Montebello, CA Solar Energy: Expedited Solar Permitting (2026)

Montebello Municipal Code Chapter 15.72, adopted by Ordinance No. 2373 in 2015, implements the state Solar Rights Act and AB 2188 by creating a streamlined path for small residential rooftop solar. A qualifying system is capped at ten kilowatts AC nameplate rating (or thirty kilowatts thermal for water heating or pool heating), must sit on a single or duplex dwelling, and cannot exceed the city's maximum legal building height. The Building and Safety Division must post all application documents online, accept electronic submittal by email, internet, or fax, and honor electronic signatures in lieu of a wet signature.

For any application meeting the department's standard checklist and plan set, drawn from the state's California Solar Permitting Guidebook, the department must issue a nondiscretionary building permit within three business days. Review is limited to whether the application meets local, state, and federal health and safety codes; the building official cannot second-guess design choices. Only one inspection is required to close out the permit, though a separate fire inspection is allowed. If the building official finds substantial evidence of a specific, adverse impact to public health or safety that cannot be mitigated at reasonable cost, a discretionary use permit can be required instead, and that decision is appealable.

Permit fees must track Government Code Sections 65850.55 and 66015 and Health and Safety Code Section 17951. Systems installed before the chapter's effective date are grandfathered unless later modifications materially change size, type, or components.