City of Compton
Los Angeles County
City of Compton is a city authority in the State of California, serving 95,740 residents. 1,881 residential solar installs are on record here. This page is the permit route for that jurisdiction: the fifteen steps from working out who has a say over an address through to permission to operate, the documents this authority publishes, and 62 answers taken from those documents and dated.
Permitting 5 steps · 28 questions
Whether a permit is needed — Yes Q3 Where you file — CitizenServe (portal name on the city's Building and Safety menu; permit application at citizenserve.com/cityofcompton) Q20
- Permit required
- Yes65% source
- Key document
- department page (inference) cited by 2 open the document
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Confirm who has a say over your address
A city address is usually permitted by the city, not the county — but not always, and some authorities keep building and hand electrical to someone else. Getting this wrong costs the whole submittal, because every requirement below belongs to whoever actually holds jurisdiction. Check the overlays in the same pass: an HOA, a historic district, a windstorm certification or a system-size cap can reshape the design, and all of them are cheaper to find now than after the array is laid out.
- Is this authority the AHJ for residential solar at this address? Yes 90% · department page
- What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both 78% · ordinance (Ord. No. 2341)
- Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes 65% · department page (inference)
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Check who is allowed to apply
Several authorities require the electrical permit to be pulled by a licensed electrician, or require the contractor to be registered with them BEFORE applying. Registration is not same-day. This is second on the list rather than fourth because it is the step most likely to stop the job before the drawings matter.
- Who is allowed to pull the electrical permit? Licensed contractor (electrician/C-46 or C-10, or owner-builder) 50% · inference from state law / department documents page
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Build the submittal package
Almost everywhere wants a site plan, a one-line or three-line electrical diagram, equipment cut sheets with listings, and a structural attachment detail. Build it against the published checklist rather than the last jurisdiction you worked in — the checklist is what the reviewer marks against.
Nothing recorded for City of Compton on this step yet — 7 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.
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Apply and pay
Most authorities now take the whole application through a portal, and several states cap or constrain what a residential solar permit may cost. Check whether plan check is billed separately before you quote the job.
- Which permit portal does this authority use? CitizenServe (portal name on the city's Building and Safety menu; permit application at citizenserve.com/cityofcompton) 80% · authority page (Wayback capture)
- Can the whole application be completed online? Uncertain — portal exists but scope not confirmed 50% · portal landing page reference
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Plan review — and start the utility in parallel
Interconnection is a separate process from the permit and usually the longer pole. Where the utility does not depend on the permit being issued, running both at once is the single biggest saving available on a residential job.
- Which utility handles interconnection here? Southern California Edison (SCE) 72% · authority site navigation (corroborating, not primary)
28 questions answered against City of Compton’s own published documents
Q1 Is this authority the AHJ for residential solar at this address? Core Jurisdiction & scope
Yes
Why the confidence is not higherCity of Compton Building and Safety Department's own page lists plan review, permit issuance, inspection, and enforcement of Building and Health and Safety Codes as its Core Services, with no reference to LA County or any other AHJ for these functions.
department page checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20260221023106/https://www.comptoncity.org/departments/building-and-safety
Q2 What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Core Jurisdiction & scope
Both
Why the confidence is not higherBuilding and Safety Dept.'s Core Services cover permit issuance/inspection generally; a 2021 city ordinance (No. 2341, amending CMC 30-11.2 for ADUs) separately references the City's own 'Building Inspectors, and Electrical Inspectors' in CMC Ch. 14, indicating the city performs its own electrical inspection rather than delegating it. Live comptoncity.org is Akamai-blocked to every fetch method tried (curl w/ multiple UAs, Googlebot UA, WebFetch all 403), so this is built from Wayback captures and one ordinance PDF, not a live current org chart.
ordinance (Ord. No. 2341) checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20230511225007id_/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/laws/LF1531862.pdf
Q3 Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Core Jurisdiction & scope
Yes
Why the confidence is not higherInferred: Building and Safety's Core Services describe 'Permit issuance for new construction, alterations, repairs, and improvements to existing structures' as a blanket requirement; no city-specific exemption for rooftop PV was found (and none exists under the CA Building Standards Code, which mandates a permit for PV interconnection to a dwelling's electrical system). No Compton-specific solar permit page could be located to confirm directly.
department page (inference) checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20260221023106/https://www.comptoncity.org/departments/building-and-safety
Q4 Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Core Jurisdiction & scope
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety documents-and-reports page (only 2 unrelated forms present); building-permits page (redirects to CitizenServe portal, which requires login to inspect further); no fee/permit schedule reachable
Q5 Who is allowed to pull the electrical permit? Core Who may apply
Licensed contractor (electrician/C-46 or C-10, or owner-builder)
Why the confidence is not higherThis is the California statewide default (Contractors State License Board rules apply to all CA AHJs); no Compton-specific page on who may pull a residential PV electrical permit was found — Building & Safety's 'Documents and Reports' page (the only department document listing found) has just two unrelated forms, no contractor/permit-applicant rules.
inference from state law / department documents page checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20260211094911/https://www.comptoncity.org/departments/building-and-safety/documents-and-reports
Q6 Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Core Who may apply
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety dept page and documents page; no contractor-registration requirement stated
Q7 Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Who may apply
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety dept page and documents page; owner-builder / self-permit policy not stated
Q8 What documents make up a complete submittal? Core Submittal package
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety Documents and Reports page (only 2 unrelated forms); CitizenServe portal landing page (login-gated); no submittal checklist found
Q9 How many copies, and in what format? Submittal package
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q8
Q10 Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Core Submittal package
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q8
Q11 Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Core Drawings & calculations
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q8; no drawing-requirement checklist located
Q12 Are string and conductor calculations required? Drawings & calculations
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q8
Q13 Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Core Engineering & stamps
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q8; also checked eCode360 CO4057 letter-A index for a structural/PE-stamp threshold amendment — none titled there, but only letter A was ever crawled by Wayback (live site Cloudflare-blocked)
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q14 Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Engineering & stamps
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q13
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q15 What does a residential solar permit cost? Core Fees
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedCity of Compton Master Fee Schedule Ordinance (Ord. No. 2354, PDF dated May 2023, OCR'd with pdftoppm+tesseract since it is a scanned image PDF) — contains Fire, Engineering, and B&S hourly *labor* billing rates but no building-permit valuation fee table; Fire Dept's separate Master Fee Schedule 2025 (revision-stamped 'Adopted 10/10/2017', text-extracted with pdftotext) has no solar/PV or general building-permit line item either — it only covers Fire Dept fees
Q16 How is the fee calculated? Core Fees
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame two fee-schedule PDFs as q15 — no valuation-based building-permit fee table found in either
Q17 Is there a separate plan-check fee? Fees
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q15/16
Q18 What is the stated plan-review turnaround? Core Timeline & validity
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety dept page and documents page; no stated plan-review turnaround
Q19 How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? Timeline & validity
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety dept page and documents page; eCode360 §15-4.2 title only (body text blocked); no permit-validity duration found
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q20 Which permit portal does this authority use? Core Portal & process
CitizenServe (portal name on the city's Building and Safety menu; permit application at citizenserve.com/cityofcompton)
Why the confidence is not higherThe city's live 'Apply for > Building Permits' page (captured 2023-05-19 by Wayback, since the current live page returns a bare Akamai-blocked shell) contains a client-side redirect: window.location = 'https://www.citizenserve.com/cityofcompton'. 'Citizen Serve Portal' is also listed as a submenu item directly under Building and Safety on the department page.
authority page (Wayback capture) checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20230519133447/https://www.comptoncity.org/i-want-to/apply-for/building-permits
Q21 Can the whole application be completed online? Core Portal & process
Uncertain — portal exists but scope not confirmed
Why the confidence is not higherCitizenServe is Compton's named permit/licensing portal, and CDX shows the same installation (installationID=202) also serving 'showLicense' and 'showCodeEnforcement' actions from the city's business-license and code-enforcement pages. Whether residential building/electrical permits can be fully completed online (vs. paper submittal via the portal for scheduling only) could not be confirmed — the portal itself requires an account/session to inspect, which is outside what a public fetch can verify.
portal landing page reference checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20221026033028/https://www.comptoncity.org/?splash=https%3a%2f%2fwww2.citizenserve.com%2fPortal%2f%3finstallationid%3d202&____isexternal=true
Q22 Which utility handles interconnection here? Core Utility interconnection
Southern California Edison (SCE)
Why the confidence is not higherNot stated on a dedicated utility page (none found), but corroborated from the city's own site structure: the citywide 'I Want To > Report' menu lists 'Outage - Street Light (Compton)' and 'Outage - Street Light (SCE)' as two distinct items, and 'Outage - Power' separately — indicating SCE, not a municipal electric utility, serves the city (Compton's own 'Municipal Utilities' department covers only Water and Waste Divisions, no electric division). This is a city-side structural signal, not a ZIP-code utility-finder lookup, per the brief's instruction not to trust PowerToChoose.
authority site navigation (corroborating, not primary) checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20260413074654/https://www.comptoncity.org/departments/fire-dept/plan-review/master-fee-schedule-2025
Q23 Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Core Utility interconnection
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedSCE Interconnection Handbook (SharePoint SSO redirect, unreachable) and SCE Rule 21 (intermittent per brief — not attempted further given budget); no Compton-side page describes utility sequencing
Q24 Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? Overlays & special cases
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety and Community Development pages; no HOA/architectural-review requirement stated
Q25 Is there a historic-district review? Overlays & special cases
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedCommunity Development / Planning Services pages (general-plan-zoning-update, documents-forms-and-maps); no historic-district review program found
Q26 Is a wind or windstorm certification required? Overlays & special cases
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety and eCode360 letter-A index; no wind/windstorm certification requirement found
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q27 Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Overlays & special cases
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedCommunity Development / Planning Commission Agendas pages; no SUP/Council-approval trigger for residential PV found
Q28 Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? Overlays & special cases
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety and eCode360 letter-A index; no residential generation size cap found
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Lines marked with a percentage were read off this authority’s own published documents. Unmarked guidance is general good practice, not this jurisdiction’s rule — always confirm against the authority before you submit.
Install 5 steps · 20 questions
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Build to the code editions actually in force here
The NEC edition a jurisdiction enforces is often a cycle behind the newest one published, and local amendments sit on top of it. Rapid shutdown, conductor sizing and labelling all change between editions, so the edition in force is the first thing to establish, not the last.
- Which NEC edition is in force? State baseline 2023 NEC (via the 2025 California Electrical Code, effective 1 Jan 2026, Title 24 Part 3) applies automatically statewide; Compton's own local electrical/building amendment section (CMC §15-4.2, titled '2019 California Building Code - Amendments' on eCode360) had not been recodified past the 2019-cycle caption as of the code's last stated currency date of 2024-07-23 50% · municipal code index (dated; partial)
- Which building code edition is in force? Local amendments captioned '2019 California Building Code' (CMC §15-4.2); statewide baseline has since moved through the 2022 cycle (eff. 2023) to the 2025 cycle (eff. 1 Jan 2026), which apply by operation of CA Health & Safety Code regardless of whether Compton's amendment ordinance has been re-titled 50% · municipal code index (dated; partial)
- Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes 68% · municipal code index
- What is the installation judged against? The California Building Standards Code (Title 24) as locally amended under Compton Municipal Code Ch. 15 (Buildings and Construction), enforced by the Building and Safety Department 55% · department page + code index (inference)
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Fire access, setbacks and pathways
Ridge setbacks and roof access pathways are fire-service requirements and they constrain the array layout. They are the most common cause of a redesign after the fire department comments on a plan set.
Nothing recorded for City of Compton on this step yet — 1 question checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.
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Rapid shutdown
Which rapid-shutdown rule applies follows directly from the NEC edition in force, and the initiation device has to be at a location the fire service can reach and identify. This is inspected, and it is labelled.
Nothing recorded for City of Compton on this step yet — 1 question checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.
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Labels and placards
The NEC sets a baseline for permanent markings at the service equipment and the disconnecting means. On top of that, an authority may specify its own wording, and the utility may specify more again. Where any of them writes its own text, a generic off-the-shelf label set will not pass — this is the detail most often fixed on a return visit.
Nothing recorded for City of Compton on this step yet — 6 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.
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Disconnect, storage and listed equipment
Where the AC disconnect must sit relative to the meter is usually the utility's rule, not the building department's. Battery storage frequently carries its own permit, its own inspection and its own fire conditions.
Nothing recorded for City of Compton on this step yet — 7 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.
20 questions answered against City of Compton’s own published documents
Q29 Which NEC edition is in force? Core Code editions in force
State baseline 2023 NEC (via the 2025 California Electrical Code, effective 1 Jan 2026, Title 24 Part 3) applies automatically statewide; Compton's own local electrical/building amendment section (CMC §15-4.2, titled '2019 California Building Code - Amendments' on eCode360) had not been recodified past the 2019-cycle caption as of the code's last stated currency date of 2024-07-23
Why the confidence is not highereCode360 (CO4057) is Cloudflare-blocked on every live route tried, including with the Referer: https://www.iccsafe.org/ header the brief flags as the normal bypass — both the direct page and its own positive control failed silently (soft-403 'Just a moment...' challenge page). The finding rests on the only two pages Wayback ever crawled for this code (the Dec 2024 letter-A index and the Laws list, current through 2024-07-23): §15-4.2 is titled '2019 California Building Code - Amendments' in three separate cross-references, with no '2022' or '2025' cycle title found anywhere in the letter-A index. Because only the letter-A index was ever crawled (not letter E for 'Electrical' or letter N for 'NEC'), this cannot be treated as a full-text confirmation of the NEC edition — it is inference from a section title, one step removed from Compton's own current text.
municipal code index (dated; partial) checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q30 Which building code edition is in force? Core Code editions in force
Local amendments captioned '2019 California Building Code' (CMC §15-4.2); statewide baseline has since moved through the 2022 cycle (eff. 2023) to the 2025 cycle (eff. 1 Jan 2026), which apply by operation of CA Health & Safety Code regardless of whether Compton's amendment ordinance has been re-titled
Why the confidence is not higherSame source and same caveat as q29 — section-title evidence only, not the amendment text itself, which is blocked by Cloudflare on eCode360 and was never crawled by Wayback beyond the letter-A index and Laws list.
municipal code index (dated; partial) checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q31 Which fire code edition is in force? Code editions in force
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedeCode360 CO4057 letter-A index — no 'Fire Code' or 'Fire Prevention' title entry appears at all under letter A; since only letter A was ever crawled by Wayback and the live site is Cloudflare-blocked (challenge page returned even with the iccsafe.org Referer header), this cannot be treated as a genuine sitewide absence, only as 'not found where looked'
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q32 Are there local amendments to any of the above? Core Code editions in force
Yes
Why the confidence is not higherCMC §15-4.2 is explicitly titled '2019 California Building Code - Amendments' on eCode360's own index, confirming Compton has adopted local amendments to the state building code (the section exists and is separately captioned as amendments, not a bare adoption-by-reference). Could not read the amendment text itself (Cloudflare-blocked).
municipal code index checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q33 What is the installation judged against? Core Electrical
The California Building Standards Code (Title 24) as locally amended under Compton Municipal Code Ch. 15 (Buildings and Construction), enforced by the Building and Safety Department
Why the confidence is not higherInferred from the §15-4.2 title on eCode360 and Building & Safety's stated Core Service of 'Enforcement of Building and Health and Safety Codes'; the specific edition and full amendment text could not be retrieved (Cloudflare-blocked; no Wayback capture of the section body exists).
department page + code index (inference) checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20260221023106/https://www.comptoncity.org/departments/building-and-safety
Q34 Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? Electrical
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedeCode360 letter-A index and Building & Safety pages; no service-upgrade/busbar amendment found
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q35 Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Structural & mounting
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q34
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q36 What ridge setback and access pathways are required? Core Fire pathways & setbacks
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedeCode360 body text for Fire Code / CFC 605.11 unreachable (Cloudflare-blocked; per brief, ridge-setback dimensions are also ICC-copyrighted and generally unretrievable even when a fire code page loads)
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q37 Is rapid shutdown required, and to which NEC edition? Core Rapid shutdown
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedCould not confirm NEC edition with high confidence (see q29), so rapid-shutdown-to-edition mapping not answerable; no dedicated rapid-shutdown page found
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q38 Which placards does this authority require at the service equipment? Core Labels Signage & labelling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety documents page (2 unrelated forms) and Fire Dept documents page (fee schedules, Knox Box form, no placard spec); no AHJ placard requirement found
Q39 Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Core Labels Signage & labelling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q38
Q40 Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Core Labels Signage & labelling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q38
Q41 Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Core Labels Signage & labelling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q38; no facility-map/site-plan placard spec found
Q42 Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Core Labels Signage & labelling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedSCE Interconnection Handbook (SharePoint SSO redirect, unreachable per brief) and SCE Rule 21 (not attempted, flagged intermittent in brief); not a Compton-side document
Q43 Where must the labels be placed? Core Labels Signage & labelling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q38
Q44 Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Equipment listing
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety and Fire Dept documents pages; no approved-equipment-list requirement found
Q45 Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Core Battery / ESS
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedFire Dept Master Fee Schedule 2025 (revision-stamped 10/10/2017) lists an annual 'Battery Systems' operational permit ($311) under general hazmat/use permits, but nothing ties this to residential ESS specifically, and no CFC battery/ESS installation-condition text could be retrieved (Cloudflare-blocked) — too speculative to answer
Q46 Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Battery / ESS
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame fee schedule as q45 — a 'Battery Systems' annual permit line item exists but reads as a general/commercial hazmat operational permit category, not a stated residential-ESS installation permit; could not confirm either way
Q47 Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Core Ground mount
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedeCode360 letter-A index (no 'accessory structure'/ground-mount cross-reference beyond general accessory-buildings amendment title) and Building & Safety pages; not confirmed
https://web.archive.org/web/20241206124625/https://ecode360.com/CO4057/index?letter=A
Q48 Where must the AC disconnect be, relative to the meter? Core Utility equipment
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedSCE Interconnection Handbook and Rule 21 unreachable per brief; no Compton-side page on AC disconnect placement
Lines marked with a percentage were read off this authority’s own published documents. Unmarked guidance is general good practice, not this jurisdiction’s rule — always confirm against the authority before you submit.
Inspection 5 steps · 14 questions
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Book it
Booking is a portal, a phone call or an email depending on the authority, and the notice required is rarely zero. Book before the work is finished rather than after — the lead time, not the work, is usually what sets the date.
Nothing recorded for City of Compton on this step yet — 3 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.
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Know who turns up
Some authorities inspect their own solar work; some delegate it, and a few do not inspect the PV equipment itself at all. Who is coming determines what they will look at.
- Does this AHJ perform its own final solar inspection? Yes 62% · department page
- If delegated, to whom? N/A — not delegated; Compton Building and Safety Department performs its own final inspection 60% · department page
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Work the stages in order
A rough-in or mid-roof inspection, where one is required, has to happen before the work it covers is closed up. Missing a stage means opening something back up, and it is the most expensive kind of correction.
Nothing recorded for City of Compton on this step yet — 2 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.
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Have the paperwork on site
The approved plan set, the permit, and the equipment listings should be on site and reachable. Inspectors routinely verify that installed equipment matches what was approved, and that the labels are the ones the plan set promised.
- Is there a published inspection checklist? No published inspection checklist found 58% · department documents page
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Sign-off, and permission to operate
Passing gives you a final or an equivalent sign-off. That is not the same as permission to operate: PTO comes from the utility, and who tells the utility the inspection passed varies. A system left switched off for weeks is usually waiting on this handover.
Nothing recorded for City of Compton on this step yet — 4 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.
14 questions answered against City of Compton’s own published documents
Q49 How is an inspection booked? Core Booking & scheduling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety dept page; no inspection-booking method stated
Q50 How much notice is required? Core Booking & scheduling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q49
Q51 Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Booking & scheduling
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q49
Q52 Does this AHJ perform its own final solar inspection? Core Who inspects
Yes
Why the confidence is not higherBuilding and Safety's Core Services list includes 'Inspection of construction related activities for permits and compliance with city ordinances' with no mention of delegation to LA County or a third party. No evidence of delegation was found anywhere on the site.
department page checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20260221023106/https://www.comptoncity.org/departments/building-and-safety
Q53 If delegated, to whom? Core Who inspects
N/A — not delegated; Compton Building and Safety Department performs its own final inspection
Why the confidence is not higherSame basis as q52 — no delegation to LA County Building & Safety or LACoFD found for conventional rooftop PV.
department page checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20260221023106/https://www.comptoncity.org/departments/building-and-safety
Q54 Which inspections are required, and in what order? Core Stages & sequence
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety dept page and documents page; no stage/sequence list found
Q55 Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Stages & sequence
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q54
Q56 Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Core What is checked
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q54; no statement on whether inspector checks labels/listings
Q57 Is there a published inspection checklist? Core What is checked
No published inspection checklist found
Why the confidence is not higherChecked Building and Safety's own 'Documents and Reports' page — the only document listing for that department found anywhere on the site — and it contains exactly two PDFs: 'Form B-004 - Presale Inspection Process - Report of Residential Sale' and a 'Registration Form for Abandoned Property.' Neither is a solar/PV or general construction inspection checklist. This is an absence proven by looking at the specific page that would hold it, not an inference.
department documents page checked 2026-08-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20260211094911/https://www.comptoncity.org/departments/building-and-safety/documents-and-reports
Q58 What must be on site at inspection? Core Documents on site
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedsame as q54; no on-site-documents requirement stated
Q59 Is there a re-inspection fee? Corrections & re-inspection
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedMaster Fee Schedule Ordinance (Ord. 2354, OCR'd) and Fire Dept fee schedule — Fire has code-enforcement re-inspection fees ($155-$311 tiered) but no Building & Safety re-inspection fee line item was found in either document
Q60 How are corrections issued and cleared? Corrections & re-inspection
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety dept page and documents page; no correction/re-inspection process described
Q61 What is issued on pass? Core Final sign-off & PTO
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedBuilding & Safety Core Services mentions 'Issuance of Certificates of Occupancy' but that describes new-construction CofO, not what is issued on a residential PV retrofit final; no PV-specific final-signoff document found
Q62 Who notifies the utility for PTO? Core Final sign-off & PTO
Nothing published by this authority.
Where we lookedSCE interconnection/PTO process unreachable (Handbook SharePoint-gated, Rule 21 flagged intermittent in brief); no Compton-side statement on who notifies the utility
Lines marked with a percentage were read off this authority’s own published documents. Unmarked guidance is general good practice, not this jurisdiction’s rule — always confirm against the authority before you submit.
Jurisdiction & key facts
The standing 62-question set, answered for City of Compton against this authority’s own published documents. Every answer carries the confidence it was recorded at and the document it came from. Where nothing is published we say so and show where we looked — a blank here is a finding, not a gap.
City of Compton is the authority having jurisdiction 88% confidence
- Holds
- Both
- Why not higher
- Compton is an incorporated charter city with its own Building and Safety Department (205 S. Willowbrook Ave) whose stated Core Services include plan review, permit issuance, and inspection for both construction and — per the 2021 ADU ordinance's reference to the City's own 'Building Inspectors, and Electrical Inspectors' — electrical work. Compton also runs its own Fire Department (own fire stations, own hiring pipeline, own Plan Review division with its own fee schedule) rather than contracting to LA County Fire (LACoFD) — this had to be checked per-authority per the brief, and it goes the other way here than La Cañada Flintridge/Santa Clarita/Pomona/Inglewood. No county or LACoFD delegation of building/electrical was found anywhere on the city's site.
Check the code edition before you build
This authority's published code edition does not match what the state has adopted. That usually means the authority's ordinance has not been updated for the current cycle — but a local amendment can also be lawful. Confirm with the building department before you submit.
- Permit required
- Yes65%
- Portal
- CitizenServe (portal name on the city's Building and Safety menu; permit application at citizenserve.com/cityofcompton)80%
- Electrical code
- State baseline 2023 NEC (via the 2025 California Electrical Code, effective 1 Jan 2026, Title 24 Part 3) applies automatically statewide;50%
Labels & placards for this authority
Wording None%
Size, colour & material None%
Where they go None%
What the utility wants on top None%
Each figure above is sourced and dated in the full answer set below (questions 38–43). Where an authority’s own published sheet is older than the code it has adopted, the answer says so.
Average approval time — application to PTO
From the CPUC interconnection record. Bars show the average days taken each year; a year with no recorded projects is left blank rather than drawn as zero.