City of San Rafael

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 Rafael Building Division is the AHJ for residential rooftop solar 95% · authority's own page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — Building and Electrical, combined; not delegated to the County or Fire 90% · adopting ordinance
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes, a building permit is required for residential rooftop PV 95% · ordinance
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined — one permit is issued (12.320.060.1: 'the building official ... shall issue a building permit'), though the fee schedule itemizes a distinct electrical-permit line ($178) alongside the building plan-check fee ($461) within that single permit 70% · fee schedule
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No — the City will not condition its own approval on HOA/association sign-off 85% · ordinance
• Is there a historic-district review? Conditionally yes — required only for properties on the City's list of historic resources 90% · ordinance
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No wind/windstorm certification requirement found 55% · checklist
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Yes, conditionally — an administrative Use Permit can be required if the Building Official finds a 'specific, adverse impact' on public health/safety; denial requires written findings and is appealable to the Planning Commission 90% · ordinance
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? The streamlined/ministerial 'small residential rooftop solar' pathway caps at 10 kW AC nameplate (or 30 kW thermal) on a single-family dwelling or duplex; larger residential systems remain permittable but go through standard (non-expedited) plan review rather than being capped outright 90% · ordinance

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 or homeowner 85% · authority's own page
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? No separate city contractor-registration step found prior to applying 60% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes — homeowner self-install/self-permit is allowed 80% · authority's own page

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? Site plan (panel locations, layout, clearances); electrical details (one-line); manufacturer specifications. For ESS/EV: floor plan with device location, electrical diagram, manufacturer specs. For reroof-with-solar-tiles: same package, valued separately from the reroof permit 90% · published checklist
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic submittal only, via OpenGov; plans must be unsecured PDF, max file size 75MB 85% · checklist
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes — site plan required, must show panel locations, layout, and clearances 90% · checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes (functionally) — 'Electrical details' are a required plan component for every solar/battery/EV submittal 75% · checklist
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No PV-specific threshold found; general city rule (Design Professional Guide, Stamp & Signature Requirements, July 2020) exempts single-family dwellings/appurtenant structures built to conventional wood-frame tables from requiring a PE/architect stamp unless the Building Official deems it necessary or the work deviates from conventional wood-frame limits 55% · department page

Most authorities now take the whole application through a portal, and several states cap or constrain what a residential solar permit may cost. Check whether plan check is billed separately before you quote the job.

• Which permit portal does this authority use? OpenGov (cityofsanrafaelca.portal.opengov.com), replacing eTRAKiT as the sole portal for new applications from 23 Feb 2026 and for inspection scheduling from 17 Feb 2026 95% · portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes, functionally — the full 3-step SolarAPP+/OpenGov process (SolarAPP+ review, City permit application, inspection request) is described as entirely online 70% · portal
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Approx. $639 total for a residential PV system ≤15kW AC: $461 Building plan-check fee (Photovoltaic Residential System ≤15kW, 'Renewables' plan-check line) + $178 flat Electrical Permit Fee (Photovoltaic Systems, Residential). Systems >15kW add $15/kW above 15kW to the plan-check base 90% · published fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Tiered — flat base fee up to 15kW, then a per-kW increment above 15kW for the plan-check fee; flat fee for the electrical permit portion regardless of size 85% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes — a separate Plan Check fee line ($461, 'Photovoltaic Residential System ≤15kW') is itemized apart from the Electrical Permit fee ($178) 90% · 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? For small residential rooftop PV eligible for expedited review: same-day or next-day issuance for over-the-counter applications, or within 3 business days for electronic submittals (Ch 12.320.060.1). General (non-solar) plan-review turnaround is stated as 'up to 3 weeks' on the standard Permits-Requiring-Plan-Review page 85% · ordinance
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 2 years from issuance for a standard building permit (effective 1 Jan 2023 policy); minor permits (e.g. water heaters, furnaces) expire in 180 days 90% · department page
• Which utility handles interconnection here? PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Company) 80% · utility tariff
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? After permit — PG&E's Rule 21 conditions Permission to Operate on the applicant first providing 'evidence of Applicant's final electric inspection clearance from the Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Generating Facility' 85% · utility DG 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 (as adopted in the 2025 California Electrical Code, effective 1 Jan 2026) 75% · adopting regulation
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code and 2025 California Residential Code, effective 1 Jan 2026 (applications complete by 26 Dec 2025 remained under the 2022 cycle) 90% · adopting ordinance/announcement
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — the City has locally-adopted amendments layered on the state model codes, e.g. Ch 12.320 (Expedited Permit Process for Small Residential Rooftop Solar) and CRC R902.1.3/CBC 1505.1.3 Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area roofing requirements (fire-retardant/Class-A roof covering) 85% · ordinance
• What is the installation judged against? The California Building/Residential/Electrical/Fire Codes as locally adopted in Title 12, plus Ch 12.320's own criteria (state fire, structural, electrical and other building codes 'as adopted or amended by the City,' UL/IEEE/CPUC standards for PV electrical equipment). No separate PV-specific technical amendment beyond Ch 12.320 was found in Title 12 80% · ordinance

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.

Nothing recorded for City of San Rafael on this step yet — 1 question checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.

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 as a function of whichever NEC edition is in force (NEC 690.12) — San Rafael has not published a separate rapid-shutdown-specific statement; it flows through from the 2025 California Electrical Code adoption (Q29) 55% · inference from adopting regulation

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.

• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — no city-specific placard wording found 55% · ordinance/checklist (absence)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? The required site plan doubles as the facility map for permitting purposes — it must show 'panel locations, layout and clearances' — but this is a submitted drawing, not a field-posted placard; no separate physical facility-map placard requirement was found 65% · checklist / 705.10 inference
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — PG&E's Rule 21 requires a visible, manually-operated isolating disconnect device near the Point of Interconnection bearing 'markings or signage that clearly indicates open and closed positions,' independent of any AHJ requirement 75% · utility DG tariff
• Where must the labels be placed? The utility-required visible-disconnect marking must be located near the Point of Interconnection, positioned so it can be reached by PG&E personnel 24 hours a day for emergency, construction, operation, maintenance, inspection, or testing purposes 65% · utility DG tariff

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? PG&E's Rule 21 requires a visible, lockable/isolating disconnect switch located at or near the Point of Interconnection, reachable by PG&E personnel 24/7; the tariff text located does not give an exact 'X feet from the meter' dimension — that level of detail sits in PG&E's gated Distribution Interconnection Handbook (TD-2306M), which was not reachable this run 60% · utility DG manual/tariff
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No city-specific approved-equipment list found; Ch 12.320.040.3 requires only that electricity-producing solar equipment meet 'applicable safety and performance standards established by the California Electrical Code, IEEE, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories' — a listing requirement, not a proprietary city equipment list 60% · ordinance
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, batteries are permitted. The MEP fee schedule prices 'EES Battery Storage – Residential (Up to Two)' as a flat $141 electrical-permit fee. Separately, the Fire fee schedule lists a 'Battery Systems' construction-permit fee ($339) under Fire Inspections-Construction Permits, which is not shown on any residential PV/ESS city page as residential-specific — it is not clear from city documents whether typical 1-2 unit residential ESS ever trigger the Fire fee, versus only larger/aggregate-capacity systems 65% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes — battery storage has its own dedicated Electrical Permit fee line, distinct from the PV fee, and Fire separately fees a 'Battery Systems' construction permit that may apply above a fire-code capacity threshold not specified in any city document reviewed 70% · fee schedule
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes — ground/yard-mounted solar is treated as an accessory structure, subject to the underlying zoning district's development standards and accessory-structure setback/height/coverage rules; only roof-mounted solar is allowed by right (subject to height limits) 85% · ordinance

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 (OpenGov) — as of 17 Feb 2026 all inspections must be scheduled through OpenGov (cityofsanrafaelca.portal.opengov.com); a phone Inspection Line, (415) 485-3365, remains listed for the Fire Prevention Bureau's own scheduling 90% · department page
• How much notice is required? For small residential rooftop PV eligible for expedited review: within 1 business day of request (Ch 12.320.060.11). General OpenGov inspection requests are entered into the queue at 6:00am each inspection day; a request made after 6:00am is scheduled for the following day 85% · department page / ordinance
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Yes for solar — a 4-hour inspection window is guaranteed for expedited-eligible small residential rooftop PV systems 90% · ordinance

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 — the Building Division performs its own final solar inspection 95% · ordinance
• If delegated, to whom? N/A — not delegated; the Building Division performs its own inspection (see Q52). Fire is not involved in residential PV inspection: the Fire Permits page lists no solar/PV/residential-battery item among its construction or operational fire permits 85% · department page

A rough-in or mid-roof inspection, where one is required, has to happen before the work it covers is closed up. Missing a stage means opening something back up, and it is the most expensive kind of correction.

• Which inspections are required, and in what order? For expedited-eligible small residential rooftop PV: a single consolidated final inspection, no staged sequence. For systems outside the expedited pathway (>10kW AC / non-conforming), standard multi-stage building-permit inspections would apply, but no city document itemizes a solar-specific staged sequence for that case 80% · ordinance
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No — for expedited-eligible systems, no rough-in or mid-roof inspection is required; only the single final/consolidated inspection 80% · ordinance

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 — the Building Division is required by ordinance to maintain a standard checklist, and SolarAPP+ submittals must include 'the inspection checklist' as part of the OpenGov upload 80% · department page / ordinance

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 — the city's own language refers to a permit being 'Finaled'; this is not a Certificate of Occupancy (solar is not new construction) and no 'green tag' terminology appears on any city page 75% · department page
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer (or homeowner applicant) submits the interconnection/NEM application and supporting documents to PG&E, but PG&E will not issue Permission to Operate until it also has 'evidence of Applicant's final electric inspection clearance from the Governmental Authority having jurisdiction' — i.e., the City's Building Division final sign-off feeds into, but does not itself trigger, PG&E's PTO notice 70% · utility DG tariff
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $195/hour, 1-hour minimum 90% · fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? For the pre-permit application stage, Ch 12.320.060.3 requires a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies, sent to the applicant for resubmission. The city's post-inspection field-correction process is not separately documented on any page found; the existence of a per-hour Reinspection Fee implies a re-inspection is booked the same way as an original inspection once corrections are made 55% · ordinance / fee schedule