Solano County, CA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted electrical code
- California Electrical Code, 2025 Edition
- Commercial conductor rule
- Rigid conduit, EMT, or approved flex/PVC
- Service panel minimum
- 200 amps for homes over 1,500 sq ft
- EV charger permits
- Expedited, nondiscretionary under Sec. 6.3-26
Summary
Solano County enforces the 2025 California Electrical Code for all wiring work, adopted by reference in Chapter 6.3, and layers on two local amendments: commercial buildings must run conductors in rigid conduit, EMT, or approved flex/PVC, and new houses over 1,500 square feet need at least a 200-amp main service panel.
California Electrical Code Section 230.79(C) is amended to add: All new single family dwellings in excess of fifteen hundred square feet of living area will be equipped with minimum two hundred amp main service panels. ... 6.3-22 Commercial buildings--conduit required: All electrical conductors in commercial buildings or structures shall be in rigid conduit, EMT or where permitted flex or PVC.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1868, passed April 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 3-03(a)(4) adopts "The California Electrical Code, 2025 Edition, and the administrative regulations for the 2025 Edition and the nonbuilding regulations published by the National Fire Protection Association and the International Code Council" as part of the county's building code. 3: applications must be signed by the owner or a licensed contractor, engineer, architect, or authorized agent (Sec. 3-12), and, for structures in Occupancy Groups A, B, E, F, H, I, L, M, R-1, and S, must be professionally designed (Sec. 3-13). The county adds two specific local amendments on top of the adopted code.
Sec. 3-22 requires that "All electrical conductors in commercial buildings or structures shall be in rigid conduit, EMT or where permitted flex or PVC," a stricter wiring-method rule than a bare NEC adoption alone would impose. Sec. 79(C) to require that "All new single family dwellings in excess of fifteen hundred square feet of living area will be equipped with minimum two hundred amp main service panels," ensuring larger homes have adequate service capacity for modern electrical loads including EV chargers and heat pumps. Separately, Sec.
3-26 provides an expedited electrical permitting track specifically for electric vehicle charging stations, requiring documents be posted online, electronic submittal be available, and nondiscretionary permit issuance for complete applications that meet the county's checklist, unless the Building Official finds substantial evidence of a specific adverse safety impact.
Violations & Fines
Performing electrical work without a required permit, or in violation of the adopted California Electrical Code or the county's conduit and service-panel amendments, is an infraction under Sec. 6.3-09(a) and (e), with each additional day of noncompliance after citation treated as an additional violation. Sec. 6.3-09(f) makes the responsible party liable for the county's costs of correction, abatement, and prosecution, and the Building Official and deputies may issue citations under Sec. 6.3-09(d) and Penal Code Section 836.5 (Sec. 6.3-10(a)).
Frequently Asked Questions
What electrical code does Solano County enforce?
What size electrical service panel do I need for a new house in Solano County?
Are exposed electrical conductors allowed in commercial buildings?
Is there a faster permit process for an EV charging station?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Solano County
California rules heatmap·Compare Solano County to another location·View the California building safety overview
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