Independent Educational Guide: California residential solar permit facts, sourced, dated, and confidence-scored. Not legal, engineering, or permit advice.

Lafayette Solar Permit Guide

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) territory · Contra Costa County

Lafayette Solar Permit Checklist
Printed from mygridpermit.com/california/lafayette/solar-permit-guide/ · Last verified 2026-08-08 · Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division / PG&E · Verify current requirements before relying on this checklist. Programs and fees change.
✓ Last verified 2026-08-083 official sources
Informational only. This page is not legal, engineering, or permit advice. Every fact below links to the official source it came from and shows how confident we are in it. Verify current requirements with Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division and PG&E before making a decision.

Overview

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.

Permits are auto-issued and emailed within a few minutes of successful SolarAPP+ submission to the County.

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Solar Permits through SolarAPP+ For Solar Installers

Battery/solar incentive program on record

No battery/storage incentive program is on record for this locality.

Permit fees

  • Solar system review fee: $35 (flat)

    A separate third-party synthesis cites a $397.50 base solar permit fee for Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda specifically, alongside the $35 SolarAPP+-specific review fee cited directly on the County's own page; both are recorded here since they may apply to different pathways (SolarAPP+ vs. standard county permit) and neither could be fully reconciled this session.

  • Energy storage add-on fee: $25 (flat)

Confidence: Medium (0.7)

Source(s): Solar Permits through SolarAPP+ For Solar Installers

Rebates

Not yet verified.

Utility and generation supplier

Utility

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)

Confidence: High (0.9)

Source(s): Solar Permits through SolarAPP+ For Solar Installers

Generation supplier

MCE (Marin Clean Energy) (Community Choice Aggregator)

MCE's own service-area page confirms Lafayette as one of 16 Contra Costa County communities it serves (alongside Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, and unincorporated Contra Costa County). PG&E continues to deliver the power and provide billing/customer service.

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Service Area

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.

Confidence: Medium (0.55)

Permit authority

Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division

Lafayette, like Hercules, Orinda, and the Town of Moraga, does not maintain its own building department; Contra Costa County's own SolarAPP+ page directly confirms Lafayette is covered by the County's building-permit and SolarAPP+ program.

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Solar Permits through SolarAPP+ For Solar Installers

Permit page: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/9880/Solar-Permits-through-SolarAPP-For-Solar

Required documents

  • AS BUILT plan set with manufacturer specifications (11x17, color, minimum) (required when: always)
  • SolarAPP+ Approval document (required when: always)
  • Permit card (2 pages) (required when: always)
  • Active City of Lafayette business license (contractor) (required when: always)

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Solar Permits through SolarAPP+ For Solar Installers

Inspection steps

  • Schedule inspection by phone (925-646-4108, same-day requests accepted until 5:30 AM Monday-Friday) or online via the County's ePermits Center
  • Schedule type: '120 Building-Final'

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Solar Permits through SolarAPP+ For Solar Installers

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: Contra Costa County SolarAPP+ (covers Lafayette, Clayton, Hercules, Orinda, Town of Moraga, and unincorporated County)
  • Other conditions:
    • Main dwelling rooftop residential structures only; no ballasted systems or mobile home parks
    • Not in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas or airport safety zones; not historic properties
    • Applicant contractor must be licensed and previously registered with SolarAPP+

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Solar Permits through SolarAPP+ For Solar Installers

Official contacts

  • Contra Costa County Building Inspection Division, phone: 925-655-2700, official website

Confidence: High (0.85)

Need a solar installer who handles permits in Lafayette?

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 has a partner relationship with EnergySage; this link is not currently tracked, and whether the partnership results in compensation to GridPermit has not yet been confirmed.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What utility serves solar customers in Lafayette, California?

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Lafayette. The default electricity generation supplier is MCE (Marin Clean Energy), a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA), separate from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).

How long does an expedited-eligible residential solar permit take in Lafayette?

Permits are auto-issued and emailed within a few minutes of successful SolarAPP+ submission to the County. No verified standard-path permit timeline is available.

What documents are required for a solar permit in Lafayette?

Commonly required documents include: AS BUILT plan set with manufacturer specifications (11x17, color, minimum); SolarAPP+ Approval document; Permit card (2 pages); Active City of Lafayette business license (contractor).

Who do I contact about solar permits in Lafayette?

Contra Costa County Building Inspection Division, phone 925-655-2700.

Disclaimers: This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal, engineering, financial, tax, or permit advice. GridPermit is not a solar installer, contractor, engineering firm, public utility, or government agency. Requirements, fees, and program terms change. Verify current requirements with Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development, Building Inspection Division and PG&E before starting a project. Last verified 2026-08-08.

All California Guides · Methodology · How It Works · Back to GridPermit