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Solar PV Permit in Santa Clara, Utah

Required for residential rooftop, pole-mount, or ground-mount solar photovoltaic (PV) installations up to 12 kW AC that interconnect with Santa Clara City's municipal electric utility. Santa Clara City is its own power provider (not Rocky Mountain Power), so this permit bundles the building permit, a dedicated Solar Permit Application, and a required Renewable Net Metering & Interconnection Agreement into one process administered jointly by the Building Department and City Power Department. Commercial solar systems are not covered under this residential net metering policy and require a separate review/system impact study.

Verified 2026-07-19 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Residential system limited to a maximum of 12 kW AC installed capacity under the City's Net Metering Policy (adopted February 24, 2016); commercial customers are reviewed separately and are not eligible under this policy
  • All equipment, signage, and installation practices must meet NEC Articles 690 and 705
  • Completed Building Permit Application plus the dedicated Solar Permit Application and signed Net Metering Agreement
  • One-page site map and system one-line diagram showing solar module locations, inverter, batteries (if any), lockable disconnect switch, and utility point of connection, with installation address and installer's name/phone
  • Structural load design and letter from a structural engineer licensed in the State of Utah
  • Pre-operation inspection and written City approval required before the Facility may begin parallel operation with the City's electric distribution system

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Application FeeSanta Clara City Solar Permit Application form, Building Fee Schedule section: 'Application Fee — $25.00.'
$25.00
Net Meter FeeSanta Clara City Solar Permit Application form, Building Fee Schedule section: 'Net Meter Fee — $275.00.'
$275.00
Maintenance Deposit (Solar)
Santa Clara City Building Permit Fees, effective January 2026, 'Maintenance Deposits' section: 'Solar — $500.00' (confirmed consistent with the $500.00 Maintenance Deposit pre-printed on the Solar… Show full citationSanta Clara City Building Permit Fees, effective January 2026, 'Maintenance Deposits' section: 'Solar — $500.00' (confirmed consistent with the $500.00 Maintenance Deposit pre-printed on the Solar Permit Application form). Refundable after final inspection if the site is kept clean and the inspection is passed.
$500.00
Building FeeSanta Clara City Solar Permit Application form and Building Permit Fees schedule both list a valuation-based Building Fee line, calculated the same as the general residential building permit.
Based on Valuation (current ICC rates)
Plan Review FeeSanta Clara City Building Permit Fees, effective January 2026: 'Plan Review Fee — 10% of Building Fee' (same rate applied on the Solar Permit Application form).
10% of Building Fee
State FeeSanta Clara City Solar Permit Application form, Building Fee Schedule section: 'State Fee (1%).' Matches the statewide Uniform Building Code Commission surcharge (Utah Code § 15A-1-403).
1% of Building Fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Solar PV Permit permit actually take in Santa Clara?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Pre-Operation / Interconnection Inspection

    Per the Renewable Net Metering & Interconnection Agreement, the Facility and all interconnection equipment must be inspected and approved by the City (Building Official and Power Director sign-off required on the Solar Permit Application) before parallel operation with the City's electric distribution system may begin.

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

Tips

  • Santa Clara City is its own electric utility (not Rocky Mountain Power) — net metering approval comes from the Santa Clara City Power Department, and the Solar Permit Application requires sign-off from both the Power Director and the Building Official.
  • Residential systems are capped at 12 kW AC installed capacity under the City's Net Metering Policy; commercial systems are excluded from this policy and reviewed separately, potentially including a system impact study.
  • The $500 Maintenance Deposit is refundable after final inspection if the site is kept clean and the inspection passes.
  • All labels must be phenolic (not hand-written marker) with red background and white lettering, at least 3/8" tall, per NEC Articles 690/705 label requirements detailed in the application's Appendix 2.
  • Santa Clara charges a Solar Reliability Charge (based on inverter AC nameplate kW capacity) in addition to the Renewable Power Rate credit ($0.04/kWh as of the 2023 packet) for excess energy — budget for this recurring utility charge, not just the one-time permit fees.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Santa Clara City requires a dedicated Solar Permit Application, a signed Renewable Net Metering & Interconnection Agreement, and a standard building permit for residential PV systems up to 12 kW AC, since the city operates its own electric utility.

Per the Solar Permit Application and the city's Building Permit Fees schedule (effective January 2026): a $25 Application Fee, $275 Net Meter Fee, $500 refundable Maintenance Deposit, a valuation-based Building Fee, a 10% Plan Review Fee, and a 1% State Fee.

Santa Clara does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Santa Clara City Building Department at (435) 656-4690 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Solar Permit Application; Site Map and System One-Line Diagram; Equipment Datasheets; Structural Load Design Letter; Renewable Net Metering & Interconnection Agreement. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Santa Clara requires 1 inspection(s) for a solar pv permit, in order: Pre-Operation / Interconnection Inspection. Schedule each through Santa Clara City Building Department ((435) 656-4690).

Apply through Santa Clara City Building Department at 2603 Santa Clara Drive, Santa Clara, UT 84765. Phone: (435) 656-4690. Office hours: Mon–Thurs 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Fri 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Official information: https://www.santaclarautah.gov/departments/building/.

Santa Clara, Utah has adopted: GOVERNING LAW: Utah Code § 15A-2-103 (le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/15A-2-S103.html), version effective 7/1/2026 (amended by Ch. 47, 2026 General Session), sets the statewide-mandatory construction code suite — Utah Code § 15A-1-204 binds 'the state and each political subdivision.' Santa Clara's own municipal code (Title 15, Chapter 15.04) does not separately enumerate code editions by number, and the city's own site does not publish a distinct codes-adopted page listing specific editions (the santaclarautah.gov/departments/building/ document library contains no edition-labeled code list, only an undated 'International Fuel Gas Code' document title). Santa Clara therefore has no locally-published edition list to lag behind; the statewide baseline below is current law.; 2024 International Building Code (IBC) with Utah state amendments — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a), effective 7/1/2026 (statewide baseline; no Santa Clara-specific edition ordinance found distinct from it, per live re-check 2026-07-16).; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) with Utah state amendments, plus Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b)/(c); did NOT change in the 7/1/2026 flip. Matches Santa Clara's official ADU Conditional Use Application (August 2025 rev.): 'Compliance with the International Residential Code, IRC and state amendments is required.'; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) with Utah state amendments — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d), effective 7/1/2026 (statewide baseline; no Santa Clara-specific edition found).; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) with Utah state amendments — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e), effective 7/1/2026 (statewide baseline; no Santa Clara-specific edition found).; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) with Utah state amendments — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f), effective 7/1/2026. Santa Clara's Building Department document library separately publishes an undated 'International Fuel Gas Code' document title (no edition number given, per live re-check 2026-07-16); statewide baseline edition applies.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); did NOT change in the 7/1/2026 flip. No Santa Clara-specific NEC edition is published on the city's site as of live re-check 2026-07-16; statewide baseline applies. (This record previously omitted an NEC codesAdopted entry entirely — added here, not previously stale.); 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), one statewide edition (no residential/commercial split) — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h), effective 7/1/2026 (statewide baseline; no Santa Clara-specific edition found).; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i), effective 7/1/2026. Not mentioned on Santa Clara's site as of live re-check 2026-07-16; added as a statute-sourced omission, not fabricated.; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n), effective 7/1/2026. Not mentioned on Santa Clara's site as of live re-check 2026-07-16; added as a statute-sourced omission.; Modular Building Institute (MBI) Standards 1200 and 1205 — per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(o), statewide-mandated for modular units. Not mentioned on Santa Clara's site as of live re-check 2026-07-16; added as a statute-sourced omission.; No International Fire Code (IFC) entry: § 15A-2-103 does not adopt the IFC — it is separately governed under Title 15A Chapter 5, outside the scope of this section. Santa Clara's site does not list an IFC edition either, so there is no mis-citation to correct here.; Utah state amendments to the above codes apply per Utah Code § 15A-1-204, which sets a single statewide adopted edition that local jurisdictions may amend but not substitute.. Local amendments apply — see the Santa Clara overview page for the full list.

Yes. The City's Net Metering Policy caps residential connections at 12 kW AC installed capacity. Commercial customers are not eligible under this residential policy and are reviewed separately, potentially requiring a system impact study.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-19.

Fee schedules

Applications & forms

Department & other records

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

Property Access

Santa Clara's permit history is searchable by address

14 permits on record for Santa Clara, 1972–2014 — searchable by street address, with permit type, status, issued date and valuation where the city publishes them.

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