City of Gilroy

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 95% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both 92% · department page
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes 97% · department page
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined 88% · department page / fee schedule
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? Yes, if applicable 85% · checklist form
• Is there a historic-district review? No 78% · department page
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No 65% · department page (absence)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Not for standard grid-tied rooftop PV, which is expressly exempted from separate planning review. Off-grid (standalone) residential PV/ESS systems are instead approved administratively, case-by-case, by the Building Official or the Community Development Director — not by Council or a Specific Use Permit process. 75% · handout (rev. 12/21/2025)
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No absolute residential size cap; 38.4 kW AC nameplate is only the ceiling for use of the automated SolarAPP+ pathway. Larger residential systems are permitted but route to standard (non-automated) plan review at commercial-tier fee lines. 80% · eligibility checklist (rev. 11/12/2024)

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? Either 90% · FAQ handout (rev. 12/17/2024)
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes 85% · FAQ handout (rev. 12/17/2024)
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes 85% · handout (rev. 7/10/2018, still the linked doc as of this run)

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.

• What documents make up a complete submittal? Completed permit application; electrical single-line diagram; roof/site plan showing PV layout, fire pathways and disconnect locations; equipment cut-sheets (module, inverter, racking, RSD device); structural documentation (simplified criteria form or PE/SE-stamped calcs for non-qualifying systems); Smoke/CO Self-Certification form; Water-Conserving Plumbing Fixture Self-Verification form; HOA approval letter if applicable; and, for SolarAPP+, the Eligibility Checklist itself. 90% · department page + checklist forms
• How many copies, and in what format? The PV Plan Check Submittal Checklist form calls for 2 copies of the standard electrical diagram for a counter/plan-check submittal. Systems run through SolarAPP+ are submitted entirely digitally (PDF uploads) via solarapp.nrel.gov / GO Permit, with no paper copies. 65% · checklist form (rev. 6/13/2024)
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes — a site/roof plan is required showing north arrow, lot dimensions/setbacks, distance from property lines to adjacent structures, PV panel layout, roof access point, fire-code access pathways, PV system fire classification, and locations of all required labels/markings and electrical disconnects. 90% · department page
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes 92% · department page
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes 85% · department page
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? A structural PE/SE stamp is required for systems that don't meet the SolarAPP+/expedited 'Structural Criteria' simplified form; the 2018 handout put that threshold at total PV system weight exceeding 5 lb/sq ft, above which stamped calculations from a California-registered design professional are required. 55% · handout (dated, code references stale)
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not separately published; an electrical PE stamp is not called out as a distinct requirement from the structural stamp fork described above — standard residential PV relies on the licensed installer's CEC-690-compliant plan set rather than an electrical PE stamp. 50% · department page

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? SolarAPP+ (solarapp.nrel.gov) for eligible systems; GO Permit (Gilroy Online Permit) for standard review, inspection scheduling and all other Community Development permits. 95% · portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes 92% · portal landing page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $450 flat for residential systems ≤15 kW; $450 base + $15/kW above 15 kW for larger residential systems (per the Comprehensive Fee Schedule effective 7/1/2026 — supersedes the SolarApp+ page's slightly different '$500 + $15/kW' figure for the >15kW tier). 88% · fee schedule (effective 7/1/2026)
• How is the fee calculated? Tiered / Per kW 88% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No 70% · fee schedule

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.

• What is the stated plan-review turnaround? Not published as a fixed number of business days for standard PV review; systems submitted through SolarAPP+ receive automated (near-instant) approval rather than a queued turnaround. 55% · department page (absence)
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 180 days (permit expires 180 days after the last passed inspection) 60% · handout (dated 2018)
• Which utility handles interconnection here? PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) is the interconnecting/wires utility; Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) is Gilroy's Community Choice Aggregator for electricity generation/billing but does not touch interconnection. 82% · handout + CCA member list

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? 2023 80% · adopting-code page
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code and 2025 California Residential Code, effective January 1, 2026, adopted locally with amendments via Ordinance 2025-06. 92% · adopting-code page
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code, effective January 1, 2026, adopted with amendments via Ordinance 2025-07. 90% · adopting-code page
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — local amendments exist for both the building/green code cycle (Ordinance 2025-06) and the fire code (Ordinance 2025-07); the prior cycle's amendments were Ordinances 2022-10 (building), 2022-11 (green), and 2022-12 (fire). 88% · adopting-code page
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 California Electrical Code (CEC Article 690 Solar Photovoltaic and Article 705), the 2025 CBC/CRC, and Gilroy's local amendments (Ordinance 2025-06/2025-07), plus manufacturer listing/installation instructions per CEC 110.3(B). 82% · adopting-code page + handout

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.

• What ridge setback and access pathways are required? Per the 2018 PV Submittal Guidelines: modules no higher than 3 ft below the ridge; gable roofs require two 3-ft-wide access pathways from eave to ridge on each slope with modules; hip roofs require one 3-ft-wide pathway; modules kept at least 1.5 ft from hips/valleys. 62% · handout (dated 2018)

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.

• Is rapid shutdown required, and to which NEC edition? Yes — rapid shutdown is required, with a required plaque/directory wording 'PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM EQUIPPED WITH RAPID SHUTDOWN' per CEC 690.56(C). Note: the City's linked 2018 handout still cites the 2016 CEC (pre-module-level-RSD era); the current 2025 CEC (based on 2023 NEC) requires module-level rapid shutdown per NEC 690.12, which the 2018 handout's underlying code citations predate even though its plaque wording happens to match the modern format. 65% · handout (dated 2018) + current adopting-code page

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.

• Which placards does this authority require at the service equipment? Main service disconnect marking ('CAUTION! SOLAR ELECTRIC SYSTEM CONNECTED'); DC conduit/raceway marking ('CAUTION! SOLAR CIRCUIT'); AC disconnect placard; DC disconnect placard; shock-hazard warning at disconnects with line/load terminals energized; ungrounded-system warning where applicable; rapid-shutdown plaque; multiple-source/point-of-interconnection placard; inverter-output 'do not relocate' warning. 80% · handout (dated 2018)
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Yes 85% · handout (dated 2018)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Yes — warning signs: red background, white lettering, minimum 3/8 in., all caps, Arial or similar font, weather-resistant material (UL 969 recommended). Rapid-shutdown plaque: reflective, white lettering on red background, minimum letter height 3/8 in. (9.5 mm), all capitals. 82% · handout (dated 2018)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes — a roof/site diagram (facility map) is required showing the PV panel layout, north arrow, lot dimensions/setbacks, roof access point, fire-code access pathways, PV system fire classification, and locations of all required labels and disconnects. On re-roof-with-existing-PV jobs, the final inspector specifically checks that panels were reinstalled in the same location shown on this placard/roof-layout document. 85% · handout (rev. 3/14/2025)
• Where must the labels be placed? Main service disconnect marking at or on the main service panel/disconnect cover; DC conduit/raceway markings every 10 ft, at turns, and above/below penetrations, plus at all DC combiner/junction boxes; AC and DC disconnect placards at their respective disconnecting means; rapid-shutdown plaque and multi-source placard at an accessible location at the service/point of interconnection. 80% · handout (dated 2018)

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.

• Where must the AC disconnect be, relative to the meter? Not specified by the City with a fixed distance from the meter; the AC disconnect must simply be marked/placarded and, per CEC, located per manufacturer instructions and accessible to the utility/fire service. PG&E's own DG interconnection manual (which typically sets a meter-adjacent or readily-accessible standard) could not be retrieved/extracted in this run. 45% · handout (partial absence)
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No — no City-maintained approved-products list; the standard is general UL/NRTL listing of all equipment plus installation per manufacturer's instructions (CEC 110.3(B)). 72% · handout (rev. 12/21/2025)
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, batteries/ESS are permitted, but they disqualify a system from the automated SolarAPP+ pathway — the Eligibility Checklist requires the system be 'utility interactive and without battery storage' and 'does not utilize storage batteries.' Battery systems instead go through standard plan review, with their own ESS permit fee and, above 20 kWh, a dedicated Fire Prevention Division plan check/inspection. 85% · eligibility checklist (rev. 11/12/2024)
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes 88% · fee schedule (effective 7/1/2026)
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Ground-mounted PV is processed through the same Building Division permit as roof-mounted (the PV Plan Check Checklist form has a 'Roof / Ground / Other' installation field), implying it is treated as requiring the same structural/building review; whether Gilroy's zoning code separately classifies it as an accessory structure for setback purposes could not be confirmed in this run. 50% · checklist form (partial answer; zoning code unreachable)
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? The Eligibility Checklist for SolarAPP+ requires the PV system be interconnected to a single-phase 120/240V service with a bus-bar rating of 225A or less and central/string inverters not combined prior to the inverter; systems needing a service/main panel upgrade are routed to a separate Main Service Panel Upgrade permit rather than being handled inside the PV permit. 75% · eligibility checklist
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Not separately specified beyond requiring manufacturer cut sheets/installation instructions for the racking system and a structural-criteria form (simplified for qualifying systems, PE/SE-stamped calculations otherwise) describing attachment method and spacing. 60% · department page (partial absence)

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.

• How is an inspection booked? Portal (GO Permit, online) or Email (Inspect@CityofGilroy.org), with legacy 8-digit permits calling 408-846-0235. 90% · department page
• How much notice is required? 3 business days (inspections are booked '72 hours out') 88% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? AM/PM windows may be requested ('You may request AM or PM') rather than a fixed same-day/named time slot. 80% · department page

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 90% · department page
• If delegated, to whom? N/A — not delegated 90% · department page

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.

• Which inspections are required, and in what order? For a straightforward roof-mount retrofit: typically a single final inspection once the system is complete. A rough/mid-roof inspection is added only if structural attachment work is concealed before roofing is finished (e.g., re-roof-with-PV jobs get a roof-deck inspection, then a roofing final, then a PV final if the array was modified). 62% · handout (rev. 3/14/2025) + 2018 handout
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No, not for a standard exposed roof-mount retrofit; a rough-in is only required 'if any work is inside walls or ceilings and will be covered with finish materials' (e.g., a concealed conduit run or a service panel upgrade performed alongside the PV work). 60% · handout (dated 2018)

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? A general (non-solar-specific) Inspection Requirements List is published for residential/related buildings; solar-specific checklists that exist are for submittal/plan-check (PV Checklist, Eligibility Checklist), not a dedicated PV final-inspection checklist. 65% · department page
• What must be on site at inspection? The permit card and a City-approved 'JOB COPY' stamped set of plans must be on site and accessible for every inspection; roof access (an OSHA-approved, minimum Type I, 250-lb-rated ladder, properly secured) must be provided by the contractor/owner. 80% · department page
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes 85% · eligibility checklist

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.

• What is issued on pass? Final 75% · handout (dated 2018)
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer 45% · inference from statewide utility practice
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $102 (general 'Re-inspection fees assessed determination' line, all divisions, plus applicable division hourly rate) 78% · fee schedule (effective 7/1/2026)
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Corrections are noted at the failed inspection and tracked/cleared through the GO Permit portal (for BLDR/BLDNR-prefixed permits) or by contacting the inspector directly for legacy 8-digit permits; the permit is not 'finaled' until all corrections are resolved and a passing final inspection is recorded. 60% · department page (inference)