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Washington / Local permit guide

Seattle Solar Permit Guide

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

Electric utility
Seattle City Light (SCL)Source linked
See your permit path

King County ·

Seattle Solar Permit Checklist
Printed from mygridpermit.com/washington/seattle/solar-permit-guide/ · Last verified 2026-08-13 · Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); electrical permits jointly coordinated with Seattle City Light / SCL · Verify current requirements before relying on this checklist. Programs and fees change.
Source healthLast verified 2026-08-131 official source5 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 Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); electrical permits jointly coordinated with Seattle City Light and SCL before making a decision.

Research coverage

Your permit path,
at a glance.

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

  1. 01Permit authoritySeattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); electrical permits jointly coordinated with Seattle City LightAuthority sourced
  2. 02DocumentsChecklist includes conditional itemsConditions apply
  3. 03InspectionInspection guidance for SeattleSteps sourced
  4. 04Utility & PTOSeattle City Light (SCL)Utility path sourced

01 / Know your path

Two approvals.
One project.

Local authority

Permit & inspection

Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); electrical permits jointly coordinated with Seattle City Light

Local requirements
Electric utility

Interconnection & PTO

Seattle City Light (SCL)

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 Washington 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

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

02 / Prepare your application

What you need.

0 of 5 markedSaved only on this device; not confirmation of permit readiness.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.95)

Source(s): Seattle Permits Tip #420 — Solar Energy Systems and Solar-Ready Roofs for Residential Buildings (Updated July 14, 2025)

Permit fees

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.

  • Electrical permit fee, systems up to 12kW: amount not verified (1.5x the published 'base fee' (SBCC Chapter 22.900B) plus the 'administrative fee' (Chapter 22.900D, Table D-15))

    Per SDCI Tip #420. 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.

  • Electrical permit fee, systems over 12kW: amount not verified (3x the published 'base fee' (SBCC Chapter 22.900B) plus the 'administrative fee' (Chapter 22.900D, Table D-15))

    Per SDCI Tip #420.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: Medium (0.75)

Source(s): Seattle Permits Tip #420 — Solar Energy Systems and Solar-Ready Roofs for Residential Buildings (Updated July 14, 2025)

Rebates on record

Rebates on record

Not yet verified.

Utility and generation supplier

Utility

Seattle City Light (SCL)

Seattle City Light is a municipally-owned utility serving the City of Seattle directly.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.95)

Source(s): Seattle Permits Tip #420 — Solar Energy Systems and Solar-Ready Roofs for Residential Buildings (Updated July 14, 2025)

Generation supplier

Seattle City Light (SCL) (utility)

SCL is itself the municipal generation and distribution utility for Seattle; no separate generation supplier or CCA applies.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Seattle Permits Tip #420 — Solar Energy Systems and Solar-Ready Roofs for Residential Buildings (Updated July 14, 2025)

Interconnection

https://www.seattle.gov/city-light

Per SDCI Tip #420 (jointly developed with SCL, updated 2025-07-14): customer-owned, grid-connected systems of 100kW or less qualify for SCL's Net Metering program (subject to inspection); some arrays up to 250kW qualify under a separate 'Large Solar Program.' An Interconnection Application and Agreement is required, conditional on final approval of the electrical permit. With net metering, excess electricity generated during a billing period is credited back to the customer (true retail-rate net metering, described as spinning the meter backwards).

Confidence: High (0.85)

Permit authority

Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); electrical permits jointly coordinated with Seattle City Light

Washington's building/electrical codes (Title 51 WAC, based on ICC model codes) apply statewide, but electrical permit issuance is split: the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) issues electrical permits in most jurisdictions, while Seattle (like Tacoma and a handful of other cities) administers its own electrical permits through SDCI rather than through L&I — a genuine structural distinction from most other Washington cities.

Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.95)

Source(s): Seattle Permits Tip #420 — Solar Energy Systems and Solar-Ready Roofs for Residential Buildings (Updated July 14, 2025)

Permit page: https://www.seattle.gov/DPD/publications/CAM/cam420.pdf

Inspection steps

  • An electrical inspection is required after installation for all solar electric systems
  • Systems qualifying for SCL's Net Metering program are subject to inspection
  • Detailed Seattle Fire Code roof-access-pathway rules apply unless the structure has automatic fire sprinklers, a roof slope ≤2:12, a solar array ≤33% of roof area and ≤1,000 sq ft with an 18in pathway maintained, or is a detached non-habitable structure
Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.85)

Source(s): Seattle Permits Tip #420 — Solar Energy Systems and Solar-Ready Roofs for Residential Buildings (Updated July 14, 2025)

Eligibility constraints

  • Property types: residential
  • Max system size (AC): 100 kW
  • Max system size (DC): Not yet verified.
  • Max thermal capacity: Not yet verified.
  • Program/pathway: Building-permit-exempt path for rooftop single-family systems meeting 9 specific criteria; Over-The-Counter electrical permit for systems ≤12kW
  • Other conditions:
    • SCL's standard Net Metering program covers systems up to 100kW; some arrays up to 250kW qualify under a separate Large Solar Program
    • Rapid Shutdown-compliant systems (per Seattle Electrical Code Section 690.12) may have certain Fire Code marking/DC-conductor-location requirements waived
    • RCW 36.70A.813 (statewide) requires cities/counties to allow buildings to exceed roof height limits by at least 48 inches to accommodate solar panels
Sources & confidence

Confidence: High (0.9)

Source(s): Seattle Permits Tip #420 — Solar Energy Systems and Solar-Ready Roofs for Residential Buildings (Updated July 14, 2025)

Official contacts

Official contacts

Confidence: High (0.9)

Need a solar installer who handles permits in Seattle?

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What utility serves solar customers in Seattle, Washington?

Seattle City Light (SCL) is the interconnection and distribution utility for Seattle. The same utility is also listed as the default electricity generation supplier.

What documents are required for a solar permit in Seattle?

Commonly required documents include: Electrical permit — for systems up to 12kW, an Over-The-Counter (OTC) permit requiring a one-line electrical diagram and catalogue cuts; Electrical permit plan review submission (fuller review, not the OTC path); Building permit; Interconnection Application and Agreement with Seattle City Light; Plumbing permit (issued by Seattle/King County Public Health).

Who do I contact about solar permits in Seattle?

SDCI (permits/electrical technical support), phone 206-684-8600.

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 Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI); electrical permits jointly coordinated with Seattle City Light and SCL before starting a project. Last verified 2026-08-13.

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