The County's two routes
The Building Permits & Inspection Division's FAQ (read 23 October 2026) lists "Photovoltaic (solar) systems" and "Solar for Swimming Pool" as permit work, and among permits "automatically issued online" when paid: "Residential solar permit or solar with [an] energy storage system (ESS) using SOLARAPP (this is for contractor use only)".
| Route | Who can use it | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| SolarAPP+ | A licensed contractor | Permit issues on payment; inspections follow |
| Plan submittal in Accela Citizen Access | Contractor or owner-builder | Plan review against the EC-23 checklist, then the permit |
One limit on the fast route: the FAQ says its permit-revision process "is NOT to be used with SolarApp", so a design change after issue is handled differently from other permits. Ask the installer how they handle a panel-count or inverter change. This guide covers unincorporated areas; incorporated cities such as Elk Grove issue their own permits.
What a plan submittal needs
The County's EC-23 Residential Roof Mount PV checklist (updated May 2023):
| Item | What it must show |
|---|---|
| Site plan | Property lines, dwelling, side yards, north arrow, panel locations and count, service, junction boxes, disconnect, inverter |
| Roof plan | Number and location of modules, roofing material, fire access setbacks |
| Single-line diagram | Array configuration and wiring, combiner box, conductor and conduit sizes, grounding, inverter model, disconnect, panel size, point of connection |
| Module and inverter specs | Panel type and weight, voltage, bonding, conductor sizes; inverter and disconnect |
| Mounting details | Attachment for your roof framing and covering, with space for debris removal and drainage |
| Signage | Safety labels per the manufacturer and current CEC |
| Utility letter | "A SMUD interconnection letter must be included at submittal" |
The SMUD letter is the item that sets the start date: apply to the utility before you file. The County's building pages publish no solar fee; the Accela invoice shows it before you pay.
Who can pull it
A CSLB-licensed installer. California's solar classification is C-46, and a C-10 electrician may also do solar electrical (CSLB Licensing Classifications). Check the license on Check a License. 79.2% of the 236 firms on County solar permits matched an active CSLB license by name, and 9 matched one that was not active.
You, as owner-builder, after signing the County's AP-16 notice, which makes you "the responsible party of record on the permit". SolarAPP+ is closed to you, so expect plan review.
Inspections
Book online, on 916-875-5296 or by text to 855-280-5383, by 5 p.m. for the next day (Scheduling Inspections). The code list has no solar-specific electrical code; the electrical codes on it that fit a roof system are 238 Roof Electrical, 237 Panels/Transformers and 299 Final Electrical, and 583 is the solar pool heater inspection. The FAQ says "Inspection sequence will vary", so ask the installer which codes they will book. Have "An OSHA approved ladder to access roof" on site, which the FAQ asks for. Keep the signed final job card; the FAQ calls it your Certificate of Occupancy for a home project.
What 2,001 County solar permits show
| Measure | Sacramento County solar and battery |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 2,001 |
| Firms | 236 |
| Firms with a permit in the 12 months to September 2026 | 124 |
| Usual filed value | $25,200 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $14,505 to $32,507 |
| Finaled (permits a year or more old) | 86.5% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 50 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 74.8% / 95.3% |
| Firms with 5+ permits and none in the 12 months to September 2026 | 9 |
| Busiest / quietest month (index, 100 = average) | September (216) / February (56) |
Solar is the County trade where a firm going quiet matters most, because the warranty outlives the install: 9 firms with five or more permits filed none in the 12 months to September 2026. The busiest filer in that year was ES Solar LLC with 398 permits, and the five busiest hold 49.0% of the file. Filing peaks in September at about four times the February rate. Prices by system: Sacramento County solar cost.
See every Sacramento County solar installer by share finaled →
Related
Other places' rules: do I need a permit for solar panels. The checklist: hiring a solar installer; national prices: solar panel installation cost. A panel upgrade for the system has its own rules in the Sacramento County electrical permit guide. License steps: Sacramento County contractor license lookup; records: Sacramento County building permit search; counts by year: permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our solar category includes battery-only and solar-plus-battery permits, so the usual value mixes system sizes. Days to final stop at the County's final, not at utility permission to operate. Firms with under a year of permits show no finaled share yet.
How we know this
The permit list, the SolarAPP+ rule and the revision limit are quoted from the Sacramento County Building Permits & Inspection Division FAQ, the plan items from its EC-23 checklist, and owner-builder terms from its AP-16 notice, read 23 October 2026. Counts are Sacramento County solar and battery permits on homes in unincorporated areas, October 2023 to September 2026; "finaled" uses permits a year or more old, and days are issue to final.
Numbers come from Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for solar panels in Sacramento County?
Yes. 'Photovoltaic (solar) systems' are on the County's list of projects that need a permit. A contractor can get a residential solar permit, with or without battery storage, issued automatically online through SolarAPP+.
- How long does a solar permit take in Sacramento County?
Through SolarAPP+ it issues when the fee is paid. The usual County solar permit in our file then reached final 50 days after issue, and 86.5% of permits a year or more old were finaled.
- Can a homeowner pull a solar permit in Sacramento County?
Yes, as an owner-builder after signing the County's AP-16 notice, but not through SolarAPP+, which the County says is 'for contractor use only'. An owner submits plans for review; the County's EC-23 checklist lists what a roof-mount system needs.
- What do I need to submit for a solar permit in Sacramento County?
For a roof-mount system outside SolarAPP+, EC-23 asks for a site plan, roof plan with fire access setbacks, a single-line electrical diagram, module and inverter specs, mounting details, signage details and a SMUD interconnection approval letter.
- How much does solar cost in Sacramento County?
The usual County solar permit was filed at $25,200, and the middle half of installers usually file between $14,505 and $32,507. That is the value on the permit, not a quote.
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 Scottsdale? The $168 permit, the $168 review, roof setbacks and Arizona's solar permit law
- Do I need a solar permit in Seattle? An electrical permit always; a building permit only sometimes
For one city
- Frequently Asked Questions — Sacramento County Building Permits & Inspection (accessed 2026-10-23)
- EC-23 Residential Roof Mount PV Submission Checklist — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- AP-16 Notice to Property Owner as Owner Builder — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Scheduling Inspections (inspection codes) — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Accela Citizen Access — Sacramento County (2026-10-23)
- CSLB Licensing Classifications (2026-10-22)
- Check a License — CSLB (2026-10-22)