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Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit in Salmon, Idaho

Required for installing a rooftop or ground-mount photovoltaic system within Salmon city limits. Electrical work is NOT reviewed by the Lemhi County and City Building Department — it is a separate State of Idaho permit issued by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL, formerly branded Division of Building Safety/DBS), which publishes a dedicated Solar/Renewable Energy fee formula. Any structural/roof-mount building-permit component is reviewed locally under the Lemhi County Fee Schedule's general valuation-based Building Permit table (no separate solar line item published there).

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • State of Idaho DOPL electrical permit required for the PV system's electrical installation — purchased online at dbs.idaho.gov (redirects to dopl.idaho.gov); NOT issued by the Lemhi County and City Building Department
  • Homeowner permit available only for work the property owner personally performs on their own primary/secondary residence, not for rental or commercial use; otherwise a licensed electrical contractor must pull the permit
  • Solar/Renewable Energy box must be checked on the DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet, with the total cost of the electrical system entered as the Job Value Amount
  • Grid-Connected Renewable Energy systems require a plan check permit number FIRST (contact DOPL at 1-800-955-3044) before the installation permit can be purchased; Non-Grid-Connected systems require plan check included with the cost of the permit
  • Any structural/roof-mount work is reviewed locally under the general valuation-based Lemhi County Fee Schedule Building Permit table if it rises to the level requiring a building permit — confirm with the Lemhi County and City Building Department (208-756-2815 ext. 1704) whether a given installation triggers this

Required documents

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Fee schedule

State of Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit — Solar/Renewable Energy (up to $10,000 system cost)DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Fee Schedule), 'Other Installations including Solar/Renewable Energy' section — identical formula on both the Homeowner Application (rev. 8/17/2022) and Contractor Application worksheets
(Total cost of electrical system x 0.02) + $60
State of Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit — Solar/Renewable Energy ($10,001 to $100,000 system cost)
((Total cost of electrical system - $10,000) x 0.01) + $260
State of Idaho DOPL Electrical Permit — Solar/Renewable Energy (over $100,001 system cost)
((Total cost of electrical system - $100,000) x 0.005) + $1,160
Plan Check Fee (grid-connected renewable energy, required before permit purchase)
$65.00 per hour
Local building permit (structural/roof-mount, if triggered)No solar-specific line item found on the Lemhi County Fee Schedule; same table used for the jurisdiction's residential-building-permit entry
Follows the general Lemhi County Fee Schedule, Exhibit A valuation table (e.g., $69 for the first $2,000 of valuation plus $11 per additional $1,000, for the $2,001-$40,000 tier)

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    DOPL Electrical Rough-In/Final

    All electrical work performed under a DOPL permit must be inspected by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing; at 'Final' inspection the Scope of Work, valuation, and permit fees are verified against actual costs

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

Tips

  • Solar in Salmon involves TWO separate agencies: the State of Idaho DOPL for the electrical permit (dbs.idaho.gov / dopl.idaho.gov, not the local building department), and potentially the Lemhi County and City Building Department for any structural/roof-mount building-permit component.
  • DOPL's solar fee formula is tiered by total system cost, not wattage: 2% of cost plus $60 up to $10,000; 1% of the amount over $10,000 plus $260 up to $100,000; 0.5% of the amount over $100,000 plus $1,160 above that.
  • A grid-connected system needs a plan-check permit number from DOPL BEFORE you can purchase the installation permit — budget extra lead time for this step.
  • The project value used for DOPL's fee calculation cannot be reduced by donated or self-supplied labor, material, or equipment — it is verified against actual cost at the Final inspection.

Frequently asked questions

Salmon requires a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit for: State of Idaho DOPL electrical permit required for the PV system's electrical installation — purchased online at dbs.idaho.gov (redirects to dopl.idaho.gov); NOT issued by the Lemhi County and City Building Department; Homeowner permit available only for work the property owner personally performs on their own primary/secondary residence, not for rental or commercial use; otherwise a licensed electrical contractor must pull the permit; Solar/Renewable Energy box must be checked on the DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet, with the total cost of the electrical system entered as the Job Value Amount; Grid-Connected Renewable Energy systems require a plan check permit number FIRST (contact DOPL at 1-800-955-3044) before the installation permit can be purchased; Non-Grid-Connected systems require plan check included with the cost of the permit; Any structural/roof-mount work is reviewed locally under the general valuation-based Lemhi County Fee Schedule Building Permit table if it rises to the level requiring a building permit — confirm with the Lemhi County and City Building Department (208-756-2815 ext. 1704) whether a given installation triggers this. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Lemhi County and City Building Department (Lemhi County Building/Planning & Zoning Department) at (208) 756-2815 ext. 1704 before starting work.

It is tiered by total system cost: for systems up to $10,000, the fee is 2% of the cost plus $60; from $10,001 to $100,000, it's 1% of the amount over $10,000 plus $260; above $100,001, it's 0.5% of the amount over $100,000 plus $1,160. Grid-connected systems also require a separate plan-check step first.

Salmon does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Lemhi County and City Building Department (Lemhi County Building/Planning & Zoning Department) at (208) 756-2815 ext. 1704 for current turnaround.

You'll need: DOPL Homeowner or Contractor Electrical Permit Application; DOPL Electrical Permit Worksheet (Fee Schedule). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Salmon requires 1 inspection(s) for a solar photovoltaic (pv) permit, in order: DOPL Electrical Rough-In/Final. Schedule each through Lemhi County and City Building Department (Lemhi County Building/Planning & Zoning Department) ((208) 756-2815 ext. 1704).

Apply through Lemhi County and City Building Department (Lemhi County Building/Planning & Zoning Department) at 200 Fulton St, Suite 204, Salmon, ID 83467. Phone: (208) 756-2815 ext. 1704, email: bldpt@lemhicountyidaho.org. Office hours: Mon–Fri (hours not published online; confirm with department). Official information: https://www.lemhicountyidaho.org/231/Building.

Salmon, Idaho has adopted: Currently adopted International Residential Code (IRC) — building permit fee valuation table keyed to IRC Appendix L (per Lemhi County Fee Schedule, Exhibit A, eff. 10/28/2024); Currently adopted International Building Code (IBC) family of codes, adopted by reference under Salmon City Code Chapter 151 (Building Regulations; Construction), § 151.01 'Adoption of codes by reference'; State-regulated trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC/mechanical) are permitted directly through Idaho DOPL, not the local building department. Local amendments apply — see the Salmon overview page for the full list.

No. Electrical permits in Salmon, including for solar/photovoltaic systems, are issued by the State of Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), not the Lemhi County and City Building Department. Any structural/roof-mount component would separately go through the local building department if it rises to the level of requiring a building permit.

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

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