Bexar 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? No — not for residential rooftop PV on a single-family dwelling (3 or fewer dwelling units) in unincorporated Bexar County. Yes, it IS the AHJ for commercial establishments, public buildings and multifamily dwellings of 4+ units. 95% · department page (Public Works, Building Permits)
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both, but only for commercial/public/4+-unit multifamily. The Fire Marshal's Office issues the building permit AND a separate Electrical Work Authorization (EWA); Public Works only signs a prerequisite authorization form. For single-family residential: neither. 90% · department page + fee schedule + permit application
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? No. No county permit is required for a residential rooftop PV system on a single-family dwelling in unincorporated Bexar County. A voluntary residential building permit may be requested but is 'Not required by law'. 95% · permit application form (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Separate — where the county has jurisdiction. The Fire Marshal issues an 'Electrical Work Authorization' (EWA) distinct from the building permit: $150.00 when associated with an active building permit, $250.00 when not. 'Each building under a building permit must have an appropriate associated work authorization permit.' For single-family residential PV: no permit of either kind is required. 90% · fee schedule (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? Sometimes — an HOA may require prior approval but may not prohibit. Tex. Property Code §202.010(b) voids any dedicatory-instrument provision that 'prohibits or restricts a property owner from installing a solar energy device', but §202.010(d)(8) preserves an HOA's ability to require prior approval, and §202.010(d)(5) permits specific aesthetic conditions (no extension beyond the roofline, conformity to roof slope, frames/brackets/visible wiring in silver, bronze or black tones). §202.010(e) bars the HOA from withholding approval where those conditions are met. CPS Energy's residential process Step 2 tells the homeowner to 'Check with your HOA to verify solar panel guidelines'. 92% · state statute (text extracted from the site's content endpoint https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/PR/htm/PR.202.htm, because the public statutes page is now
• Is there a historic-district review? No. There is no historic-district review, because there is no county zoning at all: 'In the unincorporated areas of the County (any area not within a municipal city limits) there are no zoning regulations.' 85% · department FAQ + Local Gov't Code §233.153(d)(2)
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No. TDI windstorm certification (WPI-8) applies only to the designated catastrophe area within the seacoast territory. Bexar County is inland and not in the seacoast territory. 85% · state regulator page + Insurance Code §2210.005
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No. No Specific Use Permit, conditional use permit or Commissioners Court approval exists for residential solar, because the county has no zoning power in unincorporated areas. 82% · department FAQ + Local Gov't Code §233.153(d)(2)
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No county cap. Utility thresholds rather than caps: above 25 kW requires signed and sealed engineered drawings; above 50 kWac the DG owner must provide a certificate of liability insurance (50 kWac and smaller are exempt); CPS Electric Service Standards §2002 frames the residential/small-DG regime as 'systems of 500 kW and below'. Separately, energy storage installed as part of a net-metered installation 'are not permitted to export power to the grid but can be used for powering essential loads in loss of power situations'. 82% · utility DG manual (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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? A TDLR-licensed electrician must perform the electrical work — this is state law and applies in unincorporated areas with no exception for the absence of a permit. TDLR FAQ 1.1.3: 'I live/work and perform electrical work in an unincorporated area. Do I need a license? Yes.' Where the county does issue an Electrical Work Authorization, the applicant must attach a Master's License. There is no county permit to pull for residential rooftop PV. 92% · state regulator FAQ (TDLR) + Occupations Code ch. 1305
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Not with the county — there is no county contractor registration for residential PV. But YES with the utility: 'To install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, generators, or batteries in the CPS Energy territory, contractors must register with CPS Energy.' CPS publishes a Registered Solar Contractors list and the residential process routes the whole application through that registered contractor. 92% · utility program page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes, in effect — nothing county-side stops it, and a homeowner may voluntarily seek a residential permit. State law also exempts an owner-occupier from electrical licensing for work 'in or on a dwelling by a person who owns and resides in the dwelling' where no municipal ordinance regulates it. CPS Energy, however, routes residential interconnection through a Registered Solar Contractor, so a self-install still needs a registered contractor to carry the interconnection application. 70% · department FAQ + Occupations Code §1305.003 + utility process document

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? No county submittal package exists for residential PV. The governing submittal is CPS Energy's Solar Application packet, submitted by the registered contractor: Registration Form; Interconnection Application; Electrical Drawings; Annual Savings Report; Disclosure Form (signed by customer); Purchase Contract (signed by customer). CPS Electric Service Standards §2006 adds the technical minimum: operational one-line diagram (residential); site plan showing geographic orientation with existing and proposed service and metering equipment; meter loop elevation drawing; all protective devices including rapid-shutdown equipment with size, rating, manufacturer, type, style, model and settings; manufacturer specifications for inverters and panels; photographs of the existing service. All sheets to scale, PDF. 92% · utility process document (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• How many copies, and in what format? Utility: PDF, to scale, emailed to DG@cpsenergy.com. County (commercial route only, not applicable to residential PV): 'TWO COMPLETE COPIES OF LICENSED ARCHITECT, ENGINEER, OR DESIGN PROFESSIONAL PRODUCED PLANS'; construction plans to scale, not exceeding 24x36 inches, submitted as a flattened PDF on a USB thumb drive at an in-person intake appointment. 75% · permit application form + utility DG page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes — by the utility, not the county. CPS Electric Service Standards §2006(2): 'Detailed site plan showing geographic orientation with location of existing and proposed service and metering equipment', plus §2006(3) a meter loop drawing (elevation view) showing the proposed equipment layout. 90% · utility electric service standards (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — by the utility. CPS Electric Service Standards §2006(1): 'Detailed operational one-line diagram for residential installations and three-line diagram for commercial installations.' 92% · utility electric service standards (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required by the county for residential rooftop PV — the county has no residential jurisdiction and no residential threshold exists. No structural PE threshold is published by the utility either; CPS's engineering threshold is electrical, not structural (see q14). 78% · adopted code amendments (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No county threshold. Utility threshold: CPS Electric Service Standards §2006 Note 2 — 'For DG 25 kW and above or where specifically required by CPS Energy, sealed, and signed drawings will be required by a State of Texas licensed or registered engineer.' The residential process sheet repeats it: 'Systems sized above 25kW will require engineered drawings.' 90% · utility electric service standards + utility process document

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? Split. Public Works Development Services uses OpenGov: countyofbexartx.portal.opengov.com (stormwater, post-construction, floodplain, right-of-way, and the Permit Verification Form). The Fire Marshal's Office — which holds building and electrical permits — uses NO portal for submittal: 'All permit applications must be submitted IN PERSON BY APPOINTMENT ONLY' at 9810 Southton Rd, with plans on a USB thumb drive; only the intake appointment itself is booked online at www.bexar.org/fm. Neither touches residential rooftop PV. 90% · department page + portal redirect
• Can the whole application be completed online? No. The county's building/electrical permits cannot be completed online — submittal is in person by appointment only, with plans on a USB thumb drive and payment by cash, credit card, money order or check to the Bexar County Clerk. Only Public Works' stormwater/floodplain/ROW permits and the Permit Verification Form go through the OpenGov portal. The CPS Energy residential solar application, by contrast, is fully by email (PDF to DG@cpsenergy.com or through the contractor solar portal). 90% · department page + permit application form
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $0 — there is no county permit and therefore no county fee for residential rooftop PV in unincorporated Bexar County. CPS Energy charges no application fee for a residential DG interconnection. For reference, where the county does have jurisdiction: Electrical Work Authorization $150 (or $250 if not tied to an active building permit); 'All other permits as required by Section 105 of the 2021 International Fire Code and adopted amendments' $200; commercial building permits are valuation-based with a $100 minimum plan review and a 4.5% technology surcharge. 88% · fee schedule (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• How is the fee calculated? Not applicable for residential PV (no fee). Where the county does charge: Valuation — an escalating table of plan-review base fee, plan-review admin fee per $1,000 of value, permit base fee and permit inspection fee per $1,000, plus a 4.5% technology improvement surcharge; flat $400 for commercial projects valued under $6,250. Work Authorizations (electrical/plumbing/HVAC) are Flat at $150/$250. 88% · fee schedule (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Not applicable for residential PV. Where the county has jurisdiction: Yes — 'Plans Review Fees' is one of four separate components of a commercial building permit fee, base $100.00 minimum, plus a separate plan review admin fee. 85% · fee schedule (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

Interconnection is a separate process from the permit and usually the longer pole. Where the utility does not depend on the permit being issued, running both at once is the single biggest saving available on a residential job.

• What is the stated plan-review turnaround? No county review for residential PV. The binding turnaround is the utility's: CPS Energy reviews the residential solar application in about 7-10 business days; systems above 25 kW may take up to 30 business days. CPS's Distributed Generation landing page currently posts a longer figure — '20-25 working days from when CPS Energy receives a complete application' — for DG projects generally. For reference, the county's statutory deadline where it does have jurisdiction is 30 days (Tex. Local Gov't Code §233.063). 80% · utility process document + utility DG page
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? Not applicable to residential PV (no permit). Where the county does issue one: 180 days from date of issuance, and construction must start within that window; renewal of an unexpired permit costs the permit and inspection fee only, while an expired permit forces full resubmittal as a new project. 88% · department FAQ
• Which utility handles interconnection here? CPS Energy (municipally owned by the City of San Antonio) is the interconnecting utility for the great majority of unincorporated Bexar County. Contact: DG@cpsenergy.com, 210-353-2700; solar team 210-353-2SAV (2728), CPSESolar@CPSEnergy.com. 75% · utility company page + utility process document
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Before permit — and in unincorporated Bexar the utility is the only gate. CPS Energy reviews and stamps approval on the electrical drawings and interconnection application FIRST (Step 6: 'Installation should not begin until an approval has been granted and applicable permits obtained'); only then does the contractor pull any permit that a city or municipality requires (Step 7); installation follows (Step 8). Because there is no county permit for single-family PV, in unincorporated Bexar Step 7 is a no-op and the sequence is simply: CPS approval → install → CPS commissioning → PTO. 92% · utility process document (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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 unincorporated Texas the state electrical code governs by force of Tex. Occupations Code §1305.201(e), and TDLR 'has adopted the National Electric Code 2023 Edition, as it existed on August 25, 2022 ... It became effective September 1, 2023.' Note two lower-tier documents still cite older editions and will mislead: the Bexar County fire code amendments reference 'the 2020 National Electrical Code' (in the natural-gas generator amendment), and CPS Energy's Electric Service Standards PV figures cite the 2017 NEC throughout. 90% · state regulator compliance guide + Occupations Code §1305.201(e)
• Which building code edition is in force? 2021 International Building Code, with Appendices C, E, F, H, I, J, K, N and referenced codes — but it binds only commercial, public and 4+-unit multifamily buildings. It does NOT apply to a single-family dwelling. Adopted by Commissioners Court on 12 December 2023, effective 1 January 2024. For the voluntary residential permit route, the Fire Marshal reviews and inspects against the International Residential Code (One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code). 92% · adopted code amendments + department page (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2021 International Fire Code, plus Appendices A, B, C, D, I, K, L and N, cited as 'the Fire Code of UNINCORPORATED BEXAR COUNTY TEXAS'. Effective 1 January 2024. Applies only to commercial establishments, public buildings and multifamily dwellings of 4+ units (Tex. Local Gov't Code §233.062(a)) — never to a single-family dwelling. 95% · adopted code amendments (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — 82 pages of local amendments, published as 'BCFMO Fire Code Amendments for 2021 IFC and IBC', effective 01/01/2024. But NONE of them touches solar PV on a dwelling. The county 'does not enforce City of San Antonio locally developed amendments'. 92% · adopted code amendments (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• What is the installation judged against? The 2023 NEC, as the Texas state electrical code — but with no county body to judge it against. Tex. Occupations Code §1305.201(e): 'Electrical work performed in an unincorporated area of the state must be installed in accordance with standards at least as stringent as the requirements of the state electrical code as adopted under Section 1305.101.' In practice the only party that inspects the installation is CPS Energy at commissioning, against CPS Electric Service Standards §2000, the CPS DG Manual, the NEC, NESC, UL, IEEE 1547 and ERCOT operating guides. 90% · state statute (text extracted from https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/OC/htm/OC.1305.htm) + utility standards

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? None imposed on a single-family dwelling in unincorporated Bexar County — the county fire code does not reach it, and the county adopted no local amendment to the IFC's solar provisions. For buildings the county does regulate (commercial, public, 4+-unit multifamily), the unamended 2021 IFC Chapter 12 access-and-pathway provisions apply as adopted. 82% · adopted code amendments + Local Gov't Code §233.062(a)

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, and CPS Energy enforces it at commissioning: Electric Service Standards §2005.2(I) — 'Rapid shutdown shall be required in accordance with the NEC and shall be included in the design with proper labeling.' Which NEC edition is the live question: the legally governing edition in unincorporated Texas is the 2023 NEC (TDLR, effective 1 Sep 2023), but CPS's own placard figure is drawn to 2017 NEC 690.12(C) and 690.56. 82% · utility electric service standards (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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? None from the county. The utility governs. CPS Energy Electric Service Standards Figure 2000.6 requires, at or around the service equipment: (1) a customer service panel directory/plaque (705.10); (2) a rapid shutdown placard (690.56) on the service panel — one of two variants depending on whether the system shuts down the array and the conductors leaving it, or only the conductors within 10 ft of leaving the array; (3) a PV system AC disconnect label (690.13(B)) with rated AC output current and nominal operating AC voltage; (4) a PV system DC disconnect label (690.53) with maximum voltage, maximum circuit current and maximum rated output current of the charge controller or DC-to-DC converter; (5) a rapid shutdown switch label (690.12(C)) on the inverter DC disconnect switch; (6) an inverter output connection warning (705.12(B)(2)(3)(b)) reading 'WARNING: INVERTER OUTPUT CONNECTION DO NOT RELOCATE THIS OVERCURRENT DEVICE'; (7) 'WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE' on raceways and enclosures containing DC conductors; (8) 'PV/AC AGGREGATE PANEL: DO NOT REMOVE, ADD OR RELOCATE ANY CIRCUITS FROM THIS PANEL' where an aggregate panel exists. Section references are to the 2017 NEC as printed. 88% · utility electric service standards, Figure 2000.6 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Not the county — no. The utility — yes. CPS Energy prints its own placard wording in Figure 2000.6, including verbatim strings such as 'WARNING: INVERTER OUTPUT CONNECTION DO NOT RELOCATE THIS OVERCURRENT DEVICE', 'WARNING: PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SOURCE', 'RAPID SHUTDOWN SWITCH FOR SOLAR PV SYSTEM', 'SOLAR PV SYSTEM EQUIPPED WITH RAPID SHUTDOWN' and 'PV/AC AGGREGATE PANEL: DO NOT REMOVE, ADD OR RELOCATE ANY CIRCUITS FROM THIS PANEL'. 88% · utility electric service standards, Figure 2000.6 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? No letter height, colour or material is specified by either the county or the utility. CPS states a durability and standards requirement only: Figure 2000.6 Note 1 — 'LABELING SHALL BE PERMANTLY AFFIXED AND SUITABLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH 2017 NEC, ARTICLE 110.21(B).' [typo 'PERMANTLY' is in the original.] The dimensional specification therefore falls back to the NEC. 85% · utility electric service standards, Figure 2000.6 notes (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes — required by the utility, not the county. CPS Figure 2000.6 requires a 'CUSTOMER SERVICE PANEL DIRECTORY/PLAQUE (2017 NEC ARTICLE 705.10)', to be 'PLACED ON SERVICE PANEL AND ON SYSTEM DISCONNECTS FOR OTHER ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCTION SOURCES WHEN NOT GROUPED'. The content specification is the NEC's 705.10 (permanent plant/facility diagram showing the relative locations of the service disconnect and all power source disconnects); CPS adds no content requirement of its own. 85% · utility electric service standards, Figure 2000.6 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — and here the utility is the ONLY source of placard requirements, since the county specifies none. The whole of Figure 2000.6 (see q38) is a utility specification, mandated by Electric Service Standards §2005.2(G): 'Customer shall be responsible for all labeling of DG Facilities equipment as outlined in Figure 2000.6. Such labeling shall be in place at time of commissioning.' Note the specification sits in the Electric Service Standards, NOT in the Distributed Generation Manual — the DG Manual contains no placard specification at all. 90% · utility electric service standards §2005.2(G) + Figure 2000.6 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Where must the labels be placed? Per CPS Figure 2000.6 and §2005.2: on the customer service panel (directory/plaque and rapid shutdown placard); on system disconnects for other electric power production sources when not grouped; on the PV AC disconnect; on the PV DC disconnect; on the inverter DC disconnect switch (rapid shutdown switch label); on raceways and enclosures containing DC conductors; on a PV/AC aggregate panel where one exists; and on BOTH the revenue meter socket and the PV meter socket where the two meters have been approved to be remote from one another. Additionally, §2005.2(K): where PV system AC conductors run in attic spaces, 'the conductors shall be installed in approved raceways/conduits with labels denoting PV AC conductors'. 88% · utility electric service standards, Figure 2000.6 + §2005.2(K) (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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? Immediately adjacent to the revenue meter. CPS Electric Service Standards Figure 2000.5 Note 4: 'THE PV AC SERVICE DISCONNECT AND PV METER SHALL BE LOCATED IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE REVENUE METER.' Figure 2000.6 Note 2 adds 'PV METER SHALL BE LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE REVENUE METER UNLESS PRE-APPROVED BY CPS ENERGY TO BE LOCATED REMOTELY DUE TO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.' §2005.2(F): the PV AC meter disconnect goes on the load side of the inverters and before the CPS PV metering equipment, 'immediately adjacent to the PV system metering equipment', readily accessible and capable of being locked in the open position; an additional disconnect to isolate the PV meter is required where the interconnection is remote from the PV meter. §2005.2(C) Note 2: 'In no case will CPS Energy permit the PV meter to be located on floor(s) other than the level that the revenue meter is located.' DG Manual §4.7: the DG owner pays the full cost of a visible load-break disconnect switch 'by and to the sole specification of CPS Energy', readily accessible to CPS personnel and 'of a type that can be secured in an open position by a CPS Energy padlock'. 92% · utility electric service standards Figures 2000.5/2000.6 and §2005.2 + DG manual §4.7 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes, effectively — by the utility. CPS DG Manual §7.1.3: 'For DG Systems up to 50 kWac, certified equipment and equipment listed with an approved test label may be installed on CPS Energy's distribution system in accordance with CPS Energy approved interconnection control and protection scheme without further review of the DG Owner's design by CPS Energy.' CPS points to an external list for certified equipment (the California Energy Commission solar equipment lists). Equipment not on that route triggers CPS design review. 80% · utility DG manual §7.1.3 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, permitted. County: no jurisdiction over a battery at a single-family dwelling. Where the county does have jurisdiction, its fire code amendments require a construction permit for ESS (amended IFC §105.6.5: 'A construction permit is required to install energy storage systems regulated by Section 1207') while removing the operational permits for battery systems (§105.6.2) and capacitor energy storage systems (§105.6.3); IFC 1207 itself is left unamended. Utility: batteries are within the CPS DG regime and require contractor registration, but 'Energy storage systems installed as part of a net-metered installation are not permitted to export power to the grid but can be used for powering essential loads in loss of power situations.' CPS also warns that the DG Manual 'is currently undergoing revisions to include Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)' and directs BESS questions to CPS directly. 78% · utility DG manual + county code amendments (both extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No — not for a single-family dwelling in unincorporated Bexar County, where the county has no jurisdiction. Yes, for buildings the county does regulate: a separate ESS construction permit is required under amended IFC §105.6.5, with no separate ESS operational permit. 82% · adopted code amendments §105.6.5 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? No — not by Bexar County, for a residence. The county has no residential building-code jurisdiction, no zoning and no setback regime in unincorporated areas, so a residential ground mount is not permitted, reviewed or treated as a structure by the county. (Interestingly, the county's fire code amendments DO contemplate utility-scale PV as a structure: amended §503.1.1 treats 'solar photovoltaic power generation facilities' as 'Group U facilities' for fire apparatus access road purposes.) 72% · department FAQ + adopted code amendments
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? Yes — a utility rule, not a county one. CPS Electric Service Standards §2005.2(H)(1): 'Load-Side Interconnections shall be made on the load-side of the Customer's main service panel. A main breaker is required and shall be used in the bus ampere rating calculation to ensure the bus rating is not exceeded. Interconnections for residential installations shall be made at exterior panels.' §2005.2(H)(2) adds that line-side interconnections must be made in a junction box or auxiliary gutter ahead of the service disconnecting means, not less than 12x12 inches, with locking provisions, and that conductors from that junction box to the PV AC Disconnect are treated as service-entrance conductors and 'in no case shall the distance exceed 10 feet'. 90% · utility electric service standards (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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? Email — to the utility, not the county. The registered solar contractor requests the final commissioning from CPS Energy (CPSESolar@CPSEnergy.com / DG@cpsenergy.com), and CPS emails the scheduled date to contractor and customer. No county inspection exists to book for a single-family PV system. Where the county does inspect, the statutory route is a written request to the county (Tex. Local Gov't Code §233.064(d)). 85% · utility process document (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• How much notice is required? 5-10 business days for the CPS Energy final commissioning: 'Please provide CPS Energy 5-10 business days to schedule a date/time.' No county notice period applies to residential PV. Where the county does inspect, the statute gives it 5 business days to begin after a written request (10 business days for counties over 3.3 million population — Bexar is below that threshold, so 5 applies), failing which the building 'is considered approved'. 88% · utility process document + Local Gov't Code §233.064(e)

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? No — the county performs no final solar inspection on a single-family dwelling, and says so in terms: 'the County does not have legal authority to regulate residential construction, conduct residential construction inspections, or issue a residential Certificate of Occupancy', and 'the County will not conduct a residential construction inspection once the building has been completed'. The final inspection that actually happens is CPS Energy's commissioning and anti-islanding test. 95% · department FAQ + Fire Marshal standing letter
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated — the function is absent, not transferred. The only body that inspects a residential PV installation in unincorporated Bexar County is CPS Energy, and it does so as the interconnecting utility under its own Electric Service Standards §2007, not as a delegate of the county. Where the county does inspect (commercial/public/4+ multifamily), it uses its own staff: 'Fire Inspectors or Fire Investigators from the Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office will perform the inspection of your building project.' 88% · department FAQ + utility electric service standards §2007

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 residential PV in unincorporated Bexar County there is exactly one inspection and it belongs to the utility: CPS Energy's final commissioning, which is 'the required inspection and anti-islanding test', performed on site with the contractor present, after which CPS sets the PV meter and activates the system the same day. For reference, the county's sequence where it does have jurisdiction is: structural frame (for required fire resistance/fire separation), electrical rough-in, HVAC rough-in, and final inspection for issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy (Compliance) — with a Fire Marshal inspector or investigator entitled to conduct an inspection at any time to verify construction documents are on site. 90% · utility process document + department FAQ
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? No — no rough-in or mid-roof inspection exists for residential PV here, because no county inspection regime applies and CPS Energy inspects only once, at final commissioning. Where the county does have jurisdiction, an electrical rough-in and an HVAC rough-in are both required. 80% · department FAQ + utility process document

The approved plan set, the permit, and the equipment listings should be on site and reachable. Inspectors routinely verify that installed equipment matches what was approved, and that the labels are the ones the plan set promised.

• Is there a published inspection checklist? No published inspection checklist for solar PV, from either the county or the utility. The county publishes checklists only for fire-safety occupancy inspections (Assisted Living Facilities, Licensed Child-Care Home, Foster Family Home, Foster Group Home, Licensed Daycare Center, Residential Care Facilities, Boarding Home, Fuel Systems) and a Construction Plan Submittal Checklist for commercial plan review. None concerns solar. 88% · department page document index + sitemap enumeration
• What must be on site at inspection? For the CPS commissioning: the contractor must be on site, and CPS must be able to access the equipment — 'To avoid delays, please ensure your contractor is on site and CPS Energy can access your equipment to perform inspection.' The CPS-stamped approved electrical drawings and interconnection application are the governing approved documents. Labelling per Figure 2000.6 must already be in place at commissioning. No county documents are required, because no county permit exists; where the county does have jurisdiction, the permit/work authorisation and approved plans must be on site or a $150 per-day fee applies. 85% · utility process document + utility standards + county code amendments
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes — the utility does. CPS Electric Service Standards §2005.2(G) makes labelling a commissioning-gated requirement: 'Customer shall be responsible for all labeling of DG Facilities equipment as outlined in Figure 2000.6. Such labeling shall be in place at time of commissioning.' §2007 gives the commissioning inspector the mandate to 'inspect and perform acceptance tests on the DG Facilities to determine compliance with technical requirements'. Listings are handled by §7.1.3 of the DG Manual (certified/listed equipment). The county verifies nothing on a residential PV job. 85% · utility electric service standards §2005.2(G) and §2007 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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? Letter — specifically a Permission to Operate (PTO) email from CPS Energy, issued within 24-48 hours of passed commissioning, with the PV meter set and the system activated on the same day as the commissioning. No county Final, green tag or Certificate of Occupancy is issued, and for existing homes in unincorporated Bexar County a residential CO generally does not exist at all: 'most residential construction has not been constructed under a residential permit, and therefore a residential Certificate of Occupancy does not exist.' 90% · utility process document + department FAQ
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Utility pulls — there is nobody to notify. CPS Energy performs the commissioning itself, sets the PV meter and issues the PTO email directly to the customer within 24-48 hours; no AHJ sign-off is transmitted because none exists. The installer's only trigger is requesting the commissioning (Step 9). Note that CPS's older Solar Rebate Program Manual contemplates 'An AHJ permit release (if applicable)' being emailed to CPSESolar@cpsenergy.com before a commissioning can be scheduled — the '(if applicable)' is exactly the carve-out that unincorporated Bexar falls into. 88% · utility process document (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is there a re-inspection fee? Utility: no re-inspection fee published — 'Once corrections are made, your solar contractor may re-request the commissioning', with no charge stated. County (not applicable to residential PV): Building Code Re-inspection Fee $100.00 per building; Re-inspection Fee (Prevention) $65.00 per building, also charged for failing to appear at or cancel a scheduled inspection within four hours; plus $150.00 where the permit or approved plans are not on the work site. 85% · fee schedule (extracted with pdftotext -layout) + utility process document
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Utility: on a failed commissioning 'your solar contractor will be notified with reason of failure. Once corrections are made, your solar contractor may re-request the commissioning.' Deficiencies found during application review are likewise routed to the contractor to correct. County (not applicable to residential PV): the Fire Marshal issues Notices of Violation, Fire Marshal's Orders and Citations, with escalation to the district attorney for civil or criminal case preparation where voluntary compliance fails. 78% · utility process document + department page