What it costs, what's permitted, and what to ask before you hire.
Last verified: 2026-05-31 · Well-sourced
Panel / electrical
Verify your panel capacity with an electrician
Permit likelihood
Confirm with your building department
Permit snapshot
electrical + building permit
As of 2026-05-31, residential solar PV installations in San José require an electrical permit and a building permit (for structural roof attachment). San José participates in SolarAPP+ (an automated plan-review platform) which can issue instant approvals for standard residential rooftop PV systems up to 38.4 kW installed by a licensed contractor. SolarAPP+ defaults to traditional plan review for PV-plus-storage systems, older homes with unusual roof structures, or systems outside the standardized scope. Permits are submitted via the SJPermits.org online portal; contractor registration and SolarAPP+ training may be required for the licensed contractor to use the instant-approval path. Verify the system meets SolarAPP+ eligibility criteria with the Building Division and contractor before relying on the instant-approval timeline.