As an incentive to promote green building practices and reduce community greenhouse gas emissions, the City Council adopted resolutions to reduce solar panel permit costs for both Residential and Commercial buildings.

Why do I need this permit?

How do I get this permit?

An "over-the-counter" review appointment may be arranged for this application at the Development Services Center.  

Please have the following ready:

• Permit Application
• Owner-Builder Verification form if the applicant is the property owner. (Please note: the owner or contractor may apply for this permit.)
• 3 sets of plans, including:
  • Site plan
  • Exterior elevations
  • Construction plans
  • Electrical single line diagram and related calculations if required
  • Equipment specifications

The permit can be issued upon application approval and payment of fees.

How much does it cost?

The fee for single family installations is $236.70. 

For all non-single family residential projects, including commercial projects, the fee includes:

• Application fee of $55.20.
• $89.70 per hour of time required for review and inspection.
• Documentation fees of $1.38 per plan page and $.69 per letter size document based on the number of documents to be recorded.
• CPF* fee of 15% of the plan review and inspection fees
• SMIP** fees based upon the total valuation of the installation.

*CPF - Community Planning Fee  
**SMIP - Strong-Motion Instrumentation and Seismic Hazard Mapping Fee

What do I do once I get this permit?

At certain phases of the project, we will inspect the work to make sure the construction is in general compliance with the appropriate code.

You will need to schedule an inspection when ready.  

If you are not sure when inspections are required, contact your building inspector. Their name and phone number can be found on the inspection record card.

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