Solar Permit

Symbium

On September 16, 2022, Senate Bill (SB) 379 was approved by California Governor Gavin Newsom to establish instantaneous plan review practices and create consistent permitting processes at cities and counties for automated permitting of residential solar and energy storage systems. The City of Dana Point is partnering with Symbium to provide an automated permitting platform that complies with requirements of SB 379.

Licensed contractors seeking to pull residential solar or energy storage system permits under SB 379 can apply for instantaneous plan review approval via Symbium's portal. You may begin your application by following the steps below:

Step 1: Check if your Project Qualifies for Symbium Review

To qualify for an instant solar permit, you must meet the following three criteria:  

  • Be a licensed contractor with one or more of the following licenses: 
    A, B, C-10, C-46 
  • Your project must be a residential solar energy system that is no larger than 38.4 kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating.   

If you do not qualify:

All permit applications shall be submitted electronically through the eTRAKIT Permit Portal. If you are having trouble accessing eTRAKIT or need assistance, please call Donna Ducharm at (949) 248-3594or refer to our How to Create Your Account Guide.

PLEASE BE ADVISED:  The City of Dana Point has been made aware of fraudulent emails being sent to some eTRAKIT portal users requesting payment of invoices via wire transfer.

  • The City DOES NOT request or accept payment via wire transfer.
  • If you receive an email requesting payment that seems unusual, urgent, or directs you to wire funds, do not respond or send payment.
  • Official communications will only come from @danapoint.org email addresses.

If you are unsure whether a payment request is legitimate, please contact the Community Development Department directly at (949) 248-3564.

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Step 2: Apply for a Permit using the Symbium Platform

The use of the Symbium platform is highly encouraged as it facilitates and expedites plan review and permit issuance. To get started, enter your project address in the search bar below.

How to apply for an instant building permit on Symbium:

  1. Click the ‘Get Started’ button and enter the property address.
  2. Select the project type.
  3. Answer questions about the proposed project. Symbium instantly checks for compliance with
  4. State and local regulations and provide substantive analysis of why (or why not) the project meets code requirements.
  5. Apply for a permit online. You don’t have to leave Symbium to submit your permit application.
  6. Using Symbium, your permit will be issued without manual review or an in-person visit.
  7. Symbium even automatically verifies your contractor’s license.
  8. Stay informed. You will receive status updates via email as well as on your Symbium dashboard.
  9. Contact Symbium support with any questions at support@symbium.com.

Watch a demo of how to use Symbium to apply for an instant solar permit: https://symbium.com/instantpermitting.

 

Step 3: Permit Issuance

Applications approved by Symbium will be sent to a City of Dana Point Permit Technician for processing. Please apply for a Symbium solar permit through our eTRAKIT Permit Portal once you have been approved by Symbium. A printed copy of all approved documents shall be on site for field inspections. 

Step 4: City Inspection

Inspection Requirements

Applications approved by Symbium will be sent to a City of Dana Point Permit Technician for processing. Please apply for a Symbium solar permit through our eTRAKIT Permit Portal once you have been approved by Symbium. A printed copy of all approved documents shall be on site for field inspections. Please note that if any outstanding code enforcement cases, violations, or expired permits that are discovered during any time during the review of the application, the City reserves the right to cancel, revoke, or suspend the issued permit and a full refund will not be granted.

Schedule an Inspection

Inspection requests can be made by calling the INSPECTION REQUEST LINE at (949) 248-3590. Please leave the following information:

  • Permit Number
  • Site Address
  • Type of Inspection requested
  • Date of Inspection
  • Gate Code (Gated Communities)
  • Any other pertinent information including phone number 

Reminder: Inspections must be scheduled no later than 4:00 P.M., the prior business day in order to be scheduled for the next business day.

AM or PM Requests 

Inspection times will vary depending on the workload. Inspections are normally performed between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM; however, inspections may be either earlier or later based on the day's workload.

To speak to your inspector, obtain your time of inspection window, or reschedule your inspection, call the Building and Safety Division at (949) 248-3564. Inspection time windows can also be found on our website under “Daily Inspections” by 8:00 AM on the morning of the scheduled inspection.

The inspector’s office hours are 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM Monday through Friday. 

Cancelling a building inspection

If you need to cancel a scheduled inspection for any reason, please call (949) 248-3564 before 8:00am on the morning of the scheduled inspection.

Step 5: Revisions

Deviations, modifications, additions or changes to a permit will require a revision to be submitted through Symbium. Once approved in Symbium, please submit for permit through our eTRAKIT Permit Portal for final processing of fees and permit issuance.

 

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