Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in Westcliffe, Colorado

Westcliffe requires a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit for: Building/zoning permit required from the Town for the structural, roof-mounting, and racking portion of the installation, per the 2006 IBC/IRC as locally amended (Title 3, Chapter 2); Separate State of Colorado DORA/DPO Electrical Permit required for the PV wiring, inverter, and interconnection work — purchased directly through the state's online Electrical & Plumbing Permits system, not through the Town (same state jurisdiction documented in this file's electrical-permit entry); Under Colorado's statewide solar permit fee cap (C.R.S. § 24-48.5-113, enacted by HB21-1284), a covered local jurisdiction's total building-permit-related fees for a residential solar PV system may not exceed $500, and $1,000 for commercial systems, regardless of project valuation; Custer County is not listed among counties excluded from State Electrical Board jurisdiction, confirming state authority over the electrical permit applies here as it does for other electrical work in Westcliffe. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Westcliffe Building and Zoning Department (Building and Zoning Official / Town Manager) at 719-783-2282, ext. 12 (Building Department); ext. 10 or 11 (other permit/application forms) before starting work.

No dedicated solar/PV line item is published in the Town's Fee Schedule. The structural building permit is calculated using the Town's general valuation-based fee table, but Colorado's statewide solar fee cap (C.R.S. § 24-48.5-113, HB21-1284) limits the total to $500 for residential and $1,000 for commercial systems. The electrical permit for the PV wiring is a separate fee paid directly to the State of Colorado (DORA/DPO), not the Town.

Westcliffe does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Westcliffe Building and Zoning Department (Building and Zoning Official / Town Manager) at 719-783-2282, ext. 12 (Building Department); ext. 10 or 11 (other permit/application forms) for current turnaround.

You'll need: Town of Westcliffe Building/Zoning Permit Application; DORA/DPO Electrical Permit Application (online). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Westcliffe requires 2 inspection(s) for a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit, in order: Building Final (Town), Electrical Final (State Inspector). Schedule each through Town of Westcliffe Building and Zoning Department (Building and Zoning Official / Town Manager) (719-783-2282, ext. 12 (Building Department); ext. 10 or 11 (other permit/application forms)).

Apply through Town of Westcliffe Building and Zoning Department (Building and Zoning Official / Town Manager) at 1000 Main Street, P.O. Box 406, Westcliffe, CO 81252. Phone: 719-783-2282, ext. 12 (Building Department); ext. 10 or 11 (other permit/application forms), email: deputyclerk@townofwestcliffe.com. Office hours: Building and Zoning office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Town Hall general hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).. Official information: https://townofwestcliffe.colorado.gov/departments/building-department.

Westcliffe, Colorado has adopted: 2006 International Building Code (IBC), excluding all appendices unless specifically adopted — Westcliffe Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 2, Section 3-2-1 (Ord. 7-2016, eff. 6/2/2016, repealing and replacing the section originally adopted by Ord. 3-1991, amended by Ord. 3-1996, Ord. 1-2000, Ord. 2-2008); 2006 International Residential Code (IRC), with Appendix E (Manufactured Housing Used as Dwellings) adopted in its entirety; 2006 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2006 International Fire Code (IFC), with Wet Mountain Fire Protection District named as the Department of Fire Prevention for the Town (Section 103.1 amendment); 2006 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — locally amended to replace all references to the International Property Maintenance Code; 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); No local International Plumbing Code (IPC) or National Electrical Code (NEC) edition is separately adopted by the Town — electrical and plumbing permitting/inspection authority is assigned entirely to the State of Colorado (see localAmendments and the electrical-permit/plumbing-permit entries below).; Currency note: the Town's own codified Municipal Code (Title 3, Chapter 2, most recently amended by Ord. 7-2016, eff. 6/2/2016) still specifies the 2006 ICC code family with no more recent edition-adoption ordinance found after a full chase (Municode library, Town press-release archive, and direct site search for a 2018/2021/2024-edition adoption ordinance all came up empty as of this review). Colorado is home-rule with no statewide-mandated code edition for a town this size, so the 2006 suite is treated as the current, governing adopted code for this file rather than assumed to have been silently upgraded.. Local amendments apply — see the Westcliffe overview page for the full list.