California / Local permit guide
Torrance Solar Permit Guide
Eligible new rooftop systems under 38.4 kW AC can use the City's automated permit path. SCE interconnection and PTO remain separate.
- Permit authority
- City of Torrance Building and Safety DivisionSource linked
- Electric utility
- Southern California Edison (SCE)Source linked
- Local pathway
- Automated Solar Permitting (Citizen Access Portal)Project-specific eligibility conditions apply.
- Review time
- Not yet verified.
Los Angeles County · Explore related utility guides
Jump to a section
Planning a new solar project? See the homeowner quote option →
Research coverage
Your permit path,
at a glance.
This shows what GridPermit has verified for Torrance. It does not show the status of a specific project.
Paid referral disclosure: GridPermit has a paid referral relationship with CompareSolarPrices. If you use this link and later complete a qualifying action, GridPermit may receive compensation.
Want a solar quote after reviewing the permit requirements in Torrance?
Continue to CompareSolarPrices to request a homeowner solar quote for Torrance.
Have a recent electricity bill ready. CompareSolarPrices will ask you to confirm your contact details and receipt of its quote. Submit those details only on its website, not to GridPermit.
You will continue on CompareSolarPrices' website. GridPermit is not the installer.
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.
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
The City's page cites AB 1414 (2017), which caps what permitting agencies may charge for a small rooftop solar system (10 kW AC or less) at $500 statewide — this is a legal ceiling, not confirmation of Torrance's actual charged fee, so it is not recorded as 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 'Torrance' by name among the cities in its service area.
Sources & confidence
Generation supplier
Southern California Edison (SCE) (utility)
Clean Power Alliance's own homepage states it serves '38 communities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties' and names each one individually via its site's community directory; Torrance is not among the named communities. No other Los Angeles/Ventura County CCA serving Torrance was found, so Southern California Edison (SCE) is recorded as both the distribution and generation utility.
Sources & confidence
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
- Call the 24/7 Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Voice Permits Line at (310) 618-5901 to schedule or cancel an inspection
- Have the Record (Permit) Number and a three-digit Inspection Code ready before calling
- Cancellations must be requested before 6:00 AM the day of the inspection
- A confirmation number is issued at the end of the call for reference
This is the City's general Building & Safety inspection-scheduling process (covers Building and Electrical permit types, including solar); the City does not publish a separate, solar-specific inspection sequence.
Sources & confidence
Eligibility constraints
- Property types: residential
- Max system size (AC): 38.4 kW
- Max system size (DC): Not yet verified.
- Max thermal capacity: Not yet verified.
- Program/pathway: Automated Solar Permitting (Citizen Access Portal)
- Other conditions:
- New PV system on an existing, permitted R-3 (residential) occupancy only; no existing PV or ESS already on the property
- Ground-mounted systems, carports, and non-permanent structures are not allowed; flush-mount or non-hillside tilt-mount only
- No trenching, structural modifications, or alterations to the structure allowed
- Individual ESS max 20kWh, aggregate ESS max 80kWh, sited per California Fire Code setback/location rules
- Projects not meeting the automated-permitting criteria may still submit for standard plan review via the online portal
Sources & confidence
Official contacts
Official contacts
- SGIP Program Administrator (SCE territory), email: SGIPGroup@sce.com, official website
Official sources
Official sources
- Solar / Photovoltaic, City of Torrance (government). Accessed 2026-08-11.
- Incorporated Cities and Counties Served by SCE, Southern California Edison (utility). Accessed 2026-08-06.
- 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.
- Homepage (community directory listing all 38 CPA member communities), Clean Power Alliance (other_official). Accessed 2026-08-10.
- Torrance PV Automated Permitting Requirements, City of Torrance (government). Accessed 2026-08-11.
- Schedule Building Inspection, City of Torrance (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 Torrance, California?
Southern California Edison (SCE) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Torrance. The same utility is also listed as the default electricity generation supplier.
What documents are required for a solar permit in Torrance?
Commonly required documents include: Roof layout; Line diagram; Equipment data sheets.
Who do I contact about solar permits in Torrance?
SGIP Program Administrator (SCE territory), email SGIPGroup@sce.com.
Related cities
Related cities
Other verified cities related to Torrance. See all cities on the California solar permit guide index.
- Alhambra, Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Arcadia, Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Azusa, Azusa Light & Water
- Baldwin Park, Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Beverly Hills, Southern California Edison (SCE)
- Burbank, Burbank Water and Power (BWP)