Solar Permit in Wake County, North Carolina
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
Before installing a roof-mounted, building-integrated or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system.
Issued byWake County Permits and Inspections (Planning and Development Services)
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Solar panels are permitted work in unincorporated Wake County; the county's fee schedule lists them among the projects covered by the single residential permit, and its Solar Panels planning checklist assigns a permit type to every residential case. On an existing home, a roof-mounted system is permitted as a Residential alteration and a ground-mounted system as a Residential non-building structure; on a new build, solar is incorporated into the plans as an accessory structure under Unified Development Ordinance Section 4-70-1 H. The checklist adds an aviation notice step only for commercial arrays larger than half an acre within five miles of a public airport.
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 North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC) license active, and under which business name? Verify it on portal.nclbgc.org.
North Carolina's owner-builder rule (N.C. Gen. Stat. 87-1(a), 87-1(b)(2), 87-14(a)(1), 160D-1113, 160D-1115) sets what you may do on your own home without hiring anyone. Read the statute.
When a permit is usually needed
Before installing a roof-mounted, building-integrated or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system.
What a solar permit costs in Wake County
How Wake County compares in North Carolina
No North Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | Permit required | ...value under the LUESA Fee Ordinance (revised July 1, 2026), where $3,001... |
| Greensboro | Permit required | ...Fee Schedule, Document #1005 dated 12/19/24: 'Minimum permit fee -... |
| Mecklenburg County | Permit required | ...electrical trade permit priced off total construction value with a $59.70... |
| Wake Countythis page | Permit required | ...panels, closed crawlspaces, etc.' The fee is 'Residential Permit Fee $75... |
How to apply in Wake County
In Wake County, 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 Wake County, 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 Wake County, 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 Wake County, 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. Wake County Permits and Inspections (Planning and Development Services) sets the exact checklist for Wake County.
Where to apply in Wake County:
Wake County Permits and Inspections (Planning and Development Services)
- Waverly F. Akins Wake County Office Building, First Floor, 336 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC 27602
- Phone: 919-856-6222
- Email: Wake.Permitting@wake.gov
Solar Permit in Wake County compared with nearby North Carolina localities
| Locality | Permit needed? | Threshold | What each North Carolina schedule says | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County | Permit required | Any size | ...solar panels, closed crawlspaces, etc.' The fee is 'Residential Permit Fee $75 plus... | |
| Charlotte | Permit required | Any size | ...permit value under the LUESA Fee Ordinance (revised July 1, 2026), where $3,001 to... | |
| Greensboro | Permit required | Any size | Building Permit Fee Schedule, Document #1005 dated 12/19/24: 'Minimum permit fee - $85' | |
| Mecklenburg County | Permit required | Any size | ...as an electrical trade permit priced off total construction value with a $59.70... |
Inspections and closing out your permit
In Wake County, 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 Wake County: 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 Wake County: 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 Wake County: 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 Wake County: 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 Wake County: 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 Wake County: 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 Wake County permit portal or by phone at 919-856-6222.
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 Wake County
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: Before installing a roof-mounted, building-integrated or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system.
- Budget the fee. Solar panels are named in the Residential Additions, Alterations, Accessory Building & Structures line: 'This fee includes permits for additions, alterations, repairs, sheds, attached/detached garages, retaining walls, porches, decks, solar panels, closed crawlspaces, etc.' The fee is 'Residential Permit Fee $75 plus $0.25 per square foot of gross floor area.'. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. In Wake County, 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 Wake County permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. Wake County Permits and Inspections (Planning and Development Services). Phone: 919-856-6222. Address: Waverly F. Akins Wake County Office Building, First Floor, 336 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC 27602.
- Plan for inspections. In Wake County, 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 Wake County?
- Solar panels are permitted work in unincorporated Wake County; the county's fee schedule lists them among the projects covered by the single residential permit, and its Solar Panels planning checklist assigns a permit type to every residential case. On an existing home, a roof-mounted system is permitted as a Residential alteration and a ground-mounted system as a Residential non-building structure; on a new build, solar is incorporated into the plans as an accessory structure under Unified Development Ordinance Section 4-70-1 H. The checklist adds an aviation notice step only for commercial arrays larger than half an acre within five miles of a public airport. Always confirm with the Wake County Permits and Inspections (Planning and Development Services) before starting.
- How much does a solar permit cost in Wake County?
- Solar panels are named in the Residential Additions, Alterations, Accessory Building & Structures line: 'This fee includes permits for additions, alterations, repairs, sheds, attached/detached garages, retaining walls, porches, decks, solar panels, closed crawlspaces, etc.' The fee is 'Residential Permit Fee $75 plus $0.25 per square foot of gross floor area.'. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a solar permit in Wake County?
- You can apply through the Wake County permit portal or contact the Wake County Permits and Inspections (Planning and Development Services) directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in Wake County?
- Under North Carolina law (N.C. Gen. Stat. 87-1(a), 87-1(b)(2), 87-14(a)(1), 160D-1113, 160D-1115): A North Carolina homeowner may pull the permit and do the work. G.S. 87-1(a) reaches general contracting only where the cost of the undertaking is $40,000 or more, and G.S. 87-1(b)(2) then exempts a person who constructs or alters a building on land that person owns, provided the building is intended solely for occupancy by that person and his family after completion and the person complies with G.S. 87-14. There is no outright ban on selling, but there is a look-back that works like one: if the building is not occupied solely by the person and his family for at least 12 months following completion, the statute presumes the person did not intend the building solely for that occupancy, which defeats the exemption. G.S. 87-14(a)(1) requires an owner claiming the exemption to execute a verified affidavit attesting that they own the property, that they will personally superintend and manage all aspects of the construction and will not delegate that duty to anyone unlicensed, and that they will be personally present for all inspections required by the State Building Code unless a licensed architect sealed the plans. The inspector transmits that affidavit to the Licensing Board, and if the Board determines the exemption was not available the building permit is revoked under G.S. 160D-1115. The exemption removes the general contractor license requirement only. It does not exempt the work from permits or inspections, and G.S. 160D-1113 provides that when a permit is held by an owner exempt under 87-1(b)(2), no inspection may be conducted without the owner present unless an architect sealed the plans. Confirm how Wake County applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Wake County
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 | Before building a new deck or porch, or rebuilding deck structure such as framing... | ...solar panels, closed crawlspaces, etc.' The fee is 'Residential Permit Fee $75 plus... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Before installing, extending, altering or generally repairing electrical wiring... | 'Residential Trade Permit Fee - $75 |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | 'Residential Trade Permit Fee - $75 |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...| Land Use (same use, change other than use, without septic verification) | $50.' A... |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | Before installing, extending, relocating, replacing or generally repairing any plumbing... | 'Residential Trade Permit Fee - $75 |
| Pool Permit | It depends | water the pool, hot tub or spa is able to hold | ...& Spas: 'Above-Ground swimming pools hot tubs & spas - Residential Permit Fee $75'... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | When the re-roof is not purely nonstructural, when load-bearing roof structure is... | ...Alterations, Accessory Building & Structures: 'Residential Permit Fee $75 plus... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | any dimension of the detached accessory building | ...Alterations, Accessory Building & Structures: 'Residential Permit Fee $75 plus... |
Solar Permit in other North Carolina localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Wake County documents; the office above sets the local rules.
How this solar permit page for Wake County was verified. 2 official sources: wake.gov, wake.gov; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with Wake County Permits and Inspections (Planning and Development Services). Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Compare Solar Permit requirements across North Carolina localities