City of Austin

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 — City of Austin is the AHJ for residential solar throughout the Austin Energy service territory, including addresses in the ETJ and outside city limits 95% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — but internally split. Electrical (Auxiliary Power EP) is always City of Austin, with plan review by BTCS/Austin Energy and inspection by Austin Energy Solar Inspections. Building permit + ADS Residential Plan Review applies ONLY to ground-mount, building-integrated PV/solar shingles, tilt-up (non-parallel) arrays, arrays extending past the roof, and commercial. Nothing is delegated outside the City. 92% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes — an Auxiliary Power Electrical Permit is required for any and all residential distributed generation interconnected to the Austin Energy grid 95% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Separate — solar is its own electrical permit record type (Application Type: Electrical / Sub Type: Residential / Work Type: Auxiliary Power). A building permit is a separate application and is required only in the defined cases. Separate 'Repair' or 'Upgrade' EPs are needed for concurrent service work, and those must reach 'Final' status before the solar final can be scheduled. 92% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No published cap on residential system size. Size instead sets the review path: under 25 kW (and not on the Downtown Network) is the streamlined route with no AE approval of the DGPA; at or above 25 kW-ac of combined solar + ESS output a Distributed Generation Planning Application review and/or Transformer Capacity review is triggered, as it is for any project on the Downtown Network or any interconnected spinning generator. 82% · utility interconnection guide

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? Licensed electrician only 93% · utility interconnection guide
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes — twice over: City of Austin Vendor Registration is required before any permit application can be submitted, and trade contractors must additionally register with Building and Trade Contractor Services (BTCS) before obtaining a Building or Trade Permit 90% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? No — homeowner self-permit and self-install are expressly not allowed for solar, notwithstanding Austin's general Homestead Permit programme for homeowner electrical work 90% · utility interconnection guide

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? Mandatory uploads for a residential Auxiliary Power EP: (1) completed DGPA (Distributed Generation Planning Application) — required for ALL Auxiliary Power EPs even though AE approval is not required under 25 kW; (2) wire diagram / design packet for the proposed system; (3) signed Interconnection Agreement — now required for ALL residential DG projects. The DIG additionally lists: physical layout drawing(s) showing the interconnection equipment; electrical one-line diagram up to and including the interface to the AE system; list of major equipment with manufacturer, model number and info for inverter, OCPD and modules; inverter manufacturer's string sizing calculations. Optional: photos of existing meter/DG equipment, approved Meter Variance form, approved ESPA. 92% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic only — documents are uploaded to the AB+C portal as part of the application; no paper copy count is specified. Note that a PAPER copy of the approved plan set must be on site for any City inspection. 72% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes — 'Physical layout drawing(s) clearly indicating the interconnection equipment shown in Section C' of the DIG. Section C equipment that must appear: directory plaque, main service disconnect, billing meter, PV meter, main PV AC disconnect and ESS main disconnect. For a solar meter variance a separate site drawing showing all existing and proposed meters is required. 88% · utility interconnection guide
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — 'Electrical one-line diagram, up to, and including, the interface to the AE system' 93% · utility interconnection guide
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes — string calculations required ('Copy of the inverter manufacturer's string sizing calculations from their website to verify that the system is sized appropriately'). Conductor sizing is not submitted as a calculation but is verified at inspection: bonding conductor min #6 AWG copper through the PV meter, neutral sized to match the largest energized conductor, OCPD per NEC 705.11/705.12. 90% · utility interconnection guide
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required for a standard flush-mount rooftop array parallel to the roof. A Texas-licensed PE seal IS required, together with a building permit and ADS Residential Plan Review, where: modules are not mounted parallel to the roof surface (tilt-up); modules extend past the existing roof; the array is on a new and separate structure (ground-mount); solar roof tiles / building-integrated PV are installed; or the building is commercial. Separately, ALL Energy Storage System plans must be sealed by a Texas-licensed PE regardless of size. 92% · utility interconnection guide
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No electrical PE stamp for residential rooftop PV. The only PE-seal requirement touching electrical drawings is for ESS: 'Energy Storage System plans shall be sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in the state of Texas.' Note the DIG also says plan-review applications 'will not receive electrical review (except for Commercial projects involving energy storage)'. 78% · utility interconnection guide

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? Austin Build + Connect (AB+C), https://abc.austintexas.gov/ — used for application, fee payment, inspection scheduling and permit status. AE solar incentives run through a separate system, EECP. 95% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes for a standard flush-mount rooftop system — apply, upload documents, pay and schedule inspections entirely in AB+C. Not fully online where a building permit is triggered (ground-mount, solar shingles, tilt-up, overhanging arrays), which goes through ADS Residential Plan Review as a single combined application. 88% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $218.57 total for a typical residential rooftop PV system of 1-50 kW, made up of: Auxiliary Power Permitting (Solar) Intake Fee $32.47 (Austin Development Services) + Auxiliary Power Electrical Permit Base Fee $111.66 (Austin Energy $101.51 + 10% AE Technology Fee $10.15) + Solar Inspection Fee 1-50 kW $74.44 (AE $67.67 + $6.77). Add $74.44 for an ESS under 15 kW (ESS Inspection Fee, AE $67.67 + $6.77). Pre-Wire for Solar Inspection Fee is $37.22 where a pre-wire permit is pulled. 90% · fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Tiered — a flat intake fee and a flat electrical permit base fee, plus an inspection fee tiered by system size in kW (1-50, 51-100, 101-200, 201-400, 401-800, above 800 kW; ESS tiered separately at <15, 15-30, 31-60, 61-120, 121-240, above 240 kW). Not valuation-based, not per-panel. 92% · fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes — the $32.47 'Auxiliary Power Permitting (Solar) Intake Fee' is charged by Austin Development Services and is separate from Austin Energy's permit base fee; it covers the Web Application Acceptance review. Additionally, a contractor who fails the AE Distributed Generation Plan Review (DGPR) more than twice is charged a re-review fee for the third review. 68% · 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? Austin Energy — a municipally owned utility and a department of the City of Austin. Confirmed from the utility's own site, NOT from a ZIP lookup. The permit form requires 'Electrical Meter Provider' = 'Austin Energy'; properties inside Austin city limits served by a DIFFERENT utility must pull a 'Repair' or 'Upgrade' EP instead, not an Auxiliary Power EP. 95% · utility page (city department)
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel, with a hard utility gate before activation. The DGPA is filled out first and uploaded WITH the permit application (AE approval is NOT required for systems under 25 kW). A signed Interconnection Agreement is now required for all residential DG and 'will need to be reviewed and approved by AE staff prior to permit activation' — so the permit cannot go Active without it. For utility-side interconnections an Electric Service Planning Application (ESPA) is also required and 'AE approval is ALWAYS required for the ESPA regardless of system size'. At the other end, AE grants PTO. 90% · utility/AHJ permitting manual

The NEC edition a jurisdiction enforces is often a cycle behind the newest one published, and local amendments sit on top of it. Rapid shutdown, conductor sizing and labelling all change between editions, so the edition in force is the first thing to establish, not the last.

• Which NEC edition is in force? NEC 2023 — but changing imminently: the 2026 NEC takes effect 1 September 2026, four days from the date of this research. Systems permitted from 1 Sep 2026 should be designed to the 2026 NEC. 95% · department page (adopted codes table)
• Which building code edition is in force? 2024 International Building Code and 2024 International Residential Code, both effective 10 July 2025. The IRC was adopted by Ordinance No. 20250410-040 (passed 10 April 2025), repealing and replacing Article 11 of City Code Chapter 25-12, adopting the 2024 IRC together with Appendices BA, BB, BF, BI, BJ, BK, BL, BM and BO. 95% · adopting ordinance
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2024 International Fire Code, effective 10 July 2025, with local amendments in City Code Chapter 25-12 Article 7 (Fire Code). Austin also adopts the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Ordinance No. 20250410-041), which matters on the western fringe of the city. 90% · department page (adopted codes)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — every model code is adopted 'with the deletions in Subsection (B)...and the amendments in Section 25-12-243 (Local Amendments...)'. The City's own page is headed 'Local Amendments — Click below to view the local amendments for each Code' and confirms Chapter 25-12 covers Building, Electric, Fire, Property Maintenance, Mechanical, Plumbing, Residential AND Solar Energy — i.e. Austin maintains a distinct Solar Energy article within its technical codes. 92% · department page + adopting ordinance
• What is the installation judged against? Four documents together: the NEC edition in force (2023 until 1 Sep 2026, then 2026) as locally amended by City Code 25-12 Article 4; the Austin Energy Design Criteria Manual; the Austin Energy Distribution System Interconnection Guide (AE DC 1.12.0); and the Utilities Criteria Manual section 1.12.0 (Distributed Generation Interconnection). The DIG requires all equipment to be 'UL listed, suitable for the system voltage and current ratings, installed per the manufacturer's specifications, and properly labeled per the NEC and the Austin Energy Design Criteria'. 90% · utility interconnection guide

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.

Nothing recorded for City of Austin on this step yet — 1 question checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.

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 required per NEC 690.12, verified at inspection: 'Voltage below 30 volts within 30 seconds of rapid shut down initiation.' A rapid shutdown label must be installed in accordance with NEC Article 690. To the 2023 NEC until 1 September 2026, then the 2026 NEC. The main PV AC disconnect may be integrated with the rapid shutdown system. 92% · utility interconnection guide

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 grouped service equipment: (1) a directory/plaque of ALL DG/DER disconnects and sources on site, including contact information, per NEC 690.31(D)(2) and/or 705 and AE Design Criteria Manual 1.9.1.7 — must also cover any standby system or ESS per NEC 705.10; (2) a rapid shutdown label per NEC Article 690; (3) disconnect labelling per NEC 690.15; (4) permanent address marking on each meter enclosure or service disconnect; (5) DC PV output conduit labelled every 10 feet per NEC 690.31(D)(2). Where an ESS is installed: (6) a directory plaque by the ESS equipment if it is not grouped; (7) an AE-supplied QR-code label on the ESS linking to City of Austin battery recycling information; (8) where an enclosure contains both backed-up and non-backed-up circuits, a feed-through warning label. Where a PV aggregate panel is installed: (9) an aggregate panel label. Inspection is explicit that 'All equipment has permanent labels.' 92% · utility interconnection guide
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Yes — Austin Energy specifies exact wording for two labels beyond the NEC's: PV aggregate panel — 'PV AGGREGATE PANEL: DO NOT ADD, REMOVE OR RELOCATE LOADS'; and mixed backed-up/non-backed-up enclosure — 'THIS ENCLOSURE CONTAINS FEED THROUGH CONDUCTORS THAT MAY BE ENERGIZED WHEN THE DISCONNECT IS DE-ENERGIZED'. In addition, where a solar meter variance is granted, the applicant must submit 'a proposed placard language describing the alternative location' for AE approval — so variance placard wording is authority-approved case by case. 93% · utility interconnection guide
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes — a directory/plaque of all DG/DER disconnects and sources on site is required, per NEC 690.31(D)(2) and/or 705 and AE Design Criteria Manual 1.9.1.7. It must show: every DG/DER disconnect and source on the site; contact information; and information on any standby system or energy storage system per NEC 705.10. Placement rules: grouped with the meters and disconnects; an additional plaque at the ESS if the ESS is not grouped (not to exceed 20 feet without an approved AE meter variance, per AE DCM 1.9.3.1.j); and for utility-side interconnections, a plaque at the point of interconnection, at each disconnecting means, AND on the roof by the PV array. 90% · utility interconnection guide
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? This authority is a special case: the utility IS the inspecting arm of the AHJ, so there is no separate utility placard layer. Austin Energy's DIG and Design Criteria Manual are the placard specification, and Austin Energy Solar Inspections is the body that verifies the placards. The only AE requirement that is genuinely utility-supplied rather than contractor-supplied is the ESS recycling label: 'When ESS is installed, Austin Energy will provide a label to be affixed to the ESS system that contains a QR Code directing customers to a website, explaining how to recycle batteries and corresponding materials within the City of Austin.' 88% · utility interconnection guide
• Where must the labels be placed? Grouped at the service equipment on the exterior finished surface of the building. The following must be grouped together: directory plaque, main service disconnect, billing meter, PV meter, main PV AC disconnect, and ESS main disconnect. Where grouping is not practical, an exception must be requested from AE Solar Inspections and, for the PV meter, a Meter Installation Alternate Location (meter variance) must be approved BEFORE installation — installing without prior approval 'will result in a violation of Austin Energy Interconnection Guidelines'. Additional placard locations: by the ESS if not grouped (max 20 ft without variance); and for utility-side interconnections, at the point of interconnection, at each disconnecting means, and on the roof by the array. Meters may not be placed on/under porches or stairways, under overhangs or carports exceeding 72 inches, where moving objects could damage them, or within a 3-foot radius of gas meters, regulators or relief valves. 92% · utility interconnection guide

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? The main PV AC disconnect goes on the SOLAR side of the PV meter, so the meter stays energized while the PV system is disconnected (exception: for 480 V systems an additional disconnecting means is required between the PV meter and the interconnection). The PV meter socket itself sits between the point of interconnection and the PV AC disconnect. It must be a manual load-break switch with visible blades, grouped with the metering equipment and other switches, service-rated, no toggle switches, neutral broken and isolated in both the disconnect and the PV meter, inverter output landed on the load side and line-side conductors run to the line side of the PV meter socket, at least 3 feet clear of gas meters/regulators/relief valves, readily accessible to AE personnel at all times and lockable in the open position with an AE padlock — and it 'should not be locked by the owner'. AE reserves the right to open it. 93% · utility interconnection guide
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes, in two ways. Generic listing: all equipment must be UL listed; solar PV inverters certified to UL1741, UL1699B and UL1547 AND listed by the California Energy Commission; ESS inverters certified to UL1741 or UL9540 and listed for utility interaction; ESS certified to UL1973, with electrochemical cells to UL9540, lithium-ion to UL1642, lead-acid to UL1989. Authority-specific approved list: the meter socket must be 'approved by Austin Energy for use (i.e., socket is listed on AE website or has written approval from AE Distribution Metering)' — that is a genuine AE-maintained approved list. 90% · utility interconnection guide
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, permitted, on these conditions: certified to UL 1973, with electrochemical cells listed to UL 9540, lithium-ion to UL 1642, lead-acid to UL 1989; listed and labeled for the purpose if in a dwelling; plans sealed by a Texas-licensed PE; residential ESS over 1 kWh must comply with the prevailing International Residential Code, and the DIG points specifically at IRC Section R328; ESS over 20 kWh nameplate must comply with the prevailing International Fire Code; INSIDE the City of Austin, Austin Fire Department approval is required for individual ESS units exceeding 20 kWh and for installations exceeding 80 kWh total, with electrical drawings submitted to afdhazmat@austintexas.gov; installation in a vehicle drive path in a garage requires approved vehicle impact protection; a disconnecting means per NEC 706.15 grouped with the main service, plus a second AC disconnect near the ESS if the AE-required disconnect is not within sight; the ESS disconnect must be readily accessible, within sight of the ESS and within 5 feet of the main panel; at inspection batteries must hold charge without damage and the ESS must be capable of operating in island mode. 88% · utility interconnection guide
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No separate ESS permit — solar and batteries 'can be included together' on one Residential Auxiliary Power EP. But there IS a separate ESS inspection, charged as its own tiered ESS Inspection Fee ($74.44 for under 15 kW), and adding an ESS automatically triggers an Austin Energy Distributed Generation Plan Review (DGPR) that a solar-only project does not get. Above threshold it also triggers a separate Austin Fire Department review. 88% · utility/AHJ permitting manual + fee schedule
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes — a ground-mount is treated as 'a new and separate structure'. Inside City of Austin full- or limited-purpose jurisdiction it requires a building permit, PE-sealed plans, CoA Residential Plan Review under the New Construction and Addition process, and CoA inspection; the Auxiliary Power EP then falls under the Building Permit, with Austin Energy still performing the DG system inspection. Within the ETJ or outside city limits a ground-mount needs only a Residential Auxiliary Power EP and no CoA building permit. 92% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? Yes, several utility-side rules beyond the bare NEC: OCPD sized for the main panel busbar per NEC 705.11 (supply-side) or 705.12 (backfeed breaker); bonding conductor a minimum #6 AWG copper THROUGH the PV meter; neutral sized to match the largest energized conductor through the PV meter and broken/isolated in both the PV meter socket and the PV AC disconnect; for supply-side taps the fusible disconnect handle rating is a minimum 60 A; a Type 1 or 2 surge protective device sized for the service entrance per NEC 230.67; no toggle switches allowed; service-rated equipment required at the main PV AC disconnect. Utility-side interconnection requires a separate 'Upgrade' EP with an approved ESPA. 85% · utility interconnection guide
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No proprietary system named, but specific attachment rules are enforced: stainless steel fasteners on modules and racking; all roof penetrations flashed; the mounting system must meet structural requirements (roof capable of sustaining the added weight, array capable of sustaining wind requirements); modules not modified in a way that voids listing or warranty; all conductors properly secured above the roof surface with no wires touching the roof. No attachment spacing dimension is published. 85% · utility interconnection guide

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 — through Austin Build + Connect, 'My Inspections' tab. Inspections may only be requested for permits in 'Active' status. The contractor ticks the permit, selects the inspection type, and supplies contractor availability, day-of contact details and notes for the inspector. City (non-solar) building inspections can alternatively be scheduled by phone. 93% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• How much notice is required? Approximately 3 business days for solar. Requesting an inspection does not schedule it: the manual warns that AB+C may display the inspection as scheduled for the same day and 'this is FALSE'. Once formally scheduled by the AE Solar Inspections team the contractor receives an email with the date and time, 'usually within 3 business days'. For ordinary City building inspections (Repair/Upgrade EPs, building permits) the ADS page says inspections are usually performed 24 hours after scheduling and can slip to 48 hours. 88% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No published AM/PM windows and no same-day service for solar. The mechanism is the reverse: the contractor states their availability when requesting, and AE Solar Inspections then assigns and emails a specific date and time. After-hours inspections exist as a City fee line at $157.34 per hour, one hour minimum. 72% · utility/AHJ permitting manual + fee schedule

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? Delegated (internally) — the final solar inspection is performed by Austin Energy Solar Inspections, not by Austin Development Services electrical inspectors. Austin Energy is a City of Austin department, so this stays inside the same authority, but it is a different team, different inbox and different scheduling queue from ordinary CoA electrical inspection. Where a building permit is also required, the CoA performs the building/structural inspection and Austin Energy still performs the DG system inspection. 92% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• If delegated, to whom? Austin Energy Solar Inspections — solarinspections@austinenergy.com, 512-482-5346. Final meter sign-off is by a further team, Austin Energy Distributed Metering Operations (aedistributionmetering@austinenergy.com). Meter variance requests go to AEAdvancedMeteringEngineering@austinenergy.com. ESS fire review goes to Austin Fire Department HazMat, afdhazmat@austintexas.gov. 93% · 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? Order for a residential rooftop system: (1) optional pre-construction meeting with an AE DG inspector — optional for residential, mandatory for commercial and for utility-side interconnections above 25 kW AC; once requested, no final can be booked until it is complete. (2) Rough inspection — required if any DG components (e.g. conduit) will be concealed in walls or underground; request from AE Solar Inspections before covering. (3) Any separate Repair/Upgrade EP inspections by CoA Electrical Inspection through AB+C — these must be complete and in 'Final' status before the solar final. (4) Final Auxiliary Power EP / DG inspection by Austin Energy Solar Inspections. (5) AE Distributed Metering Operations reviews and approves the as-built revenue and solar meter installation and installs the solar meter. (6) Permit moves to 'Final' = Permission to Operate. Pre-wire permits have their own Pre-Wire Final inspection. 90% · utility/AHJ permitting manual + interconnection guide
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Yes, conditionally — a rough inspection is required whenever DG components such as conduit will be hidden inside walls or underground before the final: 'the contractor shall request a rough inspection of these components before they are covered up.' A separate Pre-Wire Final inspection exists for pre-wire-only permits (typically new construction), charged at $37.22. No mid-roof inspection is published. 90% · utility interconnection guide

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 — Appendix C of the Austin Energy Distribution System Interconnection Guide, titled 'Quick Reference Guide for Contractors', is a published pre-final inspection checklist, organised as General, Meters, Service Disconnect, Overcurrent Protection, Grounding and Bonding, AC Disconnect, Surge Protection, Inverters, Wiring, Raceways, Solar PV Module Array, Energy Storage Systems, and System Performance Validation. The DIG directs contractors to it twice ('Refer to Appendix C for the current inspection checklist'). 95% · utility interconnection guide (Appendix C)
• What must be on site at inspection? A licensed person must attend: 'At the final inspection, the contractor shall have a Master Electrician or Journeyman in attendance with proof of license (for residential inspections, a Residential Wireman is also acceptable.)'. The customer must also provide, at their own expense, a contractor to demonstrate all protective functions for the inspector. Contractors 'may be required to provide photos of roof work and/or as-built system components' and may upload these to the Auxiliary EP. For any CoA (non-AE) inspection, a paper copy of the approved plan set must be on site — 'Failure to provide the City-approved set of plans may result in failed inspections.' The permit must be in Active status and the installation address must match the permit. 90% · utility interconnection guide + department page
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes — explicitly and in detail. The published checklist includes 'All equipment has permanent labels', 'All meters, disconnects, and directory placard are grouped', 'Any equipment that cannot be grouped has a variance approval', 'Directory placard installed by ESS (if equipment is not grouped)', 'Conduit with DC PV output conductors is labeled every 10 feet, per NEC 690.31.D.2', 'All installed equipment is UL listed', and specific listing checks for inverters (UL1741/UL1699B/UL1547 + CEC listing), ESS (UL1973/UL9540/UL1642/UL1989) and the meter socket (on AE's approved list or with written AE approval). 93% · utility interconnection guide (Appendix C)

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

• What is issued on pass? Final — the permit moves to 'Final' status, and that status IS the Permission to Operate. There is no green tag or separate certificate for a rooftop retrofit. 'AE DMO denotes this by installing the solar meter(s) on-site and updating the solar meter details on the permit. The permit is then moved to a Final status. At this point, the project is closed, and the customer has Permission to Operate (PTO).' A PTO email is sent. Any further work on the system after the permit reaches 'Final' requires a new Auxiliary Power EP. 93% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Utility pulls — nobody notifies Austin Energy, because Austin Energy is already the inspecting body. After the AE solar inspection passes, AE Distributed Metering Operations makes its own site visit to install the solar meter and review the as-built metering, then updates the permit to 'Final', which grants PTO automatically with an email to both contractor and customer. The installer's only action is requesting the final inspection in AB+C. 'The customer may operate the system once the meter is installed.' 90% · utility/AHJ permitting manual
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $76.23 per re-inspection (residential). The schedule states: 'Permit fees include one inspection per required inspection type. A reinspection fee will be charged for every additional scheduled inspection each time (1) work is not complete or marked partial; (2) corrections from prior deficiency were not completed; or (3) the site is not accessible.' Separately, a contractor who fails the Austin Energy DG Plan Review more than twice is charged a re-review fee for the third review. 52% · fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Failures are notified by email from the permitting system, with the deficiencies and failure comments included in the email body AND recorded in AB+C on the permit's 'workflow - details' page. Contractors and the AE customer both receive notifications when inspections are requested, scheduled, passed or failed, when the solar meter review passes or fails, and when PTO is granted. To clear, the contractor corrects and re-requests the inspection through AB+C (attracting a re-inspection fee). For failed plan reviews, contractors may schedule an appointment with the reviewer directly or through solarinspections@austinenergy.com. 82% · utility/AHJ permitting manual