City of Sausalito

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 85% · municipal code
• 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 72% · fee schedule
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No -- expressly barred 90% · municipal code
• Is there a historic-district review? Conditional on historic designation -- Yes for properties on the local/State/National Historic Register or within a historic overlay (-H) district; No otherwise. 78% · municipal code
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Only a discretionary 'use permit' may be required, and only if the Building Official makes a written, evidence-based finding that the system would have a 'specific, adverse impact' on public health/safety that cannot be mitigated; that decision is appealable to the Planning Commission and then the City Council. No Council/Specific Use Permit is otherwise required for a small residential rooftop system. 85% · municipal code
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? 10 kW AC nameplate / 30 kW thermal for the codified expedited/ministerial process; systems above that size are not barred outright but fall outside SMC Ch. 10.70's same-day/1-3-day nondiscretionary path and would route to standard plan review. 88% · 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% · department form
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes 88% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes 88% · department 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? Per the City's 'Photovoltaic Systems Submittal Requirements' handout: (Drawings, 2 sets) plot plan showing property boundaries/buildings/easements/trees; electrical plans; structural plans (stamped/signed, if triggered); (Supporting docs, 2 sets) manufacturer specs/installation instructions for modules, inverters, disconnects, batteries, generators, mounting systems; structural calculations (signed/stamped) if weight exceeds 5 psf or ground-mounted. Plus the 'Checklist for Expedited Solar Permitting' (eligibility checklist) and a completed Building Permit Application; for battery/ESS, a separate Building Permit Application, Zoning Permit Application, and 'Battery Backup Systems' plan set. 92% · department handout
• How many copies, and in what format? 2 sets of drawings (11x17 minimum, 24x36 maximum) and 2 sets of supporting documents (8.5x11 minimum) for in-person submittal; electronic submittal accepted as a single coordinated PDF plan set plus separate supporting-document PDFs, uploaded via the City's Microsoft-Forms-based intake link ('CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT'). 85% · department page + handout
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes -- a plot plan showing lot dimensions/metes and bounds, footprint of all existing/proposed buildings with dimensions to property lines, north arrow/scale, visible utility to curb, easements, and the species/variety/trunk size/canopy of all trees. 92% · department handout
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes 88% · department handout
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes 75% · department handout
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Structural calculations (signed and stamped by a licensed engineer) are required if the total weight of the PV system exceeds 5 pounds per square foot, OR if the system is ground-mounted. No PE-stamp requirement is stated for a standard flush roof-mount system under that weight. 88% · department handout

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? No single dedicated permit-tracking portal for solar: general submittal goes through a Microsoft Forms intake link from the Building Permits page; the City also references SolarAPP+ by name on its Building Forms & Guidelines page ('Website Instructions for Solar APP+'). A legacy eTRAKiT instance exists (etrakit-branded) but historically excluded solar permit types and its 2026 department page returns a server error. 60% · department page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Not fully -- the City's current Building Permit application process is a Microsoft Forms upload link ('CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT') tied to Virtual Service Counter appointments, not a self-service tracking portal; the City's legacy eTRAKiT instance historically covered only a narrow set of permit types (re-roof, water heater, HVAC, encroachment, signs -- not solar) and its current department page 500-errors. Separately, the City's Building Forms list a 'Website Instructions for Solar APP+' handout, suggesting SolarAPP+ (which does allow full online instant permitting) is offered for solar specifically, though that document itself could not be retrieved. 55% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Building Division: $450 flat for residential systems up to 15kW, plus $15/kW above 15kW (state fee cap). Southern Marin Fire District (2020 fee schedule, may since be updated): $283 for residential PV (1 plan review + 2 inspections), plus $123 for an additional fire re-inspection. Separate ESS/battery Building fee: $311 flat. 85% · fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Tiered 85% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No 68% · 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? Same day for over-the-counter applications; 1 to 3 business days for electronic applications. 92% · municipal code
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? Not locally amended for solar; the City's local amendments to the 2025 CBC (SMC §8.02.020) do not touch CBC §105.5 (permit expiration), so the unamended 2025 CBC default should apply (work must commence within 180 days of issuance; permit expires if work is suspended/abandoned for 180 days). 60% · municipal code
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) 95% · department 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 88% · municipal code (adopting ordinance)
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code / 2025 California Residential Code 95% · municipal code (adopting ordinance)
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code 90% · municipal code (adopting ordinance)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes 90% · municipal code
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 California Building/Residential/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing/Energy/Green Building/WUI/Fire Codes as locally amended (SMC Title 8), plus SMC Ch. 10.70 (solar-specific process chapter), the City's own 'Photovoltaic Systems Submittal Requirements' and 'Battery Backup Systems' handouts, and Southern Marin Fire District's Fire Protection Standard 523 (Alternative Energy Systems). 88% · department handout + 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? Residential buildings with hip roofs: 3-ft clear access pathway from eave to ridge on each roof slope with panels; single-ridge (gable) roofs: two 3-ft pathways per slope; hip/valley: panels no closer than 18 in. to a hip/valley if placed on both sides (may abut if only one side, equal length); panels no higher than 3 ft below the ridge (smoke ventilation); ground-mounted arrays require a 10-ft clear, brush-free area. 88% · department handout

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 reference to the adopted 2025 CEC (which incorporates NEC 690.12) but not independently restated by the City. The City's own Photovoltaic Systems handout (2022) only requires general 'conformance with CEC Article 690' and does not mention rapid shutdown or §690.12 by name (control-checked: 'Article 690' appears twice, 'rapid shutdown'/'690.12' appear zero times in that document). The separate Battery Backup Systems handout (2020) does require plans to 'show location and/or method of rapid shutdown initiation of the storage battery system, when integrated with photovoltaic' -- but only for the battery/PV-integration case, and again without citing §690.12. 65% · department handout

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 Southern Marin Fire District Standard 523 (Alternative Energy Systems), referencing City of Sausalito Ordinance No. 1203: (1) exterior/interior DC conduit/raceway 'shut-off' warning markings; (2) an exterior/interior electrical-panel placard; (3) a placard directly below the alternative-power disconnect reading 'Alternative Power Disconnect'; (4) a DC photovoltaic power-source label at the disconnecting means (operating current, operating voltage, max system voltage, short-circuit current); plus, per the Battery Backup handout, placards at the electrical panel and at all power-source locations identifying disconnects, and a labeled first-responder disconnect. 85% · fire district standard
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Yes 90% · fire district standard
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Conduit and panel signage: red background, white lettering, reflective/UL 969 fade-resistant material, Arial or similar font, non-bold, minimum 3/8-inch letters, all capitals. The separate 'Alternative Power Disconnect' sign specifies a different spec: red with white lettering, minimum 40-point font (an internal inconsistency in the same standard, reported as written). 85% · fire district standard
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? A roof-plan diagram is required showing panel/module layout, existing roof framing, Fire Department access pathway, total panel area vs. roof area, device/electrical-service locations with amperage, and racking layout; SMFD Standard 523 separately requires 'Hazard Signage Plans' locating all required signage on the plan views. Not explicitly tied to NEC 705.10 by name in either document. 70% · department handout
• Where must the labels be placed? Conduit/raceway markings every 10 ft, at turns, and above/below penetrations and at all DC combiner/junction boxes (vertical conduit: at least one label 66 in. above the standing surface); a panel placard on/adjacent to the main electrical panel (exterior and interior); the 'Alternative Power Disconnect' sign directly below that disconnect; battery placards at the electrical panel and at every power-source location. 82% · fire district standard

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? Within 8 feet (measured horizontally) of the PG&E electrical service disconnect, on the same or an adjacent exterior wall, and accessible to emergency personnel from the exterior without ladders. 85% · fire district standard
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No dedicated City 'approved equipment list' was found; equipment must be listed/UL-tested per standard code requirements (manufacturer specs/cut sheets, UL listing for batteries, and a UL testing report specifically where multiple ESS units are spaced less than 3 ft apart per Standard 523's cross-reference). 62% · department handout
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Permitted, with a detailed submittal package: floor plan of the structure housing the battery, battery type/size/ventilation/physical-damage protection, anchoring method, wiring diagram, inclusion in the electrical single-line diagram, breaker-matched labeling, rapid-shutdown location/method when integrated with PV, conduit/cable routing, a first-responder disconnect capable of isolating the battery from premise wiring, and (if in a basement/enclosed space) a 'shunt style, remote actuated trip' disconnect at the main service. The City offers expedited/incentivized processing for battery-backup permits (waived/at-cost plan check, 50% Building Permit fee reduction) to favor batteries over standby generators (Resolution No. 5956). 90% · department handout
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes, in effect -- the FY2025-2026 Master Fee Schedule prices 'ESS' as its own flat $311 line item, distinct from the capped 'Residential PV Solar' fee line, and the City's Battery Backup handout describes a dedicated permitting process (its own Building Permit Application, Zoning Permit Application, and a separate minimum SMFD fire plan-check fee) rather than folding battery review into the standard PV checklist. 78% · fee schedule
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Mixed evidence, reported rather than resolved: the City's own PV Submittal Requirements handout requires full structural plans (foundation system, framing material/dimensions, fasteners) for ground-mounted PV, implying structure-level review -- but Southern Marin Fire's Standard 523 states outright that 'building setback requirements do not apply to ground-mounted, free standing photovoltaic arrays' (only a 10-ft brush-clearance rule applies). 60% · department handout
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No PV-specific local busbar/service-upgrade rule found; the City's general 'Dwelling Unit Electrical Load Calculation' form implements standard NEC Article 220 methodology (220.83 for existing-dwelling additive loads) and asks whether a service upgrade is required, but states no city-specific 120%-rule or busbar-sizing policy of its own. 55% · department form

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? Phone 88% · department page
• How much notice is required? Effectively next business day -- 'Requests must be made by 4:00pm the day before inspection. Any inspections requested after 4:00pm will automatically be scheduled for the next inspection day.' 82% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Yes -- AM (9 a.m.-12 noon) or PM (1-4 p.m.) preference can be requested when booking. 85% · 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? Delegated 78% · municipal code
• If delegated, to whom? Southern Marin Fire Protection District 85% · fire district 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.

• 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, in substance 62% · department checklist
• What must be on site at inspection? Someone must be on-site during the inspection with the job card/permit card and the approved set of plans (both in-person and virtual inspections). 85% · department page
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Not explicitly stated, but reasonably inferred 55% · department handout

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.

• Is there a re-inspection fee? Building Division: $75 (current, as still stated on the live Building Permits/Battery Backup pages) rising to $82 per the FY2025-2026 Master Fee Schedule adopted 1 Jul 2025 (item 10) -- the department's own web pages have not been updated to the newly adopted figure. Southern Marin Fire District: an additional $123 for a fire re-inspection (2020 schedule). 78% · fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? For plan-review-stage deficiencies: 'If an application is deemed incomplete, a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information or documentation required... shall be sent to the applicant for resubmission' (SMC §10.70.060(G)). No separate field-inspection correction-notice process was found documented. 68% · municipal code