The Bend rule
The City's When Is an Electrical Permit Required? sheet lists renewable energy (solar) systems among the work that needs an electrical permit. The mounting is structural work, and Bend splits it in two:
- Prescriptive: the roof and array meet every item on the City's Solar Systems Prescriptive Installation Checklist (revised 6 June 2022, read 26 October 2026). No engineering.
- Non-prescriptive: anything that misses one item. The checklist says those are "Non-prescriptive (do not submit this form)".
The prescriptive checklist
| Item | Bend's limit |
|---|---|
| Construction | "conventional light-frame construction"; manufactured dwellings "do not qualify" |
| Risk category | I or II (OSSC 1604.5) |
| Roof framing | Pre-engineered trusses, or rafters with compliant spans, at 24 inches on centre or less |
| Snow load | 50 psf or less under the residential code (ORSC); 70 psf under the structural code (OSSC) |
| Roofing | Metal, single-layer wood shingle or shake, or "not more than two layers of composition shingle" |
| Module height | "less than 18 inches from the top of the module to the roof surface" |
| Weight | Modules plus racking "not more than 4.5 psf" |
| Attachments | 48 inches or less apart in any direction (24 inches in some conditions); standing-seam clamps rated at least 115 pounds at 60 inches or less, on 26-gauge steel or heavier |
If the design snow load for your house is over 50 psf under the residential code, the prescriptive path is out; the City's Building Safety Division can tell you the figure for your address. Three layers of shingles also disqualify a roof, so a re-roof before solar can be what makes it prescriptive.
What to submit
The checklist asks for a simple site plan showing the array, pathways and clearances; a racking attachment and roof framing detail; and the completed checklist, uploaded through the City's Online Permit Center. The applicant certifies "I or my agent have visually inspected and performed sufficient research". An Electrical Permit Sticker, "filled out and signed by supervising electrician per OAR 918-309-0000", goes at the panel or equipment, and the documents must be on site at inspection. Failing so often that more than two inspections are needed "will result in job delays and reinspection fees".
What it costs
From Bend's FY 2026-27 fee schedule (Resolution 3482, effective 1 July 2026, read 26 October 2026):
| Code | Fee | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2.3.03a | Combo permit for prescriptive installations, one and two family/solar | $345.38 |
| 2.3.03 | One and two family/solar non-prescriptive | $239.42 |
| 2.7.14 | Renewable electric energy, 5 kVA or less | $245.54 |
| 2.7.14a | Renewable electric energy, 5.01 to 15 kVA | $309.71 |
| 2.7.14b | Renewable electric energy, 15.01 to 25 kVA | $511.44 |
| — | State of Oregon surcharge on building and electrical permits | 12% |
The schedule does not say whether the prescriptive combo includes the electrical fee, so the Online Permit Center's fee estimate is the figure to trust.
Who can install it
Solar installers need a license from the Oregon Construction Contractors Board; check it on the CCB License Search, ideally by license number. The wiring is done by electricians licensed by the Building Codes Division (BCD license search), and the electrical sticker is signed by the supervising electrician. ORS 479.540 lets an owner do electrical work on their own home that is not for sale, rent, lease or exchange; ask Building Safety how that fits a solar install before relying on it. More: Bend contractor license lookup and Bend electrical permit.
What 1,076 Bend solar permits show
| Measure | Bend solar and battery |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,076 |
| Firms | 33 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months | 21 |
| Finaled (permits a year or more old) | 98.3% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 56 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 91.3% / 99.9% |
| Busiest firm / five busiest firms' share | 23.0% / 77.8% |
| Firms with an active CCB license | 72.7% |
| Busiest / quietest month (100 = average) | September (122) / February (59) |
Bend solar is a small, concentrated market that finishes its work: 33 firms in three years, five of them holding 77.8% of permits, and 98.3% of permits finaled. With finals that reliable, the useful checks are the license and whether the firm is still active: 21 of the 33 filed a permit in the last 12 months, and 72.7% matched to an active CCB license. Filing peaks in September and drops to 59 in February.
See every Bend solar installer by permits finaled →
Related
Compare installers on the Bend solar list; counts by month on Bend permit statistics. Choosing one: hiring a solar installer. National prices: solar panel installation cost and solar lease vs buy. Other cities: do I need a permit for solar panels. Past permits: Bend building permit search.
What this does not tell you
Bend's solar permits carry no job value, so we show no price. The trade includes battery storage permits. License status is a name match to the CCB file, and an unmatched firm is not necessarily unlicensed. Data stops at September 2026.
How we know this
The prescriptive criteria and submittals are quoted from the City of Bend's Solar Systems Prescriptive Installation Checklist (rev. 06/06/2022) and fees from Resolution 3482, the FY 2026-27 fee schedule, read 26 October 2026; the electrical permit rule from the City's electrical permit sheet and the owner rule from ORS 479.540, read 23 October 2026. Counts are City of Bend solar and battery permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026; finaled share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Bend building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on homes, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for solar panels in Bend, Oregon?
Yes. Bend's electrical permit sheet lists renewable energy (solar) systems as needing an electrical permit, and the roof mounting needs a structural permit, either through the City's prescriptive checklist or as a non-prescriptive design.
- How much is a solar permit in Bend?
Under Bend's FY 2026-27 fee schedule the prescriptive combo permit for a one- and two-family solar install is $345.38, a non-prescriptive structural solar permit is $239.42, and the renewable electrical permit is $245.54 up to 5 kVA or $309.71 from 5.01 to 15 kVA. A 12% State of Oregon surcharge is added.
- What is the prescriptive path for solar in Bend?
A checklist that skips engineering when every item is met: conventional light-frame construction, rafters or trusses at 24 inches or less, snow load of 50 psf or less under the residential code, modules under 18 inches above the roof, and panels plus racking of no more than 4.5 pounds per square foot.
- How long does a solar permit take in Bend?
In our file the usual Bend solar or battery permit was finaled 56 days after issue, and 98.3% of permits a year or more old were finaled.
- Can a homeowner install their own solar in Bend?
Oregon's ORS 479.540 lets an owner do electrical work on their own home that is not for sale, rent, lease or exchange. The prescriptive checklist's Electrical Permit Sticker is signed by the supervising electrician, so ask the City's Building Safety Division how an owner-installed system is permitted before you start.
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 Anaheim? The online small-rooftop permit, the 10 kW line and the City utility
- 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 Systems Prescriptive Installation Checklist (rev. 06/06/2022) — City of Bend Building Safety Division (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Resolution No. 3482, Fiscal Year 2026-27 Fee Schedule (effective 1 July 2026) — City of Bend (accessed 2026-10-26)
- When Is an Electrical Permit Required? — City of Bend Building Safety Division (2026-10-23)
- ORS Chapter 479 (ORS 479.540) — Oregon Legislature (2026-10-23)
- Online Permit Center — City of Bend (2026-10-23)
- Oregon CCB License Search (2026-10-22)
- License search (Plumbing, Electrical, MDI) — Oregon Building Codes Division (2026-10-22)