California / Local permit guide
Ontario Solar Permit Guide
Eligible residential rooftop projects can use Symbium for real-time plan review. SCE interconnection and PTO remain separate.
- Permit authority
- City of Ontario Building DivisionSource linked
- Electric utility
- Southern California Edison (SCE)Source linked
- Local pathway
- Symbium Real Time Permitting (launched August 4, 2025)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.
San Bernardino County · Explore related utility guides
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Your permit path,
at a glance.
This shows what GridPermit has verified for Ontario. It does not show the status of a specific project.
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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 page states 'Contractors and homeowners seeking to pull permits will be able to apply for instantaneous solar plan review approval...via this Symbium portal.'
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.
Sources & confidence
Permit fees
Not yet verified.
Rebates on record
Rebates on record
Not yet verified.
Utility and generation supplier
Utility
Southern California Edison (SCE)
SCE's own 'Incorporated Cities and Counties Served by SCE' fact sheet (updated 3/17/2025) explicitly lists 'Ontario' by name among the cities in its service area.
Sources & confidence
Generation supplier
Not yet verified.
Interconnection
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.
Inspection steps
- Only one inspection shall be required and performed by the Building Department for eligible small residential rooftop solar energy systems
- The inspection shall be done in a timely manner and should include consolidated inspections
- If a system fails inspection, a subsequent inspection is authorized
Per Ontario Municipal Code Section 8-8.04(e)-(g).
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: Symbium Real Time Permitting (launched August 4, 2025)
- Other conditions:
- Residential roof-mounted solar systems only
- Energy storage systems must be less than 38.4 kW
- Detached single-family residential re-roof permits are also covered by the same platform
Sources & confidence
Official contacts
Official contacts
- City of Ontario Building Division, phone: (909) 395-2023, official website
- SGIP Program Administrator (SCE territory), email: SGIPGroup@sce.com, official website
Official sources
Official sources
- Apply for Residential Reroof and Solar Permits, City of Ontario (government). Accessed 2026-08-05.
- Building, City of Ontario (government). Accessed 2026-08-05.
- Incorporated Cities and Counties Served by SCE, Southern California Edison (utility). Accessed 2026-08-05.
- Net Energy Metering (NEM) Time of Use, Southern California Edison (utility). Accessed 2026-08-03.
- SGIP - Statewide Announcements / About, Self-Generation Incentive Program (statewide administrator site) (program_administrator). Accessed 2026-08-01.
- SGIP - Contact, Self-Generation Incentive Program (statewide administrator site) (program_administrator). Accessed 2026-08-01.
- Chapter 8 - Small Residential Rooftop Solar Energy Systems (Ontario Municipal Code, Volume II, Title 8 - Building Regulations), City of Ontario (via eLaws official code host) (government). Accessed 2026-08-11.
- 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 Ontario, California?
Southern California Edison (SCE) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Ontario.
How long does an expedited-eligible residential solar permit take in Ontario?
The City's own page states 'Contractors and homeowners seeking to pull permits will be able to apply for instantaneous solar plan review approval...via this Symbium portal.' No verified standard-path permit timeline is available.
What documents are required for a solar permit in Ontario?
Commonly required documents include: Standard plan and checklist of all requirements, published on the City's website, substantially conforming to the California Solar Permitting Guidebook.
Who do I contact about solar permits in Ontario?
City of Ontario Building Division, phone (909) 395-2023.
Related cities
Related cities
Other verified cities related to Ontario. See all cities on the California solar permit guide index.
- Apple Valley, Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Barstow, Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Chino, Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Chino Hills, Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Colton, City of Colton Electric Utility
- Fontana, Southern California Edison (SCE)