Minnesota / Saint Paul

Solar Permit in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Permit required

Yes, a permit is required

Before installing a rooftop or ground mounted solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system.

Confirmed on official page Verified City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI)

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

Saint Paul treats a residential solar installation as a multi permit project. DSI's Permit Applicant Checklist for Residential Solar Energy Installations opens with the requirement to file a fully completed building permit application and states that other permits are also required, and the separate Solar PV Systems Electrical Permit carries the National Electrical Code work and is the permit whose fee scales with system size. PAULIE offers three solar applications: Electrical Commercial Solar PV Systems, Electrical Contractor Residential Solar PV Systems and Electrical Homeowner Residential Solar PV Systems. The electrical fee is based on the total estimated alternating current output in kilowatts and covers the panels, inverters, disconnects, overcurrent devices, metering and conductors between the panels and the service equipment. Building integrated installations where the collector replaces a roof, shingle or awning component do not need the checklist completed separately from the building permit application, and rooftop systems must sit over no more than two layers of roof shingles.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the Saint Paul permit portal

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 or ground mounted solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system.

What a solar permit costs in Saint Paul

Line item
solar permitBy formulaTwo fees. Electrical, Sec. 33.04(g)(4)k "Renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.)": $151.00 for 0 to 20 kW systems, $363.00 for 21 to 40 kW systems, and above 40 kW $363.00 plus $3.00 for every kW above 40 kW, as amended by Ord 25-41 effective 8-6-25. DSI's Solar PV Systems Electrical Permit page still shows an older table of $138.00 for 0 to 20 kW, $332.00 for 21 to 40 kW and $315 plus $3.00 per kW above 40 kW, with a $1.00 minimum state surcharge; the codified figures are the later ones. Solar thermal is separate: Sec. 33.04(g)(21) prices solar heating systems at 1 percent of total valuation with an $85.00 minimum. The building permit itself is priced from the Sec. 33.04(a) valuation table.
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How to apply in Saint Paul

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 Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) sets the exact checklist for Saint Paul.

Where to apply in Saint Paul:

City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI)

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.

  1. 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).
  2. 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)).
  3. PV disconnecting means must be permanently marked and installed where they are readily accessible, which the inspector confirms in the field (NEC 690.13).
  4. 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).
  5. 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)).
  6. 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 Saint Paul permit portal or by phone at 651-266-8989.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a solar permit in Saint Paul?
Saint Paul treats a residential solar installation as a multi permit project. DSI's Permit Applicant Checklist for Residential Solar Energy Installations opens with the requirement to file a fully completed building permit application and states that other permits are also required, and the separate Solar PV Systems Electrical Permit carries the National Electrical Code work and is the permit whose fee scales with system size. PAULIE offers three solar applications: Electrical Commercial Solar PV Systems, Electrical Contractor Residential Solar PV Systems and Electrical Homeowner Residential Solar PV Systems. The electrical fee is based on the total estimated alternating current output in kilowatts and covers the panels, inverters, disconnects, overcurrent devices, metering and conductors between the panels and the service equipment. Building integrated installations where the collector replaces a roof, shingle or awning component do not need the checklist completed separately from the building permit application, and rooftop systems must sit over no more than two layers of roof shingles. Always confirm with the City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) before starting.
How much does a solar permit cost in Saint Paul?
Two fees. Electrical, Sec. 33.04(g)(4)k "Renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.)": $151.00 for 0 to 20 kW systems, $363.00 for 21 to 40 kW systems, and above 40 kW $363.00 plus $3.00 for every kW above 40 kW, as amended by Ord 25-41 effective 8-6-25. DSI's Solar PV Systems Electrical Permit page still shows an older table of $138.00 for 0 to 20 kW, $332.00 for 21 to 40 kW and $315 plus $3.00 per kW above 40 kW, with a $1.00 minimum state surcharge; the codified figures are the later ones. Solar thermal is separate: Sec. 33.04(g)(21) prices solar heating systems at 1 percent of total valuation with an $85.00 minimum. The building permit itself is priced from the Sec. 33.04(a) valuation table. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a solar permit in Saint Paul?
You can apply through the Saint Paul permit portal or contact the City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in Saint Paul?
Under Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 326B.805, subd. 6, clause (3)): Minnesota requires a license to work as a residential building contractor, remodeler, or roofer, but it exempts an owner who builds or improves their own residential real estate if the owner occupies it, or will occupy it, for residential purposes, or keeps it as a rental once the work is done. That exemption lets a homeowner act as their own contractor and pull permits without holding a contractor's license. The exemption does not apply to an owner building or improving property for resale or speculation, and the law presumes speculation if the owner builds or improves more than one property within any 24-month period, unless each property is retained for rental. This is a licensing exemption only; it does not remove the separate requirement to obtain a building permit for the work itself. Confirm how Saint Paul applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Saint Paul

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Deck PermitIt dependsheight of a deck or platform above grade, where it is also not attached to a structure with frost footings and does not act as a landing outside an exterior doorA deck building permit is priced from the valuation table in Sec.
Electrical PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedSec.
Fence PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedSaint Paul Legislative Code Sec.
HVAC PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedWarm air, Sec.
Patio PermitIt dependsNot specifiedThere is no patio line item in the fee schedule.
Plumbing PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedDSI's Plumbing Application, Inspection and Fees page (last edited March 3, 2026) and Sec.
Pool PermitIt dependswater capacity of an in-ground or above ground swimming pool; the prefabricated pool exemption additionally requires the pool to be no more than 24 inches deep and installed entirely above groundThe pool building permit is priced from the valuation table in Sec.
Roof Replacement PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedA reroof is a general building permit priced on valuation under Sec.
Shed PermitIt dependsfloor area of a one-story detached accessory structure used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse or similar useA shed over 200 square feet is a general building permit priced from the valuation table...

Solar Permit in other Minnesota localities

Everything above, sourced

stpaul.gov: building permits inspectionsread
stpaul.gov: Combined File for Electrical 040915 201504091234262964read

Code references

National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Saint Paul documents; the office above sets the local rules.

Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI). Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: Report an error on this page

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