Longmont, CO Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

Solar PV permitting in Longmont is administered by Building Services under the city's adopted building code. The city's two big advantages for solar homeowners are statutory: Colorado HB 11-1199, the Fair Permit Act, caps permit and related fees at $500 for a residential active solar device and $1,000 for a non-residential active solar device — and limits any fees to the local government's actual cost of issuing the permit. HB 21-1284 extended the Fair Permit Act's repeal date from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2029, locking those caps in for the rest of the decade. Longmont applies the cap directly to its solar PV permits. The second advantage is the 'Solar ABC's Expedited Permit Process,' Longmont's adoption of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's expedited template: a complete application that fits standard parameters (typically up to 10 kW residential roof-mount, no electrical service upgrade, standard inverter and racking) is reviewed and approved within 5 business days. Applications that include service upgrades or are incomplete drop to standard review timelines. All applications go through the Longmont CitizenAccess portal. Required submittals include a site plan, electrical one-line diagram, structural information for the mounting system, manufacturer specifications for modules and inverters, and Longmont Power & Communications interconnection paperwork. Inspection requirements include a rough electrical, a final structural where applicable, and a final electrical with the meter set. Because Longmont is a municipal electric utility (LPC), interconnection is handled directly with LPC rather than Xcel, and net-metering / solar self-generation rates are set by the LPC rate schedule. Contact Building Inspection at (303) 651-8332 or building.inspection@longmontcolorado.gov.