California / Local permit guide
Cotati Solar Permit Guide
Your local requirements. The official sources. A clearer next step.
- Permit authority
- City of Cotati Building DivisionSource linked
- Electric utility
- Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)Source linked
- Local pathway
- SolarAPP+ (Government Code 65850.5 / Solar Rights Act of 1978 compliant)Project-specific eligibility conditions apply.
- Review time
- Same-day review for eligible expedited-permit projectsNo verified standard-path permit timeline is available.See source scope and conditions below.
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Your permit path,
at a glance.
This shows what GridPermit has verified for Cotati. It does not show the status of a specific project.
01 / Know your path
Two approvals.
One project.
A local permit and utility permission to operate are different approvals. Check the local sequence and requirements below.
How to read this guide
GridPermit collects California residential solar and permitting facts directly from official sources (city, county, and state government sites, utilities, and public utilities commissions) and shows only what we can verify, with a confidence score and a link to where it came from. Nothing here is estimated or inferred beyond what's stated below. See our methodology for the rules this page follows.
Permit timeline
Same-day review for eligible expedited-permit projects
No verified standard-path permit timeline is available.
The City's own SolarAPP+ page states 'Licensed contractors can now use SolarAPP+ for instantaneous permitting of eligible residential rooftop photovoltaic systems' and that the platform 'expedites installation with instantaneous permit issuance once you've completed the application process.'
Sources & confidence
Battery/solar incentive program on record
California SGIP - current category and budget check required
New applications and waitlist applications for ratepayer-funded SGIP budgets closed on December 30, 2025. New AB 209 applications have a June 30, 2028 deadline. The 2026 SGIP rate table publishes $3.10/W for solar and $1.10/Wh for storage in applicable Residential Solar and Storage Equity categories. Household eligibility and live budget availability vary by category and program administrator; check the official Program Metrics tracker before relying on an incentive.
Status on file: unknown. Verify current status before relying on this.
Sources & confidence
02 / Prepare your application
What you need.
Not yet verified.
Permit fees
Not yet verified.
Rebates on record
Rebates on record
Not yet verified.
Utility and generation supplier
Utility
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
Cotati is a well-documented Sonoma County city within PG&E's core Northern California service territory.
Sources & confidence
Generation supplier
Sonoma Clean Power (Community Choice Aggregator)
Sonoma Clean Power is the public power provider for Sonoma and Mendocino counties, serving all incorporated cities in Sonoma County except Healdsburg (its own municipal utility) and Ukiah (Mendocino County). PG&E continues to deliver the power and provide billing/customer service.
Sources & confidence
Interconnection
https://www.pge.com/en/save-energy-and-money/rebates-and-incentives/nem.html
PG&E's own utility-wide Net Energy Metering (NEM) program page.
Inspection steps
- Allow 24-48 business hours after paying for the permit before scheduling an inspection
Sources & confidence
Eligibility constraints
- Property types: residential
- Max system size (AC): Not yet verified.
- Max system size (DC): Not yet verified.
- Max thermal capacity: Not yet verified.
- Program/pathway: SolarAPP+ (Government Code 65850.5 / Solar Rights Act of 1978 compliant)
- Other conditions:
- Rooftop solar systems require review by the Building Division
Sources & confidence
Official contacts
Official contacts
- City of Cotati Building Division, phone: 707-665-3636, official website
Need a solar installer who handles permits in Cotati?
EnergySage is an independent solar marketplace where you can request property-specific pricing from installers familiar with local permitting.
Compare quotes from solar installers →You'll continue on EnergySage's website. GridPermit links to EnergySage as an independent third-party resource. This link is not currently tracked for compensation.
Official sources
Official sources
- SolarAPP+, City of Cotati (government). Accessed 2026-08-08.
- Net Energy Metering (NEM), Pacific Gas & Electric (utility). Accessed 2026-08-08.
- Home, Sonoma Clean Power (other_official). Accessed 2026-08-08.
- About, Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) (cpuc). Accessed 2026-08-09.
- 2026 Self-Generation Incentive Program Handbook, Self-Generation Incentive Program Program Administrators (program_administrator). Accessed 2026-08-26.
- SGIP Program Metrics and Incentive Step Tracker, Self-Generation Incentive Program Program Administrators (program_administrator). Accessed 2026-08-26.
Frequently Asked Questions
What utility serves solar customers in Cotati, California?
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Cotati. The default electricity generation supplier is Sonoma Clean Power, a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), separate from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).
How long does an expedited-eligible residential solar permit take in Cotati?
The City's own SolarAPP+ page states 'Licensed contractors can now use SolarAPP+ for instantaneous permitting of eligible residential rooftop photovoltaic systems' and that the platform 'expedites installation with instantaneous permit issuance once you've completed the application process.' No verified standard-path permit timeline is available.
Who do I contact about solar permits in Cotati?
City of Cotati Building Division, phone 707-665-3636.
Related cities
Related cities
Other verified cities related to Cotati. See all cities on the California solar permit guide index.
- Healdsburg, City of Healdsburg Electric Department
- Petaluma, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
- Rohnert Park, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
- Santa Rosa, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
- Sebastopol, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
- Sonoma, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)