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Solar PV Permit in Unincorporated San Juan County, New Mexico

San Juan County has adopted the 2012 Uniform Solar Energy Code (IAPMO) alongside its other construction codes, and its Electrical Permit Application publishes a distinct 'Solar PV Systems' fee tier ($25/kW for the first 160 kW, then $5/kW thereafter) separate from its general electrical fee schedule. A standard roof-mounted PV installation is typically covered by this Electrical Permit alone; a separate general construction Building Permit is only additionally required when structural reinforcement of the existing roof is necessary, per statewide New Mexico rule 14.5.2.8(F) NMAC (added dead load over 5 psf, point load over 45 lb, or over 200 lb on a single truss/rafter/joist, as determined by a New Mexico-licensed structural engineer).

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Electrical Permit required for the PV interconnection (arrays, inverters, disconnects, point of connection), billed at the county's distinct Solar PV Systems rate — apply via a New Mexico-licensed electrical contractor (license number and expiration date required on the application)
  • One Line Diagram required on any electrical service 200 amps and above, per the standard Electrical Permit Application requirements
  • A separate general construction Building Permit is required IN ADDITION to the Electrical Permit only if structural reinforcement of the existing roof is necessary, per 14.5.2.8(F)(6) NMAC — i.e., when a PE structural analysis (triggered under 14.5.2.8(F)(5) NMAC by added dead load >5 psf, point load >45 lb, >200 lb on a single truss/rafter/roof joist, a unique mounting design, or over-spanned framing members) concludes reinforcement is needed
  • Structural analysis by a New Mexico-licensed professional engineer is required when any of the 14.5.2.8(F)(5) NMAC thresholds are met, even if reinforcement ultimately proves unnecessary
  • Manufactured-home roof-mounted solar permits may only be pulled by a contractor licensed and registered with the New Mexico Manufactured Housing Division (a distinct licensing track from the standard electrical contractor license) Contractor
  • 2021 IECC Residential Energy Code Compliance Form required with residential submittals generally, per the county's New Residential Permit Application Checklist

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Electrical Permit — Solar PV SystemsSan Juan County Electrical Permit Application (rev. 04/11/2023), fee table — the same distinct solar line already documented in this jurisdiction's Electrical Permit entry.
$25/kW or fraction thereof for the first 160 kW, then $5/kW thereafter
Administrative Fee (per inspection)San Juan County Electrical Permit Application (rev. 04/11/2023) — same administrative fee applied to all electrical permits.
$25 per inspection, $40 minimum
General construction Building Permit (only if structural reinforcement required per 14.5.2.8(F)(6) NMAC)San Juan County Building Permit Fee Schedule — same table documented in this jurisdiction's Residential Building Permit entry. Applies only when a PE determines roof reinforcement is necessary.
Valuation-based per the county's standard Building Permit Fee Schedule, e.g. $45 for $1.00-$500 valuation, scaling up with per-$100/$1,000 increments
Reinspection FeeSan Juan County Electrical Permit Application (rev. 04/11/2023), printed fee assessment notice.
$75.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewUnincorporated San Juan County’s published plan-review target
10–10 business days

How long did your Solar PV Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated San Juan County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Electrical Inspection

    Verifies wiring, combiners, disconnects, and point of connection per adopted 2020 NEC / 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code and the 2012 Uniform Solar Energy Code

  2. 2

    Building Inspection (only if a Building Permit was required for roof reinforcement)

    Verifies structural reinforcement work per the PE's stamped analysis and approved building permit

See the full Unincorporated San Juan County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • San Juan County's distinct 'Solar PV Systems' electrical fee tier ($25/kW for the first 160 kW, then $5/kW) is a real published rate, not a guess — for a typical 8 kW residential system, that's roughly $200 in electrical permit fees before the administrative/inspection fee.
  • Most standard roof-mount residential PV installations do NOT need a separate general construction Building Permit — only the Electrical Permit — unless a New Mexico-licensed PE's structural analysis (triggered by the specific dead-load/point-load/truss-load thresholds in 14.5.2.8(F)(5) NMAC) concludes the existing roof needs reinforcement.
  • If installing on a manufactured home, verify your contractor is registered with the New Mexico Manufactured Housing Division specifically — a standard electrical contractor license is not sufficient for that permit track. Contractor

Frequently asked questions

Only if a New Mexico-licensed structural engineer determines the existing roof needs reinforcement to support the array — triggered under statewide rule 14.5.2.8(F)(5) NMAC by added dead load over 5 psf, a point load over 45 lb, more than 200 lb on a single truss/rafter/roof joist, a unique mounting design, or over-spanned framing. Otherwise, the Electrical Permit alone covers a standard installation. Source: 14.5.2.8(F) NMAC.

Yes. The county's Electrical Permit Application publishes a 'Solar PV Systems' fee tier of $25/kW (or fraction thereof) for the first 160 kW, then $5/kW thereafter, separate from its general electrical fee schedule. Source: San Juan County Electrical Permit Application (rev. 04/11/2023).

Unincorporated San Juan County's published plan-review target for a solar pv permit is 10–10 business days.

You'll need: San Juan County Electrical Permit Application (rev. 04/11/2023). Depending on your project, Unincorporated San Juan County may also ask for: One Line Diagram; PE Structural Analysis / Building Permit Application (only if a 14.5.2.8(F)(5) NMAC threshold is met). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated San Juan County requires 2 inspection(s) for a solar pv permit, in order: Electrical Inspection, Building Inspection (only if a Building Permit was required for roof reinforcement). Schedule each through San Juan County Community Development Department — Building Division ((505) 334-4313 (Building Division); (505) 334-4550 (Community Development main line, fax (505) 334-3755)).

Apply through San Juan County Community Development Department — Building Division at 209 S. Oliver Dr., Aztec, NM 87410. Phone: (505) 334-4313 (Building Division); (505) 334-4550 (Community Development main line, fax (505) 334-3755), email: Not published on the county's Building Department or Community Development pages as of this verification — contact by phone at (505) 334-4313 (Building Division inspections/permit questions) or (505) 334-4550 (Community Development front desk). Office hours: Monday–Thursday 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM; closed Friday (per the Community Development Department contact block, which the Building Division falls under; a four-day/10-hour county work week). As of July 2026, the County's online SmartGov permitting portal (co-sanjuan-nm.smartgovcommunity.com/Public/Home) is live for application submittal, inspection results, and code enforcement lookups; homeowner permits must still be applied for in person per the portal's own notice.. Official information: https://www.sjcounty.net/government/community-development/building-department.

Unincorporated San Juan County, New Mexico has adopted: GOVERNANCE MODEL: San Juan County Building Division self-administers building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical/HVAC permitting DIRECTLY for the unincorporated county (plus Aztec, Bloomfield, and Kirtland by service agreement) — it is NOT a New Mexico Construction Industries Division (CID) field-office pass-through jurisdiction for any trade. The County's own Building Department page states 'Construction Codes are adopted and amended by the State of New Mexico Construction Industries Division' (i.e., the SUBSTANTIVE code editions track the statewide CID-adopted codes), but the County itself issues, plan-reviews, fee-schedules, and inspects all four disciplines using its own application forms, its own fee schedule, and its own inspection staff reachable at (505) 334-4313 — there is no CID referral anywhere on the County's Building Department page, in contrast to jurisdictions in this corpus (e.g. Los Alamos County) that explicitly hand off electrical/plumbing/mechanical to CID. Source: sjcounty.net Building Department page (retrieved via full-browser-header fetch, July 2026).; 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 New Mexico Residential Building Code — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 New Mexico Energy Conservation Code / 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; New Residential Permit Application Checklist (rev. 07/19/2023) requires a '2021 IECC Residential Energy Code Compliance Form' with every residential submittal; ICC/ANSI A117.1-2017 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 New Mexico Plumbing and Mechanical Code — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code (IAPMO) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2021 International Fire Code — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70 — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2012 Uniform Solar Energy Code (IAPMO) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2012 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code (IAPMO) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2017 NFPA 58 (LP-Gas Code) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; 2018 NFPA 54 (National Fuel Gas Code) — San Juan County Building Department, Construction Codes list; New Mexico Construction Industries Licensing Act, NMAC 14.6.6 — governs contractor licensing classifications/qualifications statewide; cited on the County's Commercial Buildings Permit Application as the basis for its 'all commercial projects require a licensed contractor' requirement. Source: San Juan County Commercial Buildings Permit Application (rev. 07/31/2023).. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated San Juan County overview page for the full list.

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 Unincorporated San Juan County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Other permits in Unincorporated San Juan County

New Residential Building PermitElectrical PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitRoofing / Residing / Windows PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitSign PermitFire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm PermitChange of Occupancy / Certificate of Occupancy

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