San Luis Obispo 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 - for the unincorporated area only. The County Department of Planning & Building (Building Division) is the AHJ; the seven incorporated cities (SLO, Paso Robles, Atascadero, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay) are their own AHJs. 95% · ordinance
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both. Planning & Building holds building AND electrical; there is no separate electrical department. Two other agencies attach review to the same solar permit: SLO County Fire (CAL FIRE SLO Unit) charges a Residential Fire Safety Plan - Photovoltaic review, and Public Works charges a Building Permit Review - Solar fee. Neither takes the permit away from P&B. 82% · fee schedule
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes. 'A building permit is required for the installation of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems ... for all residential and commercial buildings.' 95% · department page
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined. One construction permit (permit type 'Photovoltaic System - Residential') covers structural and electrical work. A separate fee line - 'Electrical Service, New / Meter Replacement' - is added if the job also upgrades the panel or meter. 85% · fee schedule
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No. Approval of a small residential rooftop solar application 'shall not be based or conditioned on the approval of an association, as defined in section 4080 of the Civil Code.' The department restates this in plain language on the Renewable Energy Permit page. 95% · ordinance
• Is there a historic-district review? Only on parcels carrying the Historic Site (H) combining designation, and even there rooftop PV should fall in the exception. s.22.14.080(C)(1) requires a Minor Use Permit for 'any modifications to existing historic structures within an H combining designation, including restoration or alteration that changes the historic or architectural character of the structure, demolition or relocation, except for minor exterior or interior alterations that do not materially change the historic character.' There is no county-wide historic-district review for solar, and s.19.09.014(e) lets the county impose a Title 22/23 plot plan on small residential rooftop solar only on a substantial-evidence finding of specific adverse impact on public health and safety. 72% · ordinance
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No. California has no windstorm-certification scheme (that is a Texas TDI construct). What the county does require is engineering documentation for seismic AND wind loading, but only for roof arrays weighing more than 3 pounds per square foot. 80% · published checklist
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Not for ordinary residential rooftop PV - that is administratively, non-discretionarily approved by the chief building official. Discretionary approval appears only at the edges: (a) INLAND, an accessory renewable energy-generating facility needs only a Zoning Clearance unless it sells power off-site, sits in Open Space, sits in a Flood Hazard or Sensitive Resource Area combining designation, is ground-mounted over 3 acres, is within 100 feet of an adjacent property or public road, or triggers environmental permits - then a land use permit under s.22.32.030 applies; ground-mounted Solar Electric Facilities are tiered (Tier 1 up to 20 acres = Site Plan Review, Tier 2 up to 40 acres = Minor Use Permit, Tier 3 over 40 acres = Minor Use Permit). (b) COASTAL, photovoltaic generating facilities are an S-20 'Electric Generating Plant' use needing a Plot Plan under 40,000 sf of site disturbance and a Minor Use Permit at or above that. (c) On an H (Historic Site) parcel, a Minor Use Permit for character-changing alterations. Board of Supervisors approval is not part of any of these paths. 80% · ordinance
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No kW cap on residential rooftop generation. The limits that exist are of other kinds: Gov. Code 66015 fee tiers bite above 15 kW residential; SolarAPP+ eligibility is limited to a permitted main-dwelling rooftop, non-ballasted, outside the county 100-year flood zone; the Express Permit PV type is limited to micro-inverter systems with a maximum of 2 strings and to RMF/RR/RS/RSF zones; and the inland land use ordinance tiers GROUND-mounted solar electric facilities by AREA (3 acres accessory / 20 / 40 acres), not by kW. Off-grid systems have a floor rather than a ceiling: s.19.06.040 requires photovoltaic systems 'sized to handle one hundred percent of calculated loads' and forbids generator-only supply. 75% · 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 - but the route differs. A California state-licensed contractor may apply online in PermitSLO. A property owner (or an agent acting for the owner) may also pull it, but must phone 805-781-5600 for an appointment and submit paper plans; owners cannot use the online renewable-energy path. 88% · department page
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes, in effect. Before a contractor can apply online, the CSLB licence must be attached to their PermitSLO (Customer Self-Service) account via the county's Contractor License Verification form - allow 2-3 business days. For the SolarAPP+ route the contractor must ALSO be separately registered with SolarAPP+ at NREL; permit runners are barred. 85% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes, but off-line. An owner may self-permit and self-install, by appointment on paper plans. The owner is also barred from the SolarAPP+ and Express Permit routes, both of which are contractor-only. 82% · 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? Per BLD-2006 (rev. 06/03/2025) the package is: Construction Permit Application Form; Title/Cover Sheet; Vicinity Map; Site Plan AND a separate Roof Plan; Attachment Details (roof-mount systems); Single Line Diagram; Warning Labels and Locations; Supporting Documentation (manufacturer specs/charts/manuals for modules, inverters, racking); and Structural Plans & Calcs where applicable for ground-mount systems. SolarAPP+ submittals instead need only the SolarAPP+ Approval document, specifications and plans. 92% · published checklist
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic (the normal route): one upload of the plan set, one copy of supporting documentation, one complete Construction Permit Application. Paper: two copies of plans and two of supporting documentation, minimum sheet size 11x17. Mail-in has been abolished - since 28 July 2025 everything is submitted online at PermitSLO except as-built, cannabis and plan-check-only applications. 90% · published checklist
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes - and a separate roof plan too. Site plan at minimum scale 1/8"=1'-0", showing: property location and boundaries of all existing buildings/structures over 120 sf with their permit numbers and use/occupancy; fronting streets, scale, north arrow; driveway and access to the site and to the PV system; existing setbacks and easements; proposed location of arrays, inverters, generators, battery banks and charge controllers; clearance from existing structures, property lines, fences/retaining walls; all site utilities, with location and size of existing service equipment; existing equipment marked (E). 92% · published checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes. A single-line diagram is a required plan sheet, and the county publishes a fill-in standard one-line for micro-inverter/AC-module systems plus a fill-in Photovoltaic System Diagram form. 92% · published checklist
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes. Required on the single-line: short-circuit current (Isc) per string and per output circuit; maximum and minimum open-circuit voltage per DC source circuit with the temperature-correction formulas spelled out (Vmax=Voc+((Tlow-Tref)xaVoc)); conductor sizes and types with temperature/ampacity/sunlight derating; conduit sizes, types and fill; fuse and breaker ratings in amperes; inverter AC output voltage and amperage; transfer switch and battery ratings. Off-grid systems must also submit load calculations justifying system size. 92% · published checklist
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Threshold-based, not universal. Roof-mounted arrays weighing more than 3 pounds per square foot require a detailed design for the collector support racks with engineering documentation for seismic and wind loading, plus engineering documentation that the existing roof structure can carry the added load. Ground-mounted arrays require engineering when the array exceeds 6 feet above adjacent grade; below 6 feet a prescriptive racking design or a manufacturer's pre-engineered listed racking system is accepted. Under 3 psf on a roof, no structural engineering is called for. 80% · published checklist
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required. BLD-2006 enumerates the complete submittal package and every plan sheet's content and nowhere calls for an electrical engineer's stamp; the county FAQ says an owner or draftsperson may prepare plans for single-family dwellings and alterations classified as conventional construction. 62% · published 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? PermitSLO - the county's Tyler Technologies EnerGov Customer Self-Service portal, at sanluisobispocountyca-energovweb.tylerhost.net (older links point at energov.sloplanning.org, which still resolves). SolarAPP+ submittals go first to NREL's solarapp.nrel.gov, then the approval ID is entered into PermitSLO. 95% · portal
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes for a licensed contractor - application, document upload, fee payment, permit printing and inspection scheduling are all in PermitSLO, and since 28 July 2025 online is the only route for a solar permit. No for a homeowner: owners and owners' agents must book an appointment on 805-781-5600 and submit paper plans. 88% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $493.83 total for a standard residential PV permit ($450.00 base + $43.83 Technology Surcharge Fee). Via the Express Permit / SolarAPP+ route it is $231.55 ($211.00 + $20.55 TSF), plus NREL's own $25 SolarAPP+ processing fee. A residential Energy Storage System is $533.34 ($486 + TSF), or $215.09 via SolarAPP+. On top of the P&B fee the schedule also carries County Fire 'Residential Fire Safety Plan - Photovoltaic' $314 and Public Works 'Building Permit Review - Solar' $85. 88% · fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Flat, per permit type - with a statutory per-kW escalator only above 15 kW. Valuation is not used. 88% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No - not from Planning & Building. The flat PV permit fee covers plan check and inspection together; there is no separate P&B plan-check line for solar. But two other agencies do charge separate review fees on the same permit: County Fire 'Residential Fire Safety Plan - Photovoltaic' $314 (which per County Fire footnote 2 buys plan review, one site visit AND a final inspection) and Public Works 'Building Permit Review - Solar' $85. Submittals exceeding two plan reviews are billed hourly at $180/hr (footnote 22 and footnote 1). 72% · 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? 5 business days. 'You will hear from us within 5 business days with corrections or permit issuance. If your project has corrections, we will provide a detailed report explaining the deficiencies.' Via SolarAPP+ the permit issues immediately on entering the approval ID in PermitSLO. Note the general construction-permit FAQ gives much longer figures for ordinary permits (fast-track 10 working days; typical issuance within two months) - the 5-day figure is specific to the renewable-energy path. 85% · department page
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 365 days (one year) from issuance. Title 19 s.19.02.020 amends CBC/CRC 105.5 so that permits 'for buildings with a floor area of less than one thousand square feet or for other miscellaneous work shall remain valid for a time period of one year from the date of issuance' - a solar permit is miscellaneous work. Two one-year extensions may be granted on written request and payment of an extension fee (one-third of the original inspection fee, minimum the published Time Extension fee); further extensions cost half the inspection fee. Separately, an unissued APPLICATION expires 360 days after submittal. 80% · ordinance
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). PG&E owns the wires, the meter and the interconnection process here. Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is the CCA - the County of San Luis Obispo is a 3CE member agency - but 3CE supplies GENERATION only and plays no part in interconnection: 'PG&E or SCE will handle transmission and distribution services, while 3CE is responsible for energy generation services.' The interconnection agreement, the AC disconnect specification, the meter change and Permission to Operate are all PG&E's, under CPUC Electric Rule 21. 92% · utility page
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel. The interconnection application is filed with PG&E early - PG&E tells customers to 'ensure that your contractor fills out the Interconnection Agreement application early. This way you can start generating energy shortly after your system passes local city or county inspections.' But PTO is gated on the county: to get permission to operate, the contractor submits the interconnection application, a single-line diagram and 'a copy of the final building permit'. So the utility runs alongside the permit and lands after the county final. 90% · utility 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 92% · adopting ordinance
• Which building code edition is in force? 2025 California Building Standards Code (Title 24): 2025 CBC Part 2 based on the 2024 IBC, and 2025 CRC Part 2.5 based on the 2024 IRC. Also adopted: 2025 CEC (Part 6 energy), CALGreen Part 11, California WUI Code Part 7, 2025 California Existing Building Code (2024 IEBC), 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code and the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code. 92% · adopting ordinance
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2025 California Fire Code (Title 24 Part 9), based on the 2024 International Fire Code. 90% · adopting ordinance
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes - Title 19 carries a substantial set of local amendments, but almost none of them touch residential rooftop PV. The two that could: s.19.06.010(b) amends CEC 230.70(A)(1) to require the service disconnecting means to be accessible to emergency personnel without transiting the building interior - expressly EXCEPTED for Group R-3, so single-family dwellings are out. And s.19.06.040 (off-grid standalone power supply) requires PV-with-battery systems to be sized for 100% of calculated loads and forbids generator-only supply. s.19.03.010 amends CBC 502.1 (address identification, 6-inch reflective characters residential) and adds 504.5 roof stairway access for new buildings two or more storeys. Note the state context: AB 130 (Stats. 2025 ch. 22) froze new more-restrictive residential amendments from 1 Oct 2025 to 1 Jun 2031, so this set cannot grow. 85% · ordinance
• What is the installation judged against? The 2025 California Electrical Code (2023 NEC with California amendments) - specifically NEC Article 690 for PV, Article 705 for interconnected power production sources, Article 480 for storage batteries and Article 445 for generators, plus Chapters 1-4 generally - together with the Title 19 local amendments. BLD-2006 states this on its face. 90% · published 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? Access pathways are specified by the county; a ridge setback figure is not. BLD-2006 requires: 'Provide no fewer than two pathways, on separate roof planes from lowest roof edge to ridge and not less than 36 inches (914 mm) wide. One pathway shall be provided on the street or driveway side of the roof.' Pathways must be over areas capable of supporting firefighters and in locations with minimal obstructions (vent pipes, conduit, mechanical equipment), and roof access, pathways and setback requirements must be shown on the plans. The ridge setback itself falls to the code in force with no local amendment - the 2025 CFC (renumbered from 1204 to 1205 this cycle) and CRC R329 (renumbered from R324). County Fire publishes a Standard 3 'Roof Access' but it is about commercial security barriers, stairway access and standpipes, with nothing on PV. 70% · published checklist

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? Rapid shutdown is required by NEC 690.12 as adopted in the 2025 California Electrical Code (2023 NEC), with no California and no SLO County amendment to Article 690. The county's own PV documents are silent on it: BLD-2006 does not mention rapid shutdown, and the published Photovoltaic Inspection Checklist is a 2011 document written against the 2005/2008/2011 NEC, which predates the requirement entirely. Judge to the 2023 NEC. 78% · 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? At the service equipment: 'WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE', placed adjacent to the main service disconnect in a location clearly visible from where the disconnect is operated. Beyond that, marking is required on ALL interior and exterior DC conduit, enclosures, raceways, cable assemblies, junction boxes, combiner boxes and disconnects. The plans must identify the locations of, and give details depicting, every required warning label, and a 'Warning Labels and Locations' sheet is part of the submittal package. Stand-alone (off-grid) systems must be labelled in compliance too. PG&E adds a 'UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH' label of its own (see Q42). 90% · published checklist
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Yes. The county prescribes the exact string in capitals - 'WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE' - rather than pointing at the NEC and leaving it there. 90% · published checklist
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Yes, all three. Colour and letter height: 'Marking shall have all letters capitalized with a minimum height of 3/8 inch white on red background.' Material: 'The materials used for marking shall be reflective, weather resistant and suitable for the environment and comply with UL 969.' Placement pitch: on all interior and exterior DC conduit, raceways, enclosures and cable assemblies every 10 feet, within one foot of all turns or bends, and within one foot above and below all penetrations of roof/ceiling assemblies and all walls or barriers. For warning signs generally: 'Lettering must be permanent and not less than one quarter inch high.' 92% · published checklist
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? No county-specific facility-map placard. BLD-2006 requires the warning-label LOCATIONS to be shown on the plans but does not call for a permanent plant/facility diagram at the service equipment; the governing requirement is therefore NEC 705.10 as adopted in the 2025 CEC, unamended by California or the county - a permanent plaque or directory at the service equipment denoting the location of each power source disconnecting means. The one map the county's process does force is PG&E's: where the AC disconnect switch is not grouped with the meter panel, PG&E requires 'a clear map showing the location', and signs indicating where the disconnect is; the same applies where a Net Generation Output Meter is installed away from the other meters. 62% · utility DG manual
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes. PG&E Document 060559 (Greenbook / Distribution Interconnection Handbook) requires, on the AC disconnect: 'Permanently attached signage on the front that explains this is the ac disconnect switch for the generation. Example: "UTILITY AC DISCONNECT SWITCH".' '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.' Also required: marking or signage on the switch clearly indicating the open (off) and closed (on) positions; a device label with ratings and UL certification; a location map and signs where the disconnect is not grouped with the meter panel; and the switch clearly marked on the submitted single-line diagram with manufacturer, model, voltage rating, current rating and location. 88% · utility DG manual
• Where must the labels be placed? AHJ labels: 'WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE' adjacent to the main service disconnect, clearly visible from where the disconnect is operated; marking every 10 feet along interior and exterior DC conduit/raceway/enclosure/cable runs, within one foot of every turn or bend, and within one foot above and below every roof/ceiling, wall or barrier penetration; plus labels on junction boxes, combiner boxes and disconnects. Utility label: on the front of the AC disconnect switch, which must itself sit within 10 feet of and in line of sight of the PG&E meter, mounted between 48 and 75 inches from grade to the top of the enclosure. 88% · published 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.

• Where must the AC disconnect be, relative to the meter? Within 10 feet of the PG&E meter, in line of sight of it, and easily seen from the meter panel. PG&E: 'The disconnect device must be installed between the PG&E meter and all generation sources'; 'located 10 feet or less, in line of sight, from PG&E's electric meter at the point of common coupling'; at the same grade level if outdoors with the meter; mounted 48 inches minimum to 75 inches maximum from ground to the top of the enclosure; NOT allowed on any floor or level above grade, on a roof, or inside a room that is not an approved electric meter room. It must isolate only generation, never load, and must be lockable open with a PG&E padlock taking a 5/16-inch shaft (keyed locks not allowed); molded-case breakers and pull-out disconnects are not acceptable. EXEMPTION that covers most houses: inverter-based systems on single-phase service up to 240 V may be exempted, as PG&E determines, if the interconnected meter panel is self-contained (not transformer-rated), accepts form 'S' socket-based meters, is rated 320 A (CL 320) or less continuous, and is single-phase 120/240 V or 120/208 V. 90% · utility DG manual
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes - listing, not a county-maintained list. 'All electrical equipment and conductor shall be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL) such as U.L., ETL, CSA', and the plans must name the make and model of modules, inverters, racking and other major components with manufacturer data sheets attached. The county's published inspection checklist tests modules to UL 1703, charge controllers and inverters to UL 1741 with utility-interactive inverters additionally 'identified for use in interactive photovoltaic power systems', and notes that inverters listed only to telecommunications standards do not meet the NEC. Separately, PG&E will not interconnect equipment that is not CEC-listed under Rule 21. 80% · published checklist
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, permitted, with conditions set on the plans. The ESS must be shown on the site plan; the single-line must give the number of batteries, voltage, amp-hours and series/parallel configuration, with specification sheets. 'If installed inside of garage provide a Floor Plan showing impact protection (when required) and heat detection alarm that is interconnected with smoke detecting system installed in the home.' The county's inspection checklist adds the older NEC conditions - access limited [690.71(B)], installation in well-vented areas (garages, basements, outbuildings, not living areas), building-wire type cables (welding/marine/DLO/auto battery cables do not meet the NEC), conduit entering the enclosure below the tops of the batteries, and high-interrupt DC-rated fuses or breakers with AIC of at least 20,000 amps. Fire-code conditions come from the 2025 CFC / CRC R330, unamended locally. 82% · published checklist
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes - the fee schedule carries its own 'Energy Storage System' permit line, $533.34 with TSF ($215.09 via SolarAPP+), separate from the PV permit line. Under SolarAPP+, 'Modification of Battery Quantity or Type' is one of the changes that forces a completely new application rather than a revision, which confirms storage is tracked as its own permitted scope. 75% · fee schedule
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes. A ground-mount is treated as a structure with its own foundation and land use footprint: 'A footing inspection for all ground mounted arrays is required prior to concrete placement' and 'All ground mounted arrays require footing inspections in compliance with approved plans'; structural plans and calcs are part of the submittal; engineering is required above 6 feet a.a.g., with prescriptive pier footings (12" diameter x 60" high side, x 36" low side) below that. On the land use side, s.22.32.050(B)(2) sets minimum front/side/rear setbacks for ground-mounted Solar Electric Facilities (rural Tier 1/2: 25 ft front, 30 ft rear; urban and village: 15 ft front, 15 ft rear), where roof- or structure-mounted arrays simply inherit the setbacks of the structure they sit on. 90% · department handout
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? The busbar rule is stated on the county checklist as the classic 120% rule: 'Load side back feed overcurrent devices when combined with line overcurrent devices shall not exceed 120% of the panel board buss or conductor rating. In no case shall a system's design permit a Buss or conductor rating to be exceeded.' The plans must state service panel amps, voltage, main breaker rating and PV breaker rating. A service or meter upgrade done with the solar job is a separately fee'd scope ('Electrical Service, New / Meter Replacement', $774.76, or $373.12 Express) and, under SolarAPP+, an electrical meter replacement or upgrade forces a NEW application rather than a revision. The only local electrical amendment on service disconnects (s.19.06.010(b), CEC 230.70(A)(1)) expressly exempts Group R-3. 82% · published checklist
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Roof mount: no prescribed attachment spacing. The plans must show 'the method of attachment to the roof, flashing details, state minimum embedment' and a detail sectioning roof composition, mounting type, racking system and structural attachment. Ground mount: the county publishes a PRESCRIPTIVE racking design as an alternative to a listed pre-engineered system - overall racking height not to exceed 6'-0" above adjacent grade; 2" Schedule 40 galvanized steel piping spaced not more than 8' on centre; high-side foundation minimum 12" diameter x 60" deep pier; low-side foundation minimum 12" diameter x 36" deep pier; low-side ground clearance 12"-30"; bracing with 2" galvanized steel piping every other bay in each direction. Ground screws are allowed per the racking manufacturer's instructions, but a soils report is required unless 'beach sand' values are used. 90% · published checklist

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 - with a phone fallback. Book online in PermitSLO; or call the automated inspection request line 805-788-6602. Walk-in and email are not offered for inspection booking. 90% · department page
• How much notice is required? 1 business day. 'All inspection requests must be received no later than 5 pm the day before requested inspection date.' The FAQ's phone route is slightly more generous - call 'any time before midnight for an inspection on the following workday'. BLD-2007 tells PV contractors to call 'one day in advance'. Three remote areas are restricted to fixed days: Oak Shores/Interlake Road Mon/Wed/Fri; Running Deer/Chimney Rock Tue/Thu; California Valley/Cuyama Wednesday only. No inspections on county-observed holidays. 85% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No same-day. A two-hour window is assigned: 'An inspector is assigned and the contractor or permit-holder is provided with a two-hour window in which the inspection will occur.' AM/PM is a request, not a guarantee - 'To find out the approximate time of your inspection, you may call your building inspector between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM the day it is scheduled. When possible, your inspector will try to accommodate your request for a morning or afternoon inspection.' For PV specifically, BLD-2007 requires the contractor to call the area inspector between 7:15 and 7:45 AM on the day to coordinate the time, and to be present so covers can be removed. 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 for the building/electrical final - county Planning & Building inspectors do it themselves, and s.19.09.015(a) limits an expedited small residential rooftop system to a single county inspection. But it is not the only inspection on the project: County Fire's own fee for 'Residential Plan Review (Fire) - Photo Voltaic' ($308 + $6 ATF = $314) buys, per County Fire footnote 2, 'plan review, one site visit and final inspection', and s.19.09.015(c) expressly contemplates 'a separate fire inspection ... if an agreement with the local fire authority does not exist'. 75% · fee schedule
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated for building or electrical - County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning & Building, Building Division, does its own. The fire piece sits with San Luis Obispo County Fire Department / CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit, which reviews and inspects residential PV under its own fee schedule collected at intake by Planning & Building. 80% · 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 an expedited small residential ROOFTOP system: one inspection - the final. 'Only one inspection shall be required and performed by staff for small residential rooftop solar energy systems eligible for expedited review.' Two extra stages attach where the work calls for them, per BLD-2007: 'Trench inspections are required after the conduit is installed and prior to backfill' and 'A footing inspection for all ground mounted arrays is required prior to concrete placement.' So the order is: footing (ground mount only) -> trench/conduit before backfill (where there is a trench) -> final. The permit's inspection card, issued with the permit, lists the required inspections and their codes. 85% · ordinance
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No mid-roof or rough-in for a rooftop system - the expedited path is a single final. The only pre-cover stages are trench inspection before backfill and, for ground mounts, footing inspection before concrete placement. 82% · department handout

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 it is badly out of date. The county publishes 'Photovoltaic Electrical Power Systems Inspector/Installer Checklist' on its Photovoltaic (Solar) documents page. It is the John Wiles / SWTDI-NMSU checklist, revised 6/30/2011, written to the 2005, 2008 and 2011 National Electrical Codes. The county's electrical code in force is the 2023 NEC. It contains nothing on rapid shutdown, nothing on the current 690.12 or the 2023 renumbering, and its 690.31/690.35 references are two cycles stale. 88% · published checklist
• What must be on site at inspection? The county-stamped approved plans, the building permit and the building inspection record/inspection card - 'The approved plans, building permit and the building inspection record shall be made available whenever inspections are requested', and the permit site inspection card must be posted prominently on site. For SolarAPP+ jobs: 'Have your Construction ePermit printed and available on-site for an inspector.' Also required on site for PV: the PV contractor in person (to open inverter covers), and safe roof access - an OSHA-approved ladder, properly secured, extending at least three feet above the roof surface where it is attached. If any tests are required, they must be set up so the inspector can observe the result. 88% · department handout
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes. The county's published Photovoltaic Inspection Checklist is built around listings and marking - modules listed to UL 1703, charge controllers and inverters to UL 1741 with utility-interactive inverters 'identified for use in interactive photovoltaic power systems', DC-rated overcurrent devices and disconnects, listed crimp terminals and twist-on connectors, power distribution blocks listed and not merely UL Recognized, cable and flexible-conduit marking under 690.31(E), and DC colour coding. BLD-2006 requires a 'Warning Labels and Locations' sheet so the inspector can check labels against the approved plans. BLD-2007 requires the PV contractor to be present so that inverter covers can be removed for inspection, and safe roof access (an OSHA-approved ladder, secured, extending at least three feet above the roof). 85% · published 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.

• What is issued on pass? Final. There is no certificate of occupancy for a solar retrofit - the inspector signs the inspection card at the final inspection, which is what the installer then sends to PG&E as the 'final building permit'. 82% · department page
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer. The contractor submits the interconnection application, a single-line diagram and a copy of the final building permit to PG&E; PG&E then upgrades the meter and issues written Permission to Operate, typically 5-10 business days after receiving the paperwork, up to a maximum of 30. The county does not notify the utility - s.19.09.014(g) says approval 'does not authorize an applicant to connect ... to the local utility's electricity grid. The applicant is responsible for obtaining such approval or permission from the local utility.' 90% · utility page
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $175.58 ($160.00 + $15.58 Technology Surcharge Fee). It 'applies when an inspection is scheduled but the applicant or contractor is not ready at the time of inspection'. 88% · fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? At plan review, a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies is issued and the application is resubmitted - s.19.09.014(c) requires it in writing, and the department promises 'a detailed report explaining the deficiencies' within 5 business days. At inspection, 'the inspector will leave you a correction notice describing any changes that must be made before you can schedule a re-inspection'; pass is recorded by the inspector signing the appropriate space on the inspection card. Under SolarAPP+, a correction requested by the inspector is handled as a resubmittal - the contractor re-runs SolarAPP+ (up to 3 revisions inside the $25 fee, each producing a new suffixed approval ID) and uploads the new approval and plans to the existing PermitSLO permit; but a meter upgrade, a change in battery quantity or type, a change of system kW or type, or adding/removing subpanels forces a brand-new application. 85% · department page