City of San Ramon

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 90% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both (Building and Electrical, combined at the City); fire-code pathway/setback compliance is checked at the City's own final inspection, but SRVFPD separately bills for and reviews Solar PV and ESS as line items on its own fee schedule for at least some residential jobs 75% · department page
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes 95% · department page
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined 75% · department page
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No — not required by the City as a condition of permit issuance, though the City's own checklist prompts the applicant to note whether they've checked with their HOA 65% · checklist
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No — California's Solar Rights Act (Gov. Code §65850.5) requires cities to administratively/ministerially approve residential solar permit applications and bars aesthetic design review; a use permit may only be imposed on a documented specific-adverse-impact-to-health-and-safety finding, which is not part of San Ramon's ordinary process for typical rooftop PV. 80% · state statute

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, typically C-46/C-10, or a qualifying homeowner as owner-builder) 70% · checklist
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes 80% · checklist
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes 75% · department 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? For SolarAPP+-eligible retrofit residential rooftop PV: an active San Ramon business license, contractor added to SolarAPP+ eligibility list, and NREL SolarAPP+ approved plans, submitted through the CSS portal. For non-eligible/standard-review projects: the general Residential Plan Submittal Checklist package — job-site address, owner name, energy calcs/CF1R, electrical, site plan, structural drawings & calcs, stamp and sign, plus CSLB license copy, City business license, workers'-comp certificate, and owner-authorization letter. 80% · department page + checklist
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes, a site plan is required as part of the standard Residential Plan Submittal Checklist (item 8 of 13); the checklist does not itemize what the site plan must show beyond the general submittal list 65% · checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes 80% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes for string sizing when 3+ strings are combined 70% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)

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? Tyler Technologies EnerGov 'Citizen Self Service' (CSS) portal at sanramon.ca.gov/csspermits (backend: tyeplweb.sanramon.ca.gov/EnerGov_Prod/SelfService); SolarAPP+ (solarapp.nrel.gov, NREL) is used as the automated code-compliance review front-end for eligible residential retrofit PV before the City permit is applied for. 90% · department page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes 90% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $566 flat for residential PV ≤10 kW (+$17 per additional kW above 10 kW); $450 flat for 'SolarAPP+ Permit Designs'. Residential Solar Heating/Cooling is a separate line ($566 base + $19/kWth). Residential battery/ESS: $396 for the first battery, $35 for each additional. 90% · fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Tiered (flat base fee for systems ≤10kW plus a per-kW increment above that threshold); a separate flat fee applies for SolarAPP+ automated permit designs 85% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No — the solar/PV flat fees appear to be all-inclusive line items, not subject to the separate 55%-of-building-permit plan-check add-on that applies to valuation-based permits 55% · 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 retrofit systems: automated/near-instant code-compliance review. Non-eligible/standard review: up to 15 business days for the first plan-check round, 10 business days for each subsequent round (plan-check fee covers up to 3 rounds). 80% · checklist
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) 90% · utility manual
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel, with the final utility sign-off (Permission to Operate) coming after the permit is finalized: the contractor submits PG&E's interconnection application before/alongside applying for the City permit, but PTO is issued only after the City inspection passes and the final building permit is submitted to PG&E along with the interconnection paperwork and system diagram. 85% · utility process 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 (adopted via the Uniform Administrative Code Provisions within the 2025 California Electrical Code) 95% · department page
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code and 2025 California Residential Code, effective January 1, 2026 95% · department page
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code 90% · department page
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? No local amendments identified for residential PV; the City's own code-adoption page lists the state codes straight, with no San Ramon-specific amendment ordinance referenced for the 2025 cycle. This is also consistent with AB 130 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 22), which bars any city/county from adopting a new more-restrictive residential building-standard amendment from 1 Oct 2025 to 1 Jun 2031. 60% · department page
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 California Electrical Code (with 2023 NEC via UACP) and 2025 California Residential/Building Code, plus the City's own Solar-Residential PV inspection handout which itemizes CEC-specific verification points (bonding, grounding electrode conductor sizing, arc-fault protection, rapid shutdown, etc.). 90% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)

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? Panels/modules no higher than 3 ft below the ridge; 3-ft-wide clear access pathway from eave to ridge on each slope where panels are located (no conduit/obstructions in the pathway); panels no closer than 18 in. to a hip or valley when panels are placed on both sides of it. None of these apply to roof slopes of 2:12 or less. 95% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)

Which rapid-shutdown rule applies follows directly from the NEC edition in force, and the initiation device has to be at a location the fire service can reach and identify. This is inspected, and it is labelled.

• Is rapid shutdown required, and to which NEC edition? Yes — rapid shutdown is required, to the 2023 NEC (690.12) as adopted within the 2025 CEC 90% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)

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? Main service disconnect marking; a permanent directory/plaque at the main service disconnect showing all power sources (utility + PV) per CEC 705.10; DC conduit/raceway/enclosure/junction-box/disconnect marking; module and AC-module nameplate marking; DC PV power source label at the disconnect; ground-fault detection warning label on/near the inverter; disconnection warning sign where terminals may be energized when open; inverter-output panelboard connection marking. 90% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Yes, for several of the mandatory labels (ground-fault detection warning, disconnection warning, inverter-output panelboard marking) the handout gives the exact wording to use, though it renders as blank boxes in the extracted text where the PDF used embedded graphics/boxes for the required sentence — the wording itself did not extract as text. 70% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Marking materials must be reflective, weather-resistant, suitable for the environment; unless otherwise noted, all letters capitalized with a minimum height of 3/8 inch, white lettering on a red background (CEC 690.31(4)) 90% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes — a permanent plaque or directory must be installed at the main service disconnect (and at each additional service equipment/power-source location) identifying the location of all power sources on the property (utility and PV), per CEC 705.10 90% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — PG&E requires permanent signage affixed to the meter panel indicating an alternative source of generation (solar/wind/battery) is interconnected, separate from and in addition to any AHJ-required NEC labeling. PG&E also requires signage/maps at the meter panel identifying the AC disconnect location whenever that disconnect is more than 10 ft away or out of line of sight from the meter panel. 90% · utility manual
• Where must the labels be placed? AHJ labels: at the main service disconnect, on DC conduits/raceways/enclosures/junction boxes (every 10 ft, within 1 ft of bends and roof/wall penetrations), at modules, and at the PV disconnect. Utility (PG&E) labels: permanent signage affixed to the meter panel itself, plus signage/maps at the meter panel pointing to the AC disconnect if that disconnect is more than 10 ft away or out of sight of the meter. 90% · utility manual + department handout

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? The AC disconnect must be adjacent to the meter, within line of sight and not more than 10 ft away (PG&E's general main-service-disconnect rule); San Ramon's own handout separately confirms the AC point-of-connection is an acceptable disconnecting means location 'if within sight and 10 ft of inverter.' 90% · utility manual
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes, implicitly — equipment must be listed/labeled per its markings (module nameplate ratings, AC-module ratings, DC power-source label) and installed per its own listing, per CEC 690.4(B), 690.51, 690.52, 690.53 70% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, batteries/ESS are permitted; the City's own FY2026-27 fee schedule prices 'Residential Solar Energy Storage (Battery)' at $396 for the first battery and $35 for each additional battery. 85% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Ambiguous / likely partially yes: the City's fee schedule prices the battery as a distinct line item under the same PV/solar permit category (not obviously a wholly separate permit type), but SRVFPD separately lists 'Energy Storage Systems – per system... $720' as its own plan-review-and-inspection fee, suggesting the fire district treats ESS as its own reviewable scope even where the City's building permit covers the PV+battery installation together. 55% · fee schedule
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No local rule found beyond the standard NEC 705.12 busbar/backfed-breaker sizing carried by the adopted 2023 NEC; the handout tells inspectors to verify the existing panel is safe and requires a separate electrical permit if the panel must be replaced, but states no local numeric busbar rule of its own. 60% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Mounting system must be installed per the approved plan and per the module/rack manufacturer's listing (bolt/lag packaging kept on site for inspection; flashing/counter-flashing verified); no separate numeric attachment-spacing table of San Ramon's own was found. 65% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)

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 (request inspections through the CSS/EnerGov account); phone lines are also staffed for inspector questions during limited morning hours 80% · 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 for the building/electrical final; Delegated in part to SRVFPD for the circumstances described in the jurisdiction block (sprinklered-home modifications, ESS, and PV systems that trigger the District's own plan-review fee) 80% · department page
• If delegated, to whom? San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District (SRVFPD), for the residential PV/ESS scenarios described in the jurisdiction block 70% · utility/district fee schedule (Wayback Machine capture — live site 403s automated fetches)

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 a typical residential rooftop retrofit PV system, only a single 'Final Inspection' is required by the City — the handout's own section heading is 'REQUIRED INSPECTIONS – Final Inspection', covering mounting, wiring, grounding, labeling, rapid shutdown demonstration, and fire-pathway compliance all at that one visit. 80% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No separate rough-in/mid-roof inspection is called out for typical retrofit PV — attic access to verify roof framing and conduit routing is checked as part of the single final inspection 70% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)

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 'Solar - Residential PV' document itself is the City's published inspection checklist 100% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• What must be on site at inspection? Approved plans, permits, and manufacturer installation instructions for ALL components; a ladder extending 18 in. above the roof edge and secured at the top; a calibrated torque wrench/screwdriver for torque testing; an electrical testing meter to test rapid shutdown and other disconnects 90% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes 95% · department handout (Building and Safety Services)

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 recorded in the CSS/EnerGov system); no separate Certificate of Occupancy is issued for a retrofit PV addition to an existing dwelling 60% · department page
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer (the contractor submits the interconnection application, system diagram, and final building permit to PG&E; PG&E then issues Permission to Operate) 90% · utility process page
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $151 90% · fee schedule