Bexar County, TX Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Residential rooftop solar installations in unincorporated Bexar County typically do not require a county building permit because Texas counties lack general building code authority outside of floodplains and a few other specialized areas. However, the electric utility serving the property, which is CPS Energy across most of Bexar County and LCRA, GVEC, Bandera Electric, or Karnes Electric in some outlying areas, requires an interconnection agreement and an electrical inspection before the system can be energized and net-metered. CPS Energy maintains its own solar program with specific application and inspection steps. For commercial electrical work and larger residential jobs, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation requires a licensed electrical contractor and journeyman or master electrician on site. State law at Texas Property Code 202.010 strongly preempts HOA restrictions on solar energy devices: an HOA may impose reasonable aesthetic guidelines but cannot prohibit solar panels, cannot restrict them to locations where they receive less than 90 percent of the solar energy production they would otherwise generate, and cannot impose requirements that raise installation costs by more than 10 percent. HB 3571 (2021) further clarified these protections.