Costa Mesa, CA Solar Energy: Expedited Solar Permitting (2026)

Once the building department has adopted its standard checklist under § 5-142, an application that meets that checklist and standard plan must receive a building permit or other non-discretionary permit within three business days, per § 5-143(A). Staff review is limited to whether the applicant meets local, state and federal health and safety requirements, not aesthetic or discretionary design review (§ 5-143(B)). If the building official finds substantial evidence that the system could create a specific, adverse impact on public health or safety, the official may instead require a use permit; denial of that use permit requires written findings, based on substantial evidence, that no feasible method exists to mitigate the impact, and any condition imposed must meet the lowest-cost mitigation standard of Civil Code § 714(d)(1)(A)-(B) (§ 5-143(C)-(D)).

The city cannot condition approval on sign-off from a homeowners association as defined in Civil Code § 4080 (§ 5-143(E)). An incomplete application triggers a written correction notice listing every deficiency rather than an outright denial (§ 5-143(F)). Once approved, the applicant is entitled to only one inspection, which must be scheduled within two business days of the homeowner's request and should consolidate multiple trade inspections into one visit; if the system fails that inspection, a follow-up inspection is authorized but is no longer bound by the chapter's expedited timelines (§ 5-143(G)-(I)).

Any building official decision made under this section, including a decision to require a use permit or to deny one, may be appealed to the Board of Appeals under § 5-3 of the Municipal Code.