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Do I need a permit for solar panels? Yes: the rule in 12 cities, and how fast they close

Yes. Eleven of the 12 building departments whose rules we read for this guide require a permit for rooftop solar, the twelfth (Bellevue) says one "may be required", and none puts solar on an exempt list. San Diego says it plainly: "All Solar PV installations require a permit." The counts follow: San Diego filed 10,027 solar permits in three years and Elk Grove 3,735. What varies is how fast and how cheaply: Seattle skips plan review for small systems and Miami waives its city fee.

By Contractor Records · data through October 17, 2026

The rule in 10 cities, with their permit counts

Rules from each city's own page, read 22 October 2026. Counts are solar permits in the city's file over three years to September 2026 (Cape Coral's file starts January 2025); "usual days" is the typical time from issue to final inspection.

City The rule Solar permits Usual days to final
San Diego, CA "All Solar PV installations require a permit." 10,027 72
Elk Grove, CA Not on the exempt list, which covers only minor electrical repair and plugging portable equipment into existing outlets 3,735 109
Colorado Springs, CO (Pikes Peak Regional) Not on the "permit not required" list 3,035 41
Seattle, WA Electrical permit; "If your solar PV system is rated under 7.7KW, you can apply online without plan review" 2,013 43
Sacramento County, CA "Photovoltaic (solar) systems" need a permit; residential SolarAPP permits are "for contractor use only" 2,001 50
Cape Coral, FL "Solar Panels" is on the city's map of common permits, with a residential guideline 1,034 49
Saint Paul, MN "Work on electrical … systems requires trade permits" 634 69
Cary, NC "Solar or photovoltaic equipment, includes re-installing equipment when a roof is replaced" 600 45
Miami, FL City building permit fees for solar are "fully waived"; state and county surcharges still apply 388 52
Citrus Heights, CA "SOLAR PANELS": permit yes 366 55

Two more cities' rules, without solar counts in our file: Bellevue says "A permit with plan review may be required for installing solar panels or modifying a photovoltaic system", and its Fire Department asks for a 2-foot setback from roof edges and the peak. Denver issues solar as a same-day quick permit when the house has utility service of 400 amps or less and the system is under 10 kW DC.

Solar permits close well once they are pulled: 97.9% of Cape Coral's solar permits a year or more old reached a final inspection, 97.1% in Seattle and 96.1% in Elk Grove. San Diego is lower at 73.3%.

What happens if you skip it

Before you skip it, ask your utility whether it needs the city's final inspection to approve the grid connection; we did not read utility rules for this guide. On the city side:

  • Washington: L&I warns of "a fine of up to $2,000 for failing to obtain a permit before beginning electrical work".
  • Seattle: "If you build without a permit, you may be fined up to $500 per day."

Our permit vs no permit guide covers legalizing work after the fact.

Who pulls it

The solar installer. Sacramento County's fast online route (SolarAPP) is open to contractors only. The market is concentrated: Seattle's 2,013 came from 81 firms, and the top five held 59.7% of them. Seattle does let owners do their own electrical work "when they own and occupy the property". Before signing, check the installer's licence and permit record; our hiring a solar installer guide shows how.

How long it takes

The usual solar permit closed in 41 days in Colorado Springs, 43 in Seattle and 45 in Cary, against 109 in Elk Grove. Our how long building permits take page has the same figure for other jobs.

Check it in five minutes

  1. Ask the installer whose name goes on the permit and whether the quote includes it; see solar panel installation cost for permitted prices by city.
  2. If a roof replacement is coming, do it first (Cary even permits reinstalling panels after a reroof).
  3. After the install, look up the permit and its final on the city portal (how to check).

See every San Diego solar installer by permits filed →

What this does not tell you

We read 12 departments' rules; utilities, HOAs and historic districts add their own approvals, which we did not check. Several of our cities file solar and batteries together. Our counts cover permitted installs only.

How we know this

Rules are quoted from the pages under Sources, read 22 October 2026. Permit counts, usual days to final, firm counts and finished shares come from each city's permit file over the three years ending September 2026 (Cape Coral: January 2025 to September 2026). "Usual days" is the median from issue to final inspection; "reached a final" counts permits a year or more old.

Numbers come from City of San Diego Development Services approvals; City of Elk Grove TRAKiT building permits on single-family, duplex, mobile-home and ADU homes; Pikes Peak Regional Building Department permits inside Colorado Springs city limits; City of Seattle (SDCI) building, trade and electrical permits on single-family and duplex homes (the city's open-data exports); Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer); City of Cape Coral building permits (the city's open permit table starts January 2025); City of Saint Paul building and trade permits (the City's old approved-permits file up to June 2025, and the City's PAULIE permit system since September 2025), with the contractor named on each permit; Town of Cary building permit applications (issued permits only); City of Miami building permits (since 2014); City of Citrus Heights building permits on homes (the city's issued-permits layer), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.

Questions

  • Do I need a permit for solar panels on my roof?

    Yes. Eleven of the 12 building departments whose rules we read require one outright, and Bellevue says a permit with plan review 'may be required'; San Diego puts it as 'All Solar PV installations require a permit'. San Diego filed 10,027 solar permits in three years, the most of the cities below.

  • Do I need a permit to reinstall solar panels after a new roof?

    In Cary, North Carolina, yes: its list includes 'Solar or photovoltaic equipment, includes re-installing equipment when a roof is replaced.' Ask the roofer and the solar company which of them pulls it before the panels come off.

  • How long does a solar permit take?

    The usual solar permit reached its final inspection in 41 days in Colorado Springs, 43 in Seattle and 72 in San Diego. Seattle lets systems under 7.7 kW apply online without plan review, and Sacramento County issues residential solar through SolarAPP+, which it says is for contractor use only.

  • Are solar permit fees waived anywhere?

    Miami's fee schedule says city building permit fees for solar installation are fully waived for residential and commercial property; state and county surcharges still apply. Elsewhere the permit fee is part of the installer's price; ask for it as its own line.

  • Do I need a permit for a solar battery?

    Treat it as yes. A battery is wired into the house, and Seattle requires an electrical permit 'any time electrical wiring is installed, altered, extended, or connected'. Several of our cities file batteries with solar: Sacramento County's 2,001 'Solar & Battery' permits include both.

Build your own list

Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.

San Diego solarElk Grove solar & batteryColorado Springs solarSeattle solar & batterySacramento County (unincorporated) solar & batteryCape Coral solar & batterySaint Paul solarCary solar

Related guides

For one city

All guides →

Sources
  1. When is a Permit Required? — City of San Diego Development Services (accessed 2026-10-22)
  2. Electrical Permit — Seattle SDCI (accessed 2026-10-22)
  3. Frequently Asked Questions — Sacramento County Building Permits and Inspection (accessed 2026-10-22)
  4. Residential Permits FAQ — Town of Cary, NC (accessed 2026-10-22)
  5. Projects Requiring a Building Permit (CHB0600, rev. 08/23) — City of Citrus Heights, CA (accessed 2026-10-22)
  6. City of Miami Building Permit Fee Schedule (accessed 2026-10-22)
  7. Permit Not Required — Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (accessed 2026-10-22)
  8. Do I need a building permit? — City of Elk Grove, CA (accessed 2026-10-22)
  9. Map of Common Permits — City of Cape Coral, FL (accessed 2026-10-22)
  10. When is a permit required? — City of Saint Paul DSI (accessed 2026-10-22)
  11. Work requiring permits — City of Bellevue, WA (accessed 2026-10-22)
  12. Quick Permits — City and County of Denver CPD (accessed 2026-10-22)
  13. Electrical Work on Residential Property (F500-078-000) — Washington L&I (accessed 2026-10-22)
  14. Construction Without a Permit — Seattle SDCI (accessed 2026-10-22)