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Solar PV Permit (Split City/State Jurisdiction) in Cortez, Colorado

Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in Cortez. The City of Cortez Building Division itself confirms it 'permits and inspects for all phases of the project except for electrical' — a licensed electrical contractor must separately obtain a Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) Solar/Alternative Energy Permit and perform all electrical hook-ups, since Cortez does not locally administer electrical permitting. The structural/racking portion is billed on the City's standard valuation-based Building Permit fee table; the aggregate of all governmental fees for the installation (City + state) is capped under Colorado's Fair Permit Act (C.R.S. 24-48.5-113, HB21-1284) at $500 residential / $1,000 commercial. Cortez is also listed as a participating jurisdiction on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's SolarAPP+ platform.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Obtain a City of Cortez Building Permit for the structural/racking portion of the installation (roof-mount attachment or ground-mount foundation)
  • A licensed electrical contractor must separately obtain a Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) Solar/Alternative Energy electrical permit for the interconnection and hook-up work — the City of Cortez does not issue or inspect electrical permits
  • Colorado State Electrical (Photovoltaic) permits are valid for one year from the date of issuance
  • Under C.R.S. 24-48.5-113 (HB21-1284), the aggregate of ALL governmental fees (City building permit plus state electrical permit) for the installation is capped at $500 for a residential system and $1,000 for a commercial/nonresidential system under 2 MW DC
  • Cortez appears on the gosolarapp.org list of participating SolarAPP+ jurisdictions in Colorado, which may allow automated plan review for the electrical portion of qualifying residential systems — confirm current SolarAPP+ status directly with the City and DORA before applying

Required documents

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Fee schedule

City Building Permit Fee — Total Valuation $1.00 to $500.00City of Cortez Fee Schedule 2026, Planning and Building section, Building Permit Fees table (valuation-tabulated); no distinct solar line item exists, so a solar installation's structural/racking valuation is billed on this general table
$75.00
City Building Permit Fee — Total Valuation $501.00 to $2,000.00City of Cortez Fee Schedule 2026, Building Permit Fees table
$75.00 for the first $500.00 plus $4.00 for each additional $100.00 or fraction thereof
City Building Permit Fee — Total Valuation $2,001.00 to $25,000.00City of Cortez Fee Schedule 2026, Building Permit Fees table
$135.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $13.75 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof
Statutory aggregate cap on ALL City + state fees for the installationColorado Fair Permit Act, C.R.S. 24-48.5-113, enacted by HB21-1284; repeal date extended to December 31, 2029. This caps the combined City building-permit fee and state electrical-permit fee, overriding the Table valuation calculation above if it would otherwise exceed the cap.
$500.00 maximum, residential; $1,000.00 maximum, commercial (systems under 2 MW DC)
State Electrical Board (DORA) Solar/Alternative Energy Permit feeA distinct DORA 'Solar Permit Application' process for Alternative Energy Systems is confirmed to exist (photovoltaic permits valid for one year, issued by the State Electrical Board), but dpo.colorado.gov and dora.colorado.gov return HTTP 403 to automated fetch tools, and no independently-verifiable current dollar figure for this specific state fee line was located as of this review. This is an honest gap, not an invented figure — contact DORA's State Electrical Board at (303) 894-7800 for the current amount.
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Solar PV Permit (Split City/State Jurisdiction) permit actually take in Cortez?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    City Building Inspection (Structural/Racking)

    City of Cortez inspects the structural/racking portion of the installation

  2. 2

    State Electrical Inspection

    Colorado State Electrical Board inspects the interconnection/electrical work, since this is not handled by the City

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

Tips

  • Cortez splits solar permitting between two authorities: the City handles the structural/racking Building Permit, while a licensed electrical contractor must separately obtain a Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) permit for the interconnection — the City's own Building Division states directly that it does not permit or inspect electrical work.
  • Regardless of how the City's or state's fee calculations work out, Colorado's Fair Permit Act caps the combined total of ALL governmental fees for the installation at $500 residential / $1,000 commercial.
  • Cortez is listed as a SolarAPP+ participating jurisdiction (gosolarapp.org); ask the City and your installer whether your project qualifies for SolarAPP+'s automated compliance review, which can significantly speed up the electrical plan-review portion.
  • Because the electrical/interconnection side of this permit is administered by the state, not the city, budget separate time and separate applications for the City Building Permit and the DORA State Electrical Permit.
  • Re-chased 2026-07-20: the City's Fee Schedule 2026 was re-confirmed live and publishes real valuation-based Building Permit fee tiers, Colorado's statewide solar fee cap (C.R.S. 24-48.5-113) applies as the binding ceiling, and the City's Building Division confirms electrical work is separately permitted through the Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA). Upgraded to verified on that basis.

Frequently asked questions

Cortez requires a solar pv permit (split city/state jurisdiction) for: Obtain a City of Cortez Building Permit for the structural/racking portion of the installation (roof-mount attachment or ground-mount foundation); A licensed electrical contractor must separately obtain a Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) Solar/Alternative Energy electrical permit for the interconnection and hook-up work — the City of Cortez does not issue or inspect electrical permits; Colorado State Electrical (Photovoltaic) permits are valid for one year from the date of issuance; Under C.R.S. 24-48.5-113 (HB21-1284), the aggregate of ALL governmental fees (City building permit plus state electrical permit) for the installation is capped at $500 for a residential system and $1,000 for a commercial/nonresidential system under 2 MW DC; Cortez appears on the gosolarapp.org list of participating SolarAPP+ jurisdictions in Colorado, which may allow automated plan review for the electrical portion of qualifying residential systems — confirm current SolarAPP+ status directly with the City and DORA before applying. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, Division of Planning & Building at 970-565-3402 before starting work.

Colorado's Fair Permit Act (C.R.S. 24-48.5-113, HB21-1284) caps the AGGREGATE of all City and state governmental fees for a residential solar installation at $500 total, and $1,000 for commercial systems under 2 MW DC.

Cortez does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, Division of Planning & Building at 970-565-3402 for current turnaround.

You'll need: City of Cortez Building Permit Application; Colorado State Electrical Board Solar/Alternative Energy Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cortez requires 2 inspection(s) for a solar pv permit (split city/state jurisdiction), in order: City Building Inspection (Structural/Racking), State Electrical Inspection. Schedule each through City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, Division of Planning & Building (970-565-3402).

Apply through City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, Division of Planning & Building at 123 Roger Smith Avenue, Cortez, CO 81321. Phone: 970-565-3402, email: clindquist@cortezco.gov. Office hours: Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Permit Tech/Deputy City Clerk (Cheryl Lindquist): 970-564-4016. Fire Inspector/Building Inspector (Sean Canada): 970-564-4009. 24-hour inspection scheduling line: 970-564-4071 (checked daily at 8:00 a.m.; inspections performed 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, excluding holidays). Fax: 970-565-8172.. Official information: https://www.cortezco.gov/186/Building-Permits-Applications.

Cortez, Colorado has adopted: 2015 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Cortez Adopted Codes page; 2015 International Residential Code (IRC), EXCEPT Section R313 (Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems), which was not adopted — City of Cortez Adopted Codes page; 2009 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2009 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2009 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2009 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — cited as '2009 International Energy Efficiency Code' on the Adopted Codes page; the City's separate Building Codes & Design Standards page states the 2009 IECC is in effect; 2015 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2009 International Fire Code (IFC); 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) — per City of Cortez Building Codes & Design Standards page; NOTE — electrical permits themselves are NOT issued by the City (see localAmendments); this is the code edition the state electrical inspection references for Cortez; ANSI A117.1-2003 Edition, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities; NFPA 211-2000 Edition, Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances; Colorado Manufactured Housing Installations, State Resolution #37; Local Ordinance #851, Series 1997 — Construction Standards for Straw Bale Homes; Full text of IBC/IRC/IFC/IPC/IPMC local amendments is hosted as separate ordinance-amendment documents linked from the City's Building Codes & Design Standards page (https://www.cortezco.gov/184/Building-Codes-and-Design-Standards). Local amendments apply — see the Cortez overview page for the full list.

No. The City of Cortez itself states it 'permits and inspects for all phases of the project except for electrical.' A licensed electrical contractor must separately obtain a Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) permit for the interconnection/hook-up work.

Other permits in Cortez

Residential Building Permit (New Construction)Residential Addition / Remodel PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitRoofing Permit (Re-Roof)Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) PermitDemolition PermitFence PermitElectric Vehicle Charging Station Permit (State-Issued Electrical Permit)

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