San Bernardino 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 — San Bernardino County Land Use Services, Building & Safety Division is the AHJ for residential solar at addresses in the unincorporated county. 92% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — Building & Safety permits building AND electrical (its fee schedule carries Building, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical permit fees). Fire review is a separate County Fire Department step. 85% · fee schedule
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes. A permit is required for both roof-mount and ground-mount residential solar. 95% · department handout
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined — a residential PV installation is permitted under a single 'Solar Energy Systems' permit with its own plan review and permit fee. The separate 'Electrical Permit Fees' schedule applies to 'a permit to do electrical construction only'. 75% · fee schedule

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 — the EZOP solar page allows 'an owner or contractor of a property' to permit. BUT the SolarAPP+ automated route is restricted: 'Qualified Licensed Contractors Only (C-10 and C-46)'. 80% · portal page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes — an owner may apply. The County's solar permit page states the permit applies to 'an owner or contractor of a property to construct rooftop or ground mounted solar.' 70% · portal 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? SolarAPP+ route: 'SolarAPP+ Approval Document' and 'SolarAPP+ Specification Sheet' uploaded at submittal into EZOP, plus 'Smoke and Carbon Certification' before final inspection. Standard route: 'plans and any necessary supporting documentation for review and approval by the County'. Expedited ≤10 kW route: the 'Checklist for Expedited Solar PV 10KW or less is required prior to issuance of the permit', uploaded as an attachment into the EZOP account. 85% · portal page

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? EZ Online Permitting ('EZOP') at https://ezop.sbcounty.gov/citizenaccess — Accela-based. Automated plan review for eligible residential PV runs through NREL SolarAPP+ (https://solarapp.nrel.gov/). Inspections are booked through the separate EZ Inspect app / https://ezinspect.sbcounty.gov/. 95% · portal page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes — end to end. Design is submitted to SolarAPP+ for automated review, the approval documents are uploaded to EZOP, and inspection is booked in the EZ Inspect app, where residential PV may even be closed out by self-inspection photos without a site visit. 85% · portal page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $441 total for a single-family residential roof-mount PV system of 15 kW or less — $215.00 plan review + $226.00 permit fee. The $57.00 intake processing fee is expressly WAIVED for residential PV. Above 15 kW roof mount: $225 plan review + $15.00 per additional kW above 15 kW, plus $225 permit fee. Ground mount SFR: $225 plan review (≤15 kW; above 15 kW add $15/kW) + $225 permit fee. 95% · fee ordinance
• How is the fee calculated? Flat, then tiered per kW. Flat for the first 15 kW; above 15 kW a per-kW adder of $15.00 for each additional kilowatt applies to the plan review fee (the permit fee stays flat at $225). 95% · fee ordinance
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes — plan review is a separate, separately-timed fee. Footnote [29]: 'The review fee shall be paid at the time of submitting plans and specifications for review and the permit fee shall be paid at the time of permit issuance.' 95% · 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.

• Which utility handles interconnection here? Split. Southern California Edison (SCE) is the interconnecting utility for the great majority of the unincorporated county. Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES, a division of Golden State Water Company) serves the Big Bear Lake area of the San Bernardino Mountains. Community Choice Aggregators present in the county (e.g. Apple Valley Choice Energy) are retail suppliers only — they do NOT handle interconnection; the wires utility does. 75% · state energy commission utility list

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 — in force as the 2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24 Part 3), effective 1 January 2026. 88% · information bulletin
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24), effective 1 January 2026 — including the 2025 CBC and 2025 CRC. Applications submitted before 1 Jan 2026 could use the 2022 code but had to obtain the permit before 1 July 2026 or expire, so as of 28 Aug 2026 the 2025 code governs all live work. 95% · information bulletin
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code (Title 24 Part 9), as part of the 2025 California Building Standards Code adopted effective 1 January 2026. 80% · information bulletin
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes. The County publishes at least one local requirement specific to solar: IB-0017, 'Protection for Residential Ground Mount Solar Panel Systems', which defines local guarding requirements under CEC 110.27 and 690.31(A). 85% · information bulletin
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 California Electrical Code (2023 NEC basis), checked against the approved plans, plus County IB-0017 for ground mounts. The County's PV self-inspection checklist cites CEC 110.3, 110.3(B), 250.50, 250.58, 690.4(B), 690.12(C), 690.13(A)(B)(E)(F), 690.31(G)(3) and (G)(4), 690.47, 690.51/690.52 and 705.12(B). 85% · inspection checklist

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? Per the 2025 CRC R324.6 / CFC Chapter 12 as adopted: not fewer than two 36-inch-wide pathways on separate roof planes from lowest roof edge to ridge, at least one on the street or driveway side; ridge setback 18 inches both sides where the array covers 33% or less of plan-view roof area, 36 inches both sides where it exceeds 33%. The County itself checks only 'Firefighter access according to approved plan.' 70% · inspection checklist + state code

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

• Is rapid shutdown required, and to which NEC edition? Yes — rapid shutdown is required, to the CEC 690.12 in force (2025 CEC / 2023 NEC basis). The County checks: 'Rapid shutdown initiation device labeled on the plans. Device must be either: service disconnecting means, PV system disconnecting means, or readily accessible switch that plainly indicates whether it is in the "off" or "on" position (CEC 690.12(C))'. Rapid shutdown equipment is also named among equipment that must be installed, listed and labeled per the approved plan. 88% · inspection 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? Four placard/marking families are checked by the County: (1) 'WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE' markings on all interior and exterior DC conduit, enclosures, raceways, cable assemblies, junction boxes, combiner boxes and disconnects on buildings (CFC 605.11.1.1, 605.11.1.2 and CEC 690.31(G)(3)); (2) the PV system disconnecting means labelled 'PV SYSTEM DISCONNECT' and readily accessible (CEC 690.13(A) & (B)); (3) the rapid shutdown initiation device labelled, per CEC 690.12(C); (4) modules and equipment 'properly marked and labeled' / 'installed, listed and labeled according to the approved plan' (CEC 110.3, 690.4(B), 690.51 or 690.52). A DC PV disconnecting means must additionally 'be marked for use in PV systems or be suitable for backfeed operation'. 90% · inspection checklist
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — the County does not author placard wording of its own. It restates the code's wording ('WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE', 'PV SYSTEM DISCONNECT') and cites CEC/CFC as the source. 80% · inspection checklist
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Yes, for the DC warning markings: '3/8-inch (9.5 mm) minimum-sized white letters on a red background. The signs are made of reflective weather resistant material.' 90% · inspection checklist
• Where must the labels be placed? Conduit/raceway/cable markings: 'every 10 feet, within one foot of all turns or bends and within one foot above and below all penetrations of roof/ceiling assemblies, walls and barriers' (CEC 690.31(G)(4), CFC 605.11.1.4). Warning markings go on all interior and exterior DC conduit, enclosures, raceways, cable assemblies, junction boxes, combiner boxes and disconnects on buildings. The 'PV SYSTEM DISCONNECT' label goes on the PV system disconnecting means, which must be readily accessible. 90% · inspection checklist

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.

• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No specific County approved-equipment list. Equipment must be listed and labelled per CEC 110.3 and must match the approved plan: 'Equipment installed, listed and labeled according to the approved plan (e.g., PV modules, dc/dc converters, combiners, inverters, rapid shutdown equipment).' Module 'manufacturer, make, model, and number of modules match the approved plans.' 75% · inspection checklist
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes, effectively — a ground mount requires its own building permit, is fee-scheduled separately from roof mount, is excluded from both streamlined routes (the expedited ≤10 kW route and SolarAPP+, whose checklist is titled 'Roof Mount'), and carries a County-specific guarding requirement under IB-0017. Setbacks are governed by the land use zoning district. 65% · information bulletin + fee schedule
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No local busbar rule beyond code, but the County enforces CEC 705.12(B) explicitly and checks it as a line item: 'Inverter output circuit breaker is located at opposite end of bus from utility supply at load center and/or service panelboard. If panel is center-fed, inverter output circuit breaker can be at either end of busbar... (not required if the sum of the inverter and utility supply circuit breakers is less than or equal to the panelboard bus rating).' 75% · inspection checklist
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Roof mount: no local attachment-spacing rule — 'Modules are attached to the mounting structure according to the manufacturer's instructions and the approved plans.' Ground mount: LOCAL requirement under IB-0017 — live PV circuit conductors must be guarded, by (A) a substantial partition or unclimbable fencing around the array perimeter, which may attach to the PV mounting poles and may be wood, chain link or heavy-duty mesh (minimum 14 gauge); (B) commercially durable scrim enclosing the direct underside of the array; or (C) installing PV circuit conductors in Type MC cable or in a raceway. Other methods may be submitted for Building Official approval. 85% · information bulletin

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 / app / phone. Three routes: the free EZ Inspect mobile app ('The fastest and easiest way'), entered by permit number; EZOP online at https://ezop.sbcounty.gov/CitizenAccess/; or phone (909) 387-8311, or (760) 995-8140 for desert areas. EZ Inspect help desk: (800) 637-6653 or (909) 501-0873. 92% · department page
• How much notice is required? Not a fixed notice period — availability is set by community. The County publishes an Inspection Days table by community and region: valley, Big Bear and Twin Peaks communities are 'Everyday'; Barstow/Daggett/Hinkley/Fort Irwin and similar are 'Monday/Wednesday/Friday'; Angelus Oaks, Barton Flats, Forest Falls and Green Valley Lake are 'Tuesday/Thursday'; remote desert and Colorado River communities (Amboy, Baker, Cadiz, Goff's, Havasu Lake, Havasu Landing, Ivanpah) are 'Thursday' only; Boron is 'Tuesday'. 85% · department handout
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Two-hour windows, not AM/PM halves: the County provides 'a two (2) hour window for on-site inspections', and 'On the day of your inspection, your inspector will contact you by phone to set up an inspection time.' For self-inspections there is a same-day cut-off: 'Please submit all photos prior to 3:00 p.m. on the day of inspection. Photos submitted after 3:00 p.m. will be completed the next business day.' 88% · 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 performs its own inspections, and offers three modes: On-Site, Virtual, and Self Inspection. 'All building-related inspections (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, and Certificate of Occupancy) are eligible on-site inspections.' 90% · department page
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated — San Bernardino County Building & Safety retains the final solar inspection. However, for residential PV it may be discharged by contractor-submitted photographs under the Self-Inspection Program, reviewed by County staff, rather than by a site visit. 85% · department 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 the ≤10 kW roof-mount residential PV route, a single final PV inspection, discharged against the County's 'Residential 10Kw Maximum Photovoltaic System – Roof Mount Self-Inspection Program' checklist. The general County rule is that 'an inspection will be required prior to covering up or concealing any completed work.' 65% · inspection checklist

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 — 'Residential 10Kw Maximum Photovoltaic System – Roof Mount / Self-Inspection Program', a 2-page itemised checklist plus a system diagram, published on the County's EZ Inspect site. It opens: 'Contractor shall provide photos demonstrating compliance with the following items.' 92% · inspection checklist
• What must be on site at inspection? For the SolarAPP+ route, 'Smoke and Carbon Certification' is required before final inspection. For self-inspection, the required photographs per the PV guidance document: 'See the respective self-inspection guidance document for the photos which must be submitted with the inspection. Failure to follow the guidelines could result in a delay.' The approved plans are the reference throughout — multiple checklist items are judged 'according to the approved plan'. 70% · portal page
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes, explicitly and in detail. The County's PV inspection checklist requires photographic proof that modules 'are properly marked and labeled', that equipment is 'installed, listed and labeled according to the approved plan', that DC conduit and enclosure markings say 'WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE' with the specified letter size, colour and material, that the marking interval is met, that the PV system disconnecting means is labelled 'PV SYSTEM DISCONNECT', and that the rapid shutdown initiation device is labelled. 92% · inspection checklist

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.

• How are corrections issued and cleared? Results are emailed: 'After the inspection is over, pass/fail status and any comments from the inspector's report will sent to the provided email.' Reports also appear in the EZ Inspect app if the inspection was booked there. Corrections are therefore issued as inspector comments on a failed result. 85% · department page