Do you need a solar permit in Virginia?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
- Always required
- 12
- of 12 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 0
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Solar Permit rules nationwide, beyond Virginia.
Requirements and size thresholds for solar permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Virginia county or city requires. Always confirm with the local office before starting.
Comparing states? See solar permit rules across every locality we cover.
What to know about solar permits in Virginia
Solar permits in Virginia usually cover the rooftop PV system and its electrical interconnection. Costs depend on system size and your locality, and many homeowners weigh financing options such as solar loans against paying up front. Some Virginia localities use SolarAPP+ for faster automated approvals. Always use a licensed electrical or solar contractor, since the work must pass inspection.
The application steps and inspection sequence for solar permits come from the model code rather than from Virginia law, so they read the same wherever you build. We keep that walkthrough in one place: how a solar permit application and its inspections work, start to finish. What changes between Virginia jurisdictions is below: who requires a permit, what they charge, and which office you file with.
Swipe sideways to see thresholds and confidence.
| Locality | Permit required? | Typical threshold | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington County | Yes | Residential solar electric systems require both an electrical permit and a building permit; no size exemption is published. | Confirmed on official page |
| Chesterfield County | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Culpeper County | Yes | Not specified | From an official source |
| Fairfax County | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Fauquier County | Yes | Not specified | From an official source |
| Henrico County | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Loudoun County | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Orange County | Yes | Not specified | From an official source |
| Prince William County | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Spotsylvania County | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Stafford County | Yes | Not specified | From an official source |
| Virginia Beach | Yes | No exemption; photovoltaic work is a listed category on the city electrical permit application and electrical work requires a permit under the statewide code. | From an official source |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a solar permit costs in Virginia
9 Virginia jurisdictions we cover publish a fee figure for this work. Each line is quoted from that office's own schedule and linked to its citation. The figures are not comparable to one another: some are flat minimums, some a percentage of job value, some charged per fixture, so what you pay depends on which schedule applies and on your job's valuation.
No solar-specific line; the county lists solar panel wiring as electrical work needing rough-in and final inspections, matching the $114 electrical addition and renovation rough-in tier, plus the 2% state levy, per the residential fee schedule effective 7/1/2025
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Residential solar PV permit fees are $500 or less
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No solar-specific line; a rooftop solar interconnection bills as a single electrical trade permit at $84.15 including the technology fee, per the county trades page
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Residential solar needs only an electrical permit with no separate building permit per the county's solar pathway memo, billed at $100 for the first $5,000 of labor and material cost plus $6 per additional $1,000 plus a 2% state levy
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Building permit fee is $230 and electrical permit fee is $70 for rooftop systems; ground-mounted systems also require a zoning permit at $165
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Ground-mounted solar with electric is $0.10 per square foot with a $150 minimum; roof-mounted solar with electric is a flat $150, plus Virginia's 2% state surcharge, per the FY27 Tax and Fee Schedule
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Rooftop residential solar panels are billed as stationary equipment on the Existing Dwellings electrical schedule, base fee $44.23 ($55.35 with surcharges) plus $11.80 per unit ($14.75 with surcharges); no photovoltaic-specific line is printed, per the FY27 BDD Fee Schedule
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Roof or ground mounted solar panels take a $230 deposit ($100 building plus $50 zoning plus $80 processing) with additional fees due at issuance, per the county deposit schedule under the 7/1/2025 Unified Fee Schedule
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Alternative energy system review, which the schedule lists as covering solar, is $100 with a $50 inspection, plus the 2 percent state levy and 2.75 percent technology fee, per the Development Services Fee Schedule effective 11/1/2024
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Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.
Common questions about solar permits in Virginia
- Do I need a solar permit in Virginia?
- In most of Virginia, yes. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Virginia city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 12 Virginia jurisdictions we have verified for solar work, 12 require a permit outright, 0 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
Ready to move on your solar permit?
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?