If you want to install solar panels, obtaining the proper solar permits is an essential step to ensure your energy system can operate safely, legally, and at no risk to your roof, home, or those living on site.
To help set project expectations, prepare for your installation and maximize long-term savings on your electricity bills. This guide breaks down the solar permit process step-by-step and details how to achieve the smoothest and quickest approvals possible.
Residential solar panel permit requirements
Solar permitting requirements vary depending on where you live, though all regulations are in place to make sure your installation will comply with local building codes and safety standards. When installing solar at home, you’ll likely need to obtain two separate permits: one for your installation and another for your interconnection with the utility grid.
Building permit
Obtained through your city or county government, a solar building permit ensures that your future energy system can be safely installed on your property. While rules and regulations differ between jurisdictions, residential solar building permit applications typically require multiple engineering drawings with all the relevant aspects of your home and solar energy system.
In most areas, building permits require electrical schematics, property blueprints, structural information, detailed roof characteristics, and signed approval from a certified professional up to local standards. Typically, an approved and licensed contractor is responsible for handling permit applications, though some states allow property owners to obtain solar building permits themselves.
Interconnection agreement
With an interconnection agreement from the energy utility that serves your property, you can connect your solar power system to the electricity grid and achieve savings on your ongoing monthly bills. Interconnection agreements help verify that the energy grid around your property can accommodate the excess electricity you generate and share, based on the size and power capacity of your solar installation.
Whenever you connect a solar energy system to the grid, this can change the structure of your utility billing profile. By working with an expert in your area who understands local billing policies, you can more easily navigate this step, earn timely interconnection approval, and learn precisely how solar works with your utility.
The 4 steps of solar permitting applications and approval
While seemingly complex, often time-consuming, and different in every jurisdiction, the typical home solar permit process can be broken down into four basic steps.
Step 1: Finalize your solar energy system design
The first step of installing a home solar power system is to design an installation that best suits your property and energy demands. By working with a solar professional or designing your system with a home solar estimator, you can make the critical installation decisions necessary to file for your permits.
But before you can submit your solar permit application, you first need to decide on the following aspects of your installation:
- Number and product details of your solar panels
- Optimal placement for your panels based on a shade analysis
- Quantity, capacity, and location of your solar inverters
- Details of any included battery storage systems
- Any structural building improvements or electrical upgrades necessary for solar
Step 2: Develop site plans and submit your solar permit applications
Solar installers use advanced design software to create the best possible system design based on site characteristics, shading, and other project variables. With this step, a professional will confirm that all electrical considerations are met for your solar energy system to operate safely and that your future electricity bills will be offset as advertised.
Once your system design is finalized, you can develop the detailed plan sets most governments and utilities require for a permitted solar installation. With up-to-code plans, you can then submit applications to the permitting authorities in your area. While this can be done online in many places, in-person submissions are required by some local building authorities.
In most instances, solar permit fees are required for permission to both build, and interconnect, with the grid. These fees typically equate to a few hundred dollars each and vary greatly across the country.
Step 3: Wait for approval and set an installation date
After applying for your solar permits, the information must be reviewed by local personnel. While this step of the process can be lengthy in some areas, solar permitting speeds have increased in the U.S. over the last decade as the industry matures and jurisdictions adopt solutions like SolarAPP+ to increase local processing and approval efficiency.
If your solar permit application is rejected for not meeting local codes or regulations, this can lead to potential project delays and additional costs to redesign and resubmit the materials. When your permits are approved by your local building authority and energy utility, you can then schedule your installation date as soon as possible.
Step 4: Install your system and receive final approvals
After your installation, final physical inspections from government and potential utility representatives are necessary to guarantee everything is installed correctly and will work safely. Once these inspections are complete, you can then activate your system to harness sunlight, generate usable solar electricity for your home, and safely export excess power to the energy grid.
Solar permitting application tips
Navigating solar permits can seem daunting, but with the right approach and preparation, you can join the millions of homeowners who have successfully been through the process. For a smooth solar permitting journey, here are three key tips you can follow.
- Work with a local professional. By working with a local professional solar installer, you can design your system with the help of an expert familiar with the regulations and permitting processes in your area. With the goal of transitioning to solar energy as seamlessly as possible, a professional installer can also help expedite the permitting process and handle all the necessary steps on your behalf whenever possible.
- Research your local solar permit regulations. You can have an educated conversation with potential installers and set your expectations based on what information you can find when you’re familiar with solar permitting regulations in your area. If you’re unable to see permitting information on your local government or energy utility websites, it may be possible to call a local representative or find information through resources like the Solar Energy Industry Association’s state-by-state database.
- Come prepared every step of the way. To file for your solar permit, you may need to provide proof of home ownership alongside detailed site plans, system specifications, contractor licenses, and other relevant documentation. Keeping all this information organized can help ensure your application won’t get rejected for being incomplete and that your project remains on time within permit deadlines or installer fulfillment guarantees.
Getting started with solar
Homeowners and solar professionals everywhere trust Enphase for reliable products, unmatched customer success, and expert design and permitting services. By working with an Enphase-certified installer, you can access high quality equipment, industry-leading warranty coverage, and local expertise to maximize the value of your energy system and secure a smooth and efficient solar permitting process.
Home solar permit process FAQs
How long does the solar permit process typically take?
On average, the permit process for a residential solar installation will take between three weeks and three months, depending on many factors. Although working with a local expert can help you speed up your approvals, processing times vary greatly across the country. Installations can be slowed by unexpected challenges or project backlogs from your installer, local building authority, or energy utility.
Can I apply for a solar permit myself, or do I need a professional?
Although it may be possible to apply for a solar permit yourself, it's generally recommended to enlist the help of a professional for an expedited approval process. While regulations vary in the U.S., a licensed contractor—electrical, building, or solar—is almost always required for permitting approval to guarantee the installation meets local safety standards.
How much does it cost to obtain a solar permit?
The cost of your solar permits will depend on where you live and your installation details, generally adding up to a few hundred dollars for each permit. When installing a grid-tied home solar power system, you’ll likely need to pay for a building permit and an interconnection agreement from your local government and energy utility, respectively.
What happens if I install solar panels without a permit?
If you install solar panels without a permit, you may be fined and forced to remove your system. Although permits can increase your total project costs, they are a necessary expense as unpermitted installations may not qualify for the tax incentives and rebates that can reduce your total investment in solar.
