Do you need a solar permit in Washington?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
- Always required
- 4
- of 8 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 4
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Solar Permit rules nationwide, beyond Washington.
Requirements and size thresholds for solar permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Washington 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 Washington
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 Washington 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 Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue | Conditional | electrical permit required for all solar systems; building permit not required for rooftop single-family systems with dead load under 3.5 lbs per sq ft and panels no more than 18 inches above roof surface | Confirmed on official page |
| Clark County | Yes | Separate SOL permits are required for ground mounted units or panels mounted on existing buildings; in new construction the solar panels are included in the NHC or ADS permit. | Confirmed on official page |
| King County | Conditional | roof-mounted solar PV panels weighing less than 4 pounds per square foot on residences do not require a building permit; heavier installations require a permit | Confirmed on official page |
| Pierce County | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Seattle | Yes | Not specified | From an official source |
| Snohomish County | Conditional | ground-mounted residential solar PV systems never need a building or mechanical permit; roof-mounted residential PV on a detached single-family house is exempt from a building/mechanical permit only if total dead load is 3.5 lbs per sq ft or less (up to 4.5 lbs per sq ft for frameless panels on a 3:12 or steeper slope, or 5 lbs per sq ft for frameless panels on a 5:12 or steeper slope), panels are mounted 18 inches or less above the roof surface, and an electrical permit has already been issued; a separate electrical permit through WA L&I is always required regardless | From an official source |
| Tacoma | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Thurston County | Conditional | Residential rooftop solar PV systems need no county permit; ground-mounted and commercial systems require county permits, and every solar project needs a state L&I electrical permit. | Confirmed on official page |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a solar permit costs in Washington
6 Washington 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.
Solar panel installations are electrical permits with fee by valuation per Table 6 of Ordinance 6879, $79 inspection fee minimum for valuation up to $500 plus a 10% plan review fee with a $35 minimum when plan review applies, effective 2026-01-01
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Most permit fees increased approximately 14% on January 1 2026 plus a $126 application screening fee
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Residential rooftop solar panel building permit base fee $173.00, plus $201.00 for systems up to 5kW or $316.00 for systems over 5kW (PCC Table 17C.10-1-G, 2026 fees); a separate electrical permit fee also applies.
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Solar PV is permitted through the electrical permit: systems below 12kW are a flat $438 online fee plus the $55.48 administrative fee, systems from 12kW to 26kW take a plan-reviewed permit at three times the $292 base fee, $876, all plus a 5% technology fee, per the 2026 Fee Subtitle Tables D-15 and D-14
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Ground-mounted and qualifying roof-mounted residential solar PV need no county building or mechanical permit, though a state L&I electrical permit is still required; non-qualifying systems price from the PDS valuation table starting at a $45 permit fee plus $29.25 plan check at the lowest valuation bracket, plus a $150 base fee per application, the $6.50 state surcharge and a 3% technology surcharge, per PDS Bulletin 18 effective 3/13/2026
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Solar panel installation bills as a remodel at 2.81 percent of ICC building valuation with a $180 minimum fee, per the PDS Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2025
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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 Washington
- Do I need a solar permit in Washington?
- In Washington it depends on the size of the job. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Washington city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 8 Washington jurisdictions we have verified for solar work, 4 require a permit outright, 4 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
- Is there a solar permit exemption in Washington?
- 4 of the 8 Washington jurisdictions we cover set a threshold rather than a flat rule, so the same job can be exempt in one Washington county and permitted in the next. The table above lists each Washington jurisdiction's published threshold in its own words, with the source and the date we verified it.
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?