Do you need a solar permit in California?

Land Development Fee Schedule item 7, "Residential solar energy systems - roof mount and ground mount," photovoltaic systems 15 kW or less: Building Permit/inspection $86.00 per permit, Plan Check $86.00 per permit, and Electrical Review $100.00 per permit; above 15 kW the same combined charge adds $15.00 per kW above 15 kW. Thermal systems 10 kWth or less are $86.00 each for Building Permit/inspection, Plan Check, and Plumbing Review, plus $15.00 per kWth above 10 kWth. SolarAPP+ separately charges the installer $35.00 for a solar system and $25.00 for an energy storage add-on, on top of county permit fees. Fee schedule adopted May 24, 2022, effective August 10, 2022.

last checked 15 Aug 2026

Residential rooftop PV is an electrical permit with itemized per-component fees per the LADBS Electrical Permit Fee Schedule: $6 per combiner box, $6 per PV module, inverters from $8 for 0 to 3.0 kW, with a structural building permit possible for roof support

last checked 17 Jun 2026

Chapter 68, Section 6805 of the County of Los Angeles Building Code: 'The combined permit fee for small residential rooftop photovoltaic systems shall not exceed $500 unless modified by or in accordance with Government Code Section 66015 or other applicable law.' The same section charges the underlying fees per Section 107 of the Building Code, Section 82-8 of the Electrical Code, and Sections 103.10 and 103.11 of the Plumbing Code. The county's Plumbing Code Fee Schedule (Title 28, Ord. No. 2013-0050) effective July 1, 2026 separately lists $81.78 for each solar potable water-heating system including water heater and vent, and the $41.35 permit issuance fee applies.

last checked 15 Aug 2026

Solar Permits, Roof-Mounted (includes County Standard Plan): $428 for FY 2024-25, $448 for FY 2025-26, $455 for FY 2026-27. Ground Mounted: $848, $890 and $909 across the same three fiscal years. Commercial Solar: $899, $939 and $955. Revisions to Approved Plans (Solar-Roof Mounted) carry a $200 time-and-materials deposit. All from the OC Development Services Fee Schedule 2024-2027, fees effective July 21, 2024.

last checked 15 Aug 2026

Roof Mount Solar Residential (BEL-RSLRR), described in the schedule as 'Mandated by AB 1132 - $450 UP TO 15 KW $15 per kW for each kW above 15 Kw': $450.00 fixed fee. Ground Mount Solar Residential (BEL-GSLRR) carries the same $450.00 cap and per-kW adder, and Express Residential Solar App. Only (BEL-ERSO) is also $450.00. All three are from Appendix A to Ordinance No. 457 as amended by Ordinance No. 457.108 (adopted June 23, 2026, effective July 23, 2026), which cut the roof-mount and ground-mount fees from $441.05 and $574.06. The department's still-posted 284-035 fee sheet (09/2025) shows the superseded figures of $503.00 roof mount, $597.00 ground mount, $441.05 express solar only, and $794.05 express solar and storage.

last checked 15 Aug 2026

Valuation-based building permit per CDD-0245 (rev 07-12-2026) using contract or equipment value, $75 minimum permit plus $32 plan review; city permit fees are charged separately from any SolarAPP+ processing fee

last checked 18 Jun 2026

County Code 16.0204(j)(1) sets fees effective July 1, 2026 for "15KW or less photovoltaic systems for single family residential - roof mount system": plan review $215.00 plus permit fee $226.00. Ground-mounted single family systems of 15KW or less are $225.00 plan review plus $225.00 permit fee under 16.0204(j)(3); above 15KW the plan review is "$225.00 plus $15.00 per each additional kilowatt above 15KW." Solar water heating systems are $166.00 plan review plus $213.00 permit fee. The ordinance states "the intake processing fee will be waived" for these residential solar sections, so the $57.00 intake fee does not apply.

last checked 15 Aug 2026

Per IB-301 effective May 2026: no-plan-review residential PV systems pay only a $275.80 first system inspection fee, systems needing plan review pay $154.20 plan check plus $275.80 inspection for the first system or inverter

last checked 17 Jun 2026

The county's Getting Started with Solar Photovoltaic page states that "Currently, the cost to plan check/permit a residential solar PV building permit is waived by the County of San Diego," with fees possible if Environmental Health or Public Works must review the plans, which it says is typically only for ground mount. The fee schedule PDS 613 (effective 07/10/2026, FY 25/26) separately lists "Photovoltaic Roof Mount- Online" at a $292.00 permit fee, "Photovoltaic Roof Mount- In Person" at $345.00, "Photovoltaic Ground Mount" at $502.00, and "Residential Wind Turbine" at $671.00, all with no plan review fee. Confirm the current amount with the Building Division before budgeting.

last checked 15 Aug 2026

Billed as an Electrical Permit: greater of $315 per hour of required inspection time or an itemized schedule, charged in addition to the base Permit Issuance Fee, per the FY2025-26 Building Division Fee Schedule

last checked 17 Jun 2026

Solar is charged as an electrical system only permit. The county's Building Section Services Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 leaves the Renewable Energy Systems (solar, wind, fuel cell) lines marked "No Change" for all three tiers (up to 15 kv, 15 kv, and each kv over 15), so the previously adopted amounts carry forward; the department's Building Inspection Office fee brochure, from the fee package the Board adopted on April 17, 2018, lists those amounts as $375.35 up to 15 kv, $541.46 at 15 kv and $13.00 for each kv over 15. Confirm the current figure with the Permit Center, since the brochure predates the January 23, 2024 resolution.

last checked 15 Aug 2026