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California / Local permit guide

Los Angeles Solar Permit Guide

Your local requirements. The official sources. A clearer next step.

Local pathway
LADBS residential rooftop PV Express Permit; LAMC 91.106.5.1 streamlined eligibilityProject-specific eligibility conditions apply.
See your permit path

Los Angeles County ·

Los Angeles Solar Permit Checklist
Printed from mygridpermit.com/california/los-angeles/solar-permit-guide/ · Last verified 2026-10-12 · Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) / LADWP · Verify current requirements before relying on this checklist. Programs and fees change.
Source healthLast verified 2026-10-1211 official sources4 of 6 core facts verified
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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 Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) and LADWP before making a decision.

Research coverage

Your permit path,
at a glance.

This shows what GridPermit has verified for Los Angeles. It does not show the status of a specific project.

  1. 01Permit authorityLos Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)Authority sourced
  2. 02DocumentsChecklist includes conditional itemsConditions apply
  3. 03InspectionInspection guidance for Los AngelesSteps sourced
  4. 04Utility & PTOLos Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)Utility path sourced

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01 / Know your path

Two approvals.
One project.

Local authority

Permit & inspection

Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)

Local requirements
Electric utility

Interconnection & PTO

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)

Utility requirements

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.

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

Confidence: High (0.9)

Source(s): Self-Generation Incentive Program, 2026 Self-Generation Incentive Program Handbook, SGIP Program Metrics and Incentive Step Tracker

02 / Prepare your application

What you need.

0 of 4 markedSaved only on this device; not confirmation of permit readiness.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.9)

Source(s): P/GI 2026-003 Express Permits — effective 2026-01-01, revised 2026-06-10, page 4 section 15, Inspection — About Inspections and Preparing for Inspection, Type 1, 2, and 3 Interconnection — Type 1 steps and eligibility, Interconnection Requirements — system-size-specific documents and exceptions

Permit fees

Not yet verified: no project-specific LADBS permit amount was established. The official fee estimate system at https://08web15.lacity.org/Fee_est_dir/Edit_ced/Fee_start states that estimates can change and final fees are determined when an application is submitted. LADWP interconnection charges are separate and are not recorded as city permit fees.

Not yet verified.

Rebates on record

Rebates on record

Not yet verified.

Utility and generation supplier

Utility

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)

Directly checked on 2026-10-12: LADWP states that it supplies electricity to residents and businesses in the City of Los Angeles. This does not establish service to every address in Los Angeles County.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (1)

Source(s): Who We Are

Generation supplier

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) (utility)

LADWP is a vertically-integrated municipal utility (like Pasadena Water and Power) — it generates and delivers its own power rather than sitting alongside a separate CCA. Some supporting official material could not be independently confirmed from the full source in GridPermit's latest review. Verify the current requirement with the authority before relying on it.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: Medium (0.75)

Source(s): Who We Are

Interconnection

https://www.ladwp.com/commercial-services/programs-and-rebates-commercial/commercial-solar-programs/interconnection-program-nem-pv-bess-and-cogeneration-projects

LADWP publishes a separate interconnection application and approval process. Type 1 ends with a LADWP NEM Permission to Operate notice after the applicable city and utility approvals, commissioning and meter work; no total duration is asserted.

Confidence: High (1)

Permit authority

Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS)

Directly checked on 2026-10-12: LADBS handles City of Los Angeles permits. LADWP separately handles utility interconnection; city permit approval is not permission to operate on the grid.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (1)

Source(s): Plan Review & Permitting

Permit page: https://dbs.lacity.gov/services/plan-review-permitting/plan-check-permit/express-permits

Inspection steps

  • Obtain the applicable LADBS permit before beginning work, and request inspection before covering or concealing the work.
  • When ready, request LADBS inspection online or through 311. Keep the work visible and have a permit copy and approved plans where plan review was required; the Building Card applies to Building Permits only.
  • Complete the applicable inspections and obtain LADBS final inspection approval. Systems qualifying under LAMC 91.106.5.1 generally require no more than one city inspection; a failed inspection may require another, and LADWP can inspect separately.
  • For a qualifying LADWP Type 1 interconnection, complete the applicable utility final approvals, commissioning and meter work, and obtain LADWP NEM Permission to Operate. LADBS approval alone is not permission to operate on the grid.

City and utility steps are distinct; their inclusion here does not establish one universal sequence for every project. Obtain the applicable LADWP Type 1 pre-construction approval before construction. Type 1 is limited to eligible aggregate systems up to 30 kW without a service-panel upgrade, three-phase service, non-NEM cogeneration or multi-meter arrangements. No inspection appointment or total interconnection time is promised.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.9)

Source(s): Inspection — About Inspections and Preparing for Inspection, Los Angeles Municipal Code 91.106.5.1 — streamlined small residential rooftop solar permitting (2026 Rev. 9), Type 1, 2, and 3 Interconnection — Type 1 steps and eligibility

Eligibility constraints

  • Property types: one-family dwelling, two-family dwelling
  • Max system size (AC): 10 kW
  • Max system size (DC): Not yet verified.
  • Max thermal capacity: Not yet verified.
  • Program/pathway: LADBS residential rooftop PV Express Permit; LAMC 91.106.5.1 streamlined eligibility
  • Other conditions:
    • LAMC 91.106.5.1 explicitly sets a 10 kW AC nameplate ceiling for the streamlined PV pathway, with applicable fire, structural, electrical, safety and building-height requirements; this is not a citywide maximum system size.
    • The PV Express route in P/GI 2026-003 section 15 is online for contractors only, for a rooftop system on a one- or two-family dwelling that meets all listed conditions.
    • The Express PV AC system must be 120/240 V single phase and the service panel must not exceed 225 A; no GFCI or AFCI overcurrent devices are installed in the inverter AC output.
    • Section 15 limits central/string systems to two inverters, up to four strings and one combiner box per inverter; microinverter systems have up to four branch circuits, with the specified DC arc-fault protection.
    • Hybrid systems, building-integrated PV and photovoltaic roll roofing do not qualify under this Express PV checklist; structural support may need a separate building permit.
    • PV with energy storage must meet the separate section 16 requirements, including the applicable Fire Department plan check and permit; PV-only eligibility is not automatic battery approval.
    • LADWP interconnection eligibility is separate. Type 1 can cover qualifying systems up to 30 kW aggregate, subject to its service-panel, phase, cogeneration and meter exclusions.
Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.9)

Source(s): P/GI 2026-003 Express Permits — effective 2026-01-01, revised 2026-06-10, page 4 section 15, Los Angeles Municipal Code 91.106.5.1 — streamlined small residential rooftop solar permitting (2026 Rev. 9), Type 1, 2, and 3 Interconnection — Type 1 steps and eligibility

Official contacts

Official contacts

Confidence: Medium (0.65)

Official sources

Official sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What utility serves solar customers in Los Angeles, California?

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Los Angeles. The same utility is also listed as the default electricity generation supplier.

What documents are required for a solar permit in Los Angeles?

Commonly required documents include: LADBS online photovoltaic Express Permit application (contractors only); Approved photovoltaic plans generated by the LADBS online system; Separate LADWP online interconnection application with the documentation and photos required for the applicable system type; LADWP single-line diagram and interconnection agreement.

Who do I contact about solar permits in Los Angeles?

LADBS Express Permit support, email epermit.ladbs@lacity.org.

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 Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) and LADWP before starting a project. Last verified 2026-10-12.

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