compare its label ratings using the full CPD number. Label Verification includes historical records, so a label match alone does not establish current certification.
Use the result to decide which window lines have evidence ready for project review and which need clarification before a deposit.
Open NFRC’s current CPD number search ↗Ask the factory for a product evidence pack
Request these with the quotation. Keep each document tied to the same window schedule revision.
- A readable photo of the proposed product label, including the complete CPD number.
- The manufacturer name, product series and opening type quoted for your window schedule.
- The frame and glazing specification, plus the energy ratings promised in the quote.
- A window schedule that ties each opening to the proposed product and supporting documents.
Check current certification, then compare the label
- Find the proposed product. Open the NFRC directory and choose CPD Number or Manufacturer. These searches return current certifications. Record your search date and which product the result covers.
- Compare label ratings. Open Label Verification with the full CPD number. Compare the ratings shown on the supplier’s label with the result. This search also includes historical labels.
- Reconcile the purchase specification. Ask the supplier to map the quoted frame, opening type and glazing to the evidence. Put any substitutions through the same review before accepting them.
Search behavior: NFRC directory instructions. We link to NFRC’s tools; we do not reproduce its manufacturer listings.
What to do with the result
- Current search and label ratings match
- Compare the listed configuration with the quote. Have the project approver check the required ratings before releasing the order.
- Label Verification matches; current search does not
- Treat this as a historical-label result. Ask the supplier to resolve the current certification status before you approve production.
- The company appears, but the proposed product differs
- Request evidence for the quoted series, opening type and glazing. A company-level result does not resolve that mismatch.
- No result, or a number that will not search
- Check the number with the supplier, then use the manufacturer search. Ask NFRC or the certification agency to resolve anything still unexplained.
Commercial projects: check the label certificate
Ask which NFRC certification route your project uses. NFRC’s commercial label certificates are project-specific. Its guidance says manufacturer data or a lab simulation report does not replace a label certificate.
NFRC is moving its commercial program from CMAST to a newer system. Its code-official guidance links both certificate databases; during the transition you may need to check both. Match the certificate to your project and proposed products.
Keep energy ratings and project approval separate
NFRC rates energy performance, including U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient. It also explains the distinction between NFRC ratings and ENERGY STAR qualification on its label guide.
Before ordering, ask your project approver which separate evidence is needed for wind pressure, water penetration, impact, installation and other project requirements. Record the required documents in the RFQ. Do not treat an energy-rating lookup as approval for the entire window package.
Use the US window certificate checklist for the other evidence paths, and the window sourcing guide to prepare your specification.
Put unresolved evidence in the RFQ
Send your window schedule, delivery country, required ratings and the documents you already hold. Flag every mismatch so the factory must address it with the quote.
Send your window RFQNFRC lookup questions
What is an NFRC CPD number?
It identifies a product or product line in NFRC’s Certified Products Directory. Ask for the full number shown on the label when you need to compare its certified ratings.
Does Label Verification prove a product is currently certified?
No. That search can return historical labels. Use the current product searches as well before placing a new order.
Can I approve every window from a factory after finding one listing?
Match the evidence to the actual products in your window schedule. Ask the supplier to explain any different series, opening type or glass specification before approval.
Is an NFRC label the same as ENERGY STAR certification?
NFRC provides energy performance ratings. ENERGY STAR has performance requirements that qualifying products must meet. An NFRC result alone does not establish ENERGY STAR status.
Sources and review date
Official guidance checked . We review these instructions every 90 days and after changes to NFRC’s search tools. This is a lookup workflow, not a verification of any supplier.