How Long Does It Take to Go Solar in Virginia? Permits, Utility Approval, and Permission to Operate

The Short Version

Putting panels on a roof usually takes only a few days. The paperwork around it is what takes time. The U.S. Department of Energy says permits and inspections can take weeks to months, depending on your local rules.

The utility side in Virginia follows a state rule:

• Approval comes first. Under state net metering rules (20VAC5-315-30), you must notify the utility before construction starts and get approval before turning the system on.

• 30-day review. Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power each have 30 days from the date of notification to review a residential system. If they don't ask the SCC for a waiver, a residential customer may interconnect on day 31.

• Permission to operate (PTO) is the finish line. Dominion emails a PTO notice to you and your installer once inspections, the meter exchange, and billing setup are done.

• A failed inspection is usually a quick fix. It's often a small item, like a missing label, and it doesn't mean the system is unsafe.

The Steps, in Order

For a typical Dominion customer, the path looks like this:

1. You sign and the installer designs the system.

2. The installer files the utility application (Dominion calls it the NMIN, short for Net Metering Interconnection Notification). Dominion runs automated checks, then sends signature requests to both you and the installer.

3. Contingent approval. Once both of you sign, Dominion emails approval to move ahead.

4. Local permits and installation. Your city or county handles building and electrical permits.

5. Inspection or electrician certification. A licensed Virginia electrician certifies the work, or the local inspector signs off.

6. Meter exchange. Dominion swaps in a two-way meter. Its installer guide says this can't happen during a billing window, so it can take up to a week.

7. PTO. Dominion updates your billing and sends permission to operate.

Appalachian Power works the same way: pre-approval before installation, a final review after, a meter exchange, then notice that you can start. APCo's FAQ says the process can take up to 30 days for homes.

What If Your System Fails an Inspection?

Hearing that your system "failed inspection" sounds alarming. Usually it isn't.

It's also common. In national lab data from more than 20 U.S. cities and counties, 31% to 35% of home solar projects in 2024 failed at least one inspection.

Inspectors check the work against the approved plans and code, item by item. A Virginia checklist like Pulaski County's includes:

• Warning labels, signs, and placards

• Equipment, wire sizes, and markings matching the approved plans

• Cables and conduit properly secured and supported

• Clear access and working space around the inverter, disconnects, and electrical panel

Many fail notes are small: a missing or misplaced sticker, a loose conduit strap, a detail that doesn't match the paperwork. Some aren't about the work at all. In the same study, about 10% of tracked failures were rescheduling, mostly because the homeowner or contractor wasn't available.

A failed inspection doesn't mean your installer did a bad job, and it doesn't mean your system is unsafe. It's a checkpoint before the system turns on. The usual outcome is a quick fix and a re-inspection. Ask your installer what the item was and when the inspector is coming back.

What Can Slow Things Down

• System sized too big. Dominion's automated check flags systems sized over 150% of your last 12 months of use, the state limit in Dominion territory. In Appalachian Power territory the limit is 100%.

• Missing signatures. Dominion's process stops until both you and the installer sign. Watch for that email.

• Grid upgrades. If your system could overload the local transformer or service line, state rules let the utility require upgrades at the customer's cost. Dominion says small residential systems often have no interconnection charge.

• Inverter settings inspection. For inverter-based systems larger than 10 kW AC, the utility may inspect the settings and charge up to $50.

• Waiting on inspectors. To be honest, this is often the biggest delay of all. Your city or county inspector and Dominion or Appalachian Power each work on their own schedules, and backlogs vary by locality. A good installer files promptly and follows up, but it can't make an inspector come sooner.

Why This Matters Before You Sign

Dominion's own net metering terms suggest notifying the company "preferably, before" you sign a purchase agreement. In practice, most homeowners let the installer handle it after signing. That's normal, but it means a sales timeline is an estimate, not a promise.

If you lease, the application also has to list the leasing company's contact details as the system's owner. Confirm who is filing what, and when.

Don't Turn It On Early

Waiting with panels on the roof is frustrating. Still, state rules require utility approval before you interconnect, and Appalachian Power tells customers to leave the system off until it's approved and the meter is exchanged. Your installer should tell you when the PTO arrives.

One more Virginia protection: state law says residential net metering customers can't be required to show proof of liability insurance as a condition of interconnection (Va. Code § 56-594).

Questions to Ask Before You Sign

• When will you submit my utility application, and will I get a copy?

• What's your realistic timeline to PTO in my county, based on recent jobs?

• Is my system sized within my utility's limit (150% for Dominion, 100% for Appalachian Power)?

• Who pays if the utility requires grid upgrades?

• If I lease, when does my first payment start: at installation or at PTO?

For more questions to bring to the table, see what to ask before signing a solar agreement. For how sizing affects your credits, see Solar System Sizing Explained.

Final Thoughts

A slow start isn't a red flag by itself. Virginia's process has built-in review time, and inspectors move at their own pace. What matters is that your contract and your installer are clear about the steps, the sizing, and when your payments begin.

Have a quote and want to know if the timeline and terms hold up? We'll look it over for free, with no pressure.

Review My Quote for Free

Sources

Virginia regulations and law

• 20VAC5-315-30, Company notification, Virginia Administrative Code, State Corporation Commission net metering rules (opened November 4, 2026)

• 20VAC5-315-40, Conditions of interconnection, Virginia Administrative Code (opened November 4, 2026)

• Va. Code § 56-594, Net energy metering provisions, Code of Virginia (opened November 4, 2026)

Utilities

• Net Metering: Solar for Your Home and Business, Dominion Energy Virginia (opened November 4, 2026)

• Net Metering Self-Service Portal How-To Guide, Dominion Energy Virginia, June 2025 (opened November 4, 2026)

• Terms and Conditions, Section XXV: Net Metering Customers, Dominion Energy Virginia, effective July 1, 2024 (opened November 4, 2026)

• Virginia Net Metering FAQs, Appalachian Power, 2024 (opened November 4, 2026)

Inspections

• SolarAPP+ Performance Review (2024 Data), National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL), January 2026 (opened November 4, 2026)

• Solar Photovoltaic Field Inspection Checklist, Pulaski County, Virginia, September 2020 (opened November 4, 2026)

Federal guidance

• Walk Me Through It: A Step-By-Step Guide for Consumers Going Solar, U.S. Department of Energy (opened November 4, 2026)