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Home  /  Solar site surveys  /  Nevada  /  Las Vegas

Solar site surveys · Las Vegas, NV

Solar site surveys in Las Vegas

Roof, attic and service panel captured in one visit, with the plan set built for the Las Vegas AHJ you submit into and the utility that serves the address.

NEC 2023Electrical code in effect
3AHJs covered here
48 hrsSurvey to deliverable
Nationwide500+ technicians
Short answer

In the Las Vegas Valley, the City of Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Clark County (for unincorporated towns such as Paradise, Spring Valley and Enterprise) each issue their own permits, and Las Vegas, Henderson and Clark County have used the 2024 I-Codes and 2023 NEC with Southern Nevada amendments since January 2026. The City of Las Vegas pairs SolarAPP+ with a same-day online permit for battery-free systems, and NV Energy handles interconnection for most homes. Plan surveys around extreme heat and tile roofs, and check where the meter and disconnect can go.

What changes in Las Vegas

Nevada state rules apply here, plus whatever the local AHJ amends.

NV · LAS VEGASLas Vegas
Code stack
2023NEC 2023National Electrical Code. The City of Las Vegas enforces the 2023 NEC with Southern Nevada amendments for projects first submitted on or after January 5, 2026; unincorporated Clark County followed on January 11, 2026, and Henderson for submittals from January 2, 2026.1,2,3
2024IRC 2024Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson and North Las Vegas all use the 2024 IRC with Southern Nevada amendments; the City of Las Vegas version applies to projects first submitted on or after January 5, 2026.1,4,5
2024IFC 2024The City of Las Vegas adopted the 2024 IFC with local amendments effective January 5, 2026, and Clark County's 2024 IFC amendments took effect in January 2026.1,6
Rooftop fire access. In unincorporated Clark County, plan review checks rooftop PV clearances under the 2024 IFC Section 1205 and IRC R329 instead of a separate fire permit: at least two 36-inch eave-to-ridge pathways on separate roof planes (one on the street or driveway side), a pathway on every plane with modules, and 18- or 36-inch ridge setbacks depending on whether the array covers more than 33% of the roof. Roofs at 2:12 slope or less are exempt for IRC homes, and other AHJs may differ.7

Climate and site factors

Record heat

Harry Reid International Airport reached 120°F on July 7, 2024, the city's all-time high, and Nevada OSHA's heat illness rule has been enforced since April 2025, so schedule roof work early in the day.8,9

Concrete tile roofs

Concrete tile is widely used on valley homes. Record tile profile, broken tiles and underlayment condition, and check whether the layout fits Clark County's prescriptive limits (4 psf, attachments at most 48 inches apart).10,7

Southern Nevada electrical amendments

The regional 2023 NEC amendments add a 705.12 rule requiring feeder tap connectors for PV to sit in a dedicated, labeled enclosure of at least 100 cubic inches, and limit the 220.87 measured-demand method to buildings other than one- and two-family homes. Las Vegas also requires a load calculation with every PV permit.2,11

Elevation-based loads

Clark County's amended IRC ties ground snow load to elevation (for example 10 psf below 2,700 feet and 15 psf below 3,500 feet) with a 98 mph design wind speed, so homes on the valley's higher western and southern edges can carry larger loads.4

Permitting in Las Vegas

The main AHJs, and how the rest of the metro splits up.

City of Las Vegas Building & Safety

Licensed electrical contractors first get a SolarAPP+ approval, then apply in the city's online portal with the electrical plan and load calculation for a same-day permit and a single PV inspection. Systems with batteries or ballasted mounts, and owner-builder permits, go through full plan review.11,12

Official page ↗

Clark County Building Department

Permits unincorporated Clark County. Its PV policy (revised April 30, 2026) skips electrical plan review for systems up to 5 kW, requires engineer-designed plans at 25 kW DC or more, and checks IFC roof clearances during plan review instead of issuing a separate fire permit.7

Official page ↗

City of Henderson Building and Fire Safety

A separate AHJ that applies its own 2024 code amendments, including the 2023 NEC, to submittals received on or after January 2, 2026.3

Official page ↗

Across the metro

Henderson, North Las Vegas and Boulder City are separate cities with their own building departments. Paradise, Spring Valley, Enterprise, Winchester, Sunrise Manor and Whitney are unincorporated towns, so Clark County is the permitting authority there.13,5,3

Nevada-wide rules that still apply

Utilities and interconnection

NV Energy's southern company, Nevada Power, serves Las Vegas and the surrounding valley, while Boulder City runs its own municipal electric utility with separate net metering rules.18,19,20

NV Energy (Nevada Power Company) NV Energy

Serves Las Vegas and the surrounding parts of Southern Nevada; installers apply through the NV Energy net metering PowerClerk portal, with a $189 application fee in the south, and the account moves to the net metering rate after permission to operate.17,18

Interconnection page ↗

City of Boulder City Utilities Boulder City

City-owned utility: net metered systems need a city building permit and inspection, a signed interconnection agreement and a city-witnessed interconnection test, and are capped at 80% of the customer's average yearly use.20

Interconnection page ↗
Export compensation. Under AB 405 (2017), NV Energy's net metering credit stepped down through three 80 MW tiers, and the last one closed in June 2020, so new systems of 25 kW or less get Tier 4: 75% of the retail rate, kept for 20 years at that location. Southern Nevada still nets monthly, but in Northern Nevada, customers approved on or after October 1, 2025 are netted every 15 minutes, with excess in each interval valued at 75% of retail. The PUCN also approved a daily demand charge for Southern Nevada residential customers, now scheduled for January 1, 2027, and these changes face legal challenges.21,17,22,23,24

What we capture on every Las Vegas survey

The same capture standard as every other Nevada job, so the plan set is built on what the technician verified on site.

Roof and structure

  • Measured roof planes: pitch, azimuth, dimensions
  • Every penetration and obstruction, located
  • Rafter or truss size, spacing and span
  • Decking type and condition
  • Layer count at a cut edge
  • Setbacks and fire pathway constraints
  • Horizon shading capture per array area

Electrical and interconnection

  • Main breaker and bus bar rating, photographed separately
  • Meter location and configuration
  • Slot count: used, open, tandem, double-tapped
  • Available interconnection points
  • Existing loads and sub-panels
  • Conduit route, measured along the actual path
  • Grounding electrode and bonding path

Commercial buildings

  • Membrane type, age and condition, with drainage pattern
  • Bar joist depth, spacing and span
  • Deck type and gauge
  • Switchgear and available bus capacity
  • Access and lift constraints for the install crew

Every visit

  • Roof and electrical in one visit, no second trip
  • 48-hour turnaround from survey to deliverable
  • Photo documentation throughout
  • Permit sets available, stamped, 6 days from survey

Las Vegas solar survey FAQ

How fast can the City of Las Vegas issue a residential solar permit?

For battery-free, non-ballasted systems, a licensed electrical contractor can get a permit the same day by uploading the SolarAPP+ approval, electrical plan and load calculation through the city's online portal. Systems with batteries go through full plan review.11,12

Who permits solar in Paradise, Spring Valley or Enterprise?

Those are unincorporated towns, so the Clark County Building Department issues the permit. Its PV policy skips electrical plan review up to 5 kW and requires engineer-designed plans at 25 kW DC or more.13,7

Does Clark County require a separate fire permit for rooftop solar?

Not for typical residential rooftop PV. County plan reviewers check roof access pathways and ridge setbacks under the adopted IFC instead of requiring a separate Fire Prevention permit.7

Where must the solar disconnect go on an NV Energy home in Las Vegas?

NV Energy's Southern Nevada net metering standard calls for a visible-break, lockable disconnect within 10 feet of the service entrance disconnect, in direct line of sight with nothing such as a fence between them.25

What is NV Energy's daily demand charge for Las Vegas homes?

The PUCN approved a daily charge for Southern Nevada residential customers based on their highest 15-minute use from the grid each day, now scheduled to start January 1, 2027. Solar customers are charged only for power they draw from the grid.23,22,26

Services and further reading

State-level detail is on the Nevada page; every location is on the solar site survey hub.

From Field Notes

Sources

Every local fact on this page links to where it came from. Codes, programs and tariffs change: confirm the current requirement with the AHJ and the utility before you design.

  1. https://files.lasvegasnevada.gov/building-safety/2025/Industry_Notice-2024_Code_Adoption.pdf
  2. https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:9f7141aa-c587-49e3-8ecd-ad22f2775a07/original/as/2023-NEC-Amendments---Clark-County.pdf
  3. https://www.cityofhenderson.com/government/departments/building-and-fire-safety/building-codes
  4. https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:1bb5e7a7-96e5-4940-82c6-d6903f7c5695/original/as/2024-IRC-Southern-NV-Amendments---Clark-County-Amended.pdf
  5. https://www.cityofnorthlasvegas.com/business/development-services/current-adopted-codes-and-ordinances
  6. https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:321bded4-6a43-46b1-90f7-3cb3dabcb69c/original/as/2024-International-Fire-Code-(IFC)-Amendments.pdf
  7. https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:4666c480-77e5-451b-8542-8358743548be/original/as/BD-PP-206-Solar-Photovoltaic-Requirements-FINAL-4.30.2026.pdf
  8. https://www.weather.gov/media/vef/Highest%20and%20Lowest%20Maximum%20Temperatures%20Ever%20Recorded.docx.pdf
  9. https://www.4safenv.state.nv.us/news/nevada-osha-heat-illness-regulation-approved-r131-24ap/
  10. https://www.reviewjournal.com/homes/new-homes/tile-roofs-are-very-popular-in-las-vegas/
  11. https://files.lasvegasnevada.gov/building-safety/Residential-Photovoltaic-Solar-Permits.pdf
  12. https://files.lasvegasnevada.gov/building-safety/Industry-Notice-Photovoltaic.pdf
  13. https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/administrative_services/town___liaison_services/tab-cac-information
  14. https://nevada.public.law/statutes/nrs_278.0208
  15. https://www.energy.nv.gov/programs/renewable-energy-system-determinations/
  16. https://www.snbo.org/current-adopted-codes/
  17. https://www.nvenergy.com/publish/content/dam/nvenergy/brochures_arch/cleanenergy/handbooks/SolarGenerations-Handbook.pdf
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NV_Energy
  19. https://www.nrea.coop/about/service-areas/
  20. https://www.bcnv.org/294/Net-Metering-Policy
  21. https://puc.nv.gov/Renewable_Energy/Net_Metering/
  22. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/regulators-approve-demand-charge-net-metering-changes-for-nv-energy/760485/
  23. https://knpr.org/show/knprs-state-of-nevada/2026-07-20/nv-energy-customers-brace-for-impact-of-new-daily-demand-charges
  24. https://votesolar.org/non-profit-groups-sue-pucn-over-its-nv-energy-rate-case-decision/
  25. https://www.nvenergy.com/publish/content/dam/nvenergy/brochures_arch/account-services/building-and-new-construction/electric-service-standards-south/re/ESRNPC-RE003-REV12.pdf
  26. https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/energy/nv-energy-solar-customers-could-see-20-increase-in-their-utility-bill-next-year-3462260/

Researched September 29, 2026.

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