Davidson County, NC Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Section 98.047 governs permit-required construction and operations regulated by the N.C. Fire Prevention Code in the unincorporated county. Under § 98.047(D), a permit application for such construction must specifically detail the work being performed, and each different permit-required construction category under Section 105.7 of the N.C. Fire Prevention Code requires its own separate permit and fee. Appendix C, titled 'Required Construction Permits and Fees,' lists Solar and Photovoltaic Power Systems at a $100 fee alongside other specialized fire-code construction categories such as battery systems, fire alarm and detection equipment, standpipe systems, and smoke control systems.

The permit is applied for through Central Permitting or directly with the Fire Marshal under § 98.049, and supporting documentation must be drawn to scale with sufficient detail under § 98.050. Once issued, a construction permit stays valid under § 98.054 until the work passes final inspection and a certificate of compliance is granted under § 98.061, and the Code Official can inspect the installation as needed under § 98.058. Because Appendix C sits inside the Fire and Life Safety chapter, this $100 fee covers the fire-code construction permit for the solar or photovoltaic system itself; it does not describe any separate electrical or building permit that Central Permitting might also require for the installation under the county's Technical Codes.