City of San Carlos

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% · municipal code
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both (Building and Electrical), self-performed in-house 88% · department page
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes 95% · municipal code
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined -- a single permit is issued for the PV install, categorized as an 'Electrical Permit' for fee purposes ('PV Solar Fee, Per Permit, $348') even though the Building Division administers it as 'the building permit application' per SCMC 15.16.060 62% · fee schedule
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No -- SCMC 15.16.060 explicitly bars conditioning approval on an association: 'The City of San Carlos shall not provide conditional approval of an application for a small residential rooftop solar energy system on the approval of an association, as defined in Section 4080 of the Civil Code.' 92% · municipal code
• Is there a historic-district review? No dedicated historic-district review chapter was found. Title 18 (Zoning)'s full 41-chapter table of contents lists no 'Historic' or 'Preservation' chapter, and the Design Review chapter (18.29) does not name historic status as a trigger. Only the state California Historical Building Code (Title 24, Part 8) is adopted (SCMC 15.04.100), which is an alternative-compliance path for qualified historic buildings, not a design-review gate. 70% · municipal code TOC
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No wind/windstorm certification requirement was found in any San Carlos solar document (ordinance, submittal bulletin, or eligibility checklist). 72% · municipal code + department PDFs (absence proven)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Only if the Planning Division makes a written finding, based on substantial evidence, that the solar system 'could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety' -- otherwise no Use Permit or Council approval is required. 90% · municipal code
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? Codified cap: 10 kW AC nameplate / 30 kW thermal (SCMC 15.16.020.B.1), applicable only to single-family or duplex dwellings, panel/array not exceeding the maximum legal building height. Both currently-linked Standard Plans (Microinverter and Central/String Inverter) independently cap at the same 10 kW AC inverter output. No higher live SolarAPP+ ceiling (e.g. 38.4 kW AC, seen in several other CA cities) is published anywhere on San Carlos's own Solar Permitting page. 88% · municipal code + standard plan forms

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 -- for single-family dwellings, attached/detached garages, carports, or accessory buildings, a licensed contractor is NOT required, so the homeowner or any contractor may pull the electrical permit; a California-licensed electrical contractor is required for all other occupancies 90% · municipal code
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes -- an active City of San Carlos business license/registration is required before applying 88% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes, for a single-family dwelling, garage, carport, or accessory structure 82% · municipal code

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? For SolarAPP+-eligible systems: pass the SolarAPP+ Eligibility Checklist (or attach the rejection screenshot), a completed one-page Building Permit Application Form uploaded to the permit portal, and an active San Carlos business license, submitted through SolarAPP+ (gosolarapp.org) then the City's Customer Self-Service portal. For non-eligible/commercial systems: permit application form plus a Standard Electrical Plan (one-line diagram, module/inverter counts, grounding/bonding, equipment cut sheets) or engineered structural drawings, per the City's 2015 Toolkit-based submittal bulletin, still linked from the current Solar Permitting page. 78% · department page + linked PDFs
• How many copies, and in what format? Fully digital -- no paper submittals accepted. 'The Building Division processes new permit applications and issues approved permits electronically. Paper plans are not accepted. Please make all submittals digital.' 90% · department page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes. Per the 2015 (San Carlos-branded) submittal bulletin: a site diagram showing panel arrangement, north arrow, lot dimensions, and distances from property lines to adjacent structures; plus a roof plan showing PV layout, approximate roof-access point, code-compliant access pathways, PV fire classification, and label locations. 72% · submittal bulletin
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes 85% · standard plan form
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes -- both Standard Plans (Microinverter/ACM and Central/String Inverter) require branch-circuit counts, conductor/derating worksheets, and ambient-temperature correction factors. 82% · standard plan form
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? A structural PE (CA-licensed Civil or Structural Engineer) stamp is required only for systems that fail the pre-approved structural eligibility criteria: PV+hardware weight <= 4.0 psf (5 psf for solar thermal), no more than half the roof area covered, flush-mount with a 2-10in gap, specific anchor-spacing tables, no snow load >15 psf, and defined wind-exposure limits. Systems meeting all criteria need no PE stamp. 72% · generic statewide template (flagged, not city-customized)

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? Two portals in sequence: SolarAPP+ (gosolarapp.org) for automated eligibility/plan review, then the City's Tyler Technologies EnerGov Customer Self-Service (CSS) portal (sancarlosca-energovweb.tylerhost.net) for permit issuance and inspection scheduling. 92% · department page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes, functionally -- SolarAPP+ submission is fully online, and the required one-page Building Permit Application Form is completed and then uploaded as an attachment within the CSS portal (not a native web form for that piece). 80% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $348 flat, per permit (PV Solar Fee) 90% · fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Flat 90% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No -- the current fee schedule lists a single 'PV Solar Fee' line with no companion plan-check fee, unlike general Building Permits which show a separate Plan Check Fee line at every valuation tier. 72% · 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? SolarAPP+-eligible systems: processed instantly. Non-eligible / commercial systems: typically 3-5 business days. 92% · department page
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? Permits are void 180 days after the last major inspection (not from issuance) 92% · department handout
• Which utility handles interconnection here? PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric Company) is the wires/interconnection utility. WestLight Energy (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy, rebranded per the CCA's own action) is the Community Choice Aggregation generation provider and is NOT the interconnection utility. 88% · city climate plan
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? After permit / gates PTO on the City's final inspection: PG&E's current Electric Rule 21 (Advice 7692-E, effective 29 Aug 2025) SS H.13.b requires 'evidence of Applicant's final electric inspection clearance from the Governmental Authority having jurisdiction' before Distribution Provider (PG&E) processes Permission to Operate. 88% · utility tariff

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, via the 2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) 95% · municipal code
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) and 2025 California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5) 95% · municipal code
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9), which itself adopts the 2024 International Fire Code as its base document 95% · municipal code
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes -- multiple local amendments exist, e.g.: CEC AHJ definition (15.04.050.C); CEC SS705.20 disconnect amendment requiring an emergency power-off switch for ESS/battery back-up not at the main connection (15.04.050.D); CBC fence/retaining-wall permit-exemption tweaks (15.04.040.B); and a CFC SS503.1.1 exception allowing fire apparatus access roads to be 'exempted or modified for solar photovoltaic power generation facilities' (15.04.110). 92% · municipal code
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 CBC/CRC/CEC/CFC as locally amended by SCMC 15.04, plus the SCMC 15.16 (AB 2188) eligibility criteria for the expedited path, enforced by the Building Official as AHJ. 85% · 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? No local fire-code amendment to CFC Chapter 12 (Solar Photovoltaic Power Systems) or SS1205 ridge setback/access pathway rules was found; the unamended 2025 CFC governs. 78% · municipal code (absence proven)

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? Rapid shutdown is required under the unamended 2025 CEC SS690.12 (2023 NEC-based); the only local electrical amendment touching shutdown is SS705.20 (disconnecting means), which layers on an additional requirement that ESS/battery back-up systems not located at the main connection have their own readily-accessible emergency power-off switch. 75% · municipal code

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? Per the 2015 (San Carlos-branded) submittal bulletin's inspection checklist: a sign identifying PV power source system attributes at the DC disconnect, a sign identifying the AC point of connection, and a sign identifying the switch for an alternative power system. 58% · submittal bulletin (stale, 2015)
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No -- the City does not specify its own placard wording; it points to CEC SS690 and SS705 labeling requirements generally ('Labeling of equipment as required by CEC, Sections 690 and 705'). 62% · submittal bulletin (stale, 2015)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? No independent letter-height, colour, or material spec found; relies on default CEC SS690/705 label requirements. 58% · submittal bulletin (stale, 2015)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? No local amendment to CEC SS705.10 (placards/directories) was found; the unamended 2025 CEC governs, requiring the standard directory/placard at service equipment. 70% · municipal code
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes, in part: PG&E's current Electric Rule 21 (SS H.1.d) requires a visible, manually-operated isolating disconnect near the Point of Interconnection with 'markings or signage that clearly indicates open and closed positions.' The finer meter-proximity/placard-content spec (PG&E's Greenbook document TD-2306M) is access-gated ('See your PG&E Job Owner for access') and could not be retrieved. 80% · utility tariff
• Where must the labels be placed? At the DC disconnect and at the AC point of interconnection, per the 2015 submittal bulletin; the current codes default to CEC SS690/705 placement rules with no local amendment found. 60% · submittal bulletin (stale, 2015)

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 -- modules, inverters, and (where applicable) energy storage systems/batteries must be listed in the California Energy Commission's database of approved equipment. 90% · eligibility checklist
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, with conditions: for the expedited SolarAPP+ path, lithium-ion only, weighing under 400 lbs with center of mass under 4 ft from the floor in high seismic zones (SDC D/E/F), CEC-listed, paired with new PV, and not installed within the habitable space of a dwelling unit. Independently, SCMC 15.04.050.D requires any ESS/battery back-up system not located at the main power connection to have its own readily-accessible emergency power-off switch shutting down all its output conductors. 85% · eligibility checklist + municipal code
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No separate ESS permit -- a new ESS is processed within the same SolarAPP+ PV application, subject to additional ESS-specific eligibility criteria (marked 'PV + Storage (ST) Only' in the checklist's key). 65% · eligibility checklist
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes, by inference -- SCMC 18.41.020's zoning definition of 'Structure' ('anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires location on the ground or attachment to something having location on the ground') is broad enough to capture a ground-mounted array as an accessory structure, and the current SolarAPP+ Eligibility Checklist expressly excludes 'No ground mounted systems' from the expedited path, meaning any ground mount routes to full plan review. 75% · municipal code (zoning definitions)
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No local amendment on service upgrades or busbar sizing was found. 80% · municipal code (absence proven)
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Only the generic, uncustomized statewide 'PV Toolkit Document #5' (anchor horizontal-spacing tables by roof slope/rafter spacing, e.g. flat-6:12 slope at 16in o.c. = 5'-4" spacing for PV) -- this document is San Carlos's own currently-linked 'Structural Criteria' PDF, but it still carries its own unfilled '(Introductory text provided for jurisdiction's reference only. Do not attach to Criteria that follow.)' notes and cites the 2013 CBC/CRC, meaning it was never customized for San Carlos. 58% · generic statewide template (flagged, not city-customized)

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 -- inspections are requested through the Tyler EnerGov Customer Self-Service (CSS) portal. 92% · department page
• How much notice is required? For small residential rooftop solar specifically, SCMC 15.16.060 commits the Building Division to schedule the inspection 'within three business days, upon request.' 82% · municipal code
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Yes -- a 90-minute arrival window, viewable (without login) on the portal's 'Today's Inspections' page starting at 8:30 a.m. the morning of the inspection. 92% · department handout

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% · municipal code
• If delegated, to whom? N/A for building/electrical (self-performed). Fire is conditionally delegated in-house to the 'City of San Carlos Fire Department' / the shared San Carlos and Redwood City Fire Department, only 'if required' per the Building Official's determination. 82% · municipal code

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? One Building Division inspection (final) for SolarAPP+-eligible systems, plus a conditional, separate Fire Department inspection 'if required.' 85% · municipal code
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No -- the Municipal Code states only one inspection is required for expedited-eligible systems, with no separate rough-in or mid-roof inspection. 85% · municipal code

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 -- SolarAPP+ generates a project-specific Inspection Checklist that applicants must download before scheduling ('Download the Inspection Checklist to be reviewed during the inspection'); a generic checklist also exists in the 2015 submittal bulletin. 80% · department page
• What must be on site at inspection? A paper copy of the stamped, approved, properly-scaled set of plans must be on the job site at all times (it is 'the contractor's responsibility to provide and maintain' it); color is recommended but not required. 88% · department handout
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes, per the 2015 submittal bulletin's inspection checklist, which lists verifying signage ('Appropriate signs are properly constructed, installed and displayed') and equipment ratings/listings among the inspector's common checkpoints. 62% · submittal bulletin (stale, 2015)

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.

• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer -- the installer/applicant submits the interconnection request to PG&E, and PG&E processes Permission to Operate only after receiving 'evidence of Applicant's final electric inspection clearance from the Governmental Authority having jurisdiction,' per PG&E's own current Rule 21. 82% · utility tariff
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $232/hour (1-hour minimum) during normal business hours; $501 (2-hour minimum) plus $250/additional hour outside business hours, for second and each additional re-inspection. 90% · fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? At the application-intake stage, an incomplete SolarAPP+/solar application gets a written correction notice detailing deficiencies, and is deemed approved if not denied within 45 days of a complete resubmission (unless a reasonable additional-information request is pending). At the inspection stage, SCMC 15.16.060 states that if the installation does not conform to approved plans or code, 'an additional follow-up inspection, or inspections, shall be required' and 'a subsequent inspection is authorized.' 70% · municipal code