What PPRBD asks for on a PV system
From PPRBD's Alternative Energy Plan Requirements (28 October 2025), read 23 October 2026:
| Part of the submittal | What it must show |
|---|---|
| Utility approval | "Written approval from the utility company for the system", including any mandated disconnect, and the battery if one is being installed |
| Site plan | North arrow, service gear and equipment locations, interior and exterior raceway routing, module layout, access pathways; for ground mounts, maximum array height |
| Spec sheets | Modules, inverters, optimizers, the module grounding method (NRTL-listed), and the GFDI |
| One-line diagram | Conductor and conduit sizes, bus and overcurrent ratings; line-side taps at least 6 AWG copper or 4 AWG aluminium |
| Batteries (ESS) | Floor plan showing the battery location; NEC 706.15 compliance and a DC disconnect between battery and inverter |
| Roof mount structure | Racking configurator printout or a Colorado licensed design professional's letter, using PPRBD's loads |
| Elevated roof mounts | A design professional's letter on whether the roof framing takes the point loads |
PPRBD's design loads are specific to the Front Range:
| Criterion | Below 7,000 ft | Above 7,000 ft |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-roof snow load (Pf) | 30 psf | 40 psf |
| Ground snow load (Pg) | 43 psf | 57 psf |
| Wind | 130 mph (Vult), Exposure C | 130 mph, Exposure C |
PPRBD warns that a manufacturer's configurator report counts only if it was run with these loads: "The correct design criteria must be input for the report to be correct and accepted." For ground mounts, "Only arrays exceeding 7' require a building permit (electrical permit still applicable)", and site-fabricated parts need a stamped design. Solar thermal systems need a mechanical/plumbing permit, with backflow devices and relief valves shown.
Who can pull it
The electrical work is a licensed trade: PPRBD issues an electrical permit only to an electrical contractor whose DORA license and PPRBD registration are active, and checks that before every permit (Contemporaneous Review). An owner may pull a permit only for work they do themselves on "your primary residence, which you own and reside in" (Homeowner Permits). For a detach and reset at reroof time, PPRBD says the permit "must be obtained by a license contractor."
Solar and a new roof
From PPRBD's Reroof with Solar handout (rev. 22 October 2025) and Re-Roof Guidelines:
- PPRBD "requires both a building permit and an electrical permit" for PV systems removed and reinstalled during a reroof, "in addition to a roofing permit".
- "A minimum of one inspection is required to be performed on the re-roof permit prior to solar panels being re-installed."
- If PPRBD has no permit history or plans for the original system, it requires a pre-inspection before removal, on site or by uploaded photos.
- Older systems do not have to be brought up to current code, but must be remounted "equal to or better than the original installation."
So a hail-season reroof under solar is three permits and two contractors' schedules. Ask the roofer which solar company pulls the Detach and Reset permit before signing; the roofing side is in the Colorado Springs roofing permit guide.
Fees
PPRBD's fee schedule has no separate solar line. Use the Fee Calculator, choosing Electrical (and Building for a roof mount or a ground mount over 7 feet); PPRBD notes "Fees are subject to change at time of permitting." We did not find a published flat solar fee, so we give no figure here.
What 3,035 Colorado Springs solar permits show
| Measure | Colorado Springs solar |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 3,035 |
| Firms | 140 |
| Firms with a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 73 |
| Usual filed value | $13,600 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $2,850 to $20,120 |
| Usual days to final (estimated) | 41 |
| Share held by the busiest firm / five busiest | 21.4% / 43.2% |
| Firms with 5+ permits and none in the 12 months to September 2026 | 22 |
| Busiest / quietest month | October / February |
Two things stand out. The middle half of firms' usual value runs from $2,850 to $20,120 because detach-and-reset crews and full installers file the same permit type. And 22 of 140 solar firms that filed five or more permits stopped filing in the 12 months to September 2026, against 73 still active: a 25-year panel warranty is only as good as the firm behind it. Filing peaks in October, alongside the post-hail roofing peak. Prices: Colorado Springs solar cost.
Check it in five minutes
- Ask the installer for its DORA electrical contractor license and check it on DORA's lookup and PPRBD's Contractor and Mechanic Search (steps).
- Ask which snow load the racking design used: 30/43 psf below 7,000 ft, 40/57 above.
- Search the installer's past jobs on PPRBD Permit Search (how) and its record on the Colorado Springs solar list.
Other cities: do I need a permit for solar panels. National prices: solar panel installation cost.
See every Colorado Springs solar installer by permits filed →
What this does not tell you
Our solar trade mixes new systems with detach-and-reset jobs, which is why the value range is wide. PPRBD's file has no final date, so days to final are estimates, and we show no finished share or license status. Utility interconnection is outside PPRBD and outside our data. More: Colorado Springs permit statistics.
How we know this
Plan requirements, design loads and reroof rules are quoted from Pikes Peak Regional Building Department's alternative energy plan requirements, reroof-with-solar handout, re-roof guidelines, homeowner permit page, contemporaneous-review procedure and Fee Calculator, read 23 October 2026. Our counts are PPRBD solar permits on homes inside Colorado Springs city limits, October 2023 to September 2026; days to final are estimated.
Numbers come from Pikes Peak Regional Building Department permits inside Colorado Springs city limits, data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for solar panels in Colorado Springs?
Yes. Pikes Peak Regional Building Department reviews residential PV plans and requires an electrical permit for every system. Roof mounts also need a structural design for the racking, and a ground-mounted array needs a building permit only if it exceeds 7 feet.
- What documents does PPRBD need for a solar permit?
Written approval from the utility, a site plan with equipment, raceway routing and module layout, spec sheets for modules, inverters and optimizers, a one-line diagram, and a racking configurator printout or a letter from a Colorado licensed design professional using PPRBD's snow and wind loads.
- Do I need a permit to take solar panels off for a new roof in Colorado Springs?
Yes. PPRBD requires a Detach and Reset permit before the arrays come off, a building permit and an electrical permit for the PV system on top of the roofing permit, and at least one reroof inspection before the panels go back.
- How long does a solar permit take in Colorado Springs?
By our estimate the usual Colorado Springs solar permit reached final in 41 days. Plan review comes first, and the utility's interconnection approval is a separate step.
- How much does a permitted solar system cost in Colorado Springs?
The usual Colorado Springs solar permit carried a filed value of $13,600, and the middle half of installers' usual jobs ran $2,850 to $20,120. The low end includes detach-and-reset jobs.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a permit for solar panels? Yes: the rule in 12 cities, and how fast they close
- 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 Honolulu? Quick permits, HNL Build, fees and how long they take
- Do I need a solar permit in Marin County? The online minor improvement permit, fees and the license
For one city
- Alternative Energy Plan Requirements, PV and Thermal Solar, Residential (10/28/25) — Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Reroof with Solar Arrays (rev. 10/22/2025) — PPRBD (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Re-Roof Guidelines (rev. 03/05/2024) — PPRBD (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Homeowner Permits — PPRBD (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Contemporaneous Review of State Licenses and Apprentice Registration (rev. 03/05/2024) — PPRBD (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Permit Fee Calculator — PPRBD (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Permit Search — PPRBD (accessed 2026-10-23)