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Solar PV Permit in Commerce City, Colorado

Required for installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic systems in Commerce City. A Building Permit and an Electrical Permit are required, billed on the City's standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee Schedule (Table 1-A) — but capped by Colorado's statutory Fair Permit Act limit on solar fees. Commerce City's Building Safety Division also requires a Solar Installation Certificate (a self-certification form, Version 2021.0) to be completed by a state-licensed journeyman or master electrician employed by a Commerce City-licensed electrical contractor and uploaded to the City's eTRAKiT portal after installation.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Obtain a Building Permit and an Electrical Permit for a rooftop solar PV installation via the City's eTRAKiT portal
  • Solar Installation Certificate (Version 2021.0, City of Commerce City Building Safety Division) must be completed by a state-licensed journeyman or master electrician employed by a Commerce City-licensed electrical contractor, certifying code-compliant installation of the solar panels and associated rooftop equipment/wiring Contractor
  • The Solar Installation Certificate applies to rooftop installations on one- and two-story homes up to three stories
  • A completed copy of the Solar Installation Certificate must be uploaded to the eTRAKiT portal and must also be kept onsite and available to the City's electrical inspector at the time of inspection
  • The Solar Installation Certificate must be submitted within six months of project completion
  • Under Colorado's Fair Permit Act (C.R.S. 24-48.5-113, enacted by HB21-1284), the aggregate of all City permit and plan-review fees for the installation is capped at $500 for a residential system and $1,000 for a commercial/nonresidential system producing less than 2 megawatts DC

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — Table 1-A, valuation-based, subject to the statutory solar fee capCity of Commerce City Building Permit Fee Schedule (Table 1-A), c3gov.com/files/assets/city/v/1/fd-finance-department/documents/city-fees/section-2-building-permit.pdf, combined with the statewide Colorado Fair Permit Act cap, which overrides the valuation-based calculation for solar specifically
$30.41 for valuation $1-$500, scaling per Table 1-A (e.g., $89.60 for the first $2,000 plus $18.11 per additional $1,000 up to $25,000); the AGGREGATE of all City permit/plan-review fees for a solar installation is capped at $500 residential / $1,000 commercial under C.R.S. 24-48.5-113 (HB21-1284) regardless of the Table 1-A valuation calculation

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Solar PV Permit permit actually take in Commerce City?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Electrical Inspection

    City electrical inspector verifies the installation against the completed Solar Installation Certificate, which must be available onsite at the time of inspection

See the full Commerce City inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Commerce City requires BOTH a Building Permit and an Electrical Permit for rooftop solar — this is not a single combined solar permit type.
  • The Solar Installation Certificate is a distinct, solar-specific self-certification requirement unique to Commerce City's Building Safety Division: it must be completed by a licensed journeyman or master electrician employed by a City-licensed electrical contractor, uploaded to eTRAKiT, and kept onsite for the inspector.
  • The certificate must be submitted within six months of project completion — don't let this deadline lapse after the installation passes inspection.
  • Regardless of how the City's standard Table 1-A valuation-based building fee schedule calculates, Colorado's Fair Permit Act (C.R.S. 24-48.5-113 / HB21-1284) caps the total of all City fees for the permit at $500 for residential and $1,000 for commercial systems under 2 MW DC.

Frequently asked questions

Commerce City requires a solar pv permit for: Obtain a Building Permit and an Electrical Permit for a rooftop solar PV installation via the City's eTRAKiT portal; Solar Installation Certificate (Version 2021.0, City of Commerce City Building Safety Division) must be completed by a state-licensed journeyman or master electrician employed by a Commerce City-licensed electrical contractor, certifying code-compliant installation of the solar panels and associated rooftop equipment/wiring; The Solar Installation Certificate applies to rooftop installations on one- and two-story homes up to three stories; A completed copy of the Solar Installation Certificate must be uploaded to the eTRAKiT portal and must also be kept onsite and available to the City's electrical inspector at the time of inspection; The Solar Installation Certificate must be submitted within six months of project completion; Under Colorado's Fair Permit Act (C.R.S. 24-48.5-113, enacted by HB21-1284), the aggregate of all City permit and plan-review fees for the installation is capped at $500 for a residential system and $1,000 for a commercial/nonresidential system producing less than 2 megawatts DC. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Commerce City Building Safety Division (Community Development Department) at 303-289-3790 before starting work.

Colorado's Fair Permit Act (C.R.S. 24-48.5-113, enacted by HB21-1284) caps the aggregate of all City permit and plan-review fees for a residential solar installation at $500 total ($1,000 for commercial systems under 2 MW DC), regardless of what the City's standard valuation-based Table 1-A fee schedule would otherwise calculate.

Commerce City does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Commerce City Building Safety Division (Community Development Department) at 303-289-3790 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (via eTRAKiT); Electrical Permit Application (via eTRAKiT); Solar Installation Certificate (Version 2021.0, PDF). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Commerce City requires 1 inspection(s) for a solar pv permit, in order: Electrical Inspection. Schedule each through Commerce City Building Safety Division (Community Development Department) (303-289-3790).

Apply through Commerce City Building Safety Division (Community Development Department) at South Platte Crossing Building, 7190 Colorado Blvd. Ste 600 (6th Floor), Commerce City, CO 80022. Phone: 303-289-3790, email: cdpermits@c3gov.com. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Official information: https://www.c3gov.com/Business-Development/Building-Permits-Inspections.

Commerce City, Colorado has adopted: City of Commerce City Building Code (C3BC), also known as the 2021 edition of the C3BC — incorporates by reference: 2021 International Building Code (IBC), 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC), 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), 2021 International Private Sewage Disposal Code (IPSDC), 2021 International Green Construction Code (IgCC), 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (NEC), 2021 International Fire Code, and 2021 International Property Maintenance Code. Source: Commerce City Municipal Code Chapter 5, Sec. 5-1 and 5-2, https://www.c3gov.com/Business-Development/Building-Permits-Inspections/Step-1-Project-Design/Building-Code-Provisions-in-the-Municipal-Code; City of Commerce City Construction Code — the 2021 IBC as adopted, including Appendix Chapters C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K and N. Source: c3gov.com 2021 International Building Code page, https://www.c3gov.com/Business-Development/Building-Permits-Inspections/Step-1-Project-Design/2021-International-Building-Code; City of Commerce City Residential Code — the 2021 IRC as adopted, including Appendix Chapters AH, AI, AJ, AK, AM, AQ, AR, AS, AT, AU and AW. Source: c3gov.com 2021 International Residential Code page, https://www.c3gov.com/Business-Development/Building-Permits-Inspections/Step-1-Project-Design/2021-International-Residential-Code; City of Commerce City Commercial Energy Conservation Code and City of Commerce City Residential Energy Conservation Code — the 2021 IECC as locally amended (Sections C101.1/R101.1 renamed; C103/R103 construction-document amendments; C104/R104 fees deleted and replaced to reference Article VI, Chapter 5 fee schedule; C109/R109 stop-work order and C110/R110 board-of-appeals sections replaced to reference Commerce City Municipal Code Sec. 5-5007 and Sec. 5-21). For permit applications submitted prior to July 1, 2026, applicants may choose to comply with the 2018 IECC as amended by the city instead. Source: c3gov.com 2021 IECC page, https://www.c3gov.com/Business-Development/Building-Permits-Inspections/Step-1-Project-Design/2021-International-Energy-Conservation-Code; 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by reference per Municipal Code Sec. 5-2. Source: Commerce City Municipal Code Chapter 5, Sec. 5-2; Construction for which a permit application is submitted six months after the effective date of the 2021 C3BC must comply with the 2021 C3BC; applicants during that six-month transition window could choose either the 2021 C3BC or the prior edition; IBC-designed permit applicants were permitted one year after the effective date to comply. Source: Commerce City Municipal Code Chapter 5, Sec. 5-4. Local amendments apply — see the Commerce City overview page for the full list.

Not a single combined one — a rooftop solar installation requires both a Building Permit and an Electrical Permit, plus a City-specific Solar Installation Certificate (a self-certification form completed by a licensed electrician and uploaded to eTRAKiT after the work is done).

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 Commerce City building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Other permits in Commerce City

Residential Building Permit (New Construction / RNEW)Residential Addition / Alteration Permit (RADD / RALT)Electrical Permit (RELEC / CELEC)Plumbing/Gas Permit (RPLMB / CPLMB)Mechanical/Gas (HVAC) Permit (RMECH / CMECH)Roofing Permit (Commercial / Multi-Family Reroofs Only)Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) PermitDemolition Permit (RDEMO / CDEMO)Fence and Retaining Wall PermitElectric Vehicle Charging Station Permit

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