Solar Permit in Boise, Idaho
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
Before installing rooftop or ground-mounted solar panels.
Issued byCity of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Boise requires a building permit for residential solar photovoltaic panels and modules, plus a separate electrical permit; no size exemption is published. Applications use the #406 Residential Photovoltaic Systems Submittal Checklist, and the City advertises expedited over-the-counter review, typically 3 days or less. Structural engineering may be required for ballasted systems, pre-1970 hand-stacked roofs, Foothills ground mounts, pergola mounts or racking adding more than 5 psf.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your Idaho Contractors Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) license active, and under which business name? Verify it on edopl.idaho.gov.
Idaho's owner-builder rule (Idaho Code 54-5205(2)(l); 54-5209; 54-1016(2)(a); 54-2602(1)(a); 54-5002(1)(a)) sets what you may do on your own home without hiring anyone. Read the statute.
When a permit is usually needed
Before installing rooftop or ground-mounted solar panels.
What a solar permit costs in Boise
How to apply in Boise
In Boise, a rooftop solar PV permit application is a combined structural and electrical plan set: a site plan and roof framing details proving the array's mounting can carry its added loads, plus a one line electrical diagram covering listed modules and inverters, disconnects, and the rapid shutdown design. Utility interconnection is a separate approval that runs in parallel with the permit.
What most solar permit applications include:
- Both a building permit and a separate electrical permit are required, since the array must be designed and installed to the residential code's solar provisions and to the National Electrical Code (IRC R324.3).
- For Boise, the plan set identifies listed equipment: PV modules listed to UL 1703 (or both UL 61730-1 and UL 61730-2), and inverters listed to UL 1741, with grid-tied inverters listed for utility interaction (IRC R324.3.1).
- Structural drawings show that the roof framing is designed to structurally support the array and withstand the gravity loads it adds (IRC R324.4.1).
- For Boise, the site plan lays out roof access pathways at least 36 inches wide, plus a ridge setback sized to how much of the roof the array covers, so firefighters retain pathways and ventilation access (IRC R324.6.1, IRC R324.6.2).
- For Boise, the one line electrical diagram shows the rapid shutdown method and the location of its single initiation device, since one control point must bring all system conductors down to safe levels (NEC 690.12, NEC 690.56(C)).
- Interconnecting the array to the utility grid at a defined point of connection is a separate application process from the local building or electrical permit and must be approved before the system can operate (NEC 705.12).
- Some permitting offices route applications through SolarAPP+, an automated review platform that checks the plan set against code requirements and issues eligible permits instantly (DOE SolarAPP+).
General submittal guidance from IRC 2021 R324 (Solar Energy Systems) and NEC 2020 Article 690 (Solar Photovoltaic Systems) and Article 705 (Interconnected Power Production Sources). Source. City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division sets the exact checklist for Boise.
Where to apply in Boise:
City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division
- 150 N Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702
- Phone: (208) 608-7070
Inspections and closing out your permit
In Boise, inspectors verify the installed array against the approved plans, and some agencies run a rough check of roof attachments and penetrations while they are still exposed before the wiring and roofing close them in. The final inspection confirms rapid shutdown, disconnects, grounding, and required labels are installed correctly, and the system cannot be energized until the utility separately approves interconnection.
- In Boise: where an agency runs a rough or pre-inspection, it checks the array's roof penetrations while they are still exposed, confirming they are flashed and sealed (IRC R324.4.3).
- In Boise: the inspector confirms whether rapid shutdown is required, how it is accomplished, and that it is properly identified (NEC 690.12, NEC 690.56(C)).
- In Boise: pV disconnecting means must be permanently marked and installed where they are readily accessible, which the inspector confirms in the field (NEC 690.13).
- In Boise: bonding and grounding of the array, including every exposed non current carrying metal part and the grounding electrode system, is checked before sign off (NEC 690.43, NEC 690.47).
- In Boise: at the service equipment, the inspector looks for the required rapid shutdown placard, a labeled diagram showing the initiation device's location in the specified colors and letter sizes (NEC 690.56(C)).
- In Boise: utility interconnection is inspected and approved separately from the local building department's sign off, and the system cannot be energized until both approvals are in hand (NEC 705.12).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Boise permit portal or by phone at (208) 608-7070.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 690 (690.12 rapid shutdown, 690.13 disconnects, 690.43/690.47 grounding, 690.56 labeling) and IRC 2021 R324.4.3 (roof penetrations). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Solar Permit checklist for Boise
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: Before installing rooftop or ground-mounted solar panels.
- Budget the fee. Residential Solar Photovoltaic Systems plan review/inspections building permit fee: $171, plus a separate electrical permit, "Installation of photovoltaic system: (up to two inspections)" $114.00. Solar Photovoltaic Systems Fee Guide (10/2026) and FY27 Electrical Code Fee Schedule. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. In Boise, a rooftop solar PV permit application is a combined structural and electrical plan set: a site plan and roof framing details proving the array's mounting can carry its added loads, plus a one line electrical diagram covering listed modules and inverters, disconnects, and the rapid shutdown design. Utility interconnection is a separate approval that runs in parallel with the permit. Start at the Boise permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division. Phone: (208) 608-7070. Address: 150 N Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702.
- Plan for inspections. In Boise, inspectors verify the installed array against the approved plans, and some agencies run a rough check of roof attachments and penetrations while they are still exposed before the wiring and roofing close them in. The final inspection confirms rapid shutdown, disconnects, grounding, and required labels are installed correctly, and the system cannot be energized until the utility separately approves interconnection.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a solar permit in Boise?
- Boise requires a building permit for residential solar photovoltaic panels and modules, plus a separate electrical permit; no size exemption is published. Applications use the #406 Residential Photovoltaic Systems Submittal Checklist, and the City advertises expedited over-the-counter review, typically 3 days or less. Structural engineering may be required for ballasted systems, pre-1970 hand-stacked roofs, Foothills ground mounts, pergola mounts or racking adding more than 5 psf. Always confirm with the City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division before starting.
- How much does a solar permit cost in Boise?
- Residential Solar Photovoltaic Systems plan review/inspections building permit fee: $171, plus a separate electrical permit, "Installation of photovoltaic system: (up to two inspections)" $114.00. Solar Photovoltaic Systems Fee Guide (10/2026) and FY27 Electrical Code Fee Schedule. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- How long does a solar permit take in Boise?
- Typically 3 days or less (expedited over-the-counter review, per the Solar Energy in Boise page). Times can vary by workload and project scope, so confirm with the office.
- Where do you apply for a solar permit in Boise?
- You can apply through the Boise permit portal or contact the City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in Boise?
- Under Idaho law (Idaho Code 54-5205(2)(l); 54-5209; 54-1016(2)(a); 54-2602(1)(a); 54-5002(1)(a)): Idaho homeowners may do their own work. The Idaho Contractor Registration Act exempts an owner building on their own residential property, whether or not they live there. That exemption does not cover an owner who builds in order to promptly sell, unless they have lived in the home as their primary residence for at least 12 months before the sale. The trade laws carry their own owner exemptions: a property owner may do noncommercial electrical work in their own primary or secondary residence (54-1016(2)(a)), and an owner or contract purchaser may do their own plumbing (54-2602(1)(a)) and HVAC work (54-5002(1)(a)) in a single-family home or duplex, but must still meet the code and get the permit. A permit issued to an exempt owner is marked "no contractor registration provided" (54-5209). Confirm how Boise applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Boise
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Before removing wall coverings to the framing, building a wall, relocating fixtures, or... | Plumbing: $33.00 base fee plus $12.50 per fixture (FY27 Plumbing Code Fee Schedule) |
| Deck Permit | It depends | deck height above grade at any point | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | Single branch circuit: $57.00 (Table 2-b) |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...but not limited to, wall heaters, residential electric car outlets" $57.00 (Table... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fence height | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...or appliance (including furnaces, air conditioners, mini-split systems): $57.00... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | concrete patio height above grade | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | $33.00 base permit fee plus $12.50 each per fixture (e.g |
| Pool Permit | It depends | prefabricated pools only; in-ground and deeper pools need a permit | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure | Building permit fee from Table No. 1-A by valuation (e.g |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | Plumbing: $33.00 base fee plus "Water heaters $12.50 Each" (FY27 Plumbing Code Fee... |
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Boise documents; the office above sets the local rules.
How this solar permit page for Boise was verified. 2 official sources: cityofboise.org, cityofboise.org; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with City of Boise Planning and Development Services, Building Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page