Madera 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. The Building Division of the Madera County Community and Economic Development Department (CED) is the AHJ for residential rooftop PV throughout the unincorporated county. Main counter: 200 W. 4th Street, Suite 3100, Madera CA 93637, (559) 675-7821 option 1; second counter at the Oakhurst Office, 40232 Junction Dr., Oakhurst CA 93644. Solar submittals are handled at the Madera (Government Center) office only, not Oakhurst. 93% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both. Building and electrical are both held by the CED Building Division. Fire is held by a separate division of the SAME department - the Madera County Fire Marshal's Office (Department of Fire Prevention for Development), which reviews fire requirements including PRC 4290 State Responsibility Area rules and performs fire prevention inspections. For a ground-mount system the Madera County Plot Plan routes to five more desks: Planning (zoning, setbacks, road impact zone), Environmental Health (septic/well), Engineering (flood zone, grading, drainage), Fire (mitigation fee and conditions) and the Road Department (encroachment/driveway approach). Nothing is delegated outside the County. 85% · published checklist
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes. A permit is required for a residential rooftop PV system - the County publishes a dedicated Photovoltaic Permit Application, and PV is not on the County's list of work exempt from permit. 92% · department handout
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined. Residential PV is applied for on a single Photovoltaic Permit Application that captures the whole system including inverters, strings, batteries and any new main panel or sub-panel; no separate electrical permit is issued alongside it. A standalone Electrical Permit Application exists for electrical-only work (e.g. a service change without PV). MCC 14.24.120 adds a trap: 'Madera County shall not issue electrical permits for work in, on, or under, unpermitted structures' - the host structure must itself be permitted and finalled first. 78% · application form
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No. Madera County publishes no HOA or architectural-approval precondition for a solar permit, and Gov. Code 65850.5 forbids conditioning approval on it. Worth noting the asymmetry: the County wrote the equivalent protection explicitly into its EV ordinance - 'the Building Official shall not condition the approval for any electric vehicle charging station permit on the approval of such a system by an association, as that term is defined by Civil Code Section 4080' (Ord. 700, Section 5) - but has adopted no parallel solar ordinance saying so. 80% · ordinance
• Is there a historic-district review? No. There is no historic district, landmark or certificate-of-appropriateness review in the Madera County Code that could attach to a residential PV permit. 85% · ordinance
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No. No wind or windstorm certification is required. What is required is a Design Criteria block on the first plan sheet: 'Indicate the wind speed and exposure category per CRC R301.2.1.4 (85 MPH default min.)' and 'Indicate design method for wind, i.e.: simple, analytical'. The 85 mph figure is a stale nominal 3-second-gust value from an earlier code cycle - the 2025 CRC/ASCE 7 uses ultimate design wind speeds and Madera County's mapped values are higher. 82% · published checklist
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No, not for a residential system serving the site. A conditional use permit is required only for a 'solar farm', which MCC 18.04.493 defines as a facility using photovoltaic or concentrating solar power 'at a large scale for commercial purposes regulated by the public utility commission'. Where a solar farm is allowed by CUP, MCC 18.94.180 disapplies the building-area-to-lot-area ratio and the zone height limit in agricultural and open space districts. Note there is no Council/Board approval step and no discretionary review for household PV; but also note Madera has never adopted an AB 2188 / Gov. Code 65850.5 expedited-solar ordinance, so the streamlining is state law operating over a silent county code. 85% · ordinance
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No system-size cap on residential generation in the Madera County Code. The only size-linked trigger is the jump from an accessory residential system to a commercial 'solar farm' (CPUC-regulated, large-scale), which needs a conditional use permit. Practical caps come from elsewhere: PG&E's own guidance that 'There is no financial benefit to installing a system larger than your home needs', and MCC 14.24.100, which forces engineered electrical plans once the service exceeds 400 A. 80% · ordinance

Several authorities require the electrical permit to be pulled by a licensed electrician, or require the contractor to be registered with them BEFORE applying. Registration is not same-day. This is second on the list rather than fourth because it is the step most likely to stop the job before the drawings matter.

• Who is allowed to pull the electrical permit? Either. A CSLB-licensed contractor (the application collects the Contractors License Number for both applicant and installer) or the property owner acting as an owner-builder. The PV application requires 'an Owner Builder Authorization form or a Contractor Authorization form' with the submittal. 90% · application form
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes - not a trade registration, but a current Madera County Business License is required in addition to a current CSLB licence before a contractor may pull a permit. 88% · published checklist
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes. Madera County publishes an 'Owner Builder Permit Application Forms' packet and the Photovoltaic Permit Application accepts an Owner Builder Authorization form in place of a Contractor Authorization form. 90% · application 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 Photovoltaic Permit Application: (1) completed PV application - site address, APN, owner, applicant, installer if different, contractor licence numbers; project data = racking value $, roof mount (composition or tile) or ground mount, number of strings, batteries yes/no and how many kW, number of inverters, total kW, new main panel yes/no + amps, new sub panel yes/no + amps, complete project description, signature and date; (2) an Owner Builder Authorization form OR a Contractor Authorization form; (3) the Madera County Plot Plan form - for GROUND MOUNT systems; (4) structural support drawings - for ground mount structures; (5) complete electrical system drawings showing all loads and equipment; (6) equipment cut sheets for all equipment. 90% · published checklist
• How many copies, and in what format? The PV handout does not state a copy count. Practice from the general Permit Application Requirements Rv 24: one (1) set of 11x17 drawings (plot plan, floor plan, elevations) plus two (2) sets of plans and construction documents for over-the-counter submittal. Roof-mount solar may instead be submitted electronically as PDF through the POSSE portal; ground-mount solar submittals are NOT available online and must be brought to the Madera office. In-person submittals are accepted Monday-Friday 08:00-16:00. 80% · department page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? A site plan is required for GROUND MOUNT PV only (PV application step 4: 'Complete the Madera County Plot Plan form for ground mount systems'). The published Plot Plan Form Rv 25 must show: APN and site address; owner, applicant and licensed contractor details including the Madera County Business License number; total project square footage; description of work; scale; the occupancy group / construction type / area table; signed declarations that the work will not conflict with any recorded or unrecorded easement and will not conflict with any above- or below-ground utility lines, pipelines, cables or structures; number of water closets and bedrooms. The reverse routing panel is completed by staff: Planning (use zone, front/side/side/rear minimum setbacks, road impact zone, conditions), Environmental Health (sewer/aerobic/septic and capacity), Engineering (districts, water, sewer, allocation), Fire Department (fire mitigation fee, attached conditions) and Road Department (encroachment permit, mitigation trust, Hwy 41 impact, county road impact). 85% · application form
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes in substance. The PV application requires 'complete electrical system drawings showing all loads and equipment'. The County's standalone Electrical Permit Application says 'Include electrical one-line if appropriate.' Neither document uses the phrase 'three-line diagram'. 75% · application form
• Are string and conductor calculations required? No - not as a published submittal item. The PV application asks for the number of strings, number of inverters, total kW and the ampere rating of any new main panel or sub-panel, but does not require string voltage/temperature or conductor ampacity calculations to be submitted. They remain enforceable at plan check through NEC Article 690 as adopted. 70% · application form
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No published kW or area threshold for a structural PE stamp on roof-mount PV. What is published: (a) for GROUND MOUNT, 'Attach the structural support drawings for ground mount structures' (PV application item 6) and a foundation inspection before footings are poured; (b) for any residential plan submission, 'Stamp and Signature of Registered Design Professional on each sheet' and a first-sheet Design Criteria block per CRC R301.1; (c) in the mountain half of the county the governing ground snow load is set by the County's Snow Loads Rv 25 table by elevation (20 psf at 2,000-3,000 ft rising to 230 psf above 6,500 ft), which is what actually forces engineering on Sierra roofs. There is no snow-load or elevation cut-off that switches Madera between two permit tracks - unlike Placer County, Madera runs one track for the whole county and simply applies a heavier design load uphill. 72% · department handout
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes, and Madera publishes a real local threshold: Madera County Code 14.24.100 - 'Where the service is over four hundred ampere rating and/or six hundred volts, or the area of the building is in excess of fifteen thousand square feet, the plans shall be prepared by an electrical engineer licensed by the state except as defined in Section 6737.4 of the California Business and Professions Code.' A residential PV job that pushes the service above 400 A therefore needs engineered electrical plans. 88% · ordinance

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? POSSE (Computronix) at https://posse.co.madera.ca.gov/MCCPROD/WebUI/ , reached from the County's 'County Permits Online' page. The portal is branded 'Madera County Development Services Department' even though the department is formally Community and Economic Development. Registration and sign-in are required to apply. Madera County does NOT use SolarAPP+ or any other instant automated residential PV approval - no reference to SolarAPP appears anywhere on maderacounty.com. 85% · portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Partly, and it depends on the mounting type. ROOF MOUNT: yes - 'Roof mount solar submittals can be submitted to the office or online', and the portal is 'available 24 hours a day to: Apply for a permit / Submit plans online (.pdf format) / Remit payment (MasterCard, Visa, or American Express accepted) / Check the status of your permit.' GROUND MOUNT: no - 'At this time ground mount solar submittals are not available for online submittal', so a ground-mount job must be brought to the Madera counter Monday-Friday 08:00-16:00. 90% · department page
• How is the fee calculated? Not published. MCC 14.08.065 provides 'Notwithstanding the California Building Code, all fees shall be set by resolution of the board of supervisors' and MCC 14.24.020 says the same for electrical permits, but no resolution or fee table is published on the County website. What can be said about the METHOD: (a) plan review is charged as a fixed percentage of the permit fee - 65% (MCC 14.08.070) - which implies a conventional valuation/permit-fee based building schedule rather than a flat solar fee; (b) the PV application collects a 'Racking Value: $', i.e. a declared valuation; (c) the County advertises 'OTC (Over-the-Counter) Permits for Streamline or Flat Fees' for water heaters, HVAC change-outs, single pump water wells, re-siding/stucco and commercial wall signs, and adds 'On March 28 solar panels will be added to the OTC Permits' - but solar is still not in that list. Caution: a valuation-based residential solar fee would conflict with Gov. Code 65850.55, and any fee above $450 + $15/kW over 15 kW would conflict with Gov. Code 66015. 65% · department page
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes - and it is a percentage, not a flat charge. MCC 14.08.070 amends CBC 107.3: 'The plan review fee shall be 65 percent of the building permit fee as established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors', payable at the time of submittal, 'separate fees from the permit fees ... and are in addition to the permit fees'. Incomplete or changed submittals, and deferred submittals, attract a further plan review fee set by the Building Official on an hourly estimate. 90% · ordinance

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.

• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 12 months to commence, then a 180-day abandonment clock. MCC 14.08.055 (as amended by Ord. 702, 12-13-22): a permit 'shall expire by limitation and become null and void if the building or work authorized by such permit is not commenced within 12 months from the date of such permit, or if the building or work authorized ... is suspended or abandoned at any time after the work is commenced for a period of 180 days'; and 'Suspension or abandonment shall include a failure to pass a required inspection within 180 days after the work is commenced.' Re-permitting costs half the new-permit fee if nothing has changed and the lapse has not exceeded one year; otherwise a full new fee. The Building Official may grant ONE extension of up to 180 days on written request showing circumstances beyond the permittee's control - 'No permit shall be extended more than once.' The County publishes a Building Application-Permit Extension Request Form Rv 24. 90% · ordinance
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), everywhere in unincorporated Madera County. There is no publicly owned utility, no electric co-op and no community choice aggregator serving retail load in the county, and - despite the county being full of irrigation and water districts (Madera Irrigation District, Chowchilla Water District, Gravelly Ford Water District) - none of them retails electricity to homes. Because PG&E is an investor-owned utility, CPUC Electric Rule 21 and the PG&E Greenbook govern the interconnection, not a municipal tariff. 90% · utility territory map
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel, with PG&E last. PG&E tells the contractor to 'fill out the Interconnection Agreement application early. This way you can start generating energy shortly after your system passes local city or county inspections.' Step 4 of PG&E's published sequence is 'Get your system inspected by the city or county' - 'To obtain a final building permit, your clean energy system must pass city or county inspections' - and Step 5 is PTO. Madera County imposes no utility precondition on issuing the permit, but MCC 14.24.030 gives the Building Official the reverse hold: 'No person shall connect any utility without receiving approval from the building official', with permanent utilities connected only after 'a tag placed by the building official giving approval to the service.' 88% · utility DG manual

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, as adopted in California as the 2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24 Part 3), effective 1 January 2026. Madera County adopts by ROLLING REFERENCE, not by edition year: MCC 14.04.030 adopts 'The most current edition of the California Building Standards Code' including 'the most current edition of the California Electrical Code', most recently re-enacted by Ord. No. 702A on 13 January 2026. There are no local amendments to NEC Article 690. 92% · adopting ordinance
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Code and 2025 California Residential Code (2024 IBC/IRC base), effective 1 January 2026, adopted by rolling reference under MCC 14.04.030 and re-enacted by Ord. No. 702A on 13 January 2026. The Building Division's own 'Work Exempt From Permit Requirement' handout is headed '105.2 Work Exempt From Permit 2025 California code', confirming the 2025 edition is what the counter is working to. 92% · adopting ordinance
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code, again by rolling reference: MCC 14.04.030(H) adopts 'the most current edition of the California Fire Code, including those sections and appendices as further specified in Chapter 14.35', and 14.04.030(I) adds the most current National Fire Codes (NFPA). The Fire Marshal's Office publishes a family of '2025 California Fire Code Requirements For ...' handouts (businesses, hotels/motels, in-home daycare, schools, short-term rentals, summer camp), all posted in 2025. 88% · department page
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes - but none of them touch solar PV or energy storage. The live local amendments in MCC Title 14 are: 14.08.020 organisation (names a department that no longer exists); 14.08.050 no permit until development fees paid; 14.08.055 permit expiration (12 months / 180 days, one 180-day extension); 14.08.065 fees by Board resolution; 14.08.070 plan review fee = 65% of permit fee; 14.08.071-073 master plans and driveway construction/access; 14.08.090 wrecking/demolition; 14.08.115 house numbers; 14.08.142 drainage; 14.08.150 temporary occupancy; 14.08.215 amending CBC 1505.4 (attics); 14.24.100 engineered electrical plans over 400 A / 600 V / 15,000 sq ft; 14.24.110 services to conform to the utility supplier, and re-inspection required where a residential service has been disconnected 90 days or more; 14.24.120 no electrical permit for work on unpermitted structures; and Chapter 14.35 fire code amendments. There is NO local amendment to NEC Article 690/705, to CRC R329 (solar) or R330 (ESS), and no expedited-solar ordinance. Chapter 14.35 is itself badly stale: it adopts 'Articles 9, 11, 12, 13, 46, 47, 48, 49, 86, and 90' and 'Appendices I-A, I-B, I-C, II-A ... VI-K' - Uniform Fire Code numbering that has not existed since the 2001 code cycle. 85% · ordinance
• What is the installation judged against? The 2023 NEC as adopted in the 2025 California Electrical Code, with Article 690 unamended by California and unamended by Madera County, plus MCC Chapter 14.24 (administration, engineered plans over 400 A, utility conformance, permits) and - explicitly - the serving utility's rules: MCC 14.24.110(A) 'Electrical services shall be installed in accordance with this chapter and shall conform to the requirements of the utility supplier.' The building side is judged against the 2025 CRC, including R329 for solar and the County's ground snow load table for the mountain area. 85% · 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 local amendment - Madera County publishes nothing of its own on PV ridge setbacks or roof access pathways, so what applies is the state text as adopted by rolling reference: the 2025 California Fire Code Chapter 12 (Section 1205, Solar Photovoltaic Power Systems - renumbered from CFC 1204 in the 2022 cycle) and 2025 CRC R329 (renumbered from R324). On top of that sits the wildland layer, which matters across the whole Sierra half of the county: the Building Division's own Work Exempt handout notes that structures may 'still be regulated by Part 7 California Wildland Urban-Interface Code', and the Fire Marshal's Office reviews 'all fire requirements such as but not limited to driveway turnouts, fire extinguishers, water storage tanks, fire hydrants, fire sprinkler systems, State Response Area (SRA) and Public Resource Code requirements (PRC)' and 'completes all fire prevention related inspections' - most of unincorporated Madera County is State Responsibility Area. Fire review is a routing box on the Plot Plan, i.e. it attaches to ground-mount jobs; the roof-mount PV handout does not route to Fire. 70% · ordinance

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 to NEC 690.12 as it appears in the 2023 NEC / 2025 California Electrical Code, adopted by MCC 14.04.030 with no California and no Madera County amendment to Article 690. Roof-mounted arrays on dwellings therefore need module-level shutdown to the 1 ft array boundary / 3 ft outside, and the labelling in 690.56(C). 85% · adopting ordinance

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? Madera County requires no placard of its own. The placards enforced at the service equipment are the NEC 2023 set as adopted in the 2025 CEC - notably 690.13(B) marking of the PV system disconnecting means, 690.56(C) the rapid shutdown label with its plan-view diagram at the service/PV disconnect, 690.53/690.54 DC and interconnection ratings where applicable, 705.10 a permanent plaque or directory at each service equipment location (and at the location of the service disconnecting means) denoting all electric power sources on or in the premises, and 705.12 marking where the PV interconnects to the busbar - PLUS PG&E's own requirement, which is the one that varies from AHJ practice: a permanently attached UV/weatherproof label on the outside front of the AC disconnect switch reading, for example, 'UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH', and a visible ON/OFF label on the switch. 78% · utility DG manual
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No. Madera County specifies no placard wording of its own anywhere in the County Code or in any Building Division handout. The only prescribed wording in play comes from the NEC and from PG&E ('UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH', 'Utility Disconnect Switch'). 82% · department page
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Nothing from the County. From PG&E (Greenbook 060559 Rev. #07): '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 inch high and in all capitals.' The disconnect-switch label must be UV and weatherproof and placed on the outside front of the switch. From the NEC as adopted, 690.56(C) requires the rapid-shutdown label to be reflective, white capital lettering on a red background, minimum 3/8 inch letter height, and to comply with ANSI Z535.4. 78% · utility DG manual
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes, from two directions, neither of them the County's. (1) NEC 705.10 as adopted requires a permanent plaque or directory at each service equipment location, and at the location of the service disconnecting means, denoting the location of all electric power source disconnecting means on or in the premises. NEC 690.56(C) requires the rapid-shutdown label to carry a plan view diagram of the building showing the array location and the reduced-shutdown zone. (2) PG&E adds a map requirement of its own: 'When the disconnect switch is not grouped with the meter panel provide a map showing the location', and 'If a Net Generation Output Meter (NGOM) is installed provide proper labeling as described and a map showing the location if not grouped together with the other meter(s) and disconnect switch'; and 'If the device is not adjacent to the PG&E's electric revenue meter(s), a clear map and signs indicating of 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.' 80% · utility DG manual
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes - PG&E's requirements go well beyond anything Madera County asks for, and they are the binding ones on a PG&E-served parcel (i.e. the whole county). PG&E Greenbook 060559 Rev. #07: permanently attached signage on the front of the AC disconnect switch explaining it is the generation disconnect, example wording 'UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH'; a UV and weatherproof label stating 'Utility Disconnect Switch' on the outside front; a visible ON/OFF label; a device label carrying ratings and UL certification; labels permanent, engraved phenolic or ANSI Z535.4, minimum 3/8 inch all-capital lettering; a location map where the switch is not grouped with the meter panel or where an NGOM is fitted; and the switch must be 'Clearly marked on the submitted single-line diagram indicating the manufacturer, model type, voltage rating, current rating, and location.' 88% · utility DG manual
• Where must the labels be placed? On the service equipment and the PV/AC disconnect, per NEC 705.10, 690.13(B) and 690.56(C) as adopted. PG&E then fixes the AC disconnect's own position and therefore its labels: 'physically located for ease of access and visible to PG&E employees within 10 feet of the meter', 'in close proximity, or within line of sight, of the meter', 'installed between the PG&E meter and all generation sources', at the same grade level if outdoors with the meter, at a vertical height between 48 inches minimum and 75 inches maximum to the top of the enclosure, and '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.' Where the switch is exempted (see Q48), PG&E's 'Typical Socket-Based Meter Label' goes on the meter panel instead. Madera County itself specifies no label locations. 80% · 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? Within 10 feet of the PG&E meter and in line of sight of it - or omitted altogether under PG&E's exemption, which covers most single-family installations. PG&E Greenbook 060559 Rev. #07: the disconnect must be installed between the PG&E meter and all generation sources; must isolate only generation and never customer loads; must be 'physically located for ease of access and visible to PG&E employees within 10 feet of the meter' and 'in close proximity, or within line of sight, of the meter'; same grade level if outdoors with the meter; mounted 48-75 inches to the top of the enclosure; not above grade level, not on a roof, not in a non-approved room; gang-operated, manual, lockable in the open position with a PG&E padlock taking a 5/16-inch shaft (keyed locks not allowed); visible air-gap verification; molded case circuit breakers and pull-out type disconnects are NOT acceptable. EXEMPTION: an inverter-based system on a PG&E single-phase service up to 240 V may be exempted, as determined by PG&E, if 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. Madera County sets no disconnect location rule of its own. 90% · utility DG manual
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No local approved-equipment list. What is required: equipment cut sheets for all equipment at submittal, and the applicant certifies 'the materials noted above shall be installed in accordance with the manufacture's listings and as required by the California Building Code and all local ordinances.' MCC 14.24.110(B) adds that 'All wiring materials for installations shall be new, unless the building official, in the exercise of his discretion, grants permission for the use of used material prior to its installation.' Separately, PG&E requires the AC disconnect enclosure to be UL/NRTL certified, and CPUC Rule 21 requires inverters to be on the CEC's list of certified equipment. 80% · application form
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, permitted, and handled inside the PV permit rather than as a separate product. The Photovoltaic Permit Application asks directly: 'Will there be Batteries, Yes If so, how many KW'. There is no Madera County amendment covering energy storage - a Municode search of the entire code for 'energy storage' returns zero hits and for 'battery' nothing relevant - so the governing text is the state's: 2025 CRC R330 (renumbered from R328) for one- and two-family dwellings and 2025 CFC Section 1207, adopted by rolling reference under MCC 14.04.030. Fire Division involvement is the practical variable: for the analogous EV product the County states 'Fire Division plan review and inspection approval is not required for EVCS installations unless the system includes a stationary storage battery system as defined in the CA Fire Code' - i.e. a stationary battery is what pulls the Fire Marshal in. 75% · published checklist
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No. There is no separate ESS permit type. Batteries are declared on the Photovoltaic Permit Application as part of the PV system and are covered by the same permit; the County's online permit-type list contains Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing and Reroof under the Building Division, with no ESS or battery product. 80% · department page
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes. A ground-mount array is treated as a structure and gets the structure treatment end to end: 'Complete the Madera County Plot Plan form for ground mount systems'; 'Attach the structural support drawings for ground mount structures'; and 'Foundations on ground mount systems shall be inspected prior to pouring footings.' Ground-mount submittals are also excluded from the online route and must be filed at the Madera counter, and the plot plan routes to Planning for zone setbacks (front/side/side/rear minimums), to Environmental Health, Engineering, Fire and the Road Department. 90% · application form
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? Yes, three of them, all local: (1) MCC 14.24.100 - a service over 400 A rating and/or 600 V requires plans prepared by a California-licensed electrical engineer; (2) MCC 14.24.110(E) - for an existing residential building or agricultural service pole where service has been disconnected 90 days or more, service may not be reconnected without inspection and approval by the Building Official, and a permit is required for that inspection; (3) the Electric Meter Set Policy Rv 24, which sets what must be finished before a meter set is authorised, including 'All circuit breakers installed in service panel', road-approach final or a $3,880.00 deposit with the Road Department, and a $500.00 temporary power bond for a Permit to Activate Power. There is NO local busbar rule - 120% and the other supply-side/load-side options come straight from NEC 705.12. 85% · department handout
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No specific mounting system, rail brand or attachment spacing is prescribed. What Madera does prescribe, and what actually drives the array design in the eastern half of the county, is GROUND SNOW LOAD BY ELEVATION, published in the Building Division's 'GROUND SNOW LOADS' handout Rv 25: 2,000-3,000 ft = 20 psf; 3,000-3,600 ft = 30 psf; 3,600-4,000 ft = 40 psf; 4,000-4,400 ft = 50 psf; 4,400-4,800 ft = 60 psf; 4,800-5,200 ft = 80 psf; 5,200-5,600 ft = 100 psf; 5,600-6,500 ft = 125 psf; 6,500 ft and higher = 230 psf, with 'PLEASE REFER TO ASCE CHAPTER 7 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION'. The handout then names communities: Ahwahnee, Coarsegold and Oakhurst are split at 3,000 ft (20 psf below, 30 psf and more above); North Fork and Yosemite Forks 20 psf; Bass Lake 30 psf and more; Cascadel 40 psf; Cedar Valley 40 psf; Fish Camp and Sugar Pine 50 psf; High Sierra Meadow 100 psf; Central Camp 125 psf; Beasore Meadows 230 psf. Plans must state the value and it is to be verified on the County GIS. Wind: 85 mph default minimum per the design criteria sheet. Soil bearing default 1,500 psf. 90% · department handout

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. Inspections are booked on (559) 675-5206. The caller must give the job site address including the nearest cross street, a contact person and phone number, the permit number, and the type of inspection requested. The POSSE portal is used to apply, submit plans, pay and check status - the County does not advertise online inspection booking. 88% · department handout
• How much notice is required? A minimum of 24 hours in advance. 'Make Inspections requests a minimum of 24 hours in advance, phone calls received after 4:00pm are processed with the following day's calls.' 90% · department handout
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No same-day service and no AM/PM windows are published. The handout gives only 'Field inspectors: Office hours are 8:00 am until 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Availability varies due to schedule.' Requests after 16:00 roll to the next day's list. 82% · department handout

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. Madera County's own field inspectors perform the inspections, including the PV final. Fire prevention inspections are done in-house too, by the Fire Marshal's Office within the same department. 90% · department handout
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated. Building and electrical inspection stays with the CED Building Division; fire prevention inspection sits with the CED Fire Marshal's Office; the Road Department inspects the driveway approach and the Environmental Health Division inspects septic and well work - all County divisions, all inside or alongside the same department. 88% · published checklist

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 PV the published sequence has two steps: (1) GROUND MOUNT ONLY - 'Foundations on ground mount systems shall be inspected prior to pouring footings'; (2) FINAL - 'After the new equipment has been installed, an inspection is required to confirm proper system bonding and installation per design drawings.' A roof-mount system therefore has a single inspection, consistent with Gov. Code 65850.5. Where the PV job also involves a service change, the general sequence in Inspection of Work Information Rv 24 applies, ending at ELECTRICAL METER-SET (service equipment in place and properly grounded, road approach finalled or deposit posted, address posted; an electrical tag is then placed at the service connection allowing the utility to connect) and then FINAL INSPECTION. 88% · application form
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No for roof mount - there is no rough-in or mid-roof inspection in the published PV sequence, only the post-installation final. Yes for ground mount - the footing/foundation inspection before concrete is poured is a mandatory hold point. 85% · application form

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, but not a PV-specific one. The County publishes 'INSPECTION OF WORK INFORMATION' Rv 24, a two-page description of every required inspection in order (ground plumbing and setbacks, foundation, concrete block, floor framing, sub-floor sheathing, roof and shear wall nailing, framing with rough electrical/plumbing/mechanical, sewer/septic, Title-24/insulation, lath and drywall, shower pan, gas test, gas piping, electrical meter-set, final, certificate of occupancy, re-inspection, permit to activate power). The PV-specific content is the two-line INSPECTIONS block on the Photovoltaic Permit Application. There is no published solar inspection checklist of the kind larger California AHJs issue. 82% · department handout
• What must be on site at inspection? The job inspection card, issued with the permit, 'shall be posted in a conspicuous place at the job site'; 'A complete set of stamped approved plans shall be kept at the job site for use of the owner, contractor, and inspector'; and the address numbers must be posted at the job site, with an additional address sign at the road if the numbers are not visible from the county road. Access to the work (including roof access) must be provided by the contractor or owner-builder. Failing on any of these is a chargeable re-inspection: fees 'may be assessed when the permit card is not properly posted on the worksite, the approved plans are not readily available to the inspector, for failure to provide access on the date for which inspection is requested, or for deviating from plans'. 90% · department handout
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes. The PV final is defined as confirming 'proper system bonding and installation per design drawings', which is a listings-and-labels check against the approved cut sheets and drawings; the applicant has already certified that materials 'shall be installed in accordance with the manufacture's listings'. On the general sequence the inspector also checks that an installer compliance certificate (CF-6R) is posted at the insulation stage. There is no published PV label checklist. 72% · application form

Passing gives you a final or an equivalent sign-off. That is not the same as permission to operate: PTO comes from the utility, and who tells the utility the inspection passed varies. A system left switched off for weeks is usually waiting on this handover.

• What is issued on pass? Final. The PV permit is closed out by the inspector signing off the final on the job inspection card - the County's PV sequence ends at the post-installation inspection, and a Certificate of Occupancy is a separate instrument issued for buildings ('A Certificate of Occupancy for residential construction is issued after the final inspection, per CRC section R110.3'), not for a solar retrofit. Where the PV work includes a new or upgraded service, an ELECTRICAL TAG is placed at the service connection allowing the utility to connect - the handout is explicit that this 'is not the Final Inspection'. 78% · department handout
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer. PG&E puts it on the contractor: 'To get permission to operate your system, your contractor submits all required paperwork to PG&E. The paperwork includes: The Interconnection Application; A single line diagram of the system; A copy of the final building permit. After PG&E approves the documents, we'll upgrade your meter and send you official written permission to operate.' Timeline: 'typically takes 5 to 10 business days, up to a maximum of 30 business days.' Madera County does not notify PG&E; its role ends at the final inspection, though MCC 14.24.030 reserves the Building Official's power to order the servicing utility to disconnect where permits were not obtained or have become void. 88% · utility DG manual
• Is there a re-inspection fee? Yes, but the amount is not published as a dollar figure - it is hourly. 'A re-inspection fee of a minimum one-hour at the current rate may be assessed for each inspection when such portion of work for which inspection is called for is not complete and/or when corrections called for are not made.' The Building Division adds: 'To obtain a reinspection, the applicant shall file an application in writing upon a form furnished for that purpose and pay the reinspection fee. No additional inspections of the work will be performed until the required fees have been paid.' For comparison, the Fire Division does publish its number: an additional fire inspection is $162 (Madera County Fire Safety Permit Fees, 7.2026). 80% · department handout
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Plan check: 'When the plan check is completed the applicant will be notified and advised if there are any department corrections. This notification occurs after all departments have reviewed the project' - so corrections come back as a consolidated set once Planning, Environmental Health, Special Districts, Fire, Engineering and Road have all commented, and status can be followed in the POSSE portal. Field: the inspector rejects the item; the applicant must then file a written re-inspection application on the County's form and pay the re-inspection fee before any further inspection is performed. An additional plan review fee, based on the Building Official's estimate of the time needed, is charged where documents are incomplete or changed (MCC 14.08.070). 82% · published checklist