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Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Solar Water Heater Permit in Town of Payson, Arizona

Required for installation of residential solar electric (PV) systems and solar water heater systems in Payson. Governed by the Town's dedicated Solar Electric and Solar Water Heater Submittal Checklist and the 2017 NEC (for the electric portion) as adopted by the Town of Payson.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • PV system capacity in DC/AC watts must be stated, with one set of plans and a site plan showing property lines, building location, and equipment layout (module arrays, inverter(s), disconnects, panels, meters, and any hybrid-system components)
  • One-line and three-line electrical schematics with required labeling
  • Cut sheets and listings required for PV panels, inverters, combiners, AC/DC disconnects, connectors, meter sockets, and any additional/replacement sub-panels or main panels
  • Photovoltaic mounting details with listed hardware and wind/gravity calculations
  • Solar water heater submittals require system capacity in gallons/liters, site plan, equipment layout, cut sheets for panels/pumps/storage tanks, and mounting details with wind/gravity calculations
  • Contractor/Owner-Builder Bonding Certificate required for projects over $50,000 Owner-builder
  • Homeowner association review, ROC License verification, and Payson Business License verification required Contractor
  • Required approvals from Fire, Engineering, and Zoning before Building Department issuance
  • Electronic submittals are preferred

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet0 of 2 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29

Fee schedule

Solar Photovoltaic — Single Family Residential SystemTown of Payson Fees and Charges Schedule, Chapter 150 Table 3-C, Solar Photovoltaic Systems (Use Service Permit Fees for New Service Equipment); FY2021-2022 schedule, reconfirm against current Resolution 3438 exhibit
$175.00 total fee charged
Solar Photovoltaic — Commercial InvertersTown of Payson Fees and Charges Schedule, Chapter 150 Table 3-C
$40.00 each + plan review by the hour
Solar Photovoltaic — Combiners or Junction BoxesTown of Payson Fees and Charges Schedule, Chapter 150 Table 3-C
$30.00 each + plan review by the hour
Solar Hot Water SystemTown of Payson Fees and Charges Schedule, Chapter 150 Table 3-C
$35.00 plus $10.00 per fixture

Review timeline

Plan reviewTown of Payson’s published plan-review target
10–10 business days

How long did your Residential Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Solar Water Heater Permit permit actually take in Town of Payson?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough Electrical

    Conduit runs, wire sizing, disconnect placement before energizing

  2. 2

    Final

    Panel mounting, racking attachment, roof penetration sealing, electrical connections, and interconnection verified

See the full Town of Payson inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • A single-family residential PV system has a simple flat $175 total fee under Table 3-C, distinct from the per-component commercial inverter/combiner fee structure.
  • Solar submittals need three formal sign-offs (Fire, Engineering, Zoning) in addition to Building Department review, per the Town's dedicated Solar Electric and Solar Water Heater Submittal Checklist.
  • Projects over $50,000 require a Contractor/Owner-Builder Bonding Certificate as part of the solar submittal — this is called out specifically on the solar checklist, not just the general owner-builder exemption form. Owner-builder
  • The Town does not publish a solar-specific expedited review timeframe separate from its general 10-working-day residential figure; use that as the baseline expectation.

Frequently asked questions

Town of Payson requires a residential solar photovoltaic (pv) and solar water heater permit for: PV system capacity in DC/AC watts must be stated, with one set of plans and a site plan showing property lines, building location, and equipment layout (module arrays, inverter(s), disconnects, panels, meters, and any hybrid-system components); One-line and three-line electrical schematics with required labeling; Cut sheets and listings required for PV panels, inverters, combiners, AC/DC disconnects, connectors, meter sockets, and any additional/replacement sub-panels or main panels; Photovoltaic mounting details with listed hardware and wind/gravity calculations; Solar water heater submittals require system capacity in gallons/liters, site plan, equipment layout, cut sheets for panels/pumps/storage tanks, and mounting details with wind/gravity calculations; Contractor/Owner-Builder Bonding Certificate required for projects over $50,000; Homeowner association review, ROC License verification, and Payson Business License verification required; Required approvals from Fire, Engineering, and Zoning before Building Department issuance; Electronic submittals are preferred. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Payson Community Development Department — Building Division at 928-472-5030 before starting work.

$175.00 total fee for a Single Family Residential Photovoltaic System, per the Town of Payson Fees and Charges Schedule, Chapter 150 Table 3-C (Solar Photovoltaic Systems).

Town of Payson's published plan-review target for a residential solar photovoltaic (pv) and solar water heater permit is 10–10 business days.

You'll need: Solar Electric and Solar Water Heater Submittal Checklist; Building/Electrical Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Town of Payson requires 2 inspection(s) for a residential solar photovoltaic (pv) and solar water heater permit, in order: Rough Electrical, Final. Schedule each through Town of Payson Community Development Department — Building Division (928-472-5030).

Apply through Town of Payson Community Development Department — Building Division at 303C N. Beeline Highway, Payson, AZ 85541. Phone: 928-472-5030, email: building@paysonaz.us. Office hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (closed Fridays and Holidays); TDD Phone 928-472-6449. Building permit applications may be submitted at the Building Division counter; electronic/digital submittals are preferred for solar and other checklist-based permits.. Official information: https://www.paysonaz.gov/departments/community-development/building-division.

Town of Payson, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code for general construction — code adoption is a per-jurisdiction (city/town/county) authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The Town of Payson independently adopts and administers its own construction codes through its Community Development Department / Building Division; it does NOT defer to Gila County for permitting within town limits. Gila County (which covers unincorporated areas around Payson) separately runs its own, older code cycle (2012 I-Codes / 2011 NEC per Gila County Building Safety) — the two are distinct code regimes. Source: Town of Payson Code of Ordinances, Chapter 150 (Standardized Building and Construction Codes), via American Legal Publishing code library; Gila County Building Safety 'Adopted Building Code' page.; 2018 International Building Code (IBC), published on or after August 31, 2017 by the International Code Council, Inc., adopted by reference (Payson Code of Ordinances § 150.21), with Town of Payson local amendments including: Section 101.4 revised so referenced codes mean only codes specifically adopted by the Town; Section 104.10.1 (flood hazard areas) not adopted; new § 105.8 requiring construction sites be kept reasonably clear of debris; Section 107.2.6.1 (flood hazard documentation) revised to route through the Town Engineering Department prior to Certificate of Occupancy; Section 109.4 work-commencing-before-permit adds a minimum $70 investigation fee; Section 412.4.5 (residential aircraft hangar height/area limits) not adopted; Section 903.2.8 sprinkler trigger exempts single-family detached and duplex structures under 4,800 sq ft livable area; Table 2902.1 adds a drinking-fountain footnote for occupant loads over 99; IBC Appendix chapters not specifically adopted. Source: Payson Code of Ordinances § 150.21, International Building Code (amlegal.com); Town of Payson 'Amendments-2018' Building Department document.; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), published on or after August 31, 2017 by the International Code Council, Inc., adopted by reference (Payson Code of Ordinances § 150.20), with extensive Town of Payson local amendments — see Local Amendments below for the Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (Table R301.2(1)) and fire-sprinkler provisions. IRC Appendix M (Home Day Care - R3 Occupancy), Appendix Q (Tiny Houses), Appendix R (Light Straw Clay Construction), and Appendix S (Straw Bale Construction) are specifically adopted. Source: Payson Code of Ordinances § 150.20, International Residential Code (amlegal.com).; 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), as adopted by the Town of Payson (one edition behind the 2018 ICC set, consistent with the standard ICC/NEC publication offset). Source: Town of Payson Building Division / Residential Permit Application program materials (via web search of paysonaz.gov Building Division and Residential Permit Application pages, confirming 2017 NEC alongside the 2018 IBC/IRC).; Current Mechanical Code, Plumbing Code, Fire Code, and Electric Code 'as adopted by the town' are cross-referenced generally in the Unified Development Code's building-permit application requirements (Payson Code of Ordinances § 154-09-003(C)(4): 'all required structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, civil engineering and other drawings and documents necessary to meet the requirements of the current Building Code, Plumbing Code, Mechanical Code, Fire Code, Electric Code and other codes adopted by the town'). The specific edition years for the standalone Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Existing Building, and Fire Code sections of Chapter 150 (following the same numbering pattern as § 150.20 IRC and § 150.21 IBC) could not be independently re-verified against the live amlegal.com code library within this research pass after repeated rate-limiting/bot-challenge blocks on those specific sub-pages; the 2018 IBC/IRC and 2017 NEC editions ARE independently confirmed. Given the Town's Chapter 150 adopts the IBC/IRC as a matched 2018-cycle ICC set, the companion IMC/IPC/IFGC/IEBC sections are very likely also the 2018 ICC editions, but this specific file does not assert that as verified fact — see confidence notes on individual permit types below.; Manufactured homes, mobile homes, factory-built buildings, and Park Model living units are subject to a Town of Payson building permit for placement per IRC § 105.1 as locally amended: approved hold-down anchors are required at building corners, and hard-wired/exterior electrical and mechanical equipment requires a separate permit. Park Model Living Unit is separately defined in IRC § 202 as amended (factory-assembled portable unit with an Arizona RV seal, chassis-mounted, not more than 12 ft wide, not more than 400 sq ft, not less than 320 sq ft, permanently connected to utilities, no holding tank other than an approved water heater). Source: Payson Code of Ordinances § 150.20 IRC amendments (1)-(2), (8).. Local amendments apply — see the Town of Payson overview page for the full list.

The Solar Electric and Solar Water Heater Submittal Checklist requires sign-off from Fire, Engineering, and Zoning in addition to Building Department review before permit issuance.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-06.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Town of Payson building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.