Skip to main content
PermitBase

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in Silverthorne, Colorado

Required for installing a rooftop or ground-mount photovoltaic system in Silverthorne. Applications are submitted through the Town of Silverthorne (Community Development Technician intake, with Town Planning, Engineering, and Water & Sewer departments reviewing per Town Code), but the substantive building/electrical code plan review, PV-specific fee, permit issuance, and inspections for the photovoltaic system are performed by the Summit County Building Department — the same county department that handles ALL electrical permits for Silverthorne, since the Town does not intake, fee, or issue electrical/PV permits itself.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Submit through the Town of Silverthorne; the Community Development Technician reviews for completeness, then routes to Town Planning, Engineering, and Water & Sewer for Town Code compliance
  • Summit County Building Department separately reviews the PV system against the Building Code and issues the actual Photovoltaic Permit
  • Residential roof-mounted systems under 15 kW may be issued over the counter if all submittal materials are provided
  • Plan review is mandatory for residential systems over 15 kW, all ground-mounted systems, and all commercial systems
  • Payment for plan review is required at the time of submittal for any system requiring review
  • Applicants must submit in person with a representative, per Summit County's PV submittal process

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 3 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29 →

Fee schedule

Photovoltaic Permit — Residential Plan ReviewSummit County Building Permit Fee Schedule; independently confirmed twice against the County's own site (Photovoltaic Permits page and Building Permit Fee Schedule page)
$175.00
Photovoltaic Permit — Residential Permit FeeSummit County Building Permit Fee Schedule. Combined with the $175 plan review fee, totals exactly $500.00 — the statewide residential cap under C.R.S. § 24-48.5-113 (HB21-1284)
$325.00
Photovoltaic Permit — Commercial Plan ReviewSummit County Building Permit Fee Schedule
$350.00
Photovoltaic Permit — Commercial Permit FeeSummit County Building Permit Fee Schedule. Combined with the $350 plan review fee, totals exactly $1,000.00 — the statewide commercial cap under C.R.S. § 24-48.5-113 (HB21-1284)
$650.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit permit actually take in Silverthorne?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Summit County PV Inspection(s)

    Performed by the Summit County Building Department under the Photovoltaic Permit

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

Tips

  • Silverthorne's solar fee structure lands exactly on Colorado's statewide caps: $175 plan review + $325 permit = $500.00 total residential (the maximum allowed under HB21-1284), and $350 + $650 = $1,000.00 total commercial (also the maximum allowed) — Summit County appears to have set these fees to exactly match the state cap.
  • A residential roof-mounted system under 15kW with a complete submittal can be issued over the counter — no plan review wait required — while anything over 15kW, any ground-mounted system, and all commercial systems require a full plan review.
  • Even though the Town of Silverthorne intakes the application and its own departments (Planning, Engineering, Water & Sewer) review for Town Code compliance, the PV-specific permit, fee, and inspections are entirely a Summit County Building Department function — budget for coordination between two agencies.

Frequently asked questions

Silverthorne requires a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit for: Submit through the Town of Silverthorne; the Community Development Technician reviews for completeness, then routes to Town Planning, Engineering, and Water & Sewer for Town Code compliance; Summit County Building Department separately reviews the PV system against the Building Code and issues the actual Photovoltaic Permit; Residential roof-mounted systems under 15 kW may be issued over the counter if all submittal materials are provided; Plan review is mandatory for residential systems over 15 kW, all ground-mounted systems, and all commercial systems; Payment for plan review is required at the time of submittal for any system requiring review; Applicants must submit in person with a representative, per Summit County's PV submittal process. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Silverthorne Community Development Department, Building Division at 970-262-7360 before starting work.

Through the Summit County Building Department (which issues all PV/electrical permits for Silverthorne): $500.00 total for residential ($175 plan review + $325 permit fee) and $1,000.00 total for commercial ($350 plan review + $650 permit fee) — both figures exactly match Colorado's statewide solar fee cap under HB21-1284.

Silverthorne does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Silverthorne Community Development Department, Building Division at 970-262-7360 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Summit County PV Permit Application (fillable PDF); Summit County PV Permit Submittal Checklist; Photovoltaic Systems Requirements document. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Silverthorne requires 1 inspection(s) for a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit, in order: Summit County PV Inspection(s). Schedule each through Town of Silverthorne Community Development Department, Building Division (970-262-7360).

Apply through Town of Silverthorne Community Development Department, Building Division at 601 Center Circle, P.O. Box 1309, Silverthorne, CO 80498. Phone: 970-262-7360, email: buildinginfo@silverthorne.org. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; building permit submittal appointments required (per Community Development FAQ). Town Hall main line (970) 262-7300; Community Development/Building direct line (970) 262-7360. Electrical permits are handled separately by the Summit County Building Department, 0037 Peak One Drive / 37 S.C.R. 1005, Frisco, CO, (970) 668-3170.. Official information: https://www.silverthorne.org/town-government/community-development/building-copy.

Silverthorne, Colorado has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC), with Town of Silverthorne local amendments — Town of Silverthorne Building Codes & Amendments page, https://www.silverthorne.org/town-government/community-development/building-copy/building-codes-construction-resources; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), with Town of Silverthorne local amendments — same source; 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by Town Ordinance 2023-10 — the Town's own Building Codes & Amendments page attributes this specific adoption to the Summit County Building Department ('Ordinance 2023-10 2023 NFPA70 National Electrical Code Adoption - from the Summit County Building Department'), consistent with Summit County issuing and governing all electrical permits Town-wide; Underlying building-code plan review and inspection for all permit types is performed by the Summit County Building Department 'based on the Building Code most recently adopted by the Town' — Town of Silverthorne Plan Review page, https://www.silverthorne.org/town-government/community-development/building-copy/resubmittals-and-revisions; IRC Section 321.1 as locally amended (temporary/permanent address numbering requirements) and IBC Sections 105.4, 105.6, 109.1, 109.5, 109.7, 104.10, 104.11, and 3402.1 as locally amended (administrative provisions: permit suspension/revocation, inspection access, reinspection fees, code-modification authority, alternate materials/methods, and additions/alterations conforming to new-construction code) — Town of Silverthorne Building Codes & Construction Resources page, General Requirements / Administrative Requirements sections. Local amendments apply — see the Silverthorne overview page for the full list.

Both are involved: the Town of Silverthorne intakes the application and its Planning, Engineering, and Water & Sewer departments review for Town Code compliance, but the Summit County Building Department performs the substantive PV/electrical plan review, collects the PV-specific fee, issues the permit, and performs inspections — the Town does not intake, fee, or issue electrical/PV permits itself.

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

Other permits in Silverthorne

New Residential Construction Building Permit (SFR Attached and Detached)Residential Addition / Remodel Building PermitElectrical PermitResidential Plumbing PermitResidential Mechanical / HVAC PermitAccessory Dwelling Unit / Single Apartment Building PermitDemolition PermitRetaining Wall (Standalone) PermitEV Charger / EVSE Permit

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in other cities

Akron, ColoradoAlamosa, ColoradoArvada, ColoradoAspen, ColoradoAult, ColoradoAurora, ColoradoAvon, ColoradoBasalt, Colorado

Compare solar photovoltaic (pv) permit fees across Colorado →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Silverthorne project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Silverthorne — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

Get started →