Residential and Commercial Solar Permit Plan Sets

Solar Permit Plan Sets are the drawings submitted to the AHJ and utility to permit a PV system, organized so plan reviewers can approve it quickly.

A complete solar permit package prepared to your AHJ and utility requirements. We build the set from your site data, equipment selections and the checklists your jurisdiction publishes, and we revise after plan-review comments.

What reviewers look for

Plan reviewers check that the array fits the roof with required setbacks and access pathways, that the electrical design is consistent from module to point of interconnection, that equipment is listed for the application and that labels and shutdown provisions are shown. A clear, consistent set shortens review.

What you receive

• Cover sheet and code notes
• Site plan and roof plan with array layout
• Single-line diagram
• Equipment schedule and data sheets
• Placards and labels

Technical scope and terminology we work with

• AHJ, plan review and permit-to-install
• NEC 690 and 705, rapid shutdown and labeling
• String sizing, overcurrent protection and grounding
• Utility interconnection and net metering
• Roof structure, attachments and engineering letters

Who this service is for

Residential and commercial solar installers and EPCs.

How it works

1. Send site address, roof photos, equipment and utility details.
2. We confirm scope and turnaround.
3. We prepare the set.
4. We revise after AHJ or utility comments.

Software, standards and file formats

We work in PlanSwift and Bluebeam Revu for digital takeoff and markup, Excel and RSMeans-style cost data for pricing, Oracle Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project for scheduling, and AutoCAD-compatible formats for drawings. Deliverables are provided as Excel, PDF and, where relevant, DWG files, organized by CSI MasterFormat.

When to use this service

Use solar permit plan sets when a bid date is close, when your team is stretched across projects, when you need an independent check of your own numbers or drawings, or when you want consistent deliverables in the same format every time. Tell us the due date when you request a quote so the schedule can be planned around it.

Engagement options

• One project: order solar permit plan sets for a single bid or job and receive a firm price and turnaround before we start.
• Several trades or divisions: combine this service with related scopes so quantities, drawings and pricing agree.
• Bid-season capacity: send multiple projects with their due dates and we schedule the work to hit each one.
• Ongoing support: repeat-volume contractors can agree standard formats, cost codes and turnaround so every delivery drops straight into their process.

Quality control, confidentiality and communication

Every deliverable is reviewed by a second team member before it reaches you, and assumptions, inclusions and exclusions are written down so they can be checked. If information is missing we send a short list of questions rather than guessing, and we tell you which assumption we used when a question cannot be answered in time. Your plans, specifications and files are used only to prepare your project work and are not shared publicly; see our privacy policy.

Related services, guides and pages

• Construction estimating and quantity takeoff
• Pre-bid, solicitation response and post-bid support
• Shop drawings, structural drafting and permit drawings
• Public bid estimating, pricing, samples, FAQ and bidding glossary

What is in a solar permit plan set

A permit-ready PV plan set communicates the whole system to the plan reviewer and the utility: where the array sits on the roof, how the modules are strung to the inverters, how the system connects to the building electrical service and how it is labeled and shut down. A typical set includes the following sheets.

• Cover and project data: site address, system size (kW DC and AC), module and inverter models, applicable code references and sheet index.
• Site plan: property lines, structure location, service equipment, utility meter, access and fire pathways.
• Roof plan and array layout: roof planes, pitch, dimensions, setbacks, module placement and attachment points.
• Electrical single-line diagram: modules, strings, inverter or microinverters, rapid shutdown, disconnects, overcurrent protection, conductors and point of interconnection.
• Equipment schedule and data sheets: modules, inverters, racking, optimizers and monitoring.
• Labels and placards: warning labels and rapid-shutdown identification as required by code and the AHJ.

Codes, AHJ and utility requirements

PV systems are generally designed and reviewed against NEC Article 690 and Article 705 together with local amendments, fire-code access provisions and the utility's interconnection rules. Requirements differ by city, county and utility, so we work from the checklist and templates your AHJ and utility publish. Structural or electrical engineering letters that need a licensed engineer's seal are coordinated through a licensed professional.

Typical turnaround and revisions

Residential sets are often produced quickly for repeat-volume installers; commercial and ground-mount sets take longer. We confirm turnaround in the quote and revise promptly after AHJ or utility comments. Order together with solar estimating to keep quantities and drawings consistent.

What we need from you

• Site address and utility, plus the AHJ and any permit checklist
• Roof photos or aerial measurements, roof type and age
• Module, inverter and racking selections and system size
• Main service panel details, bus rating and breaker space
• Any engineering letter requirements

See the overview of solar permit and design services, our permit drawing service and the FAQ.