City of Long Beach

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 (city issues Building, Fire, and Electrical review itself under one Community Development Permit; nothing delegated to LA County) 90% · information bulletin
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes 98% · express checklist form
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined 80% · fee schedule
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No city-required HOA/architectural approval is mentioned anywhere in the city's solar permitting materials; CA Civil Code §714 separately preempts HOA solar restrictions statewide. 55% · department page (absence)
• Is there a historic-district review? Yes, but only conditionally — a Planning Permit/Certificate of Appropriateness review is required ONLY if the project is in a Historic District or on a qualified historical building; otherwise planning review is waived. 92% · information bulletin
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No separate 'windstorm certification' program (unlike TDI-style coastal states); wind loading is addressed via FORM-016's prescriptive wind-uplift/anchor-fastener table check (item 53), or via engineer-stamped structural calculations if that prescriptive path is not met. 80% · express checklist form
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No Council/Specific Use Permit is required for typical one- or two-family rooftop PV; the only additional approval trigger is the Historic District Certificate of Appropriateness noted in Q25. 70% · information bulletin
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No absolute city cap on residential system size, but the EXPRESS/streamlined permitting pathway itself is limited to ≤38.4 kW PV (and ≤38.4 kWh ESS); larger residential systems are not prohibited but fall out of the express program into standard plan review. 88% · express checklist form

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 (licensed contractor properly classed for the work, or an owner-builder per IB-029) 75% · information bulletin (IB-029)
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes 85% · information bulletin (IB-029)
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Nuanced: owner-builders can obtain a construction permit generally under IB-029 eligibility criteria, but FORM-016's express/streamlined checklist route requires installation by 'a licensed and qualified contractor' (item 5) — pure homeowner self-install would not qualify for the express program and would need standard plan review as owner-builder. 70% · express checklist form + information bulletin

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? Community Development Permit application (or Planning Permit/Certificate of Appropriateness for historic properties); Express Checklist FORM-016 (or FORM-023 for multi-family/nonresidential) with all items checked 'Y'; complete electrical plans (disconnect locations, module/string counts, inverter/combiner make-model, single-line diagram, grounding/bonding and conductor/conduit sizing, ESS locations if applicable, equipment cut sheets, CEC 690/705 labeling); a roof plan showing layout, access point, pathways, fire classification and label locations. 92% · information bulletin
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic — submitted through the online Customer Portal 65% · department page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes — a site diagram showing panel arrangement on the roof, north arrow, lot dimensions, and distances from property lines to adjacent buildings/structures (existing and proposed); plus a roof plan showing layout, PV panels, access point, and pathways. 95% · information bulletin
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes 95% · information bulletin
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes — total modules, modules per string, total strings, conductor type/size, conduit type/size and count, and grounding/bonding must be specified; overcurrent (125% per CEC 690.8(A)) and busbar/120%-rule calculations required per FORM-016. 85% · express checklist form
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? A registered design professional's structural stamp/calculations are required UNLESS the project meets FORM-016's prescriptive structural checklist: ≤3 stories, not on carports/patios/non-permanent structures, not over wood shake/shingle roofing, PV+hardware weight ≤4 psf, sound existing roof structure, and anchor spacing/fastener embedment within the referenced tables. If any of those prescriptive items fail, a PE/architect stamp is required instead. 90% · express checklist form
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No electrical PE stamp is referenced anywhere in the express checklist or its guideline; the electrical portion relies on contractor self-certification against the checklist rather than an engineer stamp. 65% · express checklist form

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? 'Customer Portal' — LB Services Permitting and Licensing Portal, at permitslicenses.longbeach.gov 90% · portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes — the portal states applicants 'can apply for and be automatically issued a permit in one step' for qualifying categories including Renewable Energy (PV, ESS, EVCS), available outside regular business hours. 90% · portal landing page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Tiered by kW under the current (10/1/2025) Electrical Permit & Plan Check Fee Schedule: 0-10 kW = $219; 10-15 kW = $450; over 15 kW = $15/kW over 15 — plus the standard $115 processing fee and 6% Technology + 6% General Plan surcharges. (Note: IB-023, revised 07-17-2024, cites older all-inclusive totals of $386.62 PV-only / $447.45 PV+ESS / $264.95 ESS-only that predate this 10/1/2025 fee change and appear stale.) 80% · fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Tiered 92% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No separate formal plan-check fee for a project that qualifies for the express checklist route (IB-023: fees 'cover all required inspection services' and formal plan review is waived unless disqualified). If disqualified into standard review, the general Electrical Plan Check fee applies (100% of the electrical permit fee, minimum $216). 75% · 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.

• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 90 days — permit becomes null and void if work is not commenced within 90 days of issuance, or is suspended/abandoned for 90 days. 90% · department page
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Southern California Edison (SCE) 97% · information bulletin
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel — SCE interconnection/conceptual approval is explicitly a separate process from the city's Building and Safety Bureau approval; the city advises contacting SCE at project outset, and SCE's final interconnection approval must be granted before the system may be operated, but is not stated as a precondition for city permit issuance. 78% · information bulletin

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 NEC (incorporated as the 2025 California Electrical Code with CA amendments) 95% · adopting ordinance (municipal code)
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code (based on the 2024 IBC with CA amendments) 95% · adopting ordinance (municipal code)
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code (based on the 2024 International Fire Code with CA amendments) 78% · adopting ordinance (municipal code)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes 90% · adopting ordinance (municipal code)
• What is the installation judged against? The adopted 2025 CBC/CRC, 2025 CEC (2023 NEC base) and 2025 CFC as locally amended, applied through the FORM-016/IB-023 express checklist criteria (CRC R324 fire pathways, CEC Articles 690/705/706, UL product listings). 90% · express checklist form + municipal code

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? Minimum two pathways ≥36" wide on separate roof planes from lowest roof edge to ridge (one of which must be on the street/driveway side); pathways must be over areas capable of supporting firefighters and free of major obstructions; PV must clear the ridge by ≥18" on both sides if occupying ≤33% of roof area, or ≥36" if occupying >33%. Exempt if roof slope ≤2:12 or system is on a detached, nonhabitable structure. 95% · express checklist form

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-listed equipment (racking, inverters, etc., per UL 1741/UL 2703) is required per CEC Article 690.12, under the currently adopted 2025 CEC (2023 NEC base). 85% · express checklist form

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? Placards/markings required per CEC Articles 690 and 705 at service equipment (permanently etched plastic/phenolic-resin placards, with sticker marking permitted only at DC conduits/junction boxes); ESS disconnect must be permanently marked 'ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM DISCONNECT'; an ESS directory/plaque denoting all power sources and disconnect locations is also required where ESS is present. 85% · express checklist form
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — the city does not specify its own custom placard wording; it references CEC Articles 690/705/706 standard label requirements and specifies only the required material/method (see Q40), not bespoke wording text. 70% · express checklist form
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Material: yes — placards must be permanently etched on plastic or phenolic resin (adhesive stickers allowed only at DC conduits/junction boxes), per CEC 110.21. Letter height/colour: not separately specified by the city; governed by the underlying CEC 110.21(B) legibility/durability standard rather than a city-specific spec. 80% · express checklist form
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? For ESS specifically: yes — a permanent plaque or directory denoting all electrical power sources on the premises and the location of every disconnecting means is required at each service equipment location (CRC R328.2, CEC 706.21). For PV-only systems the equivalent NEC/CEC Art. 705 directory requirement is a state-code standard the city's checklist does not call out as its own distinct line item. 65% · express checklist form
• Where must the labels be placed? Etched placards at service/subpanel equipment; sticker marking at DC conduits/junction boxes; ESS disconnect label within sight of and readily accessible to the ESS. 80% · express checklist form

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.

• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes — PV modules/inverters/racking/rapid-shutdown equipment must be listed to UL 1703 (or UL 61730-1 & -2) plus UL 1741 and UL 2703; ESS units must be listed to UL 9540, with UL 1741-listed inverters. 95% · express checklist form
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, extensively conditioned: express-route ESS capped at ≤38.4 kWh combined; UL 9540 listed; specific allowed locations only (detached garage, separated attached garage, exterior wall ≥36" from openings, or an enclosed fire-rated utility space) with aggregate energy caps by location (20 kWh single unit / 38.4 kWh multiple units); never in a sleeping room; fire detection required (or exempted for certain outdoor/detached locations); vehicle-impact protection (bollards or wheel barriers) required where exposed to vehicle travel; dedicated circuits/raceways; ≤100VDC between conductors/ground. 95% · express checklist form
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No — ESS is folded into the same express electrical permit and checklist (FORM-016) as the PV system, with one combined final inspection; IB-023's fee table prices 'PV & ESS' as a single permit line rather than two. 85% · information bulletin
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? One clear LOCAL (non-CEC) rule found: all electrical equipment/panels/outlets etc. must maintain a minimum 36-inch clearance from the gas meter regulator vent, per 'LB Utility Dept. Diagram A-989.' Busbar/service calculations otherwise follow standard CEC 705.12(B)(3) options (120% rule, etc.), which are state code, not a city-specific amendment. 85% · express checklist form
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Yes — a prescriptive anchor horizontal-spacing table and fastener/embedment specification (5/16" lag screw, 2.5" embedment into rafter, or manufacturer guidelines) is required unless a registered design professional stamps the structural design instead. 90% · express checklist form

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 (online form only) 90% · department page
• How much notice is required? Not clearly published as a fixed lead time; daily inspection schedules are posted by 8 a.m., and cancellations must be emailed by 8 a.m. on the inspection day, implying next-business-day scheduling is the norm, but no explicit '48 hours' or similar notice requirement is stated. 55% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No AM/PM window selection is offered; inspections scheduled in the 8-10 a.m. slot receive a confirmation call from the inspector, but no other windowing option is described. 65% · 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 92% · information bulletin

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 the express checklist route: a single final inspection verifying conformance to the Checklist and applicable codes; no separate rough-in stage is described for this program. 80% · information bulletin
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Not required for the express checklist program — only a final inspection is described. 65% · information bulletin (absence)

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? Yes — FORM-016 itself is the published, publicly downloadable inspection checklist. 92% · express checklist form
• What must be on site at inspection? The completed Checklist (FORM-016), construction documents, and the job inspection card must be on-site at all times; access is required to all installation elements; OSHA-compliant ladders required if needed. 95% · information bulletin
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes 85% · information bulletin

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 (final inspection sign-off/approval on the permit — not a new Certificate of Occupancy, since PV is an alteration to an existing dwelling) 75% · information bulletin
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $140 per re-inspection 90% · fee schedule