The basics of Solar Panel / Wind Power building permits
Add it to your project costs, it is going to cost you to acquire building permits to install solar panels to your roof or put up a wind turbine in your back yard. Yes the city will make some money from you. It’s unfortunate, but its just part of the solar / wind power installation process.
Each city is different from what they will want to see to approve you for a building permit, typically they want to see engineering drawings which you should be able to get from your retailer (dry stamped) or a certified engineer (wet stamped). The average cost to secure building permits for a residential clean energy project can be anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.
After you secure you building permits you are read to install, congrats your finally over the boring part and now reaching the fun part of installing your own solar or wind power system, a skill that will prove to be very valuable over time. Once you have installed the system a building inspector from the city will inspect your system to make sure it meets the cities building codes. Depending on the city getting past the inspection can be a breeze or a nightmare.
