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Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit — South Tucson, Arizona · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source: https://www.southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in South Tucson, Arizona
Required for installing a rooftop or ground-mount photovoltaic system within City of South Tucson limits. No dedicated solar/photovoltaic permit, application, or fee line is published by the City — a solar installation is permitted as TWO components of the City's existing general process: a Building Permit (structural/roof-mount, 2018 IBC/IRC as adopted under Ordinance No. 25-01) and an Electrical Permit (PV electrical connection, 2017 NEC as adopted under the same ordinance), both valuation-based with no numeric fee schedule published by the City.
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
When you need this permit
- Building Permit required for the structural/roof-mount or ground-mount component, submitted through the City's Online Permit Portal, in person, or by mail to City Hall
- Electrical Permit required separately for the PV system's electrical connection, governed by the 2017 NEC as adopted and amended under Ordinance No. 25-01
- 2 digital copies of a site plan and a floor plan required for application submittal
- No dedicated solar/photovoltaic application form, checklist, or valuation-fee table was found published by the City as of this research pass
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Building Permit Fee (valuation-based; no solar-specific line)CONFIRMED GAP, consistent with this jurisdiction's residential-building-permit and mechanical-hvac-permit entries: the City's own adopted-code amendment deletes the ICC model valuation-fee table (IBC Section 109.3) and defers to a separately-adopted fee ordinance not independently locatable online (Ordinance 15-01 and Ordinance 25-01 are both scanned, non-text-extractable PDFs; the City Code's Building Regulations chapter on Municode returns an empty JS-rendered shell). Applicants should confirm the current valuation-based fee directly with Development Services at 520-792-2424 or via the Online Permit Portal.
Not published — fee is calculated based on the valuation of the proposed permit activity (cost of labor and materials); paid online through the Permit Portal after plan approval
Electrical Permit Fee (valuation-based; no solar-specific line)No numeric fee schedule for electrical permits (including PV connections) is published on the City of South Tucson website; cost is stated only as valuation-dependent
Not published — same confirmed gap as the Building Permit fee
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
See the full South Tucson inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- South Tucson has no dedicated solar/PV permit — apply for a standard Building Permit (structural component) and a standard Electrical Permit (PV connection) separately, both under the City's own adopted 2018 IBC/IRC and 2017 NEC (Ordinance No. 25-01).
- Neither permit's fee is published anywhere online as a numeric table — South Tucson deleted the ICC model valuation-fee table from its adopted code and defers to a separate fee ordinance that could not be located in text-extractable form during this research pass. Confirm the current cost directly with Development Services before applying.
- Inspections in South Tucson are conducted only Mondays and Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 a.m., with requests due the business day before — budget for this limited inspection window when scheduling a solar install.
Frequently asked questions
South Tucson requires a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit for: Building Permit required for the structural/roof-mount or ground-mount component, submitted through the City's Online Permit Portal, in person, or by mail to City Hall; Electrical Permit required separately for the PV system's electrical connection, governed by the 2017 NEC as adopted and amended under Ordinance No. 25-01; 2 digital copies of a site plan and a floor plan required for application submittal; No dedicated solar/photovoltaic application form, checklist, or valuation-fee table was found published by the City as of this research pass. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of South Tucson Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department (Development Services Division) at 520-792-2424 before starting work.
In South Tucson, the published Building Permit Fee (valuation-based; no solar-specific line) is: Not published — fee is calculated based on the valuation of the proposed permit activity (cost of labor and materials); paid online through the Permit Portal after plan approval. Additional published fees: Electrical Permit Fee (valuation-based; no solar-specific line) — Not published — same confirmed gap as the Building Permit fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.
South Tucson does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of South Tucson Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department (Development Services Division) at 520-792-2424 for current turnaround.
You'll need: Building Permit Application (Online Permit Portal, in person, or by mail); Electrical Permit Application; Site Plan and Floor Plan (2 digital copies). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Apply through City of South Tucson Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department (Development Services Division) at South Tucson City Hall, 1601 S. 6th Ave., South Tucson, AZ 85713. Phone: 520-792-2424, email: submittals@southtucsonaz.gov. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Permit applications are submitted through the City's Online Permit Portal (live effective March 2, 2026), in person, or by mail/shipment to City Hall; applications require 2 digital copies of a site plan and a floor plan. Inspections are conducted Mondays and Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 a.m., with requests submitted the business day before.. Official information: https://www.southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.
South Tucson, Arizona has adopted: South Tucson is a separately incorporated city (population roughly 5,000, land area approximately 1 square mile) that is entirely surrounded by, but administratively and legally independent of, the City of Tucson -- it is sometimes called 'The Pueblo within a City.' South Tucson runs its own Planning, Zoning and Development Services Department, which independently reviews building plans and issues its own building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical/HVAC, sign, demolition, and remodel permits; it does NOT contract building-permit administration to the City of Tucson or to Pima County. Source: City of South Tucson Development Services and Permits page (southtucsonaz.gov/devservices) and City of South Tucson Permits page (southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits), both confirming an independent Development Services Division that 'reviews and conducts all inspections related to construction and enforcement within the City.'; Arizona has no mandatory statewide building code floor -- code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9). The City of South Tucson's currently adopted codes (per 'City of South Tucson Adopted Building Codes, Ordinance No. 25-01') are: 2018 International Building Code (IBC); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC); 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) (one edition behind the 2018-cycle ICC set); 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2018 International Fire Code (IFC); the 2012 City of Tucson/Pima County Outdoor Lighting Code; Arizona Administrative Code Title 18, Chapter 5, Article 2 (Public and Semipublic Swimming Pools and Spas); and ICC A117.1-2009 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities). Source: 'CITY OF SOUTH TUCSON ADOPTED BUILDING CODES, ORDINANCE NO: 25-01' (southtucsonaz.gov/media/10481) and southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.; These 2018-cycle codes (and the 2017 NEC) are meaningfully older than the 2024-cycle codes/2023 NEC already adopted by the neighboring, separately-verified City of Tucson and unincorporated Pima County jurisdictions in this dataset -- South Tucson has not yet moved to the 2024 ICC cycle as of this review. Source: Ordinance No. 25-01 (southtucsonaz.gov/media/10486) and the individual 'ST 2018 [Code] AMENDMENTS' documents published on the Permits page.; Each adopted code carries City of South Tucson local amendments published as standalone PDFs per code (e.g., 'ST 2018 International Building Code AMENDMENTS', 'ST 2017 National Electrical Code AMENDMENTS', etc.), all linked from the Permits page. Source: southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.; New construction, alterations, modifications, or tenant improvements to commercial properties/structures require construction plans drawn by a professional licensed and registered with the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (architect, mechanical engineer, plumbing engineer, or electrical engineer as applicable to the scope); all such registered professionals conducting business within City limits must also hold an active City of South Tucson business license. Source: southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.; All contractors, whether working on residential or commercial properties, must be licensed through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors in the applicable classification, and must hold an active City of South Tucson business license to conduct business within city limits. Source: southtucsonaz.gov/devservices/page/permits.. Local amendments apply — see the South Tucson overview page for the full list.
No. The City has no solar/photovoltaic-specific permit, application, or fee line. A solar installation requires the City's standard Building Permit (for the structural/roof-mount component) and a standard Electrical Permit (for the PV electrical connection), both valuation-based with no published numeric fee schedule.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.
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 South Tucson building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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