Use this guide
Choose the questions relevant to your situation. Expand each answer, save the checklist and request written clarification where evidence is missing.
Questions homeowners ask
Does this guide apply to every Fairfax mailing address?
Confirm the parcel’s actual permitting authority and electric provider. Use the County guidance when Fairfax County reviews your project and the Dominion section when Dominion Energy Virginia serves the account. A mailing city is not proof of either responsibility.
Does Fairfax County require a residential solar permit?
The County requires a residential solar permit for roof-mounted and free-standing residential projects. Confirm the applicable route for your building and full work scope.
Source: Fairfax County: residential solar permit requirements. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Is all electrical work included in the solar record?
The County includes related equipment in the solar process without a standalone electrical record. Additional work, such as replacing or increasing electrical service, requires a separate electrical record. Ask the applicant to map the quote’s work to its records.
Source: Fairfax County: residential solar permit requirements. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Do condos and apartment buildings use the same route?
Not necessarily. The County notes that some residential properties use commercial building permits. Its residential definition covers detached one- or two-family dwellings or townhouses no more than three stories above ground. Confirm classification before applying.
Source: Fairfax County: residential solar permit requirements. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Where is the County application submitted?
Apply in PLUS under the Building tab. The County lists project-dependent drawings and supporting records. Projects in Clifton or Vienna also require respective town approvals uploaded to the record. Confirm the complete address-specific checklist.
Source: Fairfax County: residential solar permit requirements. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
When should I expect an issued permit and inspections?
Once reviews are approved and fees paid, the County makes the permit card and applicable approved plans downloadable in PLUS. Required inspections follow permit issuance and construction milestones. Retain actual records rather than only a submission receipt.
Source: Fairfax County: residential solar permit requirements. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
What does Dominion’s contingent approval establish?
Dominion requires customer and vendor signatures before contingent approval. Its grid review does not approve installation location, equipment selection or local compliance.
Source: Dominion Virginia: net metering. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
What utility step follows installation?
Dominion requires applicable electrician certification and/or local approval, portal Section 5 and inspection proof where applicable. Ask the vendor what remains outstanding.
Source: Dominion Virginia: net metering. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Where is Dominion’s permission to operate recorded?
After metering and billing work, Dominion emails PTO to customer and vendor. Request the vendor’s copy; contingent approval alone is not PTO.
Source: Dominion Virginia: net metering. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Can I promise a fixed approval date or zero electric bill?
No. Ask the contractor for a milestone schedule with submitted dates, open corrections and responsible parties. Separately request the actual tariff and bill assumptions for your account. An approved design, installation estimate or production model does not guarantee a deadline or financial outcome.
What can an assessment contribute before I sign?
Define the evidence gap: roof observations, shade assumptions, accessible electrical information or missing design inputs. Ask for a written scope, exclusions, qualifications and conflicts. Solar Survey AI’s survey methodology explains site evidence; confirm available service scope and access. An assessment does not issue County permits or utility authorization.
Does the Dominion bill show all solar generation?
No. Dominion says electricity consumed at home does not pass through its meter. The meter records grid deliveries and exports, not total production.
Source: Dominion Virginia: net metering. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
Are Off-Peak Plan credits interchangeable across tiers?
Dominion says Off-Peak Plan credits correspond to season, day and time, and apply only within their accrued tier. Check your actual schedule.
Source: Dominion Virginia: net metering. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
What should I compare when the meter changes?
Retain the old and new meter references, exchange date, bill periods and actual readings. Ask the utility to explain any estimated readings or adjustments on the account. Keep the invoice calculation separate from the installer’s production display so each number has a named source.
Can I copy my neighbor’s bill calculation?
Use it as a question to investigate, not your account’s terms. Request your current rate schedule and complete credit calculation, including the relevant periods and charges. Keep the effective date visible and ask which assumptions in your quote match the actual account.
Your decision checklist
- Confirm permitting authority, building classification and electric provider.
- Map solar, battery, roof and additional electrical work to responsible applicants.
- Retain PLUS identifiers, issued permit and approved plan versions.
- Track required inspections and unresolved corrections.
- Keep Dominion application, signatures and contingent approval separately.
- Obtain the final PTO and complete handover records before treating utility approval as finished.
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Continue your research
Track the project by issuer and responsibility
| Track | Evidence to request | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Authority, utility and building classification | Is the residential route appropriate? |
| Work scope | Solar, service-upgrade and other work records | Who owns each application and correction? |
| County review | PLUS reference, issued permit and plan version | Which conditions and inspections remain? |
| Utility review | Notification reference, signatures and contingent approval | Which final certification or inspection record is missing? |
| Operation | Actual PTO and equipment handover folder | Has the customer received the final record? |
Example: a contractor’s proposal includes rooftop panels and an electrical service increase. Ask for a written map of both work items to their approval records and prices. Do not assume the solar application covers every electrical change merely because the work appears in one quote.
Example: the installer forwards a contingent-approval email and says everything is approved. Label that record with its issuer and purpose, then request the County permit and inspection records and the final utility PTO separately. These planning scenarios do not determine compliance at an actual property.
Before paying for a separate site assessment, state which uncertainty it should resolve and what access is authorized. Request a dated report distinguishing observations, estimates and inaccessible areas. Check who commissions the review and whether sales or referral compensation affects the recommendation.
Continue with permit and utility responsibilities, handover documents, quote and financing comparison and assessment independence and limits. Explore Solar Survey AI’s evidence methodology and site survey services; confirm scope and availability for your property.
Connect approval records with the first solar bills
| Record | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Final PTO | Which installed configuration and date are authorized? |
| Meter exchange | What changed, and which bill contains the transition? |
| Rate schedule | Which current schedule and credit tier apply? |
| Grid readings | Which readings and adjustments support this bill? |
| Production record | Which separate device and period describe system output? |
Example: the inverter display and utility bill show different energy totals. Label the device, measurement and date range before asking for an explanation. Do not call the difference a fault or a missing credit solely because two numbers differ.
Example: a quote uses a neighbor’s bill while your account uses another rate schedule. Request an account-specific calculation and keep any unanswered assumptions visible. A permit, contingent approval or operating authorization does not verify the quoted savings.
Continue with bill reconciliation, handover records and system-problem questions. Review Solar Survey AI’s evidence methodology and confirm available inspection scope. A technical report does not determine your utility tariff or bill. Connected homeowner monitoring and free remote diagnosis remain coming soon.
About these guides
Published by Solar Survey AI, a commercial survey-services company. Our original decision checklists are recommendations; linked authorities support the referenced facts. We may benefit if you purchase our services. This is not independent certification of our company, a project-specific engineering decision or personal tax/legal advice. Local rules, contracts and site evidence control individual decisions. Reviewed 2026-10-06.
For available survey or inspection services, confirm your project scope and availability with our team. Our planned free homeowner remote diagnosis remains coming soon.
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