City of Fort Worth

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 95% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — the city permits and inspects building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing itself. Third-party plan review and/or field inspection is optional (applicant's choice), and reduces the permit fee. 90% · fee ordinance (Ord. No. 27191-09-2024), Tables 1-A and 1A-1
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes — a building permit and a separate electrical permit 80% · department brochure (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Separate 90% · department page (Stay informed – FAQS accordion)
• Is there a historic-district review? Yes, where the property is in a historic or design-review district — additional approvals are required before a permit can be issued. Design review staff contact 817-392-8037. 75% · department brochure (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No windstorm certification. Fort Worth's locally filled IRC Table R301.2(1) gives an ultimate design wind speed of 105 mph (3-second gust), Exposure B unless site conditions say otherwise. 70% · adopting ordinance, local amendments (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No — solar is allowed by right. 'The Development Services Department has clarified that solar energy is allowed by right in residential and commercial zones.' 75% · city news release

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 — a registered Electrical Contractor (state TDLR licence). A homeowner may pull it for their own homestead. 80% · department page
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes 90% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes — on their own homestead (owner-occupied single-family) 80% · 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? No solar-specific checklist exists. The general residential submittal matrix for an accessory structure requires: online application, checklist/requirements, complete set of plans, plat (certified copy), site plan, and Urban Forestry permit if common ownership is 1 acre or more. 55% · department page (submittal matrix)
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic only, via the online portal. All documents must be PDF, Adobe Acrobat 22-compatible, first-generation vector PDFs (direct conversion from CAD/Word) — scanned plans are NOT accepted, though scanned plats, correspondence, energy-code documents and forms are. Files must not be write-protected or read-only (staff must be able to mark up and add/remove sheets). Plans must be at a defined scale (1/4"=1', 1/2"=1' etc.) with correct proportions. All drawings combined into one file. 90% · submittal guide PDF (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes for accessory structures, per the residential submittal matrix. The city publishes no content specification for what the site plan must show for solar. 55% · department page (submittal matrix)
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — but by the UTILITY, not the city. Oncor requires a one-line diagram (single page, flattened, non-editable PDF, under 2MB) showing service address, ESI ID, all panels/inverters/batteries/VLLD/meter with manufacturer, model, quantity and voltage, and the VLLD-to-meter distance in feet. The City of Fort Worth publishes no checklist requiring a one-line. 90% · utility DG requirements (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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? Accela Citizen Access — https://aca-prod.accela.com/CFW/Default.aspx (city calls it 'Online Permitting' / 'ACA') 95% · portal landing link on department page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes 85% · submittal guide PDF v1.4 dated 8/9/2024
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $225.00 minimum permit fee (2 trades: building + electrical) plus a $16.87 Technology Fee. $112.50 if only one trade permit is pulled. 60% · fee ordinance Ord. No. 27191-09-2024, Table 1A-1 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• How is the fee calculated? Tiered — by number of trade permits required (residential); non-residential remodel/accessory work is valuation-based 70% · fee ordinance Ord. No. 27191-09-2024, Tables 1-A and 1A-1
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No separate plan-check fee for a residential permit. Charges arise only for re-review: additional plan review required by changes/additions/revisions is $63.00 per revision per hour (half-hour minimum) for the first revision, $112.50 second, $225.00 third and fourth, $337.50 fifth and up. Expedited plan review is separately priced. 75% · fee ordinance Ord. No. 27191-09-2024

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? 7 business days (residential building permits) to first review comments 90% · department page
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (TDU). Retail billing is through the customer's chosen REP; Fort Worth is in the ERCOT competitive market. 85% · utility electric service guidelines, Feb 2025 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel — but the Interconnection Agreement must be executed before the system is energized. Oncor ESG 700.02: 'All Distributed Generation connected for Parallel Operation with the Company grid must work through the interconnection process with the Company to obtain an Interconnection Agreement before the system is energized.' 85% · utility DG manual, ESG Sec. 700.02, Feb 2025

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, adopted as the Fort Worth Electrical Code by Ordinance No. 26721-02-2024 (adopted 13 Feb 2024, effective 1 March 2024), with local amendments 95% · adopting ordinance (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Which building code edition is in force? 2021 International Building Code (Ord. 25382-03-2022) and 2021 International Residential Code (Ord. 25383-03-2022); also 2021 IMC, IPC, IFGC and IEBC; 2015 International Energy Conservation Code; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code 95% · department page plus adopting ordinances
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2021 International Fire Code, amended by Ordinance No. 25388-03-2022 (the Fort Worth Fire Code) 95% · adopting ordinance (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — every adopted code carries local amendments; the city's own page says 'Each code has locally adopted amendments'. None of them amends solar PV. 95% · department page plus four extracted amendment ordinances
• What is the installation judged against? The 2023 NEC as locally amended (the Fort Worth Electrical Code, City Code Ch. 11, Secs. 11-1 to 11-4). Article 690 and Article 705 are unamended, so a PV installation is judged against unmodified 2023 NEC. 95% · adopting ordinance (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

Ridge setbacks and roof access pathways are fire-service requirements and they constrain the array layout. They are the most common cause of a redesign after the fire department comments on a plan set.

• What ridge setback and access pathways are required? No local amendment. Rooftop access, pathways and ridge setback are governed by the unamended 2021 International Fire Code, Chapter 12 (Energy Systems). Separately, the city DELETED IFC Section 105.6.20 'Solar photovoltaic power systems', so no Fire Department construction permit is required for a solar PV system. 70% · adopting ordinance (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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 — to the 2023 NEC (Article 690.12), unamended locally 85% · adopting ordinance (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? The AHJ requires none of its own beyond the 2023 NEC. The UTILITY (Oncor) requires a caution/warning placard on the Visible Lockable Labeled AC Disconnect (VLLD) on every DG project — Class 1, 2 or 3 depending on the VLLD-to-meter distance. 90% · utility DG manual, ESG Sec. 700.04, Feb 2025
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — the city specifies no placard wording of its own. Oncor supplies sample (not mandatory) wording, e.g. 'CAUTION / POWER TO THIS SERVICE IS ALSO SUPPLIED FROM ON-SITE SOLAR/WIND GENERATION / AC SYSTEM DISCONNECT' and 'CAUTION / Solar Generation Utility AC Disconnect'. 85% · utility placard guideline (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? No letter height and no colour specified by anyone. Material IS specified, by Oncor: colour-cast acrylic placards, or sticker-type material only if outdoor-rated and of similar specification to NEC requirements; both must carry a UV inhibitor rated for exterior use. If colour-cast acrylic is used the customer must also supply adhesive tape — Oncor's preferred brand is 3M Scotch VHB (4956, 4941, 4936 or 4926), minimum 1 inch wide, double-sided, exterior grade. 85% · utility DG manual, ESG Sec. 700.04.01, Feb 2025
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes, in Class 3 cases (facilities fed from an Oncor pad-mounted transformer, or VLLD installed remotely). The site map must show: location of the Oncor meter and Oncor delivery equipment; location of the customer's main AC disconnect (VLLD); the service address; a north indicator and basic street and building layout; and a map title, e.g. 'Location of Distributed Generation System Disconnect' (older wording: 'Solar System Disconnecting Means'). 90% · utility DG manual, ESG Sec. 700.04.02–700.04.06, Feb 2025
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes, substantially. Oncor requires placards on ALL distributed generation projects, in three classes by VLLD-to-meter distance. Class 1 (VLLD within 10 ft of the meter): caution placard on the VLLD. Class 2 (VLLD more than 10 ft from the meter): additionally a directory placard posted within line of sight and viewable distance of the Oncor meter, stating where the disconnect is (e.g. 'AC DISCONNECT IS LOCATED ON WEST WALL OF THIS STRUCTURE'). Class 3 (pad-mount transformer feed or remote VLLD): caution placard plus a site map; three sets are requested — one for existing Oncor equipment, one held for future replacement of that equipment, one for the customer's main equipment; the contractor furnishes the placards and adhesive tape, and Oncor's own operations group mounts those on Oncor equipment after a site visit. For pad-mounted transformers, an additional caution placard with two pre-drilled holes is attached to the secondary cables inside the transformer. Placard proofs must be submitted for review, uploaded to the Placards section of the eTRACK Installer Portal. 95% · utility DG manual, ESG Sec. 700.04, Feb 2025
• Where must the labels be placed? On the Visible Lockable Labeled AC Disconnect — explicitly NOT on the Oncor meter. Oncor: 'Placards are required to be located on the visible AC disconnect and not on the Company Meter.' For Class 2, an additional directory placard goes within line of sight and viewable distance of the Oncor meter. For Class 3, identical placards go on both the Oncor equipment and the customer's main equipment. 95% · utility DG manual, ESG Sec. 700.04, Feb 2025

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? A Visible Lockable Labeled AC Disconnect (VLLD) must be located between the Oncor meter and ALL sources of distributed generation, on an ACCESSIBLE EXTERIOR wall WITHIN 10 FEET of the Oncor meter, accessible at all times. It must have an external handle and be lockable; molded-case breakers are NOT acceptable as a VLLD. Mounting height per ESG Figure 1 is 4 ft minimum, 6 ft maximum. Non-utility meter collars or other devices may not be installed between the utility meter and meter socket or inside the meter socket — that space is reserved for utility use only, and the meter socket must not be used as a raceway. If the VLLD is farther than 10 ft from the meter, Class 2 or Class 3 placarding is required. 95% · utility DG manual, ESG Sec. 700.03, Feb 2025
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, permitted. Technical conditions are the unamended 2021 IFC Chapter 12 (Energy Systems) — Fort Worth adopted no local amendment to it. The city does charge separately: a Fire construction permit fee 'Energy Systems (Installation)' at $150.00 per battery system installation, plus $110.00 per hour for any additional inspections after the first; and an IFC 105.5.14 'Energy Storage Systems' operational permit at $75.00. 75% · fire code adopting ordinance, Table H104.2 and construction permit fee table (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes — a Fire construction permit priced at $150.00 per battery system installation, with $110.00 per hour for any additional inspections after one inspection; and a separate IFC 105.5.14 Energy Storage Systems operational permit at $75.00. Note the contrast: the city DELETED IFC 105.6.20, so there is no equivalent fire permit for solar PV alone. 75% · fire code adopting ordinance (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes — as a residential accessory structure, and the constraints are severe. Zoning §§ 5.300–5.301 cap total non-habitable accessory building area by lot size (120 sq ft for lots under 5,000 sq ft; 200 sq ft for 5,000–9,999; 400 sq ft for 10,000–43,559; 2% of lot area for 1 acre and above), limit height to 10 ft (12 ft with an extra 2 ft of setback per extra foot of height), and require the structure to sit behind the rear wall of the house furthest from the street, or at least 75 ft back from the front property line, whichever is less restrictive. Accessory structures are prohibited in front, established front and projected front yards. 55% · zoning ordinance, Appendix A Ch. 5 Art. 3 (American Legal, code version 2026 S-20)
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? One relevant local rule: amended NEC 230.70(A) adds a 'Special Condition 4' — where more than one electrical service is installed, all service disconnecting means shall be grouped in the same location, either all inside the building or all outside and attached to the building. No local rule on busbar sizing or the 120% rule. 70% · adopting ordinance (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? Portal (Accela ACA) or Phone (IVR line 817-392-6370) 95% · department page (Stay informed – FAQS accordion)
• How much notice is required? None — 0 business days. Inspections received before 6:30 a.m. are scheduled for that same day; requests received at or after 6:30 a.m. are scheduled for the next business day. An inspection may be scheduled the same day the permit is obtained. 95% · department page (Stay informed – FAQS accordion)
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Same-day is offered (request before 6:30 a.m.). No AM/PM window is published; instead the city requires an 'inspection contact' to be filled in on the online ACA profile, and warns that without it 'the inspector will not have the correct contact to notify on the day of the inspection'. 85% · 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 by default, but genuinely optional. City inspectors perform the inspections; a third party may perform field inspections instead, at the applicant's election, with the permit fee reduced 35% (third-party review and inspection), 55% (city review, third-party inspection) or 70% (third-party review, city inspection). Separately, under TX Local Government Code Sec. 247.0025 (SB 1202, 89R, effective 1 Sep 2025), for a home backup power installation a licensed master electrician or a state electrical inspector may conduct the inspection without requesting it from the city at all, and the city may not charge a fee for it. 85% · fee ordinance Ord. No. 27191-09-2024, footnotes to Tables 1-A / 1A-1, plus TX SB 1202 (89R)

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? Trade inspections are scheduled individually but made together on the same day. For electrical: 205 Electrical Underground / 240 Electrical slab (below-grade only) → 210 Electrical Rough (before concealment) → 200/285 Electrical Final (inspection of all components installed after approval of the electrical rough, for permanent power). Building Final (100) comes last and requires that all related permits are approved and final and that Mechanical, Electric and Plumbing are final. Temporary electrical release is 250/285. 70% · department inspection guidance (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Yes, where work will be concealed — Electrical Rough (210). The governing rule is general: 'work must remain accessible and exposed for inspection purposes until approved ... an inspection is probably required for any construction that will be covered or concealed when construction is complete.' No roof-mount or mid-roof inspection is published. 70% · department inspection guidance (extracted with pdftotext -layout)

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 — the city publishes an inspection guidance set: 'What Inspections are Required' (general narrative by stage), a Residential typical permits-and-inspections chart, a Commercial general inspections list, and individual per-inspection PDFs (100 Building Final, 105 Stakeout, 108 Wall Sheathing, 110 Framing, 300 Mechanical Final, 305 Mechanical Rough, and others). 90% · department page (Guidance Documents section)
• What must be on site at inspection? 'All permit documents including the permit card, inspection card, approved plans and other information related to the issuance of the permit must be available for review on site at the time of an inspection.' The owner/contractor is responsible for requesting inspections and keeping the work accessible and exposed until approved. 95% · department inspection guidance (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? Final — Electrical Final (200/285) for permanent power, and Building Final (100). A Certificate of Occupancy is not part of this path for a rooftop retrofit; the CO/LCO route in the guidance is for occupancy of a building. 70% · department inspection guidance (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer. The installer registers and submits the project through Oncor's eTRACK / DERTRACK web portal (https://oncor.anbetrack.com/dgportal), sends the customer a tariff application for signature, and uploads a minimum of five inspection photos at the 'Agreement Available' step. Oncor reviews, performs a study, prepares the Interconnection Agreement, and once it is signed by all parties issues the Permission To Operate (PTO) letter to BOTH the customer and the installer, then has the meter reprogrammed. Surplus generation reaches the customer's REP within 30–60 days of PTO. 90% · utility DG process page plus ESG Sec. 700.02 and the May 2025 residential requirements pack
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $63.00 90% · fee ordinance Ord. No. 27191-09-2024 (extracted with pdftotext -layout)
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Plan-review corrections: revisions cannot be submitted until all departments have finished reviewing; the portal then emails the plans-exam contact and moves the permit to 'Awaiting Client Reply' status, at which point revisions may be uploaded via the Resubmit link in the Attachments section. All drawings must be combined into one PDF under the 'plans' category; they may NOT be emailed to the plans examiner. Field corrections: the city's guidance does not describe a field-correction clearance process. 75% · submittal guide PDF (extracted with pdftotext -layout)