Instant Residential Solar and ESS Permits

The City allows for instantaneous plan review approval via the Symbium portal for the following permit types:

• Residential solar energy system that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating.
• Battery Storage System with batteries no larger than 20 kilowatts each.
• Combined residential solar energy system that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating and battery storage system with batteries no larger than 20 kilowatts each.
• Subpanel upgrade in combination with any of the above.

We’re sorry you’re encountering this issue!

You may be unable to apply for an instant solar permit using Symbium for two reasons.

First, Symbium may have detected that your project scope is not fully code compliant. If this is the case, you will see at the top of your screen in the Enter Project Scope section a message noting that an issue has been detected and that a permit is not available through Symbium. If you click on the purple text in that message, you will be taken directly to the Analysis section, where you will find detailed information about the detected issue and how to correct it.

Second, you may not have answered every required question or uploaded all the necessary documentation in support of your permit application. If you’re entering your project scope and cannot advance to the Apply for Permits section, check if there’s a notice at the top of the page indicating that not all requirements have been met yet or a notice at the bottom of the page indicating that you need to answer a few more questions. If this is the case, go over your scope of work and answer all the required questions, which will be noted with a red asterisk.

If you are in the Apply for Permits section and cannot Proceed to Payment, review whether you’ve answered all the required questions and uploaded all the required documents in the Apply for Permits section. Required questions and uploads will be noted with a red asterisk.

Please email support@symbium.com with any questions.

Symbium’s processing fees, including fees for revisions, are non-refundable.

The City of Pinole Building Official may authorize a refund of required permit fees paid in eTRAKiT as follows:

Active Building PermitS

1. Unused Building Permit. The following applies upon the canceling of a building permit within three hundred sixty five (365) days after issuance, no work having been done and no inspections having been performed:
   • If the building permit fee was greater than one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125), eighty percent (80%) of the building permit fee paid shall be refunded.
   • If the building permit fee was one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) or less, no refund shall be allowed.
2. Unused Plumbing, Electrical or Mechanical Permits. No refund of fees for these permits (including sub permits issued in conjunction with building permits, and miscellaneous permits) shall be allowed, except for the following:
   • Upon the canceling of a permit within three hundred sixty-five (365) days after issuance and, where fees paid were in excess of one hundred twenty five dollars ($125), and no work having been done and no inspections performed, the applicant may be allowed a refund of the amount of no more than eighty percent (80%) of the plumbing electrical or mechanical permit(s) fees paid.
   • If the fees paid were one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) or less, no refund shall be allowed.
   • No refunds of plan check fees for issued permits shall be allowed. Any unused plumbing, electrical, or mechanical permit(s) taken in conjunction with a building permit are governed by the refund procedures in this subsection.

Expired Building Permits

1. Expired Unused Building Permit. When a building permit is requested to be canceled and the permit is expired, a fee of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) is required at the time of the cancellation request. A field inspection will be scheduled to confirm that no work was performed. If the result of the inspection confirms that no work was performed, the permit shall be canceled. However, if work is determined to have been performed, an additional inspection fee will be assessed against the permit. Additionally, the work under the scope of the permit may be required to be completed and obtain all requisite inspections. If the permit process is not completed, the matter may be forwarded to the code enforcement officer for further action.
2. Permits Not Yet Issued. The following applies to the withdrawal of a building permit application prior to issuance of the permit. Prior to plan review commencing, up to 80% of the plan review fees may be refunded. If plan review has commenced, no refund shall be allowed.

To submit a revision to an approved Symbium permit, please follow the steps below. Please note, you must have an account created in the City’s online permitting system, eTRAKiT. Please review instructions for creating an account if you do not already have one, and would like to submit revision to an approved Instant Residential Solar and ESS Permit.