City of San Diego

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 — City of San Diego Development Services Department is the AHJ for residential solar inside the city limits 95% · department permit page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — DSD permits and inspects electrical and building/structural work itself; nothing is delegated to the County 95% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes 95% · department permit page
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Either — a standalone Electrical Permit covers standard PV, ESS and PV shingles; where structural modification is needed a Combination Building Permit is issued and IB 301 says 'a separate Electrical Permit is not required' 90% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No — the City requires no HOA or architectural approval before permitting 60% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is there a historic-district review? Yes, but conditionally: 'Historic review is required for the installation of PV systems that also require a Building Permit or Combination Permit if the project involves any parcel with a designated historical resource or is located within the boundaries of an adopted historic district.' See IB 581. A rooftop PV system on the self-issue Electrical Permit path does not trigger it. 90% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No — no wind or windstorm certification. Wind loading is handled inside the ordinary structural calculation: IB 301 requires calculated roof and wind-loading values, and PV shingles must be tested to ASTM D3161 for wind resistance per CRC 905.16.6 or CBC 1507.16.8. 65% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No Specific Use Permit or Council approval is published for residential rooftop PV. Where a Building or Combination Permit is required, 'A zoning review is required... Zoning, structure height, brush management, FAA notification and conditions of prior development permits are enforced for the installation of PV systems.' 70% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No generation cap. 38.4 kW AC maximum output is the ceiling for the self-issued no-plan-review path only (with ESS up to 38.4 kWh, each unit no greater than 20 kWh, and panel upgrades up to 320 amps); larger residential systems are permitted through the plan-review path with no stated maximum. 90% · department permit page + information bulletin

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 — SDMC §129.0306: 'An Electrical Permit may be issued only to a person, firm, or corporation that holds a valid California State Contractor's License that permits electrical installation or to the property owner or lessee' 95% · ordinance (SDMC Ch.12 Art.9 Div.3 §129.0306)
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? No separate City registration before applying — the state contractor licence is the qualification. Contractors and subcontractors must, however, be added to and verified on the project record before inspection. 65% · ordinance + department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes — the property owner or lessee may take the permit (SDMC §129.0306), and IB 301 requires Owner-Builder Verification form DS-3042 'if the property owner is doing the work' 90% · information bulletin (May 2026)

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? Application package: Hazardous Materials Reporting Form DS-165 (where a Building Permit is required and/or batteries/ESS are in scope for non-SFD/duplex/townhouse), San Diego Regional Hazardous Materials Questionnaire HM-9171 (where a Building Permit is required), Stormwater Requirements Applicability Checklist DS-560 (where a Building Permit is required), Owner-Builder Verification DS-3042 (if the owner is doing the work), Project Contact form DS-345 at permit issuance. Plans: site plan, roof plan, single-line diagram, manufacturer's specifications for modules/racking/inverters/batteries/meter with UL listings, plus structural plans and calculations where structural review is triggered. Single-family/duplex/townhouse projects use the Residential PV Plan Template (IB 301 Appendix A). 95% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic only — PDF sets submitted through the City's online permitting portal. No paper copy count is published for PV. 85% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes. The site plan must show the location of all existing and proposed PV panels, AC or DC combiners, all disconnects, inverters, batteries/ESS, sub-panels connected to the PV system, and the meter panel. Ground-mounted systems must additionally follow IB 122 'How to Prepare a Site Plan and Vicinity Map'. A separate roof plan must show roof slope, panel locations relative to any ridge, hip or valley, existing roof-mounted equipment, system weight in lb/sq ft, and roof connection details, and must comply with access pathway and ridge clearance requirements. 95% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — a single-line diagram is required 95% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes — conductor and raceway size and type must be shown on the single-line, and the regional Electrical Newsletter requires 'wiring methods, sizing, grounding, and calculations in conformance with Article 690' 85% · San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters (Jan 2023) + IB 301
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Structural review (and a California registered Architect, Civil or Structural Engineer stamp on structural plans and calculations) is triggered where ANY of: alterations to the structure are needed to support the PV; PV system weight exceeds 6 lb/sq ft; any ground- or roof-mounted equipment exceeds 400 lb; PV mounting height at any point exceeds 24 in above roof level; the system is on a ballasted roof; a ground-mounted system is more than 5 ft above ground; or batteries are not installed per the manufacturer's instructions. A licensed civil/structural engineer or architect must additionally evaluate existing gravity elements where design gravity load increases by more than 5%, and existing lateral elements where the earthquake demand-to-capacity ratio increases by more than 10%. 95% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No PE stamp required for ordinary PV electrical work — IB 301 allows plans to be stamped and signed by a California registered Civil or Electrical Engineer OR a licensed C-10 (Electrical), B (General) or C-46 (Solar) contractor responsible for the design and installation. Exception: 'When an electrical panel upgrade is proposed, a California-registered Electrical Engineer or a C-10 must sign and stamp the plans.' 90% · information bulletin (May 2026)

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? City of San Diego Online Permitting Portal (Accela Citizen Access, aca.accela.com/SANDIEGO), reached at sandiego.gov/dsdportal. The self-issue PV permit is taken by selecting the record type 'Photovoltaic - SB 379 Permit'; other PV work uses 'Plan - Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Standalone Permit' or 'Building Permit'. 85% · information bulletin + department page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes — application, plan upload, payment, permit issuance and inspection scheduling are all online; qualifying residential rooftop PV is self-issued instantly with no plan review 90% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• What does a residential solar permit cost? USD 275.80 for the self-issued no-plan-review residential path (first system/inverter inspection fee only). Residential with plan review: USD 154.20 plan check + USD 275.80 inspection = USD 430.00. Non-residential/multi-family: USD 758.00 plan check + USD 290.00 inspection for the first 100 kW, then USD 264.00 + USD 145.00 per additional 100 kW. Mapping fee USD 12.16 where applicable. Batteries/ESS plan review and inspection are charged at an hourly rate. 90% · fee schedule within information bulletin (May 2026)
• How is the fee calculated? Flat — a fixed fee per system/inverter for residential, regardless of kW. (Non-residential is tiered per 100 kW.) 90% · fee schedule within information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes where plan review applies — USD 154.20 for single-family/duplex/townhouse PV with plan review. No plan check fee on the self-issued path. 90% · fee schedule within information bulletin (May 2026)

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? Zero for the self-issue path — a qualifying single-family/duplex/townhouse rooftop PV permit designed to the IB 301 template is 'self-issued with no plan review'. Where plan review is needed, the City's weekly timeline page showed approximately 3 business days for the issuance phase of 'Demo, Stand Alone Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Permits' as of 21 Aug 2026. 70% · department page (weekly timeline) + permit page
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? An Electrical Permit expires if substantial work has not been completed and validated by an inspection within 180 calendar days; it also expires if, after initial utilisation, work is abandoned for a continuous 180 calendar days; and it expires 2 years after issuance if final inspection approval has not been obtained. An Electrical Permit associated with a Building Permit expires concurrently with it. The Building Official may extend an expired permit. 95% · ordinance (SDMC §129.0310)
• Which utility handles interconnection here? San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) 95% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel, with the utility last — the interconnection application runs alongside permitting and installation, but IB 301 states that after final inspection approval on all City permits SDG&E is notified, and 'The system is not approved to energize until SDG&E approval is obtained.' SDG&E's own Rule 21 process requires the Interconnection Request before energisation and issues Permission to Operate at the end. 80% · information bulletin + utility Rule 21 page

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, as adopted in California as the 2025 California Electrical Code (CEC), effective for projects submitted on or after 1 Jan 2026, with City local amendments in Land Development Code Chapters 12 and 14 80% · department codes page + 2025 adoption matrix
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code and 2025 California Residential Code, effective for projects submitted on or after 1 Jan 2026 90% · City adoption matrix (13 Feb 2026)
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code, with City local amendments in San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 5, Article 5; the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code amendments sit in SDMC Chapter 5, Article 12 85% · department codes page
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — local amendments to all 2025 editions (CBC, CRC, CEC, CMC, CPC, CFC, CGBSC, CEBC) are published in Chapters 12 and 14 of the Land Development Code; electrical amendments specifically in Ch. 14 Art. 6 with permit procedures in SDMC Ch. 12 Art. 9 Div. 3; fire amendments in SDMC Ch. 5 Art. 5 95% · department codes page + adoption matrix
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 California Electrical Code (Article 690 and related), the 2025 CBC/CRC and 2025 CFC as locally amended in LDC Chapters 12 and 14, the approved plans, the manufacturers' installation instructions, and the San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters — which the DSD PV inspection guidelines and the City's PV plan template both cite as binding interpretation of the CEC for this region 90% · DSD inspection guidelines (undated)

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 California Fire Code, Section 1205.2 — IB 301: 'Roof access, pathways and spacing requirements must be provided in accordance with the California Fire Code, Section 1205.2. If compliance is not provided or an alternative is proposed, a Fire Plan Review will be required.' No City-specific numeric ridge setback amendment was found. Fire plan review being unnecessary is one of the four conditions for self-issue. 80% · information bulletin (May 2026)

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? Required by the code in force rather than by a local rule — CEC 690.12 of the 2025 California Electrical Code (2023 NEC base). The City publishes no rapid-shutdown provision of its own. 65% · department codes page (code edition in force)

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? Three families of marking. (1) The alternate-power-source plaque required by CEC 705.10, installed on the service equipment, identifying the location of all customer self-generation equipment, the service point, the DC disconnect(s) and the AC disconnect for Utility Operation. (2) A placard or label carrying the actual power source operating voltages and currents, affixed to or immediately adjacent to either the inverter or the DC disconnect. (3) 'CAUTION DC CIRCUIT' or equivalent on metal conduit carrying PV DC conductors entering the building, repeated every 10 ft. Plus: all back-fed circuit breakers and disconnects labelled, and all electrical equipment including the service carrying a legible, visible and durable marking of manufacturer, current, voltage, frequency and number of phases. 85% · DSD inspection guidelines + City PV plan template
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Yes, in two places. The DSD PV inspection guidelines fix the wording of the utility disconnect identification: 'When the utility disconnect is required, it shall be identified on the placard as "PV System Disconnect for Utility Operation."' The City PV plan template fixes the DC conduit marking as 'CAUTION DC CIRCUIT' or equivalent every 10 ft. 85% · DSD inspection guidelines + City PV plan template
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Material and colour: yes; letter height: not specified by the AHJ. City PV plan template: 'ALTERNATE POWER SOURCE PLACARD SHALL BE METALLIC OR PLASTIC, ENGRAVED OR MACHINE PRINTED LETTERS IN A CONTRASTING COLOR TO THE PLAQUE. THIS PLAQUE WILL BE ATTACHED BY POP RIVETS OR SCREWS OR OTHER APPROVED METHOD. IF EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT, IT SHALL BE UV RESISTANCE.' The San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters repeat this: metal or plastic suitable for the environment, engraved or machine-printed lettering or electro-photo-plating in a contrasting colour, fastened by a permanent means acceptable to the AHJ. SDG&E's own plaque standard SG017 adds that epoxy is no longer acceptable for securing and shows minimum lettering of 3/4 in for the heading and 1/4 in and 3/16 in for the body on its sample plaque. 80% · City PV plan template + San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters + SDG&E SG017
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes — a facility-map plaque is required. Per the San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters (705.10 section): 'A single plaque shall properly reflect the location of all alternate power sources, the disconnects, and the utility service point(s)... The plaque shall include a properly oriented footprint of the entire building. The plaques shall be located at each source disconnect location.' The PV section adds that it identifies all customer self-generation equipment, the service point, the DC disconnect(s) and the AC disconnect for Utility Operation, and must be installed on the service equipment. 90% · San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters (Jan 2023) + DSD inspection guidelines
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — SDG&E requires warning placards on each customer's meter panel and on the visible and/or lockable disconnect installed adjacent to the meter panel, identifying the customer as having a secondary power source and identifying the utility disconnects. SDG&E's Electric Service Standards & Guides sheet SG017 sets the plaque construction (metal or plastic, engraved or machine-printed lettering or electro-photo-plating in a contrasting colour, building footprint included, secured by a means acceptable to the AHJ, epoxy no longer acceptable). 70% · utility Rule 21 page + SDG&E Service Standards & Guides SG017
• Where must the labels be placed? Alternate-power-source plaque: on the service equipment, and at each source disconnect location. Operating voltage/current placard: affixed to or immediately adjacent to either the inverter or the DC disconnect. 'CAUTION DC CIRCUIT': on the metal conduit carrying PV DC conductors into the building, every 10 ft. Utility disconnect identification: on the placard, where a lockable AC disconnect is required. SDG&E adds a warning placard on the meter panel itself and on the visible/lockable disconnect. 90% · DSD inspection guidelines + PV plan template + Electrical Newsletters

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? At the service equipment. DSD PV inspection guidelines: 'When a lockable AC disconnect is required by the utility (SDG&E), it shall be located at the service equipment unless the utility approves a remote location.' The San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters put it the same way: 'The AC disconnect(s) is/are to be located immediately adjacent to the electric service and meter location. Contact the Utility for exceptions.' Where a separate utility disconnect is required, an SDG&E letter of approval must be on site at inspection. 85% · DSD inspection guidelines + San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No City-specific approved-product list, but everything must be listed by a nationally recognised testing agency and the listings must be shown on the plans: UL 1703 for PV shingles, UL 1741 for inverters (or inclusion in the ESS's UL 9540 listing), UL 9540 for batteries/ESS, UL 9540A large-scale fire test documentation to justify separation under 3 ft, and a Class A fire rating for modules and racking (except ground mounts with no use underneath). IB 301: 'Products proposed for installation shall be listed.' The City separately publishes a list of field evaluation and equipment testing agencies acceptable to it. 85% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Permitted, with capacity limits by location and prescriptive fire conditions. Individual unit max 20 kWh on the self-issue path (aggregate 38.4 kWh). Aggregate limits by location: 40 kWh in utility closets, basements and storage/utility spaces; 80 kWh in attached garages; 100 kWh on or within 3 ft of exterior walls of dwellings and attached garages, rising to 200 kWh where those exterior walls are noncombustible; 200 kWh in detached garages and accessory structures, 600 kWh where at least 10 ft from property lines and dwellings; 200 kWh outdoors on the ground at least 3 ft from property lines and dwellings, 600 kWh at least 10 ft away. Conditions: minimum 3 ft separation between individual ESS unless justified by UL 9540A testing; smoke and/or heat alarms shown on plans; impact protection (bollards or wheel barriers to prescribed dimensions and anchoring) where subject to vehicle damage; mechanical ventilation per the CMC where hydrogen or flammable gases are produced; ESS that can release toxic or highly toxic gas prohibited in Group R-3 or R-4. Anything exceeding these ratings must comply with CFC 1207.1-1207.9, not the CRC, and be resubmitted. 95% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No separate ESS permit — batteries/ESS are covered by the same Electrical Permit as the PV ('An Electrical Permit is required for the installation of photovoltaic (PV), Batteries / ESS...'). Fees differ, though: batteries/ESS plan review and inspection are charged at an hourly rate rather than the flat PV fee, and a Hazardous Materials Reporting Form DS-165 is required where batteries/ESS are in scope for projects other than single-family, duplex and townhouse. 80% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes above 5 ft — 'A Building Permit or Combination Building Permit is required for a ground-mounted PV system with a support structure greater than five feet above ground.' Structural review is also triggered for ground mounts more than 5 ft above ground. Below that height the electrical permit path applies, but the site plan must follow IB 122 and the ground mount is still subject to zoning, setback and (per the regional Newsletter) County Environmental Health approval where the parcel has a septic system. 90% · information bulletin (May 2026)
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No numeric local busbar rule beyond the CEC. Service upgrades: panel upgrades up to 320 amps are allowed within the self-issue PV scope and are covered by the same electrical permit fee. The single-line must show the ampere rating of the meter panel bussing, the main service disconnect and the PV circuit breaker, plus 'the existing electrical system's complete rating information for the purpose of determining adequate interconnection of the PV system'. At inspection, 'The service equipment and its verifiable bus rating shall be adequate and properly sized for the designed PV source.' New breakers must be the same manufacturer as the existing service equipment or listed for use with it, and relocated circuits require a new panel schedule with loads kept balanced. 80% · DSD inspection guidelines + IB 301
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No specific mounting system or attachment spacing is mandated. Requirements are performance-based: the racking system and modules must match the approved plans, be installed per the manufacturer's installation instructions, be positively attached to the structure with the roof membrane's weather protection maintained, carry a Class A fire rating, and not obstruct roof vents, plumbing vents or chimneys. Structural review kicks in above 6 lb/sq ft, 400 lb equipment, 24 in mounting height, or on ballasted roofs. 85% · DSD inspection guidelines + IB 301

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 — 'All inspections are scheduled online', 24/7, and 'Residential Rooftop-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic (PV)' is one of the listed permit types on the scheduling selector. An automated phone line is available as an alternative 24/7 on 858-581-7111. Scheduling online requires the Inspection Contact # from the project, which acts as a PIN. 95% · department page
• How much notice is required? At least one day in advance — 'Standard inspections must be scheduled at least one day in advance.' Enhanced inspections require at least one business day, and late-night/weekend/holiday inspections at least two business days. 95% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No AM/PM windows and no same-day booking. Inspections run weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; you cannot specify a time. If you leave a phone number in the 'Comments for Inspector' box the inspector will call before 10 a.m. on the day with a time frame. Paid alternatives: Guaranteed Next-Day Inspections (completed on the day selected, capped at 30 minutes, still no time slot), before/after-hours, and late-night/weekend/holiday. Virtual inspections over Microsoft Teams are available at no extra cost for single-family, duplex and townhouse projects and 'Rooftop-mounted solar photovoltaic' is explicitly on the qualifying list, as is 'Reinspection of minor corrections'. 90% · 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 — City of San Diego DSD inspection staff perform the final solar inspection themselves 90% · DSD inspection guidelines
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated — inspections are performed by City of San Diego Development Services Department inspection staff 85% · DSD inspection guidelines

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? Roof-mounted systems, in order: (1) rough electrical for concealed wiring, (2) array bonding and grounding, (3) final inspection of the complete system including modules, panel, wire terminations and grounding. Ground-mounted systems: (1) footing inspection, (2) underground electrical (raceway and conduits), (3) final. IB 301 gives the same set as permit-record inspection types: Electrical Underground, Electrical Rough, Electrical Final, Structural-Foundation, Structural-Rough and Structural-Final. It is 'the contractor or owner's responsibility to schedule and coordinate all required inspections and obtain approvals before concealing any work.' 90% · DSD inspection guidelines (undated) + IB 301
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Yes for roof-mounted systems — 'Rough electrical for concealed wiring' is the first required inspection, plus a separate array bonding and grounding inspection before final. Ground-mounted systems take a footing inspection and an underground electrical inspection instead. No mid-roof inspection as such. 85% · DSD inspection guidelines (undated)

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 — 'Residential Solar Photovoltaic Systems Inspection Guidelines', published by DSD, containing a sectioned inspection checklist (General; Service Equipment; PV Array Installed on Roofs; Combiner Boxes, Junction Boxes and Wiring Methods; PV Inverters & DC Disconnects; AC Overcurrent Protection and Required Utility Disconnects; Service Upgrades Involving Scheduled Outages) 95% · DSD inspection guidelines (undated)
• What must be on site at inspection? Approved plans, the inspection record card, and the manufacturers' installation instructions must be made available on site. A CAL-OSHA-compliant ladder must be available and secured in place. Where a separate utility disconnect is required, an SDG&E letter of approval must be on site; for projects with an electrical service upgrade, an SDG&E service order and a completed City of San Diego Circuit Card must be on site. Work must be ready for the inspection requested, required working clearances provided and maintained, and all required labels properly fixed in place. The Inspections page adds that an adult 18 or over must be present, pets secured, lighting and a safe path of travel provided, and all electrical panels and junction boxes open and accessible — 'Inspectors will not open boxes or take apart electrical equipment.' 95% · DSD inspection guidelines + Inspections page
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes, explicitly. The general inspection checklist requires that 'All required labels must be properly fixed in place.' The Service Equipment section requires the inspector to confirm: 'Install a placard for all customer self-generating electrical equipment as required by the California Electrical Code and in compliance with the San Diego Area Electrical Newsletter.' The inverter section requires 'The placard or label with the actual power source operating voltages and currents shall be affixed to or located immediately adjacent to either the inverter or the DC disconnect.' Listings are checked too — installed racking, modules and inverters must be the same as those on the approved plans. 95% · DSD inspection guidelines (undated)

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 — a passed final inspection is recorded as inspection approval on the project's inspection record card; no separate certificate is issued for residential solar. A Certificate of Occupancy 'is issued for commercial structures after the inspections are completed' only. IB 301 refers throughout to 'final inspection approval' as the operative event, which then triggers notification to SDG&E. 80% · department page + IB 301
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? AHJ — the City notifies the utility. IB 301: 'After receiving final inspection approval for all related City of San Diego Permits, San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) will be notified. The system is not approved to energize until SDG&E approval is obtained.' The regional Electrical Newsletters put the same point from the utility side: 'PV systems will not be authorized for interconnection until all Utility requirements have been completed which includes the Utility receiving an inspection clearance from the AHJ.' 85% · information bulletin (May 2026) + San Diego Area Electrical Newsletters
• Is there a re-inspection fee? No published re-inspection fee — 'Standard inspection costs are included in the permit fees and are conducted at no extra cost to the applicant', and 'Reinspection of minor corrections' is on the list of project types qualifying for free virtual inspection. Fees do apply to enhanced options (guaranteed next-day, before/after hours, late night/weekend/holiday) and to virtual inspections requested outside business hours. 65% · department page + IB 501