Solar Permit in New Orleans, Louisiana
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
Before installing a rooftop solar PV system.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
New Orleans permits rooftop solar as an electrical permit, with no system size below which the permit is waived. Since March 1, 2025, a new PV system permit filed through the One Stop App requires an approved plan review through the SolarAPP+ platform, and the application must include the SolarAPP+ combined PDF plan review document. The permit can only be obtained by an electrical contractor holding a Class A Electrical License from the City of New Orleans, so the installer files it, not the homeowner. New Orleans was the first local government in Louisiana to earn SolSmart designation.
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 contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
When a permit is usually needed
Before installing a rooftop solar PV system.
What a solar permit costs in New Orleans
How to apply in New Orleans
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).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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 New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits sets the exact checklist for New Orleans.
Where to apply in New Orleans:
City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits
- 1340 Poydras Street, Suite 800, New Orleans, LA 70112
- Phone: (504) 658-7200
- Email: permitinfo@nola.gov
Inspections and closing out your permit
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.
- 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).
- 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)).
- PV disconnecting means must be permanently marked and installed where they are readily accessible, which the inspector confirms in the field (NEC 690.13).
- 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).
- 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)).
- 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 New Orleans permit portal or by phone at (504) 658-7200.
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 New Orleans
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: Before installing a rooftop solar PV system.
- Budget the fee. Permits for rooftop solar are classified as Electrical Permits with associated costs of $40 plus $3 per new circuit plus $0.30 per service amperage. A separate SolarAPP+ plan review cost applies to installers. Solar Permitting page, last updated 1/16/2026. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. 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 New Orleans permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits. Phone: (504) 658-7200. Address: 1340 Poydras Street, Suite 800, New Orleans, LA 70112.
- Plan for inspections. 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 New Orleans?
- New Orleans permits rooftop solar as an electrical permit, with no system size below which the permit is waived. Since March 1, 2025, a new PV system permit filed through the One Stop App requires an approved plan review through the SolarAPP+ platform, and the application must include the SolarAPP+ combined PDF plan review document. The permit can only be obtained by an electrical contractor holding a Class A Electrical License from the City of New Orleans, so the installer files it, not the homeowner. New Orleans was the first local government in Louisiana to earn SolSmart designation. Always confirm with the City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits before starting.
- How much does a solar permit cost in New Orleans?
- Permits for rooftop solar are classified as Electrical Permits with associated costs of $40 plus $3 per new circuit plus $0.30 per service amperage. A separate SolarAPP+ plan review cost applies to installers. Solar Permitting page, last updated 1/16/2026. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a solar permit in New Orleans?
- You can apply through the New Orleans permit portal or contact the City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in New Orleans?
- Under Louisiana law (La. R.S. 37:2157(A)(2), (A)(13), (A)(15)(a), (B); La. R.S. 37:2160(B) and (C)): Yes. R.S. 37:2157(A)(13) exempts an owner who supervises or takes charge of construction, alteration or repair of his own personal residence from the contractor licensing law, but caps the exemption at one residence per year, with the year running from the date the certificate of occupancy issues; the cap lifts only where a change in the owner's legal marital status, or a change in employment forcing a move more than 50 miles from his residence, requires a second home. A separate exemption at R.S. 37:2157(A)(2) covers an owner who takes charge of work on his own property for his own use, where the result will not be for sale or rent and the owner controls access. A residential property owner who physically performs home improvement work on his own residence is also exempt from home improvement licensure under R.S. 37:2157(A)(15)(a). The exemption is not self-executing at the permit counter: R.S. 37:2157(A)(13) requires an affidavit of exemption on a board form in order to obtain the building permit, and R.S. 37:2160(C) obliges the local permit official to collect that affidavit before the permit issues. R.S. 37:2157(B) adds that none of these exemptions waives local or state health and life safety code requirements, so an exempt homeowner still owes the permit and the inspections. Confirm how New Orleans applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in New Orleans
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | deck area, with the exemption also requiring the deck be uncovered, no more than thirty inches high from grade at any point, detached from the dwelling unit, and not serving an exit door | Building permit fee is $60 plus $5 per $1,000 of work to be performed (job value x .005... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | $40 application fee plus $3 per new circuit plus $0.30 per service amperage. |
| Fence Permit | It depends | height of the fence, with the exemption also requiring compliance with the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance | Building permit fee is $60 plus $5 per $1,000 of work to be performed (job value x .005... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Varies based on components of work. |
| Patio Permit | It depends | Not specified | Where a permit is required, the building permit fee is $60 plus $5 per $1,000 of work to... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Not part of the building permit fee. |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Not specified | $60 plus $5 per $1,000 of work to be performed. |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | share of the roof replaced, for single and two-family homes | Base Fee: $60. |
| Shed Permit | Permit required | Not specified | $60 plus $5 per $1,000 of work to be performed. |
Solar Permit in other Louisiana localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not New Orleans documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Compare Solar Permit requirements across Louisiana localities