Stevenson, WA Solar Installers: Solar Panel Installation Since 2010
Sunbridge Solar installs home solar in Stevenson and across Skamania County. The Skamania County Building Division handles permitting for the City, so we file through Cloudpermit, pull the Washington L&I electrical permit, file the Skamania PUD interconnection, and put the panels on in two to three days.
- Installing since 2010
- L&I registered, bonded & insured
- 10-yr workmanship · 25-yr product warranties
- 2–3 days on site
Who installs solar in Stevenson, WA?
Sunbridge Solar does. Our own crew comes up Highway 14 from Washougal. We are a Southwest Washington company, not a national sales operation that subcontracts the roof work, and Gorge roofs, Gorge wind and the scenic-area line through this county are things we deal with rather than discover.
- Registered, bonded and insured in Washington. Contractor registration SUNBRSL882NF and electrical contractor license SUNBRSL857CK, both active with the Department of Labor & Industries.
- A track record you can look up. We are a licensed Washington contractor with more than 120 permitted installs in Clark County’s public records since 2017, and we install in Skamania County under the same license, the same crew and the same two warranties, including properties that needed a National Scenic Area land use application, which we have filed more than once.
- Two warranties, kept separate on purpose. Ten years on our workmanship, 25 years on the panels and equipment from the manufacturer.
- No-pressure sales. A written quote, then the decision is yours.
Check us before you call us
Our Washington credentials
- Contractor registration SUNBRSL882NF, active
- Electrical contractor license SUNBRSL857CK, active
- Bond and liability insurance on file with L&I
- 120+ permitted installs in Clark County’s public records since 2017
- Energy Trust of Oregon verified
Both numbers are on every quote we write.
Which parts of Stevenson do you serve?
All of them, but Stevenson has a line through it that no other town we serve has. Inside the city you are in one of the National Scenic Area’s thirteen urban areas, which the Columbia River Gorge Commission says are not subject to scenic-area rules: a building permit and the L&I electrical permit, and that is the whole list. Outside the urban area you are in the General Management Area, where a scenic-area review comes first. We check the address before we quote.
Inside the Stevenson urban area
Building permit + L&I electrical, no scenic-area review
- Downtown Stevenson
- Along the Columbia
- Skamania Lodge
- Bob’s Beach
- Bridge of the Gods
Good to know: the City of Stevenson contracts its permitting, plan review and inspections to the Skamania County Building Division, and applications go in through Cloudpermit, which the County notes does not work on a phone. We do the filing either way.
Skamania County addresses
General Management Area, scenic-area review first
- Up the Wind River
- Toward Carson
- Toward Home Valley
- Rural Highway 14
Nearby towns: Carson, North Bonneville, Washougal, or see every Washington town we serve.
Is your Stevenson home a good candidate for solar?
Most Stevenson homes are. Four things decide it: the roof (its direction, its pitch and how much life it has left) the shade on it, the size of your electrical service, and how much power you actually use. None of them depend on your zip code, and all four get checked on the first visit, before anyone talks about price.
Usually a yes
What we look for
- A roof plane facing south, east or west that the trees leave clear for most of the day.
- A composition or metal roof with ten or more years left. The panels are warrantied for 25, so the roof under them should not be the thing that fails first.
- A 200-amp service, or an electrical panel with room for a solar breaker.
- A bill worth cutting. A heat pump, an EV, a well pump or a shop is usually what puts a home in the middle of the 4 to 10 kilowatts we install most.
Still worth a look
None of these is an automatic no
- A shaded or wrong-facing roof. A ground mount or a shop roof often out-produces it, and the trench goes in the quote rather than turning up later.
- An older 100-amp panel. We check it on the first visit and price any upgrade in writing before you sign anything.
- A roof near the end of its life. We will tell you to replace it first rather than charge you to take the panels off and put them back.
- An HOA. Washington law (RCW 64.38.055) stops an outright ban; reasonable rules on placement and appearance go into the design from the start.
The only way to know for certain is to have someone look. We map a year of shade, check the service panel, size the system to your own Skamania PUD bills rather than to the roof, and put a written number in front of you. No charge and no obligation.
What does a solar installer charge in Stevenson?
The price depends on system size, your roof and whether you add a battery, not on your zip code. Most Stevenson homes land in the middle of the 4 to 10 kilowatts we install most. What the Gorge changes is the engineering: the racking has to be specified for the wind, and a property outside the urban area may need a scenic-area review before anything gets built. Two things keep a Stevenson quote simple:
No sales tax on the system or the labor
Washington exempts 100% of state and local sales tax on solar systems up to 100 kW, including installation labor, through 2029 (RCW 82.08.962). One exemption certificate at purchase, filed by us.
No rebate to chase
Skamania PUD does not offer a solar rebate and Washington has no state credit, so the number on the quote is the number you pay. The federal residential credit ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. See what changed.
For cost by system size, run your bill through the Washington solar calculator or read our Southwest Washington solar cost guide. Then request a written quote.
Checked September 2026. Source: Washington Department of Revenue; RCW 82.08.962.
What permits does a Stevenson solar install need?
Two inside the city, and possibly a third outside it. Inside the Stevenson urban area: a building permit from the Skamania County Building Division, which handles permitting for the City under contract, and an electrical permit from Washington L&I. Outside the urban area, a National Scenic Area land use review comes before the building permit.
Building permit, filed through Cloudpermit
Skamania County Building Division, for the City and the county
- Site plan and roof plan showing the array, fire-access pathways and clearances
- Electrical plan with rapid shutdown and system labeling
- Manufacturer spec sheets for the panels, inverter and racking
- Structural engineering when the roof or the array calls for it
- A ground mount is the same building permit with a different plan set, and more scrutiny outside the urban area
Skamania County Building Division, 170 NW Vancouver Avenue, Stevenson, (509) 427-3925. The County says building permits are currently running a minimum of six to eight weeks after submittal, the longest published review anywhere we work, which is why we file early and tell you the real date.
Washington L&I electrical permit
Skamania County does not issue electrical permits
- The County states that electrical work must be permitted and inspected through Washington L&I
- We pull it under our own electrical contractor license and schedule the inspection
- The passed inspection goes to Skamania PUD to start your interconnection
Outside the urban area? Skamania County says almost all structural development in the National Scenic Area needs a land use review, approved before the building permit, and publishes a range of three to four months for expedited applications and seven to nine months otherwise. That is a different project, and we tell you which one you have before you sign anything. County code also requires development to be visually subordinate as seen from key viewing areas, and exteriors seen from them to be nonreflective or of low reflectivity, which for an array is a real design constraint, not a formality.
Checked September 2026. Sources: Skamania County Building and Planning Divisions; City of Stevenson; Washington L&I; Columbia River Gorge Commission.
How does Skamania PUD net metering work in Stevenson?
Every home in Stevenson is on Skamania County PUD, and the PUD net-meters systems up to 100 kW. The power you send to the grid is banked as kilowatt-hour credits against your own later use; the summer surplus carries you through the dark months.
The Skamania PUD process
What happens after the electrical inspection
- Tier 1 (single-phase, 25 kW or less): $200 application fee, expedited process
- Tier 2 (up to 100 kW): $200 plus $10 per kW over 25 kW, capped at $950, included in your price and filed by us
- The PUD makes its best effort to approve or deny a complete application within 20 business days
- Unused credits go to the utility on April 30. Skamania runs a May 1 to April 30 net metering year, a month later than the state default
No PUD solar rebate. You must interconnect and operate within one year of approval or the application expires. Net metering contact: (509) 427-5126.
Why we size to your usage, not your roof
The April 30 reset changes the math
Surplus you bank in July is worth full value in January, but anything still unused on April 30 goes to the utility without compensation. So we size a Stevenson system to a year of your actual bills rather than to every square foot of south-facing roof. An oversized array looks impressive and gives value back to the PUD.
Our post on Washington net metering explains the math.
Checked September 2026. Source: Skamania County PUD net metering information and interconnection standards; RCW 80.60.030 for the state default; RCW 80.60.030.
Does solar work on a Stevenson roof in the Gorge?
Usually, yes. Stevenson sits at about a hundred feet of elevation on the north bank of the Columbia, and two things decide a design here: the basalt wall behind town and the wind that comes through the gap.
The cliffs behind town
Shade from the north costs less than people expect
The basalt rises north of Stevenson, which sounds like a shading problem and mostly is not, the sun tracks the southern sky, so a wall to the north takes very little production off a system. What does cost you is a roof that faces north itself, or firs standing on the south side of the house. We map a year of sun on your actual roof before we size anything, and if the answer is no we say so.
Gorge wind
Racking engineered for it, not for a valley roof
The wind that makes Bob’s Beach a windsurfing spot is the same wind that hits your roof, and it is the reason we specify racking and roof attachments for Gorge conditions rather than for a generic install forty miles west. When a storm takes the line down, and out here it does, a battery keeps the fridge, the freezer and a well pump running. It is the add-on people in the Gorge ask about most.
Panels run on daylight, not heat. A cool, bright Stevenson afternoon is a good solar afternoon, and the rain keeps the panels clean.
How long does a Stevenson solar install take, start to finish?
The panels go on in two to three days. Start to finish, from first call to switch-on, plan on fourteen to eighteen weeks.
Consultation, design and a written quote
Your roof, your shading, which side of the urban-area line you are on, and a year of your electric bills, then system size, equipment, warranty terms and price on one page.
Permits, install and inspection
The Skamania County building permit through Cloudpermit plus the L&I electrical permit, then two to three days on site, then the electrical inspection.
Utility interconnection and switch-on
Skamania PUD reviews the interconnection application, its published target is 20 business days on a complete application, and sets the net meter. Then you switch it on.
How does Sunbridge Solar compare to a national solar company in Stevenson?
The panels are the same. What differs is who does the work. Most national companies that advertise in Stevenson sell the system and subcontract the roof and the wiring, so the people who quote the job are not the people who install it. Sunbridge Solar designs, permits and installs with our own crew, under our own Washington electrical license.
Sunbridge Solar
One company from the site visit to the warranty call
- Our own crew, our own licenses. Contractor registration SUNBRSL882NF and electrical contractor license SUNBRSL857CK. The install is not handed to a subcontractor.
- We do the paperwork. We pull the Skamania County building permit and the L&I electrical permit and file the Skamania PUD interconnection ourselves.
- Two warranties, both in writing. Ten years on our workmanship, 25 years on the panels and equipment.
- A local address. 421 C Street in Washougal, the same people answer the phone in year eight.
Checking a national quote
Four things worth confirming in writing
- Whose crew is on the roof, the company on the contract, or a subcontractor hired for the day?
- Whose electrical license the permit is pulled under, and who meets the L&I inspector.
- Who files the Skamania PUD interconnection and follows it up, or whether that is left to you.
- Whether the price is a cash price or a financed one with dealer fees rolled into it.
How do I choose among solar companies in Stevenson?
Stevenson is far enough up the Gorge that it gets pitched by Portland companies that have never filed a Skamania County permit, and some of the national ones sell here and subcontract the roof work. Four questions separate them quickly.
Are you licensed, and can I check?
Every Washington contractor has an L&I registration number and an electrical license number. Ours are SUNBRSL882NF and SUNBRSL857CK.
Who does the roof work?
Ask whether the crew on your roof works for the company on the contract. Ours does, and it drives here from Washougal.
What are the two warranties?
Workmanship and product are different things. Get both in writing, with the years.
How did you size this?
Skamania PUD credits reset every April 30, so an oversized system gives value back to the utility. An installer who pushes a bigger array than your bills support is selling panels, not savings.
We’re happy to be compared on all four
Ask us the same questions. We’ll put our answers in writing with your quote.
What Stevenson customers say
Real Google reviews from homeowners across Stevenson, Skamania County and the rest of Southwest Washington.
Stevenson solar FAQs
The questions Stevenson homeowners ask us most, answered plainly.
It depends on system size, roof type and whether you add a battery, so we quote every home individually. There is no sales tax on the equipment or labor for systems up to 100 kW through 2029, and no rebate to apply for afterward. Run your bill through our Washington solar calculator for a first number.
For most homes with a reasonably clear south-, east- or west-facing roof, yes. The basalt behind town matters less than people assume, because the sun tracks south. What decides it is your own roof orientation and the firs around it, so we map a year of sun before we answer. Our Washington solar guide covers what to expect.
Yes. Inside the city, a building permit filed through Cloudpermit with the Skamania County Building Division, which handles permitting for the City under contract, plus an electrical permit from Washington L&I. The County publishes a six-to-eight-week minimum on building permits. We prepare and submit all of it.
Inside Stevenson, no. Stevenson is one of the thirteen urban areas the Columbia River Gorge Commission describes as not subject to National Scenic Area rules. Outside the urban area you are in the General Management Area, where Skamania County says almost all structural development needs a scenic-area land use review approved before the building permit, three to four months on the expedited track, seven to nine otherwise. We have filed these applications more than once, so we can tell you what the process actually involves: county code requires development to be visually subordinate as seen from key viewing areas and exteriors seen from them to be nonreflective or of low reflectivity, and in our experience that has meant an inspector assessing the array’s reflectivity from the Oregon side of the river. We check your address before we quote, and we plan the schedule around the review rather than discovering it late.
Not in cash, in kilowatt-hour credits at full value against your own later use. Skamania PUD net-meters systems up to 100 kW and runs a May 1 to April 30 net metering year, so unused credits go to the utility on April 30 rather than the March 31 the state uses elsewhere. The interconnection fee starts at $200 and we include it in your price.
Yes. Battery backup for outages, the usual reasons up here are the freezer and a well pump, and a Level 2 EV charger can go in alongside the solar, with the panel and wiring sized so the three work together.
The panels are the same; the crew is not. We design, permit and install with our own crew under our own Washington electrical license (SUNBRSL857CK), file the Skamania County building permit and the L&I electrical permit ourselves, handle the Skamania PUD interconnection, and answer the warranty call from our shop in Washougal. Before you sign with anyone, confirm whose crew will be on the roof and whose license the permit is pulled under.
Two to three days on your roof. Start to finish, plan on fourteen to eighteen weeks, Skamania County publishes a six-to-eight-week minimum on building permits, which is the long pole. Outside the Stevenson urban area, add the National Scenic Area review on top of that.
Ready to go solar in Stevenson?
Request a free, no-obligation quote and we’ll come up Highway 14, look at your roof and the wind it takes, and put a real number in writing.
Sunbridge Solar | 421 C St Ste 5a, Washougal, WA 98671 | 360-313-7190