Taunton, MA Solar Energy: Panel Permits (2026)

The City treats solar installation as regulated construction work. Chapter 250, § 250-1 states that no person may undertake any work referenced in §§ 250-2 through 250-6 without first applying for and obtaining a permit, and the Building Inspections and Permits Fee Schedule at § 250-2 lists 'Solar panels/wind generators' as its own line item: a residential building permit costs a flat $26, while a commercial building permit runs 0.8% of the contract price plus a 4% technology surcharge, with a $104 minimum. A separate electrical permit is required under § 250-3, priced the same way for commercial work (0.8% of contract price plus 4%, $78 minimum) and at a flat $26 for residential work.

Placement is governed separately by § 440-805, Solar panels, in the Zoning Ordinance. Panels larger than two square feet are barred from any front yard and from any building face fronting a street, unless integrated into the building's construction, with an exception for roof-mounted arrays. Ground-mounted panels must sit in a side or rear yard only, may not exceed eight feet in height, must be screened from neighboring properties with fencing or a mix of evergreen and deciduous plantings, and count as accessory structures for setback purposes. Roof-mounted panels are preferred as an integrated surface layer; separate flush-mounted panels must go on a rear- or side-facing roof unless that is proven ineffective, and on a sloped roof they cannot project above the roof peak, or more than five feet above a flat roof.

Work done without pulling the permit first draws a fine under § 250-7 of three times the fee that would otherwise have applied, and the Building Commissioner may seek an injunction against continued work in addition to that fine.