Contra Costa County

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 — Contra Costa County DCD Building Inspection Division is the AHJ for residential solar in unincorporated Contra Costa County (and, by contract, in Clayton, Hercules, Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga). 95% · department permit page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — building and electrical, permitted by the County itself under a single PV permit. Nothing is delegated to another building authority. Planning review (ground mount / canopy / questionable structure) is done in-house by County Planning; Sanitary District or Environmental Health sign-off is required for ground mounts. 90% · fee schedule (adopted 24 May 2022, effective 10 Aug 2022), p.13
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes — a building permit is required for a residential rooftop PV system. 95% · department permit page
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined — one permit, 'Building - Residential Solar Photovoltaic' (permit numbers start BIPVR), which carries the electrical review inside it. No separate electrical permit is pulled for the PV work. A panel upgrade or house rewire outside the PV scope is a separate 'Building - Residential Electrical' permit, and a standalone battery is a separate ESS permit. 88% · fee schedule p.13 + department permit page
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No — the County requires no HOA or architectural approval as a condition of the building permit. No HOA sign-off appears in the application package, the eligibility checklist or the digital-submittal checklist. (Separately, California Civil Code 714, the Solar Rights Act, restricts what an HOA may impose on a solar installation; that is a private covenant matter, not a County permit condition.) 65% · department permit page + eligibility checklist
• Is there a historic-district review? Conditionally yes — there is no blanket historic-district review, but a property 'registered as a historic property' is expressly excluded from the SolarAPP+ expedited route and must go through standard review. The County maintains a Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee and a historic-resource designation process under DCD. The Power Permits page also flags Planning review for 'systems proposed on structures that may not be legal/permitted'. 62% · SolarAPP+ eligibility page
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No — no wind or windstorm certification is required. Wind is handled as a design input, not a certificate: the County's Technical Guidelines set design wind speed at Vult 90/95/100/105 mph by Risk Category under CBC Section 1613 (CRC Vult = 95 mph) with wind exposure per ASCE 7-16 Section 26.7.3, and the Structural Criteria checklist handles uplift through the anchor-fastener check (5/16" lag screws, 2.5" embedment) rather than any certification. 65% · Current Building Codes, Ordinances & Technical Guidelines (Building Inspection Division)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Not for residential rooftop PV. County Ordinance Code Chapter 88-30 (Solar Energy Facilities, Title 8 Zoning) governs COMMERCIAL solar energy facilities — permitting them in the C, L-I, H-I and P-1 districts and the -SG combining district, and requiring a land use permit before establishment unless exempt; facilities installed on the roof of an existing building or on a parking canopy are exempt from the land use permit. For residential, the discretionary trigger is narrower: County Planning approval is required for ground-mounted systems, systems with solar canopies/structures, and systems proposed on structures that may not be legal/permitted. Board of Supervisors approval is not part of the residential path. 65% · department permit page; Ordinance Code Ch. 88-30 via Municode index (full text not retrievable)
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No cap. 'The unincorporated areas of the county have no limit on kW size and only require planning review for ground mounted systems, systems with solar canopies/structures or systems proposed on structures that may not be legal/permitted.' Size thresholds exist only as route eligibility, not as caps: the standard plan templates and the older online-submittal path cover systems up to 10 kW, and in the contract cities (Moraga, Orinda, Lafayette, Clayton, Hercules) non-flush roof-mounted plans over 10 kW must be approved by that city's Planning Department. 92% · department permit page

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 — a licensed contractor (or a contractor's agent) with the CSLB licence connected to their ePermits account, the property Owner-Builder, or an Authorized Agent / design professional applying on behalf of one of them. Note: the County cannot ISSUE the permit or the plans to a design professional (Health & Safety Code 19825 & 19826) — the design professional must name the contractor or owner the permit will issue to. 90% · department page
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes — the applicant must register on the ePermits Center and, for contractors, connect the CSLB licence to the user account; County staff verify the user is listed as personnel on the CSLB website or require a letter of authorisation on company letterhead. Staff must approve the licence connection before the user can apply. Additionally, a business licence from the city is required to permit in Clayton or Hercules. For the SolarAPP+ route the contractor must also be separately registered with SolarAPP+ and permit runners must complete two SolarAPP+ training courses. 90% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes — an Owner-Builder (the property owner, including a trust or corporation) may apply for and be issued the permit on their own property. Proof of ownership may be required (recorded deed showing APN, trust paperwork, or Articles of Incorporation). This applies to single-family residences only — per B&P Code 7044 permits for anything other than a single-family residence issue only to the licensed contractor doing the work. 90% · 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? Completed permit application; completed Required Eligibility Checklist for Residential Solar PV AND Structural Criteria Checklist; a plan set containing a Cover Sheet (address, owner details, plans-preparer contact, scope, sheet index, legend, scale), Site Plan, Electrical Plan (module/string counts, inverter make & model, single-line diagram, grounding/bonding, conductor and conduit type & size, equipment labelling per CEC 690 & 705) and Roof Plan (module layout, roof access point, code-compliant access pathways, PV fire classification, locations of all required labels and markings); manufacturer's specification sheets for every component (modules, inverter, microinverters, combiners, optimizers, racking, and any other power source such as generators, batteries or fuel cells); module manufacturer's installation and grounding instructions; racking anchoring details; and a plan sheet showing all labels required per CEC Article 690. For non-qualifying (non-flush, oversized, failing the structural checklist) systems, add structural drawings and calculations stamped and signed by a California-licensed Civil or Structural Engineer. Ground mounts additionally need Planning approval and Sanitary or Environmental Health approval before submittal. 85% · published submittal guide (ver 04/17) + Photovoltaic System Checklist for Digital Plan Submittals (4 May 2020)
• How many copies, and in what format? Digital only in current practice: one multi-page bookmarked PDF, minimum 11" x 17" page size in landscape for residential roof mount (24" x 36" for ground mount and commercial), drawn to scale and generated from drafting software (no scans), each plan page carrying an empty 3.5" wide x 6" tall column on the right for County stamps, file unsecured to permit stamps and comments, named '123 Street Name – Plans', maximum 100 MB. Manufacturer spec sheets minimum 8.5" x 11" per page. Revisions must be uploaded as only the changed sheets, clouded/bubbled, with no previous County stamps. (The older paper route required 3 sets at 11" x 17" minimum; the County now states 100% digital submission.) 80% · published checklist (4 May 2020)
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes. The Site Plan must show: (a) building footprint with property lines and lot dimensions; (b) the arrangement of panels on the roof; (c) north arrow; (d) distance from property lines to adjacent buildings/structures, existing and proposed; (e) location of the main service or utility disconnect; (f) location of all proposed or existing PV system components. For roof-mounted systems a Roof Plan is also required showing module locations, existing framing information, roof access point, code-compliant access pathways, PV system fire classification and the locations of all required labels and markings. Ground racks require a site plan specifically. 88% · published submittal guide
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — a single-line diagram of the electrical installation is required, showing PV panel layout, PV power source short-circuit current rating, conductor size and type, conduit size and type, location and lengths of runs, wiring methods, inverter location, disconnect locations, battery locations if applicable, the point of connection to the existing electrical system (with existing service and disconnect size and number of meters), and any existing PV system. The digital checklist adds that the single line must show how the system ties into the house electrical system and the existing PG&E equipment. A standalone ESS permit likewise requires an SLD. 92% · published submittal guide
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes, in substance — the Electrical Plan must state total modules, modules per string and total strings, inverter/combiner make and model, PV power source short-circuit current rating, and conductor type and size, conduit type and size and number of conductors in each section of conduit. The Eligibility Checklist further constrains strings: no more than four module strings per MPPT input where source-circuit fusing is in the inverter (two where it is not), fuses rated to the module series fuse rating, no more than one non-inverter-integrated DC combiner per inverter, and no more than two inverters for central-inverter systems. Standalone written string/voltage-drop calculations are not called out as a separate deliverable. 85% · published submittal guide + eligibility checklist
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required if the project passes every item of the County's Structural Criteria checklist. Required — 'project-specific drawings and calculations stamped and signed by a California-licensed Civil or Structural Engineer' — the moment any item is answered NO. The pass conditions are: single roof with no re-roof overlay; roof structurally sound with no alterations, deterioration or sagging; array flush (module plane parallel to roof, gap between 2" minimum and 10" maximum under the module); no module overhangs any ridge, hip, gable end or eave; modules plus supports no more than 4 psf (PV) / 5 psf (thermal); array covers no more than half of total roof area across all planes; support-manufacturer project-specific worksheets/tables/calculator results attached; roof plan of module and anchor layout attached; proposed horizontal anchor spacing less than the Table 1 value; and 5/16" lag screws with 2.5" embedment into the rafter (or anchor fasteners meeting manufacturer guidelines). Failing any item also disqualifies the project from electronic plan review. 90% · published eligibility and structural checklist (v.08/2015)
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required for residential PV — no electrical PE stamp requirement and no threshold appears anywhere in the residential submittal documents. Only the structural path triggers a stamp (Civil or Structural, per Q13). By contrast, the County does require commercial Energy Storage System plans to be 'stamped by a licensed professional'. 70% · department permit page + submittal guide + eligibility checklist

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? ePermits Center — Accela Citizen Access, at https://epermits.cccounty.us (canonical https://aca-prod.accela.com/CCC/Default.aspx). Permit types to select: 'Building - Residential Solar Photovoltaic' (BIPVR), 'Building - Residential Solar Ground Mount', 'SolarAPP+ - Approved Permit', 'Building - Residential ESS/Battery Storage' (BIE). SolarAPP+ (gosolarapp.org) sits in front of it as an optional pre-review for eligible roof mounts. 95% · department permit page + portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes — 'We now provide 100% digital permit application submission through our ePermits Center.' Application, uploads, fee payment, plan and permit-card download, and inspection scheduling are all online. Digital signatures are accepted where validated by a certificate authority. The one physical step remaining is that the approved plan set must be printed in colour at 11" x 17" minimum and be on site for the inspector. 92% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $272 total County fee for a residential PV system of 15 kW or less — $86 Building Permit/inspection + $86 Plan Check + $100 Electrical Review. Above 15 kW, add $15 per kW over 15 kW. Payment surcharges apply: 2.5% credit-card convenience fee or $3.00 e-check fee. SolarAPP+ users additionally pay SolarAPP+ directly ($35 solar, +$25 for a storage add-on) on top of the County fees. Other permit-specific charges (e.g. debris recovery, land-development surcharge, fire/school district fees) may be added by the fee schedule depending on scope. 80% · adopted fee schedule, p.13 (effective 10 Aug 2022)
• How is the fee calculated? Tiered — a flat fee band up to 15 kW, then a per-kW adder ($15 per kW) above 15 kW. It is not valuation-based and not per-panel. 88% · adopted fee schedule, p.13
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes — Plan Check is a separate line item at $86 per permit for residential PV ≤15 kW, distinct from the $86 Building Permit/inspection fee and the $100 Electrical Review. Plan check fees are billed by email first, and the permit fee is billed separately after plan review is complete. 90% · adopted fee schedule + department permit page

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? No plan-check turnaround is published for solar. The County publishes only the completeness screen: about 4–5 business days to verify the application is complete, after which plan-check fees are billed and the project is routed to a reviewer. Revisions carry the same review time as original submittals. The SolarAPP+ route bypasses review entirely — the permit is 'auto-issued and emailed to you in a few minutes'. 72% · department page + SolarAPP+ page
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 365 days from date of issue if no required inspection is approved, and it also expires if 365 days lapse between approved inspections. Separately, the application (plan check) is deemed abandoned 180 days after filing unless pursued in good faith or a permit is issued. Extension requests must be filed 30 days before expiry. Renewal fees: expired under 365 days = 50% of the original building permit fee; 365 days or more = 100%; final-inspection-only renewal = $250. 85% · department page + adopted fee schedule
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) — sole electric distribution utility across Contra Costa County. Note that MCE (Marin Clean Energy) is the community choice aggregator for much of the county, but a CCA buys the power; interconnection, the meter, the AC disconnect requirements and Permission to Operate all remain PG&E's. 85% · department permit page + County PV digital-submittal checklist
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? After permit — and specifically after the County final. PG&E's interconnection application must include 'a copy of the final building permit/inspection certificate that clearly indicates that final inspection for the solar or renewable installation has been performed', so the County permit and its final inspection are prerequisites to PG&E completing interconnection and issuing PTO. The customer may not energise the system until PTO is received. There is one parallel dependency in the other direction: the County warns that utilities may require specific scope-of-work language on the permit card and that applicants have had permits rejected by the utility after being finalled, so the utility's scope language should be checked BEFORE permit submittal. 80% · utility interconnection page + County permit 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. The electrical code in force is the 2025 California Electrical Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 3), which adopts the 2023 edition of NFPA 70 with California amendments. Published 1 July 2025, effective 1 January 2026; under Health & Safety Code §18938.5 it applies to all permit applications submitted on or after 1 January 2026. The previous answer of '2020 NEC' is WRONG — the 2020 NEC was the basis of the *2022* CEC, superseded on 1 Jan 2026. 98% · state adopting document — CBSC published Title 24 Part 3 California amendments (extracted from .docx directly, not summarised); county error quoted from https:/
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code, California Code of Regulations Title 24, Part 2, Volumes 1 and 2 (with January 2026 errata) — based on the 2024 International Building Code. Effective 1 January 2026; applies to permit applications submitted on or after that date (HSC §18938.5). For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses the applicable part is the 2025 California Residential Code, Title 24 Part 2.5 (2024 IRC basis). Contra Costa County enforces these via Contra Costa County Ordinance Code Title 7 (Building Regulations); its local amendments to the 2025 edition of Title 24 are on file with the Building Standards Commission as County Ordinance No. 2025-19 (filed as 'Partial'). 88% · state information bulletin (pdftotext -layout) + CBSC 2024 Triennial Code Adoption Cycle page (https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Rulemaking/2024-Triennial-Cycle) + CBS
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code, California Code of Regulations Title 24, Part 9 (with January 2026 errata) — based on the 2024 International Fire Code. Effective 1 January 2026; applies to permit applications submitted on or after that date (HSC §18938.5). Listed by the County's Building Inspection Division among the current codes it enforces. 85% · state information bulletin (pdftotext -layout) + CBSC 2024 Triennial Code Adoption Cycle page (https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Rulemaking/2024-Triennial-Cycle) + cou
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — Contra Costa County Code Title 7 carries local amendments to the state codes, adopted by ordinance. The ones the County itself lists on its Building Code and Ordinances page are: the Wood-burning Appliances Ordinance (2000-35), the Electric Vehicle Parking and Charging Station Ordinance (2015-22, CALGreen Sections 5.106.5.3.2 and 4.106.4.3.3), the Drainage Plan Ordinance (2007-01), the Gas Shut Off Valve Ordinance, All-Electric Building Guidance, and the Residential Swimming Pool and Spa Safety Act. County-initiated modifications to the CBSC are justified on local climatic, geographical, topographical and environmental conditions, per the ordinance adopting the 2025 CBSC (Ord. 2025-19). 78% · department code page + adopting ordinance
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 California Electrical Code (2020 NEC), specifically Articles 690 and 705, together with the 2025 California Building Code / California Residential Code for structural, the 2025 California Fire Code for access and pathways, the 2025 California Energy Code, and Contra Costa County Code Title VII. The County's digital-submittal checklist puts it plainly: 'Provide sheet showing all labels required for system per Article 690, CEC.' The submittal guide requires 'Labeling of equipment as required by CEC, Sections 690 and 705'. 85% · published submittal guide + digital-submittal checklist + current-codes document

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? The County publishes no ridge-setback or pathway dimensions of its own. It requires the roof plan to show 'approximate location of roof access point, location of code-compliant access pathways, PV system fire classification and the locations of all required labels and markings', and refers applicants to the State Fire Marshal's Solar PV Installation Guideline for those items. The governing dimensions are therefore those of the California Fire Code / California Residential Code edition in force (2025) plus the OSFM guideline, not a local amendment. 72% · published submittal guide

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 applies as required by NEC 690.12 as adopted in the 2025 California Electrical Code (based on the 2020 NEC), i.e. module-level rapid shutdown within the array boundary. The County itself publishes no separate rapid-shutdown statement; it enforces the CEC edition in force and requires a plan sheet showing all labels required by CEC Article 690, which includes the rapid-shutdown placard. 75% · current-codes document + digital-submittal checklist

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? The County does not enumerate a placard list of its own — it requires the plan set to carry a sheet showing all labels required by CEC Article 690 ('Provide sheet showing all labels required for system per Article 690, CEC') and requires 'Labeling of equipment as required by CEC, Sections 690 and 705'. So the placard set at the service equipment is whatever the 2025 CEC (2020 NEC) Articles 690 and 705 require — PV system disconnect marking, rapid-shutdown placard, DC/AC ratings, the 705.10 directory, and warning of multiple power sources. On top of that, PG&E requires permanently attached signage on the front of the AC disconnect switch identifying it as the generation disconnect, e.g. 'UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH'. 78% · County digital-submittal checklist + submittal guide + PG&E Greenbook 060559
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — the County specifies no placard wording of its own. It defers entirely to CEC Articles 690 and 705. The only prescribed wording in the stack comes from the utility: PG&E gives 'UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH' as the example for the generation disconnect sign. 80% · eligibility checklist + submittal guide + digital-submittal checklist
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? The County specifies none. The utility does, and it is the binding spec on the AC disconnect: PG&E requires labels to be 'permanent and suitable for the environment and shall be engraved phenolic or comply with ANSI Z535.4. Lettering shall be a minimum 3/8" high and in all capitals.' No colour is specified beyond ANSI Z535.4 conformance. For everything else, letter height and colour default to the CEC/NEC 690 and 705 marking requirements and ANSI Z535.4. 88% · utility DG spec — PG&E Greenbook 060559 Rev. #07 (25 Mar 2022)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes, in two places. (1) Utility: PG&E requires that 'when the disconnect switch is not grouped with the meter panel provide a map showing the location', and that 'if the device is not adjacent to PG&E's electric revenue meter(s), a clear map and signs indicating the location of the disconnect switch are required'; where the disconnect is not accessible outside locked premises, add signs with contact information and a utility-approved locking device. If a Net Generation Output Meter is installed, it needs proper labelling plus a map if not grouped with the other meters and disconnect. (2) Code: the NEC/CEC 705.10 directory at the service equipment showing the location of all electric power source disconnecting means. The County adds no facility-map placard of its own, but it does require the ROOF PLAN in the submittal to show 'the locations of all required labels and markings'. 82% · utility DG spec — PG&E Greenbook 060559 Rev. #07 + County submittal guide
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — PG&E specifies placards the County does not. From Greenbook 060559 Rev. #07: permanently attached signage on the front of the AC disconnect explaining it is the generation AC disconnect (example wording 'UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH'); labels permanent, environment-suitable, engraved phenolic or ANSI Z535.4 compliant, minimum 3/8" lettering, all capitals; a location map where the disconnect is not grouped with the meter panel; signs plus contact information where the disconnect is behind locked premises; NGOM labelling and map where applicable; and marking or signage on the switch itself clearly indicating open (off) and closed (on) positions. The County additionally warns that 'utilities or other agencies may require permit cards to contain specific language for the complete solar system/generator/ESS/EV installation' and that applicants have had permits rejected by the utility after being finalled because the scope of work was insufficient — verify the utility's required scope language before permit submittal. 90% · utility DG spec — PG&E Greenbook 060559 Rev. #07 (25 Mar 2022)
• Where must the labels be placed? AC disconnect signage goes on the FRONT of the disconnect switch enclosure, permanently attached. Where the disconnect is not grouped with / adjacent to the meter panel, the location map and signs go at the meter. Where the disconnect is behind locked premises, signs with contact information go at the access point. On the building side, the County requires the submitted roof plan to show 'the locations of all required labels and markings', so label locations are fixed at plan-review time and checked in the field against the approved plans. Remaining label placement follows CEC 690/705 — at the PV system disconnecting means, at the service equipment (705.10 directory), and at the array boundary for rapid shutdown. 80% · utility DG spec + County submittal 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? This is a utility requirement, not a County one — PG&E Greenbook 060559. The disconnect must be installed BETWEEN the PG&E meter and all generation sources, must isolate only the generation and not customer loads, and must be 'physically located for ease of access and visible to PG&E employees within 10 feet of the meter', 'located 10 feet or less, in line of sight, from PG&E's electric meter at the point of common coupling or interconnection and is seen easily from the meter panel'. If outdoors with the meter it must be at the same grade level. Wall-mounted or pad-mounted, the top of the enclosure must be between 48" minimum and 75" maximum above ground. It is NOT allowed on any floor or level above grade, on a roof, or inside a room or area that is not an approved electric meter room. It must be manually operated, gang-operated, lockable open with a PG&E padlock (5/16" lock shaft, no keyed locks), give visible verification of the air gap, and be marked open/closed; moulded-case breakers and pull-out disconnects are not acceptable. It must be fusible where the generator has no overcurrent protection at the point of interconnection, and must be clearly marked on the submitted single-line diagram with manufacturer, model type, voltage rating, current rating and location. Exemption: applicants with inverter-based generating systems on PG&E single-phase services up to 240 V may be exempted from installing a disconnect switch, as determined by PG&E, subject to the meter panel conditions — which covers most residential rooftop PV. 92% · utility DG spec — PG&E Greenbook 060559 Rev. #07 (25 Mar 2022)
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, permitted. Batteries are handled under a dedicated permit type 'Building - Residential ESS/Battery Storage' (permit numbers start BIE). Conditions: a standalone ESS submission requires at minimum a site plan, an electrical single line diagram, structural/mounting details and the manufacturer's specifications, plus a complete digital plan set meeting the County's electronic-submittal formatting rules. Scope rules matter: a NEW solar project, or a modification to an existing solar system, MAY include a new ESS and/or new EV charger in the same PVR permit — but a new standalone ESS, generator or EV charger permit may NOT include new solar or modifications to existing solar; those must be separate permits. The same plan set may be uploaded to multiple permits so long as each permit's scope cross-references the other permit numbers. Battery locations must also be shown on the PV single line diagram and battery manufacturer spec sheets supplied with the PV submittal. Fire/siting conditions come from the 2025 California Fire Code and CRC in force; the County publishes no ESS siting dimensions of its own. 88% · department permit page
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes when standalone — a separate 'Building - Residential ESS/Battery Storage' (BIE) permit with its own plan check, fees and final inspection. No when the storage is part of a new solar project or a modification to an existing solar system, in which case it can be carried inside the PVR permit. Via SolarAPP+, storage can be added to a qualifying roof-mount solar submission, with a $25 SolarAPP+ storage add-on fee on top of the $35 solar fee. 88% · department permit page + SolarAPP+ page
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes, effectively. Ground mounts get their own permit type ('Building - Residential Solar Ground Mount'), are defined as 'systems with arrays that are mounted to fixed foundations and installed on the load side of the utility equipment distribution', and are the one residential solar case that triggers Planning approval: 'Planning Approval is required for Ground Mounted systems or solar canopies.' Ground-mounted plans must also be approved by the City or County Planning Department AND the Sanitary or Environmental Health district before submittal, must be submitted at 24" x 36" minimum rather than 11" x 17", require a site plan, and are excluded from the SolarAPP+ route (roof mount only). They are also excluded from the flush-mount structural checklist path. 88% · department permit page + PV digital-submittal checklist
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? Two County rules, both practical rather than codified amendments. (1) Expedited/eligible path: the PV system must interconnect to a single-phase 120/240 V service panel with a bus bar rating of 200 A or less, and must be connected to the load side of the utility distribution equipment. A system outside that falls out of the expedited route into standard review. (2) Service upgrades: main panels upgraded to 400 A or above require a PG&E AIC letter at the County final inspection, and a panel upgrade is a separate 'Building - Residential Electrical' permit — it cannot be folded into a standalone ESS, generator or EV-charger permit, though a new solar project may include an ESS and/or EV charger. 80% · eligibility checklist (v.08/2015) + department permit page
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No specific product is mandated, but the County publishes prescriptive attachment spacing. Table 1, Maximum Horizontal Anchor Spacing (rafter spacing across, roof slope down): flat to 6:12 (0°–26°) — 5'-4" at 16" o.c., 6'-0" at 24" o.c., 5'-4" at 32" o.c.; 7:12 to 12:12 (27°–45°) — 1'-4" / 2'-0" / 2'-8"; 13:12 to 24:12 (46°–63°) — 1'-4" / 2'-0" / 2'-8". If anchors are staggered row to row up the roof, spacing may be twice the table value. Anchor fasteners: 5/16" diameter lag screws with 2.5" embedment into the rafter, or anchor fasteners meeting the manufacturer's guidelines, with diameter, embedment depth and screws per anchor (typically one) declared. Array geometry: flush, 2" minimum to 10" maximum gap under the module, no overhang of ridges, hips, gable ends or eaves, ≤4 psf modules plus supports, ≤50% of total roof area. Rack details and roof anchoring details must be shown on the plans. Where an approved racking system is used, the manufacturer, maximum allowable supported weight, attachment method and product evaluation information must be provided. 88% · published structural criteria checklist, Table 1 (v.08/2015)

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 or Phone. Online through the ePermits Center — login or user registration is NOT required to schedule an inspection; provide a contact name and phone number for the day. Or by automated phone system on 925-646-4108. Same-day requests left on voicemail will not be scheduled. Cancellations and reschedules can be done online before 6:00 AM on the day; after that, call 925-646-4108. 95% · department inspections page
• How much notice is required? Effectively zero to one business day. Same-day inspections are accepted through the automated system until 5:30 AM Monday–Friday. Requests received within business hours are typically scheduled for the next business day. 85% · department inspections page + published inspection codes sheet + submittal guide
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Three-hour windows, not AM/PM halves. The current business day's Daily Building Inspection Schedule is posted as a searchable PDF after 8:45 AM Monday–Friday; search it by street address, permit number or parcel number (no dashes) and the assigned three-hour window is shown on the right. Same-day booking is available until 5:30 AM. After-hours inspection service exists at an hourly rate, minimum three hours, initial fee $600. 92% · department inspections page + adopted fee schedule

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 County's own Building Inspection Division inspectors perform the final solar inspection. 'Once the permit to construct the solar installation has been issued and the system has been installed, it must be inspected before final approval is granted for the solar system.' Inspections are booked on County systems, appear on the County's Daily Building Inspection Schedule, and the County issues the final approval. This holds for SolarAPP+ permits too — SolarAPP+ replaces plan review, not inspection. 92% · published submittal guide + inspections page
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated — the County retains the solar inspection. Other agencies appear only as parallel sign-offs on specific scopes, not as delegates of the building inspection: Sanitary District or Environmental Health for ground mounts and commercial generators (stamped plans required before final inspection), the city Planning Department for non-flush roof mounts over 10 kW in the contract cities, and PG&E for a 400A+ panel upgrade AIC letter presented at the County final. 88% · department permit page + inspections 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 a flush roof-mounted residential PV permit, a single inspection: inspection type 120, Building Final. The County's solar guide names it explicitly — 'The 120 Building Final inspection type can be scheduled by...'. The County's published Inspection Codes sheet has no solar- or PV-specific code, and lists 420 (Electrical Final) as a separate final used where an electrical permit stands alone. Larger, ground-mounted or non-qualifying jobs will pick up additional stages from the general list (e.g. 102 Forms / 103 Slab Foundation for ground-mount footings, 406 Ufer Ground, 403 Service Entrance or 404 Rough Elect for a service change, 409 Electric Meter Release). A separate standalone ESS permit carries its own final. 70% · published submittal guide + published Inspection Codes sheet
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No — no rough-in or mid-roof inspection is called for a flush roof-mounted residential PV system. Only the 120 Building Final is named. 60% · published Inspection Codes sheet + submittal guide

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? No solar-specific published inspection checklist is currently retrievable. What IS published: the general day-of-inspection requirements on the Inspections page, the re-inspection trigger list on the Inspection Codes sheet, and the on-site document list in the solar submittal guide. The County's own 2017 solar guide refers to 'the detailed inspection guide available on www.cccounty.us/solar', but no such guide is linked from the current /solar (Power Permits) page — the live solar documents there are the Residential Eligibility and Structural Checklist, the two standard plan templates, the electronic-plans requirements and the upload/download guides. 58% · department permit page + inspections page (absence)
• What must be on site at inspection? Permit card; the approved plans — where plan review was electronic, printed in COLOUR at minimum 11" x 17"; the module manufacturer's installation and grounding instructions; manufacturer's specification sheets for all components; a representative aged 18 or over on site to meet the inspector; work ready and accessible; deficiencies from previous inspections corrected. If a revision has been issued, the revised plans must be on site for the final. Via SolarAPP+, additionally: the complete AS BUILT plan set with manufacturer's specification sheets and grounding instructions at 11" x 17" minimum in colour, plus the SolarAPP+ approval document and the permit card. For a 400A+ panel upgrade, the PG&E AIC letter is required at the County final. Failure to have the plans in the specified format triggers a re-inspection fee. 90% · department inspections page + submittal guide + SolarAPP+ page
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes. The County requires the plan set to contain a sheet showing all labels required per CEC Article 690 and the roof plan to show 'the locations of all required labels and markings', and states that at inspection 'the inspector will verify that the installation is in conformance with applicable code requirements and with the approved plans' and that permit holders 'must be prepared to show conformance with all technical requirements in the field'. Listings are checked through the documents that must be on site: module manufacturer's installation and grounding instructions and manufacturer's specification sheets for all components must be available to the inspector, and via SolarAPP+ the complete AS BUILT plan set with manufacturer's specification sheets and grounding instructions must be on site in colour at 11" x 17" minimum. 82% · published submittal guide + SolarAPP+ page

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 — an approved final building inspection (inspection type 120, Building Final) recorded against the permit. No certificate of occupancy is issued for a retrofit PV system, and the County publishes no green-tag or letter. The approval is visible in real time on the ePermits Center, where inspection status and permit history are displayed. The finalled permit is then locked: 'Permits that receive an approved County final inspection cannot be reprinted, adjusted, modified, updated or unlocked.' The artefact the installer needs downstream is the final building permit/inspection certificate, which PG&E requires for interconnection. 82% · department permit page + submittal guide + PG&E contractor resources
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer. The County does not notify PG&E. The contractor submits the final building permit/inspection certificate to PG&E through the online interconnection portal as part of the interconnection application — PG&E's instruction is to 'include a copy of the final building permit/inspection certificate that clearly indicates that final inspection for the solar or renewable installation has been performed'. PG&E then issues the Permission to Operate letter to the customer, and PG&E states the customer 'may not turn on the system without receiving permission to operate'. PG&E advises including the customer's email on the A&A form for faster PTO delivery. 82% · utility interconnection page + County permit page
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $150 per inspection trip. Charged when: work for a called inspection is not ready or not accessible; extra inspections are needed through deficient or defective work by fault of the owner or contractor (one extra inspection per phase is included at regular fees, and a re-inspection fee applies to each visit thereafter); more than one inspection is made on a phase normally inspected in one trip; approved plans or the permit card are missing from the job site; or a representative over 18 is not on site. The SolarAPP+ page confirms $150 where required documents are missing or not in the specified format. 90% · adopted fee schedule p.12 + SolarAPP+ page + Inspection Codes sheet
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Plan-review corrections: reviewers issue comments to the APPLICANT by email through ePermits — only the applicant receives notifications, and it is the applicant's responsibility to pass them on. Corrections are cleared by uploading a revision directly onto the permit in the ePermits Center for Power/Minor permit types (BIPVR/BIPVC solar, BIM generator, BIE battery storage); the system alerts the Power Permits team. Revisions must be clearly described and clouded/bubbled on the affected sheets, must not carry previous County stamps, and only the changed sheets should be uploaded — uploading a full set sends it back through all three review phases by default. Revisions take the same review time as an original submittal. Minor plan corrections may be red-lined by the plan reviewer without contacting the applicant, if the applicant has initialled that authorisation on the Eligibility Checklist, and the applicant then agrees to comply with the red-line comments during installation. Field corrections: deficiencies found at inspection must be corrected before the next inspection or a $150 re-inspection fee applies. Do not schedule a final while a revision is in review — a permit finalled before a revision issues is locked and its scope cannot be adjusted, requiring a new permit. 80% · department pages + eligibility checklist