Travis 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? Partially. Travis County IS the AHJ for the development/floodplain permit for residential rooftop PV in the unincorporated county. It is NOT the building-code or electrical AHJ and does not inspect the PV system. 90% · authority permit page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Delegated — the county permits land development only (floodplain, erosion/sedimentation control, site plan). Building-code inspection is delegated to third-party licensed inspectors under Code 480.006; electrical is held by the serving utility (Austin Energy in its territory), not by the county. 90% · adopting ordinance (county-hosted PDF)
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes. A Development (Residential) permit is required before installing rooftop solar in unincorporated Travis County. 95% · authority permit page + ordinance 464.061
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Neither — Travis County issues no electrical permit at all. The electrical permit is issued by the utility path: in Austin Energy territory, an Austin Energy 'Auxiliary Power Electrical Permit' via Austin Build + Connect. The county development permit and the utility electrical permit are entirely separate instruments from separate bodies. 85% · utility permitting manual
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No. Travis County does not require HOA or architectural approval as a precondition of the development permit; it is not a step in the county's published process and no such requirement appears in the code. 65% · authority permit page + code search
• Is there a historic-district review? No historic-district review. Travis County has no zoning or historic-district authority over private property in the unincorporated area. 70% · ordinance / code search
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No wind or windstorm certification required by Travis County. 60% · code search (absence)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No Specific Use Permit or Commissioners Court approval is required for residential rooftop PV. Travis County has no zoning power. The only Commissioners Court route in this area is a floodplain variance under Code Ch. 464 Subchapter C Division 4, which a rooftop array would not normally engage. 70% · ordinance
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No county cap on residential generation size. At utility level in Austin Energy territory, a system is not capped but crossing 25 kW-ac (solar + ESS combined) triggers an additional Distributed Generation Planning Application and/or Transformer Capacity review before the permit can activate. 80% · utility permitting manual

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 — in Austin Energy territory. 'All solar PV systems require an Auxiliary Power electrical permit to be pulled by a licensed electrician. Homeowner exemptions are NOT allowed for solar projects.' Travis County itself imposes no such rule because it issues no electrical permit; its development permit is applied for by the owner/applicant. 85% · utility interconnection guide
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? No — Travis County does not require contractor registration for the development permit. (In Austin Energy territory, Vendor Registration with the City of Austin IS required before an Auxiliary Power EP application can be submitted.) 70% · authority permit page + utility permitting manual
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? For the county development permit — yes, the property owner applies. For the electrical work in Austin Energy territory — no: 'Homeowner exemptions are NOT allowed for solar projects.' 80% · utility interconnection guide + authority permit 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? County: (a) address; (b) TCAD legal description — Property ID (PID), lot, block, phase and section; (c) proposed construction start date; (d) estimated cost of construction; (e) a site plan showing all proposed improvements, location of waterways, an ESC (erosion & sedimentation control) Plan, a Restoration Plan, location of all easements and setbacks, location of floodplain, and location of on-site sewage facilities where applicable. The separate PDF Residential Checklist is no longer uploaded — its questions are now built into the online application. Utility (Austin Energy): DGPA form, wire diagram / design packet, and a signed Interconnection Agreement (now mandatory for all residential DG). 95% · published checklist / permit page
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic upload through the MyGovernmentOnline (MGOConnect) portal; no paper copies described in the current process. Note that Code 464.062 still says an applicant shall submit the application 'along with plans in triplicate, drawn to scale' — paper-era text the online process appears to have superseded. 70% · ordinance + portal process page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes. The site plan must show: all proposed improvements; location of waterways; ESC Plan; Restoration Plan; location of all easements and setbacks (if applicable); location of floodplain (if applicable); location of on-site sewage facilities (if applicable). 95% · published checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? No at county level — Travis County requires no one-line or three-line diagram (the term 'one-line' returns zero hits in the county code and the solar page's document list has no electrical drawing). Yes at utility level — Austin Energy requires a 'Wire diagram/design packet for the proposed system design' as a mandatory upload on every Auxiliary Power EP. 90% · utility permitting manual + code search
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Not required by the county. Austin Energy's inspection checklist requires that 'Module string configuration is designed per inverter manufacturer's string sizing calculations' and that overcurrent devices be sized per NEC 705.11/705.12 — checked at inspection rather than demanded as a submittal calculation. 75% · utility inspection checklist (DIG Appendix C)
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No structural PE stamp for a standard roof-parallel residential array. Travis County imposes none (Ch. 480 does not reach a rooftop array). In Austin Energy territory a PE seal IS required where modules are not mounted parallel to the roof surface, extend past the existing roof, are on a new separate structure (ground mount), are solar roof tiles, or the installation is commercial — and separately, all Energy Storage System plans must be sealed by a Texas-licensed PE. 85% · utility interconnection guide
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? No electrical PE stamp for standard residential rooftop PV. AE's inspection checklist requires PE-sealed electrical plans only for commercial installations, modules on new structures, modules extending past the roof, modules not parallel to the roof, and solar roof tiles. 80% · utility inspection checklist

Most authorities now take the whole application through a portal, and several states cap or constrain what a residential solar permit may cost. Check whether plan check is billed separately before you quote the job.

• Which permit portal does this authority use? MyGovernmentOnline / MGOConnect (mgoconnect.org) for the Travis County development permit. Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) for the Austin Energy Auxiliary Power electrical permit and its inspections. Travis County also runs 'Camino' (app.oncamino.com/traviscounty) as a supplemental pre-application requirements tool, which the county states is NOT a substitute for the Code. 95% · portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes. Account creation, application, document upload, status tracking, comment response and permit issue (by email) are all described as online. The county notes 'All communication associated with your permit application will be conducted within the same website.' 90% · authority permit page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $149 per application for an 'A' Residential floodplain/development permit; $287 per application if a 'B' Residential permit applies (property in the special flood hazard area). Acreage does not change either figure. Additional residential review fees may attach: Permanent Water Quality Control $203/lot, Site Complexity – Environmental $187/application. 55% · published fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Flat — 'per application', explicitly not varying with acreage for residential ('A' Residential <1 acre and >1 acre are both $149). Non-residential, by contrast, is valuation-based ($137 + $1.99 per $1,000 of construction valuation). 80% · published fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No separate plan-check fee is listed for a residential development permit. There is an 'Additional Reviews Fee' (10% of the original fee where there is no change and under 6 months of non-activity, 100% after six months), a $245 Construction Plan Revisions fee, and optional Expedited Review (varies, plus 31.32% expedited review overhead). 70% · published 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.

• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? If development has commenced: on completion of the project, or 5 years from issue, whichever comes first. If development has NOT commenced: 180 days after the permit was issued. 95% · ordinance
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Split by address — there is no single utility for unincorporated Travis County. Austin Energy serves a large share: its territory is ~437 square miles, 'most of that area falls within Travis County', only 'about half of our service area is within the Austin city limits', and it names Travis County and Del Valle (unincorporated) among the areas served. The remainder of the unincorporated county is served by electric cooperatives (Pedernales EC to the west/north, Bluebonnet EC to the east) — which I could NOT confirm from their own sources in this run. 65% · utility service-area page
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Before permit (utility gates the permit). In Austin Energy territory a signed Interconnection Agreement is now required for ALL residential DG projects and must be reviewed and approved by AE staff before the Auxiliary Power EP can be activated. AE also runs a DG Planning Application / Transformer Capacity review where DG output (solar + ESS) is ≥25 kW-ac, and a DG Plan Review whenever an ESS is included. The county development permit has no utility dependency. 85% · utility 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? Other — Travis County adopts NO edition of the NEC. In Austin Energy territory the installation is nevertheless built and inspected to the NEC: AE's Distribution Interconnection Guide rev. 14.0 was a major revision to 'better align with City of Austin adoption of NEC 2023 code', and its rules cite NEC 2023-era articles (690.12, 690.15, 690.31(D)(2), 705.10, 705.11, 705.12, 706.15, 230.67). 75% · utility interconnection guide + code search (absence)
• Which building code edition is in force? For NEW residential construction only (a new single-family house or duplex on a vacant lot, or an addition increasing square footage or value by more than 50%): the builder's choice of either the International Residential Code as published on 1 May 2008, OR the IRC edition applicable inside the City of Austin corporate limits. A rooftop PV array on an existing home falls outside this definition, so no building code edition applies to it. Where a municipality has adopted a building code in its ETJ, that municipal code controls and Ch. 480 has no effect there. 90% · adopting ordinance
• Which fire code edition is in force? 2021 International Fire Code (including Appendix Chapters B, C, D, F, H and I) with local amendments, effective 1 January 2026. It applies ONLY to commercial establishments, public buildings and multifamily residential dwellings of more than three units — a one- or two-family dwelling is not a 'Building' under Ch. 201, so the fire code creates no permit or standard for residential rooftop PV. 95% · adopting ordinance (county-hosted PDF)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes. Code 201.064 'Amendments to the 2021 International Fire Code' contains extensive local amendments (including a rewritten IFC 102.1 scope). Ch. 480 modifies IRC applicability rather than amending the IRC text. None of these amendments mentions solar or photovoltaics. 90% · adopting ordinance
• What is the installation judged against? At county level: only floodplain and land-development standards — Code Ch. 464 (floodplain management), Ch. 482 (development regulations, incl. erosion/sedimentation control and water quality). Nothing electrical or structural. At utility level in Austin Energy territory: the NEC, the Austin Energy Design Criteria Manual, and the AE Distribution Interconnection Guide, verified against AE's published DG/DER Inspection Checklist. 80% · authority permit page

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 ridge setback or access pathway dimensions are set by Travis County for a one- or two-family dwelling. The county fire code (2021 IFC + amendments) does not reach single-family dwellings at all, and contains zero solar provisions. Austin Energy's checklist says only 'Roof perimeter access meets fire code' and directs installers to 'Check with your local Fire Department to ensure solar panel installation meets fire code requirements', pointing to the ICC Texas codes site — i.e. it defers without adopting a dimension. 75% · adopting ordinance + utility guide

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 in Austin Energy territory — 'All installations submitted for approval shall incorporate a rapid shutdown feature per NEC Article 690.12: Voltage below 30 volts within 30 seconds of rapid shut down initiation', and 'A rapid shutdown label shall be installed in accordance with NEC Article 690'. Travis County itself imposes no rapid-shutdown requirement (zero hits in the county code). 85% · 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? Travis County requires NO placards. All placard requirements come from the utility. Austin Energy requires at the 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; (2) a rapid shutdown label per NEC Article 690; (3) the plaque must also include information on any standby systems or energy storage system per NEC 705.10; (4) where a PV aggregate panel is installed, a label on that panel; (5) where an ESS enclosure contains both backed-up and non-backed-up circuits, a feed-through warning label; (6) an AE-supplied battery-recycling QR-code label on the ESS; (7) conduit carrying DC PV output conductors labelled every 10 feet per NEC 690.31(D)(2); (8) each meter enclosure or service disconnect permanently marked with the address of its occupancy/unit; (9) disconnect switches labelled per NEC 690.15. 90% · utility interconnection guide
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? Travis County — No, it specifies no placard wording of its own. Austin Energy — Yes, for two labels it dictates exact wording: 'PV AGGREGATE PANEL: DO NOT ADD, REMOVE OR RELOCATE LOADS' on a PV aggregate panel, and 'THIS ENCLOSURE CONTAINS FEED THROUGH CONDUCTORS THAT MAY BE ENERGIZED WHEN THE DISCONNECT IS DE-ENERGIZED' where an enclosure contains backed-up and non-backed-up circuits. All other AE placards are specified by reference to the NEC rather than by wording. 90% · utility interconnection guide
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes at utility level, by reference. Austin Energy requires 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 it 'must also include information on any standby systems or energy storage system in accordance with NEC Article 705.10'. For utility-side interconnections a directory plaque is required at the point of interconnection, at each disconnecting means, AND on the roof by the PV array. Travis County requires nothing. 85% · utility interconnection guide
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — and in this jurisdiction the utility's placards are the ONLY placards in play, because Travis County specifies none. See Q38 for the full Austin Energy list, including two AE-specific labels that have no NEC equivalent (the PV aggregate panel label and the AE-supplied battery-recycling QR-code label on the ESS). 90% · utility interconnection guide
• Where must the labels be placed? Grouped at the service equipment. Austin Energy requires the following to be grouped: Directory Plaque, Main Service Disconnect, Billing Meter, PV Meter, Main PV AC Disconnect, and ESS Main Disconnect. Where grouping is not practical, a meter variance must be approved BEFORE installation (submit to AEAdvancedMeteringEngineering@austinenergy.com, including 'a proposed placard language describing the alternative location'). Exceptions: an ESS directory plaque must be installed by the ESS equipment if that equipment is not grouped, not to exceed 20 feet without an approved variance; for utility-side interconnections, plaques go at the point of interconnection, at each disconnecting means, and on the roof by the array; DC PV conduit labels go every 10 feet along the run. 90% · 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? Austin Energy: the Main PV AC Disconnect must be a manual load-break switch with visible blades (no toggle switches), grouped with the metering equipment and other switches, and installed ON THE SOLAR SIDE of the PV meter so the meter remains energised while the PV system is disconnected (except at 480 V, where an additional disconnecting means is required between the PV meter and the interconnection). It must be readily accessible to AE personnel at all times and capable of being locked in the open position with an AE padlock; maintain a 3-foot radius from gas meters, regulators and relief valves; neutral broken and isolated in both the main PV AC disconnect and the PV meter; service-rated equipment required; inverter output conductors terminate on the load side, line-side conductors run to the line side of the PV meter socket; for supply-side taps the fusible disconnect handle rating is minimum 60 A. Travis County specifies nothing. 95% · utility interconnection guide
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes, at utility level. Austin Energy requires: all equipment UL listed and 'properly labeled per the NEC and the Austin Energy Design Criteria'; 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 (UL9540 for electrochemical cells, UL1642 lithium-ion, UL1989 lead-acid); and 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)'. Travis County maintains no approved list. 90% · utility interconnection guide
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Permitted. Travis County imposes no condition (zero battery/ESS provisions in the county code, and the fire code does not reach single-family dwellings). Austin Energy conditions: ESS plans sealed by a Texas-licensed PE; ESS certified to UL1973, with UL9540 for electrochemical cells, UL1642 lithium-ion, UL1989 lead-acid; if installed in a residential dwelling the ESS must be listed and labeled for the purpose; residential ESS exceeding 1 kWh must comply with the prevailing International Residential Code (2021), especially IRC 2021 §R328; approved vehicle impact protection where installed in a garage vehicle drive path; a disconnecting means per NEC 706.15 grouped with the main service and within sight of the ESS, installed within 5 feet of the main panel; and at inspection batteries must hold charge without damage. Note AE's Fire-Department threshold (individual units >20 kWh, or installations >80 kWh) is written as applying 'Within the City of Austin' only. 85% · utility interconnection guide
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No separate ESS permit. Austin Energy's manual states solar and batteries 'can be included together' on a single Residential Auxiliary Power Electrical Permit. Including an ESS does, however, trigger an additional Austin Energy Distributed Generation Plan Review (DGPR) before permit activation, and ESS plans must be PE-sealed. Travis County requires no ESS permit at all. 85% · utility permitting manual
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Mixed, and the distinction matters. A ground mount IS 'development' under Travis County Code 464.031 ('any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including … the construction of buildings or other structures') and therefore needs a development permit. But it is NOT a 'structure' for floodplain purposes: 464.031 defines 'Structure' as 'a walled and roofed building that is principally above ground', which a ground-mounted array is not. At utility level, Austin Energy treats a ground mount as needing only a Residential Auxiliary Power EP when outside Austin city limits — 'projects installed WITHIN the ETJ, or OUTSIDE of Austin city limits do not require any CoA building permits' — though PE-sealed plans are required for modules built on a new and separate structure. 75% · ordinance definitions + utility permitting manual
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No county rule. Austin Energy: overcurrent protection sized correctly for the main panel busbar per NEC 705.11 (supply-side connections) or NEC 705.12 (backfeed breaker); for supply-side taps the fusible disconnect handle rating must be a minimum of 60 A with fuse size calculated per NEC; a Type 1 or Type 2 surge protective device is required, sized for the service entrance per NEC 230.67. Service-side work needs a separate 'Upgrade' EP with an ESPA form; customer-side work needs a 'Repair' EP. 85% · utility interconnection guide
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No county rule on mounting system or attachment spacing. Austin Energy's inspection checklist requires: stainless steel fasteners on modules and racking; mounting system meets structural requirements (roof can sustain the extra weight; array capable of sustaining wind requirements); all roof penetrations flashed; all building penetrations sealed and fire resistance maintained; modules not modified in a way that voids listing or warranty; conductors properly secured above the roof surface with no wires touching the roof. 80% · utility inspection checklist

Booking is a portal, a phone call or an email depending on the authority, and the notice required is rarely zero. Book before the work is finished rather than after — the lead time, not the work, is usually what sets the date.

• How is an inspection booked? Portal, at utility level — Austin Energy solar inspections are requested through the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal, 'My Inspections' tab, and may only be requested for permits in 'Active' status. Travis County performs no inspection of residential rooftop PV; where a floodplain 'B' permit does trigger a county inspection, the permittee notifies the Floodplain Administrator directly (Code 464.069), and county development-permit communication otherwise runs through MyGovernmentOnline. 85% · utility department page + county ordinance
• How much notice is required? Austin Energy: no fixed notice period is published; after a request is submitted the AE Solar Inspections team schedules it and the contractor receives an email with the date/time 'usually within 3 business days'. Travis County (floodplain 'B' permits only): 'The permittee shall notify the Floodplain Administrator 48 hours before construction is ready for the above inspection.' 85% · utility permitting manual + county ordinance
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No same-day inspections. Austin Energy warns explicitly: 'Although the page may state that the inspection is scheduled for the same day, this is FALSE. The inspection is not yet scheduled and will not be performed on the same day.' Contractors supply their availability and contact details with the request; no AM/PM window system is published. 85% · utility permitting manual

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 / Delegated. Travis County does NOT perform a final solar inspection. Its own Solar Permit page has an 8-step process with no inspection step at all — it ends at 'Receive the Permit' and 'Post the permit somewhere visible from the public right of way'. Contrast the county's Single-Family Home, Addition and Remodel permit pages, which all state inspections 'must be performed by a licensed 3rd party inspector'. The DG inspection is performed by the utility: in Austin Energy territory, by the AE Solar Inspections team. 85% · authority permit pages + ordinance
• If delegated, to whom? Two delegations. (1) Electrical / DG inspection → the serving utility; in Austin Energy territory, Austin Energy Solar Inspections (solarinspections@austinenergy.com, 512-482-5346). (2) Building-code inspection where Ch. 480 applies at all (new SFH/duplex or >50% addition) → a third party contracted by the builder: a licensed engineer, registered architect, TREC-licensed professional inspector, a municipally-employed TSBPE-licensed plumbing inspector, a building inspector employed by a political subdivision, or an ICC-certified residential combination inspector. 85% · adopting ordinance + utility 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? Austin Energy sequence: (1) optional pre-construction meeting with an AE DG inspector (mandatory for commercial); (2) Rough inspection (301) where wiring will be covered before completion, and/or Temporary Power (304) and pre-wire final inspections where applicable; (3) all other related permits (Repair / Upgrade EPs) must reach 'Final' status; (4) Final solar inspection (305); (5) AE Distribution Metering Operations reviews and approves the as-built revenue and solar meter installation and installs the solar meter(s); (6) permit moves to 'Final' = Permission to Operate. Where a CT meter is required, the CT meter inspection sits after a passed 304 Temporary and before the final 305 is requested. Travis County adds no inspection stages for rooftop PV. 90% · utility permitting manual + department page
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Yes, conditionally. Austin Energy: 'If any parts of the system (e.g., wiring) will be covered up before the installation is complete, request a Rough Inspection to have them reviewed first.' A separate Pre-Wire Final inspection applies where wiring is installed for a future solar installation (typically new construction), and a Pre-wire ONLY Auxiliary Power EP exists for that case. No mid-roof inspection is required. 90% · utility department page

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 at utility level — Austin Energy publishes a 'DG/DER Inspection Checklist & Contractor Quick Reference Guide' as Appendix C of the Distribution Interconnection Guide, organised into 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. No at county level — Travis County publishes no inspection checklist for solar (and performs no such inspection). 95% · utility inspection checklist
• What must be on site at inspection? County: the issued development permit must be posted somewhere visible from the public right of way on the work site before the project begins. Utility (Austin Energy): the Auxiliary Power EP must be in Active status with the permit address matching the installation address; all Upgrade or Repair EPs for the same property closed; the installation consistent with the electrical design drawings; and contractor contact details supplied for the day of inspection. Where equipment is not grouped, the approved meter variance must be in hand. 85% · authority permit page + utility guide
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes. Austin Energy's published DG/DER Inspection Checklist verifies both explicitly: 'All equipment has permanent labels'; 'All installed equipment is UL listed'; 'All meters, disconnects, and directory placard are grouped' (with 'Any equipment that cannot be grouped has a variance approval'); 'Conduit with DC PV output conductors is labeled every 10 feet, per NEC 690.31.D.2'; 'Meter socket is approved by Austin Energy for use'; and inverter certification/CEC listing checks. 95% · utility inspection checklist

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

• What is issued on pass? The operative sign-off is the utility's: the Auxiliary Power EP moves to 'Final' status once AE Distribution Metering Operations has approved the as-built revenue and solar meter installation and set the solar meter — 'At this point, the project is closed, and the customer has Permission to Operate (PTO)', confirmed by a PTO email. Travis County issues no final or CO for rooftop PV; a Certificate of Occupancy exists only for floodplain 'B' permit construction, and is literally 'a copy of the B permit with inspections noted or certification attached and bearing the words Certificates of Occupancy followed by the dated signature of the Floodplain Administrator'. 85% · utility permitting manual + county ordinance
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Utility pulls. Nobody notifies Austin Energy — AE is already inside the process. AE Distribution Metering Operations reviews and approves the final as-built meter installation, installs the solar meter(s), updates the meter details on the permit and moves it to 'Final'; contractors and customers are then notified by email that PTO is granted. There is no AHJ-to-utility handoff because Travis County is not in the electrical chain at all. 90% · utility permitting manual
• Is there a re-inspection fee? Travis County: $200 per inspection after the initial free inspection (Inspections section of the FY2026 fee schedule); a separate $249 per corrective action report issuance & follow-up inspection applies to Permanent Water Quality Control non-compliance. Austin Energy: a re-review fee is charged for a 3rd DG Plan Review after two failures — the amount is not published in the manual. 70% · published fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? County: comments are issued inside the MyGovernmentOnline portal — 'If the County has provided comments on your application, action is required by you to address the comments. The review process will be paused until you have responded sufficiently to each comment.' Enforcement-stage problems come as a Notice of Violation and/or Stop Work Order, cleared through the county's 'How to Resolve a Violation' process. Utility: on a failed AE review the contractor receives an email from the permitting system with deficiencies and failure comments, also recorded in the AB+C permit workflow details page; reviewers can be contacted directly or via solarinspections@austinenergy.com. 85% · authority permit page + utility permitting manual