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Calaveras County · Building on your lot

Solar panels and EV chargers in Calaveras County

Calaveras County's own rules on solar panels and EV chargers, with the code text for every value.

Each rule below links to the section of the Calaveras County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Calaveras County's code says

Calaveras County code What Calaveras County's code adds
EV charger permit
  • Over-the-counter permit; no electrical plan check.
    Applies: EV chargers and related electrical equipment rated under 400 amps.
    § 15.11.040 · code text
    EVSEs and their associated electrical equipment rated for less than four hundred amps do not require an electrical plan check, and a permit for that specific installation may be obtained over the counter from the building official.
  • Apply in person or electronically through the building official's online system.
    § 15.11.030 · code text
    The application for permit shall meet the requirements of Sections 15.11.020, 15.11.030, and 15.11.040 and may be submitted in person or electronically through the online submittal system maintained by the building official.
Solar height and setbacks
  • At most 25 feet, or the zone's maximum height, whichever is less.
    Applies: Ground-mounted solar energy systems.
    § 17.25.230 · code text
    The maximum height of a ground-mounted solar energy collector system is twenty-five feet or the maximum height allowed in the base or overlay zone, whichever is less.
Solar permit process
  • No use permit is required.
    Applies: Roof-mounted solar systems, and ground-mounted systems over a parking area.
    § 17.25.230 · code text
    Roof-mounted solar energy systems and ground-mounted solar energy systems located over a parking area are allowed in all zones and no use permit is required.
  • Administrative use permit approval is required.
    Applies: Ground-mounted solar systems not over a parking area.
    § 17.25.230 · code text
    Ground-mounted solar energy systems that are not located over a parking area are subject to administrative use permit approval.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for solar panels or an EV charger in Calaveras County?

Calaveras County's code: No use permit is required. (Roof-mounted solar systems, and ground-mounted systems over a parking area.) (§ 17.25.230); Over-the-counter permit; no electrical plan check. (EV chargers and related electrical equipment rated under 400 amps.) (§ 15.11.040).

General information, not legal advice.

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