The Anaheim process
Anaheim runs its own electric utility, so the City and the utility set the steps together. From Anaheim Public Utilities' Solar Energy and Net Metering page (read 26 October 2026):
| Step | What the page says |
|---|---|
| 1. Plans | "Contractor will submit engineering plans to Anaheim Planning & Building online for review." |
| 2. Review | "If under 10kW, the permit will be issued without review." |
| 3. Build | "After building permit is issued, contractor will build the solar PV system." |
| 4. Turn on | "Customer can operate the system after Anaheim Planning & Building signs off on the building permit." |
The utility "does not issue the Permission to Operate", and Anaheim is on NEM 2.0 and "is not going to NEM 3.0". Grandfathered NEM 1.0 customers move to NEM 2.0 only if they expand their system. Rebates and the utility's other programs: Anaheim Public Utilities rebates.
The City's Online Permit Center offers a "Single Family Residential Small Rooftop Permit Online" alongside online EV charger and panel upgrade permits. The City's 2011 plan check guideline says larger or non-residential systems get structural and electrical plan check plus Fire Department review, and that systems on sites with a main service over 200 amps need the utility's interconnection approval first.
The structural checklist
The City's Structural Criteria for Residential Rooftop Solar lets a typical house skip an engineer if every answer is yes. The main conditions:
| Condition | Limit |
|---|---|
| Array weight | 4 psf for PV (5 psf for solar thermal) |
| Roof | Single roof, no reroof overlay; sound, no sagging or significant deterioration |
| Roof type | Non-tile (asphalt, wood shingle or shake) or tile, each with its own anchor spacing table |
| Gap under the modules | 2 to 10 inches |
| Coverage | No more than half of the total roof area |
| Anchors | 5/16-inch lag screws with 2.5 inches of embedment into the rafter, spaced no wider than the table |
| Height | Mean roof height 40 feet or less |
If any item is No, the City wants "project-specific drawings and calculations stamped and signed by a California-licensed civil or structural engineer." The checklist cites the 2013 California codes, so ask whether a newer version is in use.
Who can pull it
The plan check guideline says "Permits for the installation of solar energy systems may be obtained by a licensed C-10, or C-46 contractor," and "A C-10 license is required if the electrical main service/sub-panels are being replaced." C-46 is Solar, C-10 Electrical (CSLB classifications); check the number on CSLB Check a License. In our file 79.1% of Anaheim solar firms matched an active CSLB license and 7 matched one that is expired, suspended or otherwise inactive. The guideline does not mention owner-builders; ask the Building Division at (714) 765-5153 before applying as an owner.
Fees and inspections
The City's Exhibit C electrical fee list has lines for a photovoltaic inverter, micro-inverter strings and each battery, but its amounts do not line up cleanly in the published file, so we do not quote them; Anaheim NEXT shows the total before you pay. Inspections are booked in Anaheim NEXT, and the City's Inspection page says "Inspections must be scheduled by 5:00pm the prior business day"; virtual inspections are offered. The final sign-off is what lets you operate the system.
What 1,112 Anaheim solar permits show
| Measure | Anaheim solar and battery |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,112 |
| Installers / with a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 258 / 115 |
| Usual filed value | $16,000 |
| Middle half of installers' usual job (60 with 3+ permits) | $10,000 to $22,000 |
| Finaled (permits a year or more old) | 80.1% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 103 |
| Share held by the busiest / five busiest | 15.6% / 37.0% |
| Installers with a single permit | 163 (63.2%) |
| Installers with 5+ permits and none in the last 12 months | 10 |
| Busiest / quietest month | October (124) / July (72) |
The busiest installer in the last year was Sunrun (66 permits), but the field is wide: 63.2% of installers filed one Anaheim permit in three years, and 10 with five or more have stopped filing, which matters for who honours a warranty. Filed values span $10,000 to $22,000 across installers because the file mixes panel-only and battery jobs. Prices by home: Anaheim solar cost; national: solar panel installation cost.
See every Anaheim solar installer by permits finaled →
Related
Other cities: do I need a permit for solar panels. Panel upgrades first: Anaheim electrical permit. Lease or buy: solar lease vs buy. Counts by year: Anaheim permit statistics. Choosing one: hiring a solar installer.
What this does not tell you
Anaheim's own solar guidance is old: the plan check guideline is from 2011 and the structural checklist cites 2013 codes. The current online process is described only briefly on the utility's page, so confirm details with the Building Division. Our file counts solar and battery permits together; filed values are what applicants entered.
How we know this
The application steps, 10 kW threshold and operation rule are quoted from Anaheim Public Utilities' Solar Energy and Net Metering page; the online permit from the City's Online Permit Center; who may pull the permit from the Building Division's 2011 PV plan check guideline; structural limits from its rooftop solar structural criteria, all read 26 October 2026; scheduling from the Inspection page, read 23 October 2026. Our figures are City of Anaheim solar and battery permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026.
Numbers come from City of Anaheim Accela building permits on single-family homes and ADUs, data through October 1, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for solar panels in Anaheim?
Yes. Anaheim Public Utilities says the contractor submits engineering plans to Anaheim Planning & Building online, builds after the building permit is issued, and the customer can operate the system after Planning & Building signs off on the permit. Single-family homes have an online small rooftop solar permit.
- How long does a solar permit take in Anaheim?
Under 10 kW, the utility's solar page says 'the permit will be issued without review.' Larger systems go through plan check. In our file the usual Anaheim solar permit reached final 103 days after it was issued.
- Who can pull a solar permit in Anaheim?
The City's plan check guideline says solar permits 'may be obtained by a licensed C-10, or C-46 contractor', and a C-10 is required if the main service or sub-panels are replaced. The guideline is from 2011 and does not mention owner-builders, so ask the Building Division before applying as an owner.
- Does Anaheim Public Utilities give permission to operate?
No. The utility says it 'does not issue the Permission to Operate'; you can run the system once the City's Planning & Building signs off on the building permit. Anaheim stays on NEM 2.0 and says it is not going to NEM 3.0.
- When does an Anaheim solar job need an engineer?
When it fails the City's structural checklist: for example a roof with a reroof overlay, signs of sagging, an array over half the roof area, a gap outside 2 to 10 inches under the panels, or anchors spaced wider than the table allows. Then a California civil or structural engineer must stamp drawings and calculations.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a solar permit in Albuquerque? Building and electrical permits, the engineer triggers and the fee
- Do I need a solar permit in Bend, OR? The prescriptive checklist, the 2026-27 fees and how fast permits final
- Do I need a solar permit in Bernalillo County? The solar packet, the engineering exception and the PNM step
- Do I need a solar permit in unincorporated Boulder County? Yes: the B46 plan set, the $400 fee and the engineer's roof letter
- Do I need a solar permit in Boulder? Yes, an electrical permit, $69.60 for a home system
For one city
- Solar Energy and Net Metering — Anaheim Public Utilities (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Online Permit Center — City of Anaheim (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Solar Energy (Photovoltaic) System Installations, Plan Check Guideline (October 2011) — City of Anaheim Building Division (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Structural Criteria for Residential Rooftop Solar Energy Installations — City of Anaheim (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Inspection — City of Anaheim Building Division (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Anaheim NEXT (Accela Citizen Access) — City of Anaheim (2026-10-23)
- CSLB Licensing Classifications (2026-10-22)
- Check a License — CSLB (2026-10-22)