California Assembly Bill 1738, authored by Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, would let homeowners and their contractors request a remote inspection instead of waiting for an inspector to visit. It covers common clean energy upgrades such as rooftop solar, home batteries, heat pumps and reroofs. The Senate passed it 29 to 6 and the Assembly passed it 68 to 0, according to pv magazine USA and a vendor press release.
Status. The bill reached the governor on August 28, 2026, and Governor Gavin Newsom had until September 30 to act. A press release from VuSpex, a remote-inspection software company, dated September 21 says he signed it. No chapter number or official signing record has been published, so treat the signing as reported but not independently confirmed.
What the bill requires
Based on the enrolled text as described by Blitzz and the VuSpex release, local agencies must offer a remote inspection option for some or all permit inspections on single-family and two-family homes. A homeowner can request it, or a contractor can with the homeowner’s written consent. The agency decides whether to use live video or recorded photos and video. An inspector can end a remote inspection and require a visit in person if compliance cannot be verified. The remote option must cost no more and cause no more delay than an in-person visit.
Blitzz lists the covered work as heat pump water heaters and HVAC, residential reroofs, solar up to 15 kW AC, energy storage, and smoke and CO detectors. New or upgraded main electrical services aren’t required to be offered remotely, and neither is work outside one- and two-family homes. Most agencies must comply by January 1, 2028, and qualifying smaller cities by July 1, 2028. Cities under 5,000 people are exempt, as are counties under 150,000 people, including the cities inside them, according to Blitzz and CALBO.
Why supporters want it
pv magazine USA reports that contractors often wait two to six hours for an inspector to arrive for a review that takes about 15 minutes. It attributes that to an analysis from the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research organization, which says the wasted time adds $600 to $1,000 per project. Nick Josefowitz, CEO of Permit Power, said the bill “ensures that the convenience and cost savings of remote inspections will be available to all California families.”
Some places already do this. pv magazine reports at least 19 jurisdictions offer remote inspections. Los Angeles County officials said 20 to 40 percent of their inspections are handled remotely, with no safety issues reported over seven years.
Why It Matters to You
If you plan rooftop solar, a battery, a heat pump or a reroof on a single-family or two-family home in California, the law is meant to spare you and your contractor a long wait for an inspector. You may get a remote inspection today only if your city or county already offers one. The statewide requirement doesn’t start until 2028, and smaller cities and counties are exempt, so some homeowners may never see it.
What the numbers show, and what they don’t
The “more than $500 million over three years” figure is a projection. pv magazine doesn’t attribute it to a named organization, and it couldn’t be traced to a published method. The $600 to $1,000 per project figure comes from an advocacy-side analysis of wait times, so it isn’t a measured saving for any one homeowner. Whether contractors pass lower costs on to customers isn’t shown, and no source offers evidence either way. Because the requirements don’t begin until 2028, no savings from this law have occurred yet.
There is opposition, too. The California Association of Building Officials (CALBO) opposed the bill and said it contains no funding for local agencies to buy the needed technology. And both Blitzz and VuSpex sell remote-inspection services, so their summaries come from companies that gain if the law spreads.
Can I get a remote inspection today? Only if your city or county already offers one. At least 19 California jurisdictions do, per pv magazine USA. The statewide requirement begins in 2028.
Will inspectors still visit in person? Yes, when needed. An inspector can end a remote inspection and require a visit if compliance cannot be verified remotely.
Does this lower the price of solar or a heat pump? Possibly. Supporters say shorter waits cut contractor costs by $600 to $1,000 per project, but that is an estimate and the law doesn’t require contractors to lower their quotes.
Sources
- pv magazine USA: California bill enables remote inspection for residential solar, batteries, heat pumps and more (Aug 27, 2026)
- Blitzz: California AB 1738: What the Remote Inspection Mandate Actually Requires, and When (Sep 5, 2026)
- CALBO: Legislative Report, September 2026 (accessed Oct 13, 2026)
- VuSpex press release via Webull: VuSpex Highlights Passage of AB 1738 as Governor Newsom Signs Bill Expanding Virtual Inspections Across California (Sep 21, 2026)