Fresno 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 95% · department handout (F422 Permit Application Walkthrough, rev. 15 Apr 2026)
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both 90% · department page
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes 95% · ordinance (Fresno County Ord. Code 15.18.030, read from the County's published Title 15 redline)
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Either — combined in practice for solar 88% · ordinance + fee schedule
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Not for a small residential rooftop PV system — Ord. Code 15.18.030 makes it a ministerial building-permit process under Gov. Code 65850.5. Discretionary approval (Unclassified Conditional Use Permit) is the route used for utility-scale and ground-mounted commercial PV generation facilities in the County's agricultural zone districts. 70% · ordinance + planning records
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No cap on generation as such. 10 kW AC nameplate (or 30 kW thermal) is the eligibility ceiling for the expedited/streamlined path: Ord. Code 15.18.030.B defines a 'small residential rooftop solar energy system' as one providing 'a maximum of ten kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating or thirty kilowatts thermal', installed on a single or duplex family dwelling, not exceeding the zoning district's maximum legal building height. Larger systems are permitted, just not streamlined. 88% · ordinance (Fresno County Ord. Code 15.18.030.B)

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 (owner-builder) 80% · department handout
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? No 65% · department page + application walkthrough
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes 90% · department form (F174)

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? Two paths. SolarAPP+ path: the approved SolarAPP+ documents (uploaded as document type 'Approved SolarAPP+ Documents'), the SolarAPP+ reference number entered in the 'Solar App Reference #' field, application details giving system kW rating and any batteries, and — if applying as a licensed contractor — a signed customer contract / installation agreement. No plans are reviewed by the County on this path. Non-SolarAPP+ path ('Solar Installation without SolarAPP+'): a full residential plan set per F423 — cover sheet (address, APN, designer/owner, sheet index, code references, design parameters), site plan, floor plan, foundation plan, elevations, roof/floor framing plan, sections, structural details, electrical plan, solar plans, plus engineer's design calculations and energy compliance forms where applicable. 88% · published checklist / department handout
• How many copies, and in what format? Digital only, uploaded through the Citizens Portal; single file size limited to 100MB. If the applicant has no digital copy the County will scan plans at additional cost. 80% · published checklist (F423, rev. 04/15/26)
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes (non-SolarAPP+ path). Must show all structures, property setbacks, driveway, septic system or community sewer, well(s), and site drainage patterns; dimensioned. No County site plan is reviewed on the SolarAPP+ path. 90% · published checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — but the requirement is the utility's, not the County's. PG&E Greenbook 060559 requires the disconnect switch to be 'clearly marked on the submitted single-line diagram indicating the manufacturer, model type, voltage rating, current rating, and location', and PG&E requires a single-line diagram with the interconnection application. The County checklist asks only for an 'Electrical Plan' and 'Solar plans'. 75% · utility DG manual (PG&E Greenbook 060559, Rev. #07: 3/25/2022)
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No fixed PE-stamp threshold is published for rooftop PV. Ord. Code 15.18.030.D.1 requires the applicant to 'verify to the department['s] reasonable satisfaction through the use of standard engineering evaluation techniques that the support structure... is stable and adequate to transfer all wind, seismic, and dead and live loads associated with the system to the building foundation'. F423 requires 'Engineers design calculations for the basis of proposed design, when applicable' — left to the Building Official. Ord. Code 15.04 additionally requires an Architect or Engineer of Record for all projects with deferred submittals, which matters because F423 allows solar plans to be deferred to before final inspection. 75% · ordinance + published checklist
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes — plans must be prepared by an electrical engineer licensed by the State of California where the service exceeds 400 amperes and/or 600 volts, or where the building area exceeds 15,000 square feet (exception per Business & Professions Code 6737.3). 88% · ordinance (Fresno County Ord. Code 15.16.020.C)

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? Fresno County Citizens Portal (AMANDA-based), https://fresnocountyca.gov/portal — plus NREL SolarAPP+ (https://solarapp.nrel.gov/) as the upstream automated plan-approval engine. Application Type 'Solar Permit'; Sub Types 'Solar Installation with SolarAPP+', 'Solar Installation without SolarAPP+', and 'Addendum without SolarAPP+' (revisions to already-issued permits). Payments process through Heartland. 95% · portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes on the SolarAPP+ path — register, apply, upload approved SolarAPP+ documents and contract, pay online (+2.29%), and the permit is emailed. Partly on the non-SolarAPP+ path: application and document upload are online, but 'the Fees & Payment step will be skipped for all applications other than solar permits that are pre-approved by SolarAPP+. Currently all invoices are generated by staff in office otherwise' — the applicant returns to pay after an email notice. 88% · department handout
• What does a residential solar permit cost? No solar-specific fee is published. Charged as an ordinary building (and, where separate, electrical) permit computed on construction valuation. FY 2026-27 figures: minimum building permit charge $166.28; minimum electrical permit fee $65.84 plus $42.77 permit issuance; 5% reduction if permits are consolidated onto one application; 2.29% surcharge for paying online. Statutory ceiling: $450 plus $15/kW above 15 kW under CA Gov. Code 66015. 78% · published fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation 90% · published fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes — 65% of the building permit fee for single-family dwellings; 25% of the permit fee for mechanical, electrical and/or plumbing. No plan-check fee applies on the SolarAPP+ path, where the County performs no plan review. 85% · published 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? No plan-review turnaround is published. Applications are 'processed in the order received, usually within 24 - 48 hours, dependent on staff availability and current amount of applications in our queue' — that is intake, not plan review. On the SolarAPP+ path there is no County plan review at all: approval is instant from SolarAPP+ and the County issues the permit against the confirmation number. 70% · department handout
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? Expires if work is not commenced within 12 months of issue, or 6 months after the last approved inspection. The Building Official may extend to a maximum of 2 years from original issue on written request; further extensions at his discretion. Re-issuance within 6 months of expiry costs half the original fee; past 6 months a new permit is required. 88% · ordinance (Fresno County Ord. Code 15.04.080.B)
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) 80% · utility tariff / service territory map
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel 80% · 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? Split as at this date. Fresno County Ord. Code 15.16.010 currently adopts the 2022 California Electrical Code (2020 NEC base), including Informative Annexes A-G. However the 2025 California Electrical Code (2023 NEC base) took effect statewide on 1 Jan 2026 and applies to applications filed on or after that date; the County's ordinance updating Title 15 to the 2025 editions was still at Notice-of-Public-Hearing stage on the Building & Safety page when checked. Design to the 2023 NEC via the 2025 CEC, and expect the County's local amendments to still cite 2022 section numbers. 80% · adopting ordinance + state code cycle
• Which building code edition is in force? Same split. Ord. Code 15.08.010 adopts the 2022 California Building Code and 15.18.010 the 2022 California Residential Code with appendices; the 2025 CBC and 2025 CRC took effect statewide 1 Jan 2026, with the County's catch-up ordinance still proposed. 80% · adopting ordinance
• Which fire code edition is in force? Ord. Code 15.10.010 adopts the California Fire Code 'as referenced in the... California Building/Residential Code' — 2022 edition as codified, 2025 edition in force statewide from 1 Jan 2026. Local Fire Protection District amendments ratified by the Board of Supervisors under H&S Code 13869.7 also apply (15.10.010.B). The 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code is added at ch. 15.23, which matters across much of the unincorporated county. 80% · adopting ordinance
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — and three of them touch PV directly. (1) 15.08.020.H / 15.18.020.B: 'Translucent glazing panels installed flush with the building roof surface and Skylights adjacent to and in the maintenance area of the Solar Array shall comply with Table 1607.1 [roof live load]'. (2) 15.14.020.A: an Energy Code exception releasing new buildings from the mandatory PV requirement of §150.1(c)14 where the County determines ground snow load is 100 psf or greater and PV structural attachments would be subject to snow/ice freeze-thaw damage — relevant in the Sierra communities (Big Creek, Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake). (3) 15.16.020: several CEC amendments, including the 400A/600V/15,000 sq ft electrical-engineer requirement and a rule that residential service disconnected for a year or more cannot be reconnected without inspection and a permit. 90% · ordinance (local amendments)
• What is the installation judged against? The California Electrical Code as adopted by reference at Ord. Code 15.16.010 (2022 edition codified, 2025 edition in force statewide), as modified by the County amendments at 15.16.020-15.16.070, together with the California Building Code (ch. 15.08), California Residential Code (ch. 15.18), California Fire Code (ch. 15.10) and California Energy Code (ch. 15.14) as adopted and amended. On the SolarAPP+ path the compliance check is performed by SolarAPP+ rather than by County plan check. 88% · 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.

• What ridge setback and access pathways are required? No County amendment — the adopted California Fire Code ridge setback and access-pathway provisions (CFC ch. 12 / CRC R324 under the 2022 codes, R329 under 2025) apply unmodified. Fresno County's only local fire-code amendment, at 15.10.020.A, concerns fireworks. Local Fire Protection District amendments ratified by the Board under H&S Code 13869.7 may add requirements at a given address (15.10.010.B). 78% · ordinance (fire code chapter)

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 — per NEC 690.12 as adopted in the California Electrical Code in force. On the codified County text that is the 2022 CEC (2020 NEC), requiring module-level rapid shutdown to the 1 ft / 1 ft boundary. For applications filed since 1 Jan 2026 the 2025 CEC (2023 NEC) governs statewide. Fresno County has no local amendment to Article 690. 80% · ordinance + NEC edition in force

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? Fresno County specifies no placard list of its own. Required markings are those of the adopted California Electrical Code (Art. 690 and 705 — including 690.13 disconnect marking, 690.56 plaque/directory, 705.10 power-source directory, 705.12) plus the adopted California Fire Code, and separately PG&E's own signage on the utility AC disconnect switch (see Q42). On the SolarAPP+ path the labelling set is the one carried in the SolarAPP+ approved documents. 78% · ordinance (proved absence) + utility DG manual
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No 82% · ordinance (proved absence)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Not by the County — nothing on letter height, colour or material appears in Title 15. The specification that does apply here is PG&E's, for the utility AC disconnect: 'Labels shall 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.' 85% · utility DG manual (PG&E Greenbook 060559, Rev. #07: 3/25/2022)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Not specified by the County. PG&E requires a map in two circumstances: 'When the disconnect switch is not grouped with the meter panel provide a map showing the location', and 'If the device is not adjacent to the PG&E's electric revenue meter(s), a clear map and signs indicating [the] location of the disconnect switch are required. If the disconnect switch is not accessible outside the locked premises, include signs with contact information and a distribution provider-approved locking device for the premises.' A Net Generation Output Meter, if installed, needs the same labelling plus a location map where not grouped with the other meters. NEC 690.56(B)/705.10 plaque requirements apply through the adopted CEC. 78% · utility DG manual
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — PG&E is the binding placard authority here, since the County specifies none. Greenbook 060559 requires: permanently attached signage on the front of the AC disconnect explaining that it is the AC disconnect switch for the generation, example wording 'UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH'; marking or signage on the switch clearly indicating open (off) and closed (on) positions; a device label carrying device ratings, UL certification and similar information; labels permanent and 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; and the same treatment for a Net Generation Output Meter where installed. 88% · utility DG manual
• Where must the labels be placed? On the front of the AC disconnect switch enclosure (PG&E: 'Permanently attached signage on the front'), with the open/closed position marking on the switch itself and the device label on the switch. Where the disconnect is not grouped with or adjacent to the meter, add the location map and signs at the meter. NEC-required plaques and directories go at the service equipment / point of interconnection per the adopted CEC. The County adds no placement rule of its own. 85% · utility DG manual

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: the disconnect must be installed between the PG&E meter and all generation sources, 10 feet or less from and in line of sight of the meter at the point of common coupling, easily seen from the meter panel, and easily accessible to PG&E on request. If outdoors with the meter it must be at the same grade level; if wall- or pad-mounted, the top of the enclosure must sit between 48 and 75 inches above ground. Expressly not allowed on any floor or level above grade, on a roof, or in a room that is not an approved electric meter room. It must isolate only generation, never customer loads, and must accept a PG&E padlock with a 5/16-inch shaft (keyed locks not allowed); molded-case breakers and pull-out disconnects are not acceptable. EXEMPTION: inverter-based systems on PG&E single-phase service up to 240 V may be exempted, as determined by PG&E, where the interconnected meter panel is self-contained (not transformer-rated), accepts form 'S' socket-based meters, is rated CL 320 or less continuous, and is single-phase 120/240 V or 120/208 V. 92% · utility DG manual (PG&E Greenbook 060559, Rev. #07: 3/25/2022)
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, permitted. Fresno County has adopted no local ESS amendment, so batteries are governed by the adopted California Residential Code and California Fire Code provisions for energy storage systems as they stand. Procedurally the County treats them two ways: a battery installed alongside PV is declared on the solar permit application (the portal asks the applicant to 'provide kW rating of system and note any batteries being installed'), whereas 'battery installation only... applications must be submitted as a construction permit, not a solar permit'. 80% · department page + ordinance (proved absence)
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes when standalone — a battery-only installation must be filed as a construction permit rather than a solar permit. A battery installed with PV is covered on the solar permit, with the batteries declared in the application details. 82% · department page
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes 65% · ordinance (inference from exempt-work list)
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No County busbar-sizing rule. Three adjacent County provisions do bear on service work: 15.18.030.D.2 requires the applicant, at their own cost, to verify 'using standard electrical inspection techniques that the existing electrical system including existing line, load, ground and bonding wiring as well as main panel and subpanel sizes are adequately sized, based on the existing electrical system's current use, to carry all new photovoltaic electrical loads'; 15.16.020.C requires engineer-prepared plans above 400A; 15.16.020.D.2 requires inspection and a permit before reconnecting a residential service disconnected a year or more. 80% · ordinance
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No County-specified mounting system or attachment spacing. The only local mounting-related provision is the Energy Code snow-load exception at 15.14.020.A for areas with ground snow load of 100 psf or greater, where PV structural attachments are subject to snow and ice freeze-thaw damage. Otherwise attachment design is governed by CRC/CBC and the manufacturer's listed installation instructions, demonstrated to the Building Official under 15.18.030.D.1. 70% · 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 or Phone — an online 'Request Inspection' form (us.openforms.com/Form/7ce17480-0c9f-4fdf-a84b-26c5fbeaf1ef), or by calling (559) 600-4131. 90% · department page
• How much notice is required? By 2:30 pm the business day before the requested inspection day — roughly one business day's notice. Outlying areas are not serviced daily: Big Creek M/W/Th, Cantua Creek M/W/F, Coalinga M/W/F, Dos Palos T/Th, Firebaugh T/Th, Hume T/Th, Huntington Lake M/W/Th, Huron M/W/F, Kings Canyon National Park T/Th, Lakeshore M/W/Th, Mendota T/Th, Miramonte T/Th. 92% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No AM/PM windows or same-day service are published. The scheduling granularity offered instead is the fixed weekday pattern for outlying areas, plus a published daily inspection route the applicant can consult (https://www2.fresnocountyca.gov/4510/4360/updates/InspectionSchedule/DailyRoute.pdf). 78% · 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 — the County Building Official inspects. 88% · ordinance (Fresno County Ord. Code 15.18.030.E)
• If delegated, to whom? Fire only, and only where no service agreement is in place: the local Fire Authority/Fire Protection District may delegate fire plan review and inspection to a CFSTES Certified Plan Examiner 1A/1B, a CFSTES Certified Fire Inspector 1C/1D/2C, or a California Registered Fire Prevention Engineer, with fees set by that provider. Building and electrical inspection is never delegated. 80% · ordinance (Fresno County Ord. Code 15.10.010)

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? One inspection. Ord. Code 15.18.030.E.2: systems 'eligible for expedited, streamlined permitting process shall only require one inspection, unless the installation is found to be out of compliance with the California Building Standards Codes or a separate fire safety inspection is required.' If the system fails, the Building Official notifies the permittee of the actions needed and conducts additional inspections as necessary. 92% · ordinance (Fresno County Ord. Code 15.18.030.E.2)
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No — not for a streamlined small residential rooftop PV system, which draws a single inspection under 15.18.030.E.2. The County's general electrical rough-in rule at 15.16.060.B still applies to work that would otherwise be concealed: 'Rough electrical inspection shall be made after all electrical conductors, cables, or wiring methods are sufficiently protected from physical damage and the weather.' 78% · 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? Not as a standalone County publication. The County publishes no solar inspection checklist of its own on the Building & Safety page; the governing checklist is the one carried in the per-permit SolarAPP+ approved documents. Separately, at final inspection 'a digital checklist with all inspector sign offs will be emailed to the applicant in the Citizens Portal' — that is an output of the inspection, not a checklist to prepare against. 70% · department page (enumerated document list)
• What must be on site at inspection? The green paper inspection card — 'Your green paper inspection card is still required to be at the job site for the inspector to sign off. This is either given to you in office at time of permit issuance or left on site at first inspection.' On the SolarAPP+ path, also the approved SolarAPP+ documents, since 'the only documents we will have at inspection are the approved documents you are provided through SolarAPP+.' 88% · department page + department handout
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes, by implication rather than by a published statement. The inspection is 'to verify compliance with the building permit' (15.18.030.E.1), and on the SolarAPP+ path the County states 'the only documents we will have at inspection are the approved documents you are provided through SolarAPP+' — so the inspector works to the SolarAPP+ approved scope and its inspection checklist, which covers labelling and equipment listing. 68% · department handout + ordinance (inference)

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 — inspector sign-off on the green inspection card at the job site, plus a digital checklist with all inspector sign-offs emailed to the applicant through the Citizens Portal. Ord. Code 15.18.030.E.1 additionally requires the Building Official to verify compliance in writing before the system may be operated. No certificate of occupancy is involved for a rooftop PV retrofit. 82% · department page + ordinance
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer 85% · utility process page
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $156.45 per reinspection (FY 2026-27), charged for inspection beyond one reinspection where work was not ready for the first inspection. 88% · published fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Inspection results and sign-offs are recorded in the Citizens Portal under the application's 'DS Inspection' process, in the 'Process Details' section — available for inspections after 25 June 2025, and only to those listed as an applicant on the permit (others must email PlanCheckBuildingCode2@fresnocountyca.gov to be added). At final, a digital checklist with all inspector sign-offs is emailed to the applicant; copies from BuildingInspectors2@fresnocountyca.gov. Re-inspections are requested the same way as the original. For plan corrections on a SolarAPP+ permit, revisions go back through SolarAPP+ and the approved revision is uploaded to the existing County application — 'Fees will be applied after the third revision uploaded.' 80% · department page + department handout