Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in Jerome, Arizona

Jerome requires a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit for: Design Review Board approval required BEFORE building permit submittal, per the Town-wide Historic Overlay District (Zoning Ordinance Section 511.C); solar installations are reviewed against the Town's 'Solar Energy System Design Guidelines' (approved June 2015) under Section 304.H.1.m, which apply Department of the Interior best practices for solar equipment visible on or near historic structures; Building permit application, plot plan, Valid Contractor's License form (or A.R.S. § 32-1121 owner-builder exemption), and Plan Approval Agreement filed with the Building Inspector after Design Review approval; Panel layout, racking/mounting details, and roof or ground-mount structural connection details included in the plan set submitted for Design Review and building-permit plan check; Electrical interconnection work reviewed against the Town's adopted National Electrical Code edition and inspected by the Town's own Building Inspector (Jerome runs its own building department; it does not defer electrical trade permitting to Yavapai County); Per A.R.S. § 9-468 (statewide Arizona solar-permit statute), the Town may not charge a solar permit/plan-check fee exceeding the actual cost of issuing the permit, must provide a written itemized cost breakdown on request, and may not require an engineering stamp without providing a written explanation of why one is necessary. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Jerome Building Department (Planning & Zoning Dept.) — Building Inspector at 928-634-7943 before starting work.

Yes. Arizona Revised Statutes § 9-468 caps any city or town's solar construction permit fee at the actual cost of issuing the permit, and requires a written itemized list of costs on request. Jerome has no separate published solar fee line — it bills solar under the same Schedule A-1 valuation-based Building Permit Fee used for other construction.

Jerome does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Jerome Building Department (Planning & Zoning Dept.) — Building Inspector at 928-634-7943 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Design Review Application / General Land Use Application; Solar Plan Set (panel layout, racking/mounting details, one-line electrical diagram). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Jerome requires 2 inspection(s) for a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit, in order: Framing/Structural (Racking Attachment), Final Electrical/Interconnection. Schedule each through Town of Jerome Building Department (Planning & Zoning Dept.) — Building Inspector (928-634-7943).

Apply through Town of Jerome Building Department (Planning & Zoning Dept.) — Building Inspector at 600 Clark Street, P.O. Box 335, Jerome, AZ 86331. Phone: 928-634-7943, email: b.wolstencroft@jerome.az.gov. Office hours: Town Hall: Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Building Inspector: Barry Wolstencroft (b.wolstencroft@jerome.az.gov, 928-634-7943, fax 928-634-0715). Building permit applications are filed at Town Hall (PO Box 335 / 600 Clark St.) only AFTER the project has received required approval from the Design Review Board and/or Zoning Administrator; inspections are scheduled approximately one week in advance and the Town states it is not liable for work delays due to inspection scheduling.. Official information: https://jerome.az.gov/building-inspection.

Jerome, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). Despite its very small size (population approximately 450), the Town of Jerome runs its own genuinely independent Building Department with a named Building Inspector (Barry Wolstencroft), its own adopted code chapter (Town Code Chapter 7, Building and Safety Codes), and its own Council-adopted fee schedule (Schedule A-1) — it does NOT defer building-permit administration to Yavapai County. Source: Town of Jerome Building Inspection page (jerome.az.gov/building-inspection) and Building Codes page (jerome.az.gov/building-codes).; 2012 International Building Code (IBC), adopted by Resolution 544. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page (jerome.az.gov/building-codes).; 2012 International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (IRC), adopted by Resolution 545. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; 2012 International Plumbing Code (IPC), including Appendices B, C, D, and E, adopted by Resolution 547. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by Resolution 548 — notably TWO editions behind the electrical-code cycle used by most other AZ jurisdictions reviewed in this dataset (which have generally moved to the 2023 NEC); confirmed as currently listed on the Town's own Building Codes page, not assumed. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; 2012 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by Resolution 546. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; 2012 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), including Appendices A, B, C, and D, adopted by Resolution 549. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; 2012 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), adopted by Resolution 550 and Ordinance 430. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; Appendix 33 of the 1997 Uniform Building Code (UBC), serving as the Town's Grading Ordinance, adopted by Ordinance 358. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; Town of Jerome Administrative Code (2003 Edition), adopted by Ordinance 358 — governs local permit administration provisions layered on top of the ICC codes (e.g., the Section 108.8 reinspection-fee citation used in the Town's own Fee Schedule). Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by Resolution 635 — notably a much newer edition than the 2012-vintage building/residential/plumbing/mechanical/fuel-gas code set, and the only code in Jerome's adopted set current within the last decade. Source: Town of Jerome Building Codes page.; IMPORTANT — Historic Overlay District (Jerome Zoning Ordinance Section 511.C): the Historic Overlay District boundary 'shall include all areas within the corporate limits of the Town of Jerome' — i.e., the ENTIRE town is inside the Historic Overlay District, not just a subset of downtown parcels. As a result, Design Review Board (or, for minor listed items, Zoning Administrator) approval under Zoning Ordinance Section 304 is a mandatory prerequisite BEFORE a building permit application can even be submitted to the Building Inspector, for nearly every exterior construction project Town-wide. Source: Jerome Zoning Ordinance (current through July 2024), Sections 304 and 511 (jerome.az.gov/documents/76/Zoning_Ordinance_updated_thru_July_2024.pdf); Building Permit Application Packet ('We provide the following information to assist you in applying for a permit once the Design Review Board has approved your project.').. Local amendments apply — see the Jerome overview page for the full list.

Yes. The entire Town of Jerome lies within the Historic Overlay District (Zoning Ordinance Section 511.C), so solar installations on new construction must comply with the Town's dedicated Solar Energy System Design Guidelines (approved by Town Council, June 2015), reviewed by the Design Review Board under Zoning Ordinance Section 304.H.1.m, before a building permit can be issued.