City of San Dimas

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% · authority's own page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both 90% · published bulletin
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes 98% · municipal code
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined 88% · published bulletin
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No (not HOA-conditioned for solar specifically) — but a Planning Division check IS required for solar, and is limited to a non-discretionary administrative review unless the Director finds a specific, adverse health/safety impact. 80% · municipal code
• Is there a historic-district review? Yes, but only for properties on the City's Historic Inventory List 70% · municipal code
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No 70% · municipal code
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Only exceptionally: the Community Development Director may require discretionary 'director's review' under SDMC Ch. 18.12 (Development Plan Review) if the Director finds, based on substantial evidence, that the solar system 'could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety.' No Conditional/Specific Use Permit or City Council hearing is required for a qualifying expedited-path system. 85% · municipal code
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? 10 kW AC nameplate (or 30 kW thermal) is the codified cap for the expedited/standard-plan path, on a single- or duplex-family dwelling not exceeding the maximum legal building height. Both the Central/String and Microinverter/ACM Standard Plans additionally cap the AC service panel busbar at 225A (120/240V single-phase). No separate zoning-code kW ceiling was found. 92% · municipal code

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 65% · permit application form
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes 78% · permit application form
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes 55% · permit application form

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? (1) Completed PV Permit Application; (2) completed Eligibility Checklist for Expedited Roof Top Solar PV Permitting; (3) a completed Standard Electrical Plan (Central/String or Microinverter/ACM version) OR a custom one-line electrical plan with disconnect locations, module/string/inverter counts, make/model, grounding/bonding, conductor/conduit sizing, battery info if any, equipment cut sheets, and CEC 690/705 labeling; (4) a roof plan showing layout, fire-safety access pathways, fire classification and label locations; (5) a completed Structural Criteria checklist (or PE/SE-stamped structural calcs if it fails). 95% · published bulletin
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic PDF upload via SolarAPP+ then the City's Accela-based 'Permit Center' (sandimasca.gov/PermitCenter) for the standard ≤10kW rooftop path; no page-count/paper-copy requirement is published for solar specifically (contrast: the generic Plan Checking page calls for 'three sets of plans' for ordinary building permits, but the Solar Permit Center page describes an all-electronic SolarAPP+→Permit Center workflow instead). 65% · authority's own page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes — a site diagram showing panel arrangement (roof or ground), north arrow, lot dimensions, and distances from property lines to adjacent buildings/structures (existing and proposed); plus a separate roof plan showing roof layout, PV panels, approximate roof-access point, code-compliant access pathways, PV fire classification, and locations of all required labels/markings. 95% · published bulletin
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes 95% · published standard plan
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes 92% · published standard plan
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required if a completed 'Structural Criteria' pre-installation checklist passes (flush-mounted array, panel+support weight ≤4 psf, ≤half of total roof area, rafter spans within the published table); a project-specific structural calculation stamped and signed by a CA-licensed Civil or Structural Engineer IS required if any checklist item fails. 82% · published checklist
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No electrical PE stamp threshold is published anywhere in the city's solar documents; the only professional-stamp requirement found is the structural (Civil/Structural PE) stamp for non-qualifying roof structures. 70% · published bulletin

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+ (gosolarapp.org) for eligible ≤10kW residential rooftop PV, feeding into the city's own Accela Citizen Access-based 'San Dimas Permit Center' (sandimasca.gov/PermitCenter) for city-side application, upload and payment; ground-mount and commercial PV are NOT eligible for SolarAPP+ and must call Building Division directly. 93% · authority's own page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes 88% · authority's own page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Approximately $410 flat ($460 if the project includes a service/panel upgrade); confirmed by two actual issued permits: $418.90 total (Solar Permit Fee $406.00 + $12.90 Plan Maintenance Fee, SFR, 2022) and $477.40 total (Solar Permit Fee $409.84 + fees, ADU, 2024). 88% · published fee bulletin + sample permits
• How is the fee calculated? Flat 75% · sample issued permit
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes 85% · sample issued permit

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? 3 business days 95% · municipal code
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 1 year to commence work from date of issuance (locally amended from the CBC-standard 180 days), extendable once by up to 180 additional days for good cause; if no inspection passes at least every 6 months the permit lapses and a new permit/fee is required. 85% · municipal code
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Southern California Edison (SCE) 90% · authority's own 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 92% · municipal code
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code (based on the 2024 International Building Code), adopted by Ordinance 1275/1331; mandatory for all project plans from 1 Jan 2026. 95% · authority's own page
• Which fire code edition is in force? City's own Municipal Code: 2025 California Fire Code, based on the 2024 International Fire Code (SDMC §15.51.010). NOTE — this lags/differs from LA County Fire Department's own current operative PV/ESS guidance, which as of this check still cites 'the 2023 edition of the Los Angeles County Fire Code (LACFC), a locally amended version of the 2022 California Fire Code' (LACoFD documents dated 2023-09-01, still the live version on LACoFD's own site). 88% · municipal code + LACoFD's own operative guide
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes 90% · municipal code
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 CEC (based on the 2023 NEC), 2025 CBC/CRC (based on the 2024 IBC/IRC) and the 2025 CFC (based on the 2024 IFC), all as locally amended by SDMC Title 15, plus SDMC Ch. 15.06's own PV-specific requirements and LACoFD's retained fire-code scope over disconnects/placarding and ESS >3kWh. 90% · 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? Modules must be set back a minimum of 12 inches from all roof edges (eave and rake/ridge); clear, code-compliant access pathways and the approximate roof-access point must be diagrammed on the roof plan per the CA State Fire Marshal's Solar PV Installation Guide; LACoFD (fire) additionally requires the roof plan show PV fire classification and label locations. No additional San Dimas-specific ridge setback beyond the 12" figure was found. 88% · published checklist

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, to the 2025 CEC (based on the 2023 NEC), i.e., NEC 2023 Article 690.12 rapid-shutdown requirements apply. Note: this specific citation ('690.12') was NOT found anywhere in San Dimas's own PV documents — its Standard Plans and Submittal Requirements Bulletin instead cite the older 705.12(D)(4)/690.53/690.54/690.35/690.5(C)/690.17 label sections (2016-cycle CEC numbering) without ever mentioning 690.12 rapid shutdown by section number. 70% · published standard plan (absence proven by corpus grep)

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? At the service equipment (AHJ/fire scope): LACoFD's placard system for ALL power-source disconnects — 'F.D. – ELECTRICAL / BLDG DISCONNECT / #X of Y'. At the PV/inverter equipment itself (CEC 690/705, per the city's own Standard Plan labeling page): DC disconnect warning label, AC disconnect (PV System AC Disconnect) label, inverter-output-OCPD 'do not relocate' warning, dual-power-source warning, ground-fault warning, shock-hazard/terminal warnings, and a CEC 705.12 permanent power-source directory/plaque. 90% · AHJ's own current guide
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Yes 92% · AHJ's own current guide
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? LACoFD disconnect placards: exterior placard minimum 2" tall x 3.5" wide, weather-resistant plastic, verbiage engraved; panel-interior placard minimum 7/16" tall x 3/4" wide; red letters engraved into a yellow background; Arial font, all-capitals, solid, minimum size 24 (28 bold for 'F.D.' and '#X of Y'); attached with permanent, weather/surface-compatible epoxy. The city's own CEC-690/705 warning labels do not specify letter height/color/material beyond an informational note suggesting a phenolic plaque with contrasting colors and a minimum ~20-point (3/8") type size. 93% · AHJ's own current guide
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes — the roof plan required with every solar submittal functions as the facility/site map: it must show roof layout, all panel/module locations, the approximate roof-access point, code-compliant clear access pathways, PV fire classification, and the location of every required label/marking (per CEC 705.10 and the State Fire Marshal's Solar PV Installation Guide). 90% · published bulletin
• Where must the labels be placed? At the main/utility service panel and at every power-source disconnect: LACoFD requires its placards on the exterior wall (within 6 ft of the main service panel, same wall plane) and inside the panel identifying specific switches/breakers; the city's Standard Plan requires CEC 690/705 labels at the inverter, at the AC and DC disconnects, and at junction/combiner boxes and conduit (marked every 10 feet per CRC R331.2/CFC 605.11.1). 88% · AHJ's own current guide

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? Per LACoFD's retained fire-code scope (which the city's own solar process defers to for disconnect placement): the electrical disconnection means and rapid-shutdown activation device for every power source (including PV) must be on the exterior, within 6 feet of the main service panel, on the same wall plane, and not separated from the main panel by walls, gates, fences, vegetation or architectural features (2023 LACFC §509.3). Only case-by-case exceptions require case-specific signage per the fire code official. 82% · AHJ's own current checklist
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes 85% · published standard plan
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Not permitted on the city's expedited/Standard-Plan solar path — the Eligibility Checklist requires the system be 'utility interactive and without battery storage' to qualify for expedited review. Batteries/ESS ARE permitted under the full (non-expedited) permit process subject to the 2025 CRC/CEC and LACoFD's ESS rules: UL 9540 listing, 20 kWh max per unit, 80 kWh aggregate cap per site/location, 3 ft unit-to-unit spacing, 3–10 ft setbacks from openings/lot lines/vegetation, impact protection where subject to vehicle impact, and detection/notification if installed in an attached garage. 85% · published checklist + AHJ's own current guide
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes 85% · permit application form + AHJ's own fee ordinance
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes 90% · municipal code
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? Yes — the Standard Plan (Simplified) caps eligible service panels at a 225A bus bar (single-phase 120/240V) and gives the CEC 705.12(D)(2) 120%/100% rule table for combined PV+main OCPD sizing; no separate San Dimas-specific main-breaker-derating or service-upgrade ordinance beyond the CEC itself was found. 85% · published standard plan
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Yes, for the flush-mount expedited path: modules must be parallel to and within 2"–10" of the roof surface, weigh ≤4 psf (PV) / ≤5 psf (thermal) including support, cover ≤half the total roof area, with rafter spacing/span checked against a published table; anchor spacing per the manufacturer's/racking evaluation report. The city's separate Solar Permit Center page also states a City preference for flush-mount, ≤6" standoff height. Non-qualifying arrays need PE/SE-stamped project-specific structural calcs. 85% · published checklist

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 90% · published step-by-step guide
• How much notice is required? For the codified expedited solar path: within 2 business days of request (SDMC §15.06.060(G)(1): 'An inspection will be scheduled within two business days of a request.'). The city's Submittal Requirements Bulletin describes day-to-day practice as: requests received during business hours are typically scheduled for the next business day, or within a 5-day window if next-day is unavailable. 85% · municipal code
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? AM/PM preference only, not a guaranteed specific time — per the Inspections FAQ: 'No, but you can request a preference for a morning or afternoon inspection and we will make every effort to accommodate your request.' Inspection timeframe/window is typically viewable in the Permit Center after 8:30 AM the day of the inspection. 90% · authority's own 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? Delegated 85% · AHJ's own current checklist
• If delegated, to whom? Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) — for ESS >3kWh, electrical-disconnect/rapid-shutdown placarding, and a narrow BIPV subcategory only; San Dimas's own Building & Safety Division retains and performs the general PV/electrical/building inspection itself. 90% · AHJ's own current 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 the expedited path, only ONE building-department inspection is required and performed (SDMC §15.06.060(G)); it follows issuance of the Combination Solar Permit. Separately and in parallel, LACoFD performs its own ESS/disconnect-placarding inspection where its retained scope applies (ESS >3kWh, all disconnect/rapid-shutdown placards) — LACoFD's checklist requires proof of the city's construction permit and paid placarding/fees before that inspection is booked. 85% · municipal code + AHJ's own checklist
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No 78% · 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 90% · published bulletin
• What must be on site at inspection? Digital/printed proof of the issued construction permit (including any SolarAPP+ approval documents), the approved plans, and (for the LACoFD-retained scope) invoicing information for the contractor/billing party and proof the disconnect placarding is already in place and any LACoFD fees are paid before that inspection is booked. 82% · AHJ's own current checklist
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes 90% · published 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 78% · authority's own page
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $98.00 for LACoFD's retained (ESS/disconnect) scope — 'Additional inspections after initial inspection and one reinspection.' For the city's own building/electrical inspection, SDMC §15.02 (CBC/CRC §R108.4.1 amendment) authorizes a reinspection fee 'in accordance with a fee schedule adopted by this jurisdiction,' but no specific city dollar figure for a solar reinspection was found in the FY26-27 Master Fee Schedule (which is valuation/percentage-based for Building fees generally, with no line item found by name for solar reinspection). 78% · AHJ's own current fee ordinance
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Via a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies, sent to the applicant for resubmission (for the codified expedited path); cleared by requesting and passing a subsequent inspection, which per SDMC §15.06.060(G)(2) 'need not conform to the [single-inspection] requirements' of the expedited process — i.e., re-inspections are unlimited until the work passes. 78% · municipal code