Home / Solar site surveys / Colorado
Solar site surveys · ColoradoA technician on the roof, in the attic and at the service panel, with the survey read against the code editions, AHJs and utilities that apply in Colorado.
Colorado sets the electrical code statewide through the State Electrical Board, which moved to the 2026 NEC on August 1, 2026, but it has no statewide building code, so IRC, IFC and energy code editions depend on the city or county. Investor-owned utilities such as Xcel Energy must offer net metering with month-to-month credit carryover, while municipal utilities and co-ops set their own terms. Surveys should plan for elevation-driven snow loads, Front Range hail and high wind, and strong high-altitude sun.
The capture spec is the same everywhere. What the engineer and the plan reviewer read it against is not.
Design ground snow loads rise steeply with elevation. Larimer County's table, for example, runs from 55 psf at 5,000 feet to 160 psf at 9,000 feet, while Denver uses 43 psf, so get the AHJ's value and record roof framing before sizing the racking.12,13
The Front Range sits in Hail Alley, where the damaging season runs mid-April to mid-September and three or four hailstorms a year typically cause $25 million or more in insured losses. Record existing roof and module damage during the survey.14
Wind speeds increase sharply toward the foothills, so Front Range jurisdictions use the Colorado Front Range Gust Map rather than a single county value; Larimer County's basic wind speeds range from 115 to 225 mph.12,13
The EPA's UV Index method adds about 6% per kilometer of elevation, so most Colorado roofs see stronger UV than sea-level sites. Check shingles, sealants and cable jackets for sun wear.15
HOAs cannot effectively ban solar, but they can impose aesthetic rules within the 10% cost and performance limits in CRS 38-30-168. Note any HOA placement rule during the survey because it can decide which roof planes get used.16
Who reviews the plan set, and what the state layers on top.
State law requires qualifying retail utilities, which includes investor-owned Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy, to offer net metering under PUC rules. Municipal utilities and electric co-ops are exempt from those terms and set their own, though city utilities must allow net metering for at least 10 kW residential systems.23,24,25
Installers apply through Xcel's online interconnection portal; net-metered systems may generate up to 200% of the prior 12 months' use, equipment must be UL 1741 SB listed, and Xcel advises against building before engineering approval.26,24
Interconnection page ↗Investor-owned utility serving the Pueblo and Canon City area; its Colorado interconnections follow the PUC's rules at 4 CCR 723-3-3850, and projects over 25 kW get a Level 2 engineering review.25,27
Interconnection page ↗City-owned utility for Colorado Springs; City Council approved a new net metering structure on September 22, 2026, which under the filing applies to agreements dated from April 1, 2027.28,29
Interconnection page ↗City-owned utility; exports are credited at the time-of-day rate in effect when the energy is sent back, unused credits roll over monthly, and an interconnection and net metering agreement must be on file.30
Interconnection page ↗Member-owned co-op whose roughly 900-square-mile territory surrounds Denver on three sides; members need an approved interconnection application, an external AC disconnect and a production meter housing, with systems up to 25 kW and 200% of annual use.31,32
Interconnection page ↗Front Range co-op formerly named Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA); residential net metering covers systems of 10 kW AC or less producing no more than 200% of 12-month usage.33,34,35
Interconnection page ↗One standard, one visit, the same record in Colorado as everywhere else. What it gets checked against is the code stack above.
The State Electrical Board adopted the 2026 NEC effective August 1, 2026. Some AHJs, including Denver, let projects submitted before that date use the 2023 NEC, so confirm with the permitting office.1,2
No. Cities and counties adopt their own IRC and IFC editions, so neighboring AHJs can differ. When a jurisdiction updates any building code, it must also adopt at least the state minimum energy code.5,10
Not outright. CRS 38-30-168 voids covenants that effectively prohibit solar, and aesthetic rules cannot add more than 10% to cost or cut performance by more than 10%. An application the HOA has not denied within 60 days counts as approved.16
Exports offset retail use, and any surplus is banked as a credit for later bills; customers pick whether to roll over or waive banked credits. As of September 2026, systems may be sized to produce up to 200% of the prior 12 months' use.24,23
Yes. For systems under 2 MW, a government body may charge no more than its actual cost or $500 for a residential permit ($1,000 commercial), whichever is lower, under CRS 24-48.5-113.22
Metro pages for Colorado: Denver.
Roof, attic and service panel in one visit
Explore →Roof, structure and switchgear
Explore →Terrain, build and operations
Explore →Roof and electrical, one visit
Explore →Stamped sets, six days from survey
Explore →SA, TOF and TSRF per plane
Explore →Every local fact on this page links to where it came from. Codes, programs and tariffs change: confirm the current requirement with the AHJ and the utility before you design.
Bring your monthly job count and the AHJs you submit into, and we will tell you straight whether we fit.
Book a 15-min callIn-person site surveys, engineering and inspection for residential, C&I and utility-scale solar, delivered as live data.