LaPorte County, IN Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Fee schedule § 151.27(X), added by Ordinance 2017-9, prices a solar panel permit at $125 per 10 kilowatts (KW) of installed capacity, with an additional $25 charged for every further 10 KW installed at the same site, so a 30 KW system runs $125 for the first block plus $50 for the next two, for $175 total. That fee sits inside the broader work-permit requirement at § 151.26(B), which bars anyone from performing or causing to be performed any work in the unincorporated county without first obtaining a permit from the Building Department.

Because a rooftop or ground-mounted solar array is tied into the building's electrical system, the installation also falls under the § 151.20(A) permit trigger for new electrical wiring, and the state Electrical Code adopted at § 151.05(F), 675 I.A.C. 17-1.5-1 et seq., governs the wiring work itself. Applications go through the same review the Building Commissioner's office performs on any other permit under § 151.21(B), including confirmation that the installation meets zoning requirements before the permit issues.