Do you need a solar permit?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
It depends entirely on where you live, and the differences are larger than most national guides admit. We read the code, ordinance, or fee schedule published by each of 137 US counties and cities and recorded what it actually says.
Where are you building?
The rule is set locally and the spread is wide, so start with your own jurisdiction. We have read the published rule in 137 of them.
The short answer
Of the 135 jurisdictions where we have confirmed the rule, 129 require a permit outright, 6 require one only in certain conditions.
The most common published threshold is 3.5 lbs per sq ft, used by 2 of the 3 jurisdictions that state a threshold in lbs per sq ft. That leaves 1 of them on a different number, which is why a national rule of thumb is not a safe answer for your own address.
2 of the 137 jurisdictions publish nothing we could verify for this permit type. We record those as unconfirmed rather than guessing.
The size thresholds, and how much they disagree
4 of the 137 jurisdictions publish a specific number.
Measured in lbs per sq ft (3 jurisdictions)
| Threshold | Jurisdictions | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5 lbs per sq ft | 2 | Bellevue, Snohomish County |
| 4 lbs per sq ft | 1 | King County |
Measured in feet (1 jurisdiction)
| Threshold | Jurisdictions | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 5 feet | 1 | Jefferson County |
Thresholds are recorded as the jurisdiction states them. Which side of the number triggers the permit varies, so read your own locality's page before relying on one.
What a solar permit costs
129 of our solar permit rows carry a fee answer taken from the jurisdiction's own published schedule, across 129 localities. There is no single number to quote, and not because we did not look: jurisdictions price this permit in genuinely different ways. Some charge a flat fee, some a percentage of the job's assessed valuation, some a rate per square foot, and some do not price it at all because the work is permitted by a state agency or a utility instead. Each row below is that jurisdiction's own wording.
| Locality | What the schedule says |
|---|---|
| Osceola County Florida | Appendix A states 'The following permit fees will apply to residential and commercial solar permits' immediately... |
| Kansas City Missouri | Each trade permit is priced from the one- and two-family valuation table in Sec. |
| Charlotte North Carolina | Solar has no dedicated line item. |
| Greensboro North Carolina | Building Permit Fee Schedule, Document #1005 dated 12/19/24: 'Minimum permit fee - $85'. |
| Cobb County Georgia | Fee follows the small residential construction cost table, $80 base for cost up to $15,000 rising by tier to $450 (or... |
| Gwinnett County Georgia | Planning and Development Fee Schedule, "Building Permit Fees (Effective July 1, 2024)", footer "Revised 05/23/2024". |
| Charlotte County Florida | At application: flat fee $90, plus a building fee of 0.004 x ICC valuation (if valuation is $50,000 or more) and a... |
| Ann Arbor Michigan | For expedited residential solar the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Permitting Checklist shows the electric permit... |
| Charleston South Carolina | Two permits, two fees. |
| Pittsburgh Pennsylvania | 2026 PLI Fee Schedule, effective 1/1/2026: "Base Permit Fee (Residential) $6.00 per $1,000 of Construction Value... |
| Polk County Florida | Solar voltaic (residential and commercial) is charged per the building permit fee table in Construction Fees... |
| Cincinnati Ohio | Building permit fees are based on project valuation under the Department of Buildings and Inspections Fee Schedule... |
A sample of the schedule-verified rows. Full figures, sources, and dates are on each locality's page, and the whole fee study is at what building permits cost.
Solar Permit rules by state
27 states, 137 counties and cities. Pick your state for the locality-by-locality comparison, or go straight to your county.
| State | Localities | Required | Conditional | Not required | Thresholds published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 28 | 27 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| California uniform | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Virginia uniform | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Texas uniform | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Arizona | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | None published |
| Washington | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3.5 lbs per sq ft, 4 lbs per sq ft |
| New York | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | None published |
| Georgia uniform | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Maryland uniform | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Michigan uniform | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| North Carolina uniform | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Ohio uniform | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Colorado uniform | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 feet |
| Tennessee | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Illinois uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Indiana uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Louisiana uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Massachusetts uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Minnesota uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Missouri uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Nevada uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| New Jersey uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Oklahoma uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Oregon uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Pennsylvania uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| South Carolina uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
| Wisconsin uniform | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | None published |
A state marked uniform applies the same verdict in every locality we checked there, usually because a statewide code forbids local divergence.
How solar permits work, start to finish
Applying
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.
- 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+).
Inspections and close-out
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).
General practice; your locality's page carries its own process, fees, and portal. Sources: IRC 2021 R324 (Solar Energy Systems) and NEC 2020 Article 690 (Solar Photovoltaic Systems) and Article 705 (Interconnected Power Production Sources), 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).
Find the solar permit rule where you live
Look up your locality
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?