Planning Services for Permit

[jmoles]

I’m in Maryland and working out how to get a permit. A couple questions…

Are there any service providers you can recommend that do the permit work so I can get a permit?

Are there any major drawbacks to purchasing Panels, racks, and Microinverters before I get a permit? Or should I hold off on any purchase until after I get an approved permit?

 

[chrisski]

I’m in Maryland and working out how to get a permit. A couple questions…

Are there any service providers you can recommend that do the permit work so I can get a permit?

Are there any major drawbacks to purchasing Panels, racks, and Microinverters before I get a permit? Or should I hold off on any purchase until after I get an approved permit?

I would reccomend holding off all purchases until the permit is approved.

I used a contractor my house build, and that’s what he did. If the town or power company kicks anything back because it does not meet specs, you’re stuck with the equipment.

I did a 2.5 kW panel build on my RV by myself, and I am not up to doing a 10 kW build on my house by myself. I thought I could have done it by myself until I saw all the work required to make. Build to code.

 

[zanydroid]

I’m in Maryland and working out how to get a permit. A couple questions…

Are there any service providers you can recommend that do the permit work so I can get a permit?

Are there any major drawbacks to purchasing Panels, racks, and Microinverters before I get a permit? Or should I hold off on any purchase until after I get an approved permit?

Do not buy anything until you get the permit.

Greenlancer will do the service of drafting plan ready submissions. ncsolarelectric on this forum helped me with my install this year, for getting equipment as well as finding a good plan drafting service.

Plans TBH are the biggest lift, other than that you can just call up your AHJ or even blind submit the plans set. Even if you make mistakes that just costs time and maybe some extra review. I can understand that it’s a bit intimidating but really it’s very low consequence to have extra iterations.

PROVIDED YOU DON’T BUY A WHOLE PALLET OF THE WRONG SOLAR PANELS BEFORE APPROVAL.

Grid tie is another important thing to sort out and separate jurisdiction.

 

[Kuma]

Wait until plans are approved before purchasing equipment. Creating Plans can be a time consuming learning curve. Found a good person on Fiverr that did my plans for $50.

 

[zanydroid]

Wait until plans are approved before purchasing equipment. Creating Plans can be a time consuming learning curve. Found a good person on Fiverr that did my plans for $50.

$50? Wow. Was it drafting only or also design.

I guess it’s fine if you don’t need stamps. Heck you could just pay someone $50 to double check/get multiple designs to compare.

 

[Kuma]

$50? Wow. Was it drafting only or also design.

I guess it’s fine if you don’t need stamps. Heck you could just pay someone $50 to double check/get multiple designs to compare.

Drafting. Design is covered by diysolarforum and the various tools available including SMA Design Tool. Understand, the draftsman is in India and in some ways easier to deal with Their is ~12 hour delay when asking questions or submitting revisions. Contacted a couple US draftsman and either got ignored or the price was more than I thought it was worth. He made revision changes for free and no money was to be paid until after permit was approved. Approved first pass. Plans were to California NEC. To be honest, printing 2 copies was another $8 at UPS. hahaha

 

[zanydroid]

$50 might be a handsome sum for a draftsman over there, while someone in the US won’t even lift a finger for that.

 

[JJT211]

Wait until plans are approved before purchasing equipment. Creating Plans can be a time consuming learning curve. Found a good person on Fiverr that did my plans for $50.

Can you share your Fiverr consultant?

 

[Kuma]

Can you share your Fiverr consultant?

Will pm you. Dont want this to be taken as advertising a service. Also, he is not a consultant. He has solar software and will make plans per the specifications you provide. And you did read that he is in India and their is a day delay when corresponding.

 

[solar-mike]

I got my plans from a company called Ignergy, they were completed around 24 hr or so and I think it was $80.

 

[James Eric]

I can get good used (5 years) panels at a super low price. Would it be a problem to design the system around the panels but before I have the permit?

 

[chrisski]

I can get good used (5 years) panels at a super low price. Would it be a problem to design the system around the panels but before I have the permit?

Reccomend starting your own thread.

From experience, never is a good idea from me to design ssystem around a good deal on one item. Has cost me a lot of time and money.

 

[Kuma]

I can get good used (5 years) panels at a super low price. Would it be a problem to design the system around the panels but before I have the permit?

From personal experience, dont buy anything until after plans are approved. Almost wasted thousands doing that but luckily the order was canceled... ymmv

 

[James Eric]

Thanks for the help.

 

[No-one-&-Not-Important]

Wait until plans are approved before purchasing equipment. Creating Plans can be a time consuming learning curve. Found a good person on Fiverr that did my plans for $50.

Drafting. Design is covered by diysolarforum and the various tools available including SMA Design Tool. Understand, the draftsman is in India and in some ways easier to deal with Their is ~12 hour delay when asking questions or submitting revisions. Contacted a couple US draftsman and either got ignored or the price was more than I thought it was worth. He made revision changes for free and no money was to be paid until after permit was approved. Approved first pass. Plans were to California NEC. To be honest, printing 2 copies was another $8 at UPS. hahaha

Kuma

Do you mind referring the one you worked with on Fiverr? My system integrates both PV and stationary battery in California (PGE).

Done lots of Fiverr contractor hiring for design (non-solar) work. I also found several who'll do permits (see below).

Still, many of the ones I worked with in the past on design jobs (not solar) want to be paid once their drafts are done and never respond after that; there's no incentive since there's no way for them to benefit nor for the client to hurt them with a negative review after the job is closed. I can't imagine doing a milestone paid job for $50 (or whatever the rate is now). Is that what you did, a milestone paid job? And who accepted this?

In case it helps anyone in the future, here's the list of Fiverr contractors I reached out to. I will update this thread when I, in fact use one & it works out, or if I use one and it doesn't

1. https://www.fiverr.com/solarpowwer
2. https://www.fiverr.com/salmanpvpermit/design-solar-permit-planset-for-usa-on-autocad
3. https://www.fiverr.com/wasaymemon/provide-informative-solar-installer-packet
4. https://www.fiverr.com/am_solar/provide-solar-designs-using-helioscope-and-aurora
5. https://www.fiverr.com/shadique1986/design-and-drawing-mep-plan-in-auto-cad
6. https://www.fiverr.com/technologyghost/design-professional-solar-pv-system-and-3d-plan
7. https://www.fiverr.com/pv_designer/design-solar-pv-w-or-wo-storage-permit-plans

***UPDATE***: Consider working with someone who has stationary battery experience & has worked with permits in your area.

 

[No-one-&-Not-Important]

I got my plans from a company called Ignergy, they were completed around 24 hr or so and I think it was $80.

Hi solar-mike

How was your experience? Did they help you through the questions from Building?
Were you in PGE territory, size of system, etc...? If you would, please do share as much detail as possible?
Thank you!

 

[k490]

Wait until plans are approved before purchasing equipment. Creating Plans can be a time consuming learning curve. Found a good person on Fiverr that did my plans for $50.

Did the person who created your plans have a engineering certificate stamp? I don't know if that is require in all AHJ's. According to Greenlancer website they have the stamp in all 50 states.

 

[No-one-&-Not-Important]

Did the person who created your plans have a engineering certificate stamp? I don't know if that is require in all AHJ's. According to Greenlancer website they have the stamp in all 50 states.

If it is of any help...

The Fiverr contractors I exchanged messages with didn't have an engineering authority to stamp plans. After speaking to Greenlancer, iGnergy & Geimini, turns out even US-based permit preparers don't have that authority. An engineer's (electrical or structural) adds ~$450 per stamp needed.

I spoke to Dayna at Greenlancer and she said that one can purchase as an add-on if needed, but if it isn't, you don't have to pre-pay for it when you register your project.

In San Jose, CA, I learned (from the Building dept's PV plan template) that as long as homes & panels meet specific requirements (easily met by almost all panels & for most homes), the structural engineering stamp is not required. However, that's not clear for electrical engineering (I asked about it in this thread).

At most I'd need electrical so I figured my total plan cost would be ~$600 (or <3% of total costs (assuming DIY)); that assumes my electrical panel is well documented (which it is) & no changes are needed (e.g.: no sub-panels with a hybrid setup) which is my setup). It would be nice to save the $450 though...

 

[zanydroid]

I thought you have to be a licensed engineer in the appropriate jurisdiction to stamp plans. And, when I was getting my plans done, I was told I'd have to get the plans restamped (for $$) if there were changes. Ouch.

My city in San Mateo county also does not require mechanical as long as the house framing is within parameters (and, frankly if it was worse than those parameters, I think you want a structural engineer LOL)

No electrical stamp either. And I would frankly be surprised -- it's just home electrical, NEC has large safety padding in its design rules... But I also don't know about SJ.

I made some new connections at SunWork.org recently, so I can ask them (FWIW), just shoot me a DM.

 

[k490]

$450 isn't all that much when you consider the entire cost of a solar project. I was surprised how much all the electrical components I bought at Home Depot added up to.

 

[No-one-&-Not-Important]

I thought you have to be a licensed engineer in the appropriate jurisdiction to stamp plans. And, when I was getting my plans done, I was told I'd have to get the plans restamped (for $$) if there were changes. Ouch.

My city in San Mateo county also does not require mechanical as long as the house framing is within parameters (and, frankly if it was worse than those parameters, I think you want a structural engineer LOL)

No electrical stamp either. And I would frankly be surprised -- it's just home electrical, NEC has large safety padding in its design rules... But I also don't know about SJ.

I made some new connections at SunWork.org recently, so I can ask them (FWIW), just shoot me a DM.

Yeah, definitely have to be a licensed engineer to stamp plans; all I was saying is tha the plans may not need a stamp. Perhaps I didn't state it well enough. Re: structural engineer, yeah, it's always better to check... BTW - my loading factor is so low (most of my neighbors have heavier panels and needed no structural stamps).

And re: your offer, thank you! I'll DM you.

 

[Kuma]

Did the person who created your plans have a engineering certificate stamp? I don't know if that is require in all AHJ's. According to Greenlancer website they have the stamp in all 50 states.

Bldg Dept cared about equipment being eng calc'd. Used Ironridge hardware that has its own stamps and installed per their specs so no problem. The house and roof had to be permitted when built so another non issue here. Originally wanted to install roof solar on a shop/outbuilding that was permitted as an ag bldg, no eng calcs were required. To install on that ag bldg then I would need to have it calc'd.

 

[zanydroid]

Bldg Dept cared about equipment being eng calc'd. Used Ironridge hardware that has its own stamps and installed per their specs so no problem. The house and roof had to be permitted when built so another non issue here. Originally wanted to install roof solar on a shop/outbuilding that was permitted as an ag bldg, no eng calcs were required. To install on that ag bldg then I would need to have it calc'd.

Were they OK with the eng calcs & tables mapping allowed configs to uplift etc numbers ( in the IronRidge manuals ), or did you need a stamp of your own as well on the plans?

 

[CVCPJared]

I used design4pv. Had a good experience with them, helpful, did lots of revisions without complaint. Usually took a day or two (to revise). CA Engineers stamp was available for ~$300ish

 

[Kuma]

Were they OK with the eng calcs & tables mapping allowed configs to uplift etc numbers ( in the IronRidge manuals ), or did you need a stamp of your own as well on
the plans?

The bldg dept accepted IronRidge calcs for everything. No engineer or stamps required. Thats a big reason why I went Ironridge. I met with the bldg dept before buying anything to discuss my plan. They asked what racking hardware, I replied Ironridge and the person smiled and said good.

A few Ironridge detail spec sheets were included in the CAD drawings for the permits. Mounting hardware, grounding, span table for rack used, rack roof attachment hooks, flashing...