Permits

In all Cities and Counties in California, the local government requires permits for residential and commercial solar projects (there are more than 550 local jurisdictions).

The permit is usually obtained by the licensed contractor doing the work or it can be obtained by the site owner. Fees are based on the reasonable cost of providing the permit and inspection services. A local agency is prohibited from charging building permit and similar fees which exceed the estimated reasonable costs of providing the services rendered unless the amounts of the fees are approved by the electorate:

California Government Code 66014
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when a local agency charges fees for zoning variances; zoning changes; use permits; building inspections; building permits; filing and processing applications and petitions filed with the local agency formation commission or conducting preliminary proceedings or proceedings under the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000, Division 3 (commencing with Section 56000) of Title 5; the processing of maps under the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act, Division 2 (commencing with Section 66410) of Title 7; or planning services under the authority of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 65100) of Division 1 of Title 7 or under any other authority; those fees may not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged, unless a question regarding the amount of the fee charged in excess of the estimated reasonable cost of providing the services or materials is submitted to, and approved by, a popular vote of two-thirds of those electors voting on the issue.

(b) The fees charged pursuant to subdivision (a) may include the costs reasonably necessary to prepare and revise the plans and policies that a local agency is required to adopt before it can make any necessary findings and determinations.

(c)  Any judicial action or proceeding to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the ordinance, resolution, or motion authorizing the charge of a fee subject to this section shall be brought pursuant to Section 66022.

Permitting fees vary substantially in California. But permitting fees are not the only requirements. Some jurisdictions will require substantial documentation of the existing building structure while others will require an engineer to verify that the structure of the building will support the solar project. (In general, the total weight of a solar system is no more than 5 pounds per square foot, below the assumed 20 pound per square foot added weight rule of thumb – this varies by construction type so please consult the local solar company).

Below is a partial list of permitting fees for solar electric systems (PV) only in California (as of July 2007). CALSEIA is also collecting data on the cost of permits for solar thermal systems.

Updates to this list should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .

Listed Alphabetically

Alameda (City) $510 

Alameda County $358

Albany $183 

Albany $183 

American Canyon $292 

American Canyon $292 

Antioch $745

Atherton $250

Atherton $250 

Belmont $0

Belvedere $155

Benicia $125 

Benicia $125 

Berkeley $0

Brentwood $250 

Brisbane $250

Burlingame $309 

Calistoga $585 

Campbell $225

Capitola $130 

Carlsbad $243
Chula Vista $519.10

Citrus Heights $732

Clayton $230

Cloverdale $486 

Colma $80

Concord $288 

Contra Costa County $195

Coronado $97
Corte Madera $583

Cotati $500 

Cupertino $300
 

Daly City $490

Danville $290
 

Davis $196 
Davis $196 

Del Mar $1000

Dixon $149

Dublin $250

East Palo Alto $534

El Cajon $171.00

El Centro $22.50   

El Cerrito $0

Elk Grove $0 

Emeryville $250

Encinitas $55

Escondido $156

Fairfax $0
Fairfield $203 

Folsom $644
Foster City $0

Fremont $237 

Galt $0

Gilroy $300 

Half Moon Bay $291

Hayward $300 

Healdsburg $130
Hercules $533

Hillsborough $509

Hollister $224

Imperial Beach $49.90

La Mesa $69.00

Lafayette $250

Larkspur $607

Lemon Grove $151
Livermore $280 

Los Altos $474

Los Altos Hills $0 

Los Gatos $390

Marin County $190 

Martinez $303 

Menlo Park $411 

Mill Valley $3

Millbrae $358

Milpitas $141

Monte Sereno $411

Moraga $250

Morgan Hill $222

Mountain View $152

Napa (City) $768 

Napa County $401

National City $375

Newark $267

Novato $207 

Oakland $199

Oakley $303 

Oceanside $287.15

Orinda $250

Pacifica $334

Paicines $224

Palo Alto $327 

Petaluma $243

Piedmont $541 

Pinole $550 

Pittsburg $250 

Pittsburg $250 

Pleasant Hill $55  

Pleasanton $200

Portola Valley $50

Poway $113.75

Rancho Cordova $0

Redwood City $385

Richmond $735 

Rio Vista $783 

Rohnert Park $260

Ross $0 

Sacramento (City) $774

Sacramento County $0

San Anselmo $80 

San Benito County $224

San Bruno $320

San Carlos $0

San Diego (City) $115

San Diego (County) $100

San Francisco $85

San Jose $236

San Juan Bautista $224 

San Leandro $184 

San Marcos $100

San Mateo (City)  $225 

San Mateo County $345

San Pablo $93 

San Rafael $386 

San Ramon $387 

Santa Clara (City) $384

Santa Clara County $450   

Santa Cruz (City) $136 

Santa Cruz County $242

Santa Rosa $150 

Santee $166.50

Saratoga $92

Sausalito $225

Scotts Valley $250 

Sebastopol $75

Solana Beach $55

Solano County $281

Sonoma (City) $309 

Sonoma County $373

South San Francisco $300

St. Helena $0

Suisun City $282 

Sunnyvale $393

Tiburon $35

Tres Pinos $224 

Union City $475

Vacaville $56 

Vallejo $671 

Walnut Creek $65

Watsonville $399

West Sacramento $330 

Windsor $509 

Winters $1,298 

Woodland $395 

Woodside $30

Yolo County $6 

Yountville $585