Solar Permit in New York City, New York
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before installing, altering or removing a rooftop or site solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system. Only solar landscape lights are exempt.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
DOB states that no solar work may be performed without a work permit, a Licensed Contractor and a Registered Design Professional, the single exception being solar landscape lights, which a building owner may install. A licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect must prepare and submit the construction documents, including a structural analysis showing the existing structure can carry the added panel weight, and must perform the final inspection. Since November 15, 2023 solar filings must be made in DOB NOW: Build as an Alteration with work type Solar, and every solar filing needs an associated electrical filing by a licensed electrician using category Sustainable Energy Installs and sustainable type Photo Voltaic. DOB will not issue the solar permit until the electrical permit has been issued. The New York State property tax abatement is now requested inside the same DOB NOW filing rather than on a separate PTA4 form.
Typical threshold: solar landscape lights are the only solar work DOB exempts from permit.
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, altering or removing a rooftop or site solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system. Only solar landscape lights are exempt.
What a solar permit costs in New York City
How New York City compares in New York
No New York jurisdiction we have verified sets a size threshold for this permit, so what actually differs between them is the fee.
| Jurisdiction | Permit needed? | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Permit required | Two permits, two fees. |
| New York Citythis page | It depends | Solar Panels is work type SL, an alteration priced on construction cost and... |
| Rochester | Permit required | The Solar JULY 2026 packet states "Unified Fee $100" by check or money order... |
| Town of Brookhaven | Permit required | No Building Division fee schedule is published. |
| Town of Hempstead | Permit required | The flat solar fee is gone. |
How to apply in New York City
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. New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) sets the exact checklist for New York City.
Where to apply in New York City:
New York City Department of Buildings (DOB)
- 280 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
- Phone: (212) 566-5000
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 York City permit portal or by phone at (212) 566-5000.
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 York City
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: solar landscape lights are the only solar work DOB exempts from permit. Usually needed: Before installing, altering or removing a rooftop or site solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system. Only solar landscape lights are exempt.
- Budget the fee. Solar Panels is work type SL, an alteration priced on construction cost and requiring a PW3 statement of cost per DOB's "Fee Structure & List of Applications Requiring a PW3" (Rev. 04/25). For a one-, two- or three-family dwelling that means Table 28-112.2 item 11: minimum filing fee $170.00 for Alteration Type 1 or $130.00 for Alteration Type 2 or Type 3, being the "Minimum filing fee for the first $5,000, or fraction thereof, of the cost of alteration; plus $2.60 for each $1,000, or fraction thereof, of cost of alterations in excess of $5,000." The mandatory companion electrical permit is billed separately under 1 RCNY 101-03. 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 York City permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). Phone: (212) 566-5000. Address: 280 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
- 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 York City?
- DOB states that no solar work may be performed without a work permit, a Licensed Contractor and a Registered Design Professional, the single exception being solar landscape lights, which a building owner may install. A licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect must prepare and submit the construction documents, including a structural analysis showing the existing structure can carry the added panel weight, and must perform the final inspection. Since November 15, 2023 solar filings must be made in DOB NOW: Build as an Alteration with work type Solar, and every solar filing needs an associated electrical filing by a licensed electrician using category Sustainable Energy Installs and sustainable type Photo Voltaic. DOB will not issue the solar permit until the electrical permit has been issued. The New York State property tax abatement is now requested inside the same DOB NOW filing rather than on a separate PTA4 form. Solar landscape lights are the only solar work DOB exempts from permit. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a solar permit cost in New York City?
- Solar Panels is work type SL, an alteration priced on construction cost and requiring a PW3 statement of cost per DOB's "Fee Structure & List of Applications Requiring a PW3" (Rev. 04/25). For a one-, two- or three-family dwelling that means Table 28-112.2 item 11: minimum filing fee $170.00 for Alteration Type 1 or $130.00 for Alteration Type 2 or Type 3, being the "Minimum filing fee for the first $5,000, or fraction thereof, of the cost of alteration; plus $2.60 for each $1,000, or fraction thereof, of cost of alterations in excess of $5,000." The mandatory companion electrical permit is billed separately under 1 RCNY 101-03. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a solar permit in New York City?
- You can apply through the New York City permit portal or contact the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in New York City?
- Under New York law (Inside New York City: NYC Admin. Code 28-104.1, 28-105.1, 28-105.4, 28-105.5.1, 28-401.3 (definition of "general contractor"). Outside New York City: N.Y. Exec. Law 381(2); 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(1).): New York State sets no owner-builder rule at all outside New York City. Executive Law 381(2) puts administration and enforcement in the hands of each local government, and 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(1) only requires each authority having jurisdiction to make building permits mandatory for work that must conform to the codes, leaving who may apply to local law. The state licenses no general contractors and imposes no owner-builder affidavit, disclosure form or post-permit sale restriction of the kind Florida uses, so whether a homeowner may pull the permit is a question for the specific city, town, village or county. New York City is the genuine outlier. Administrative Code 28-105.1 makes the work itself unlawful without a written permit, and Administrative Code 28-104.1 bars the department from issuing that permit until it approves the required construction documents, which must be prepared by or under the supervision of a registered design professional, meaning a licensed architect or engineer, as required by the code. A homeowner therefore cannot self-prepare and file the plans for permit-requiring work in New York City even though Administrative Code 28-105.5.1 defines the permit applicant as the person who performs the work or retains a subcontractor, and even though the general contractor registration definition in Administrative Code 28-401.3 expressly excludes an individual who constructs a residential structure of no more than three dwelling units for his or her own occupancy. Note that Administrative Code 28-105.4 exempts minor alterations and ordinary repairs from the permit requirement entirely, so the design professional bottleneck applies only to work that needs a permit in the first place. Confirm how New York City applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in New York City
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Filed as an alteration on form PW1. |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Not specified | Table 28-112.2 item 16, "Permit for electrical work," is "As provided by department... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fences accessory to one- and two-family dwellings, measured from the higher of the two adjoining grades | No DOB filing fee where the fence is exempt. |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | packaged air-conditioning units installed in an existing one- or two-family dwelling that are not part of an alteration otherwise requiring a permit; the same exemption is capped at 3 tons in all other buildings | No DOB filing fee where the unit fits the 1 RCNY 101-14 exemption. |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | direct replacement of an existing fixture or faucet that does not alter the hot and cold shutoff valves or the fixture trap | Limited Alteration Application is the usual homeowner-scale route. |
| Pool Permit | It depends | outdoor in-ground or above-ground pools accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling, where the distance from the edge of an in-ground pool to any building or lot line exceeds the depth of the deepest part of the pool and a slop sink for indirect waste already exists or is installed under a plumbing permit | No DOB filing fee for a pool that meets the 1 RCNY 101-14 Table 1 exemption, though a... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | the permit requirement turns on whether the roof deck or sheathing is replaced, and on whether the NYC Energy Conservation Code calls for additional thermal insulation | No DOB filing fee for reroofing that stays above the deck. |
| Shed Permit | It depends | temporary portable freestanding sheds accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling that are also no more than 7 feet 6 inches high, at least 3 feet from every lot line, used for household storage, do not obstruct a required window, and are the only such shed on the tax lot | No DOB filing fee where the shed meets every condition in 1 RCNY 101-14 Table 1. |
Solar Permit in other New York 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 York City documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Compare Solar Permit requirements across New York localities
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Solar Permit across New York