Solar site surveys · Portland, Oregon

Solar site surveys in Portland, Oregon

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

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NEC 2026Electrical code in effect

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Short answer

In Portland, Oregon, Portland Permitting & Development issues a building permit and a separate electrical permit for rooftop solar through DevHub, using either the state prescriptive path or an engineered design. Homes are designed to Seismic Design Category D1 with at least a 20 psf roof snow load. PGE serves most of the city west of the Willamette, and Pacific Power serves much of North and Northeast Portland.

What changes in Portland, Oregon

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

OR · PORTLAND, OREGON

Code stack

2026NEC 2026National Electrical Code · effective Oct 1, 2026. The 2026 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code adopts the 2026 NEC with Oregon amendments and takes effect October 1, 2026, replacing the 2023 OESC (based on the 2023 NEC) that applied from October 1, 2023. Oregon's amendments require rapid shutdown for existing PV when a system is added to, and a grounding electrode system for buildings that support PV arrays.^1,2,3

2021IRC 2021The 2023 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, based on the 2021 IRC, took effect October 1, 2023 and became mandatory April 1, 2024. A 2026 ORSC based on the 2024 IRC was expected to be adopted October 1, 2026, with a six-month phase-in in which applicants can use either edition until March 31, 2027.^4,5,6

2024IFC 2024The 2025 Oregon Fire Code is the 2024 IFC as amended by the State Fire Marshal, effective October 1, 2025, with a 180-day phase-in that ended March 31, 2026.⁷

2025OSSC 2025The 2025 Oregon Structural Specialty Code, covering commercial structures, took effect October 1, 2025 and became mandatory April 1, 2026.⁴

Rooftop fire access. Detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses need firefighter access pathways under ORSC Section R324.6, sized by how much of the roof the array covers and whether a PV-free adjacent roof plane exists; nonoccupied accessory structures set back 5 feet are exempt, and the building official can waive pathways on the fire official's recommendation.^8,9

Climate and site factors

Seismic

Portland uses Seismic Design Category D1 for one- and two-family homes, so engineered submittals carry lateral design along with gravity and wind.¹⁰

Snow and wind

The city's minimum design roof snow load is 20 psf plus a 5 psf rain-on-snow surcharge where it applies, and its residential guidance uses an 18 psf design wind pressure.^10,11

Prescriptive check

The permit application asks about roof slope, array area, roofing material, framing and truss spacing to confirm the prescriptive path, so those items need to be measured on site.^11,12

Fire access plan

Solar permit sets include a fire access path plan, a roof framing plan and roof cross-section, and racking attachment specifications; solar tile installations do not need the fire access path.¹¹

Permitting in Portland, Oregon

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

Portland Permitting & Development

Residential rooftop PV needs a building permit and an electrical permit, applied for online through DevHub with scaled plans in PDF. Prescriptive-path systems need no Oregon-registered designer and emailed prescriptive applications typically take 2 to 3 business days; engineered systems take longer.^11,13

Official page ↗

Multnomah County (unincorporated areas)

The county does not run a single building permit counter: under intergovernmental agreements, Portland, Gresham and Troutdale administer building permits in unincorporated Multnomah County by service area.¹⁴

Official page ↗

Across the metro

The Oregon specialty codes apply statewide, but each city issues its own solar permits, and Portland, Gresham and Troutdale handle unincorporated Multnomah County under agreements with the county.^4,14

Gresham
Beaverton
Hillsboro
Lake Oswego
Tigard
Milwaukie
Happy Valley
Troutdale

Oregon-wide rules that still apply

The ORSC has a prescriptive path for rooftop PV: no designer is needed where ground snow load is 70 psf or less, wind exposure is B or C, framing is conventional light-frame with trusses or rafters at 24 inches on center or less, the array weighs no more than 4.5 psf and sits no more than 18 inches above the roof. A separate electrical permit is always required.^15,11
State rules make structural permits for prescriptive-path installations a flat fee covering one plan review and one inspection; other installations are valued on their structural components only, excluding electrical equipment.¹⁶
Rooftop PV on a residential structure is an outright permitted use in any zone that allows homes, and cities review it ministerially without a land use fee when it adds no footprint or height and is mounted parallel to the roof; historic properties and scenic areas are excluded.^17,18
Under ORS 94.778, planned community rules that prohibit an owner from installing solar panels are void, though associations may set reasonable size, placement and aesthetic requirements.¹⁹

Utilities and interconnection

PGE covers most of Portland west of the Willamette River and shares the east side with Pacific Power, which serves most of Northeast and much of North Portland; PGE's own service-area page says areas it does not list are Pacific Power's.^20,21,22

Portland General Electric PGE

Serves more than 950,000 customers in 51 cities. Installers apply through PowerClerk; residential applications up to 25 kW are free, and PGE advises waiting for approval before building, then obtaining the local electrical permit before it orders a bidirectional meter.^21,23

Interconnection page ↗

Pacific Power

PacifiCorp's Oregon utility takes net metering applications online with a photo of the meter; after the install and inspection it swaps the meter in 7 to 10 days, and its typical end-to-end timeline is about 70 business days.²⁴

Interconnection page ↗

Export compensation. PGE and Pacific Power net metering credits monthly excess as kWh at the full retail rate for each per-kWh charge, carries credits forward, and at the end of the annual cycle that closes with the March bill transfers unused credits to low-income assistance rather than paying the customer. Pacific Power's Schedule 135 caps residential systems at 25 kW, as of September 2026.^25,26,23

What we capture on every Portland, Oregon survey

The same capture standard as every other Oregon 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

Portland, Oregon solar survey FAQ

How do I apply for a solar permit in Portland, Oregon?

Apply online through DevHub for a building permit and a separate electrical permit, with plans drawn to scale in PDF. Photos and map screenshots are not accepted as plans.^11,13

How long does a prescriptive solar permit take in Portland?

Portland says complete prescriptive applications typically take 2 to 3 business days when sent by email; engineered systems need structural review and take longer.¹¹

Is my Portland home on PGE or Pacific Power?

West of the Willamette it is usually PGE; on the east side it depends on the address, with Pacific Power serving most of Northeast and much of North Portland. The electric bill is the reliable check.^20,21

What structural loads apply to solar in Portland, Oregon?

Portland's residential criteria use a 20 psf minimum roof snow load (plus 5 psf rain-on-snow where applicable), an 18 psf design wind pressure and Seismic Design Category D1.¹⁰

Services and further reading

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

Residential

Roof, attic and service panel in one visit

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Commercial & Industrial

Roof, structure and switchgear

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Utility-Scale

Terrain, build and operations

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Site surveys

Roof and electrical, one visit

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Permitting & engineering

Stamped sets, six days from survey

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Shading analysis

SA, TOF and TSRF per plane

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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.

Researched September 30, 2026.

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Field Notes · reference

Company

Solar site surveys in Portland, Oregon

What changes in Portland, Oregon

Climate and site factors

Seismic

Snow and wind

Prescriptive check

Fire access plan

Permitting in Portland, Oregon

Portland Permitting & Development

Multnomah County (unincorporated areas)

Across the metro

Oregon-wide rules that still apply

Utilities and interconnection

Portland General Electric PGE

Pacific Power

What we capture on every Portland, Oregon survey

Roof and structure

Electrical and interconnection

Commercial buildings

Every visit

Portland, Oregon solar survey FAQ

Services and further reading

Residential

Commercial & Industrial

Utility-Scale

Site surveys

Permitting & engineering

Shading analysis

From Field Notes

Sources

Talk through your next Portland, Oregon site in 15 minutes