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Home  /  Solar site surveys  /  Connecticut  /  Hartford

Solar site surveys · Hartford, CT

Solar site surveys in Hartford

Roof, attic and service panel captured in one visit, with the plan set built for the Hartford AHJ you submit into and the utility that serves the address.

Book a 15-min callPermitting in Hartford
NEC 2020Electrical code in effect
1AHJs covered here
48 hrsSurvey to deliverable
Nationwide500+ technicians
Short answer

In Hartford, the city's Licenses & Inspections Division issues building permits and inspects solar work under the statewide 2022 Connecticut State Building Code, with applications filed online. Eversource handles interconnection and RRES enrollment. Plan for a 30 psf ground snow load, a 120 mph residential design wind speed, and Connecticut's amended roof pathway rules.

What changes in Hartford

Connecticut state rules apply here, plus whatever the local AHJ amends.

CT · HARTFORDHartford
Code stack
2020NEC 2020National Electrical Code · effective Oct 1, 2022. The 2022 Connecticut State Building Code adopts the 2020 NEC with state amendments for permits applied for on or after October 1, 2022. The 2026 code would move to the 2023 NEC, but its planned July 1, 2026 start was delayed while the Legislative Regulation Review Committee considers it.1,2
2021IRC 2021The residential portion of the 2022 State Building Code is the 2021 IRC with Connecticut amendments, including its own rooftop PV access rules. The pending 2026 code is based on the 2024 IRC.1,2
2021IFC 2021The 2022 Connecticut State Fire Safety Code adopts the 2021 IFC. The separate State Fire Prevention Code, used for existing buildings, is based on NFPA 1 (2021) and deletes that code's general PV section, keeping only rules for ground-mounted arrays.3,4
Rooftop fire access. Connecticut's amended IRC R324.6 requires two 36-inch eave-to-ridge pathways on separate roof planes (one on the street or driveway side), but drops the pathway on the array's slope when the array sits on only one slope of a ridge, hip or valley and the opposite slope is clear with a roof access point. Ridge setbacks are 18 inches when arrays cover 33% or less of the roof area and 36 inches above that, and roofs of 2:12 or flatter are exempt.1,5

Climate and site factors

Snow and wind

The state code's town table gives Hartford a 30 psf ground snow load and a 120 mph residential ultimate design wind speed, and places it in the hurricane-prone region.1

Pathways

Two 36-inch eave-to-ridge pathways are the default, with one on the street or driveway side, unless the array uses a single slope and the opposite slope stays clear with a roof access point.1

Historic districts

Hartford has a Historic Preservation Commission, so exterior work in designated districts may need its review before the building permit.6

Permitting in Hartford

The main AHJs, and how the rest of the metro splits up.

City of Hartford Licenses & Inspections

The division in Development Services issues permits and inspects construction for code compliance; building permit applications are filed through the city's Accela online portal, and a building permit viewer shows permit history.7,8

Official page ↗

Across the metro

Every surrounding town appoints its own building official to enforce the same State Building Code, so the permit office changes at each town line while the code does not.9

Connecticut-wide rules that still apply

Utilities and interconnection

Eversource, Connecticut's largest distribution utility, with one of its headquarters in Hartford, serves the Hartford area; UI's territory is around New Haven and Bridgeport.14,15

Eversource Energy Eversource

Connecticut's largest electric utility, serving about 149 cities and towns including Hartford. It posts its application to connect, net metering information, and hosting capacity maps on its Connecticut interconnection page.16,14

Interconnection page ↗
Export compensation. Rooftop systems up to 25 kW AC enroll in PURA's Residential Renewable Energy Solutions program, launched January 2022, choosing a Buy-All tariff or a Netting tariff; under Netting, monthly net excess is credited at the customer's retail rate as bill credits that carry forward, plus a production-based REC payment. Public Act 26-127 extends the programs through 2035 with successor tariffs from January 1, 2028, as of September 2026.17,18,10,12

What we capture on every Hartford survey

The same capture standard as every other Connecticut job, so the plan set is built on what the technician verified on site.

Roof and structure

  • Measured roof planes: pitch, azimuth, dimensions
  • Every penetration and obstruction, located
  • Rafter or truss size, spacing and span
  • Decking type and condition
  • Layer count at a cut edge
  • Setbacks and fire pathway constraints
  • Horizon shading capture per array area

Electrical and interconnection

  • Main breaker and bus bar rating, photographed separately
  • Meter location and configuration
  • Slot count: used, open, tandem, double-tapped
  • Available interconnection points
  • Existing loads and sub-panels
  • Conduit route, measured along the actual path
  • Grounding electrode and bonding path

Commercial buildings

  • Membrane type, age and condition, with drainage pattern
  • Bar joist depth, spacing and span
  • Deck type and gauge
  • Switchgear and available bus capacity
  • Access and lift constraints for the install crew

Every visit

  • Roof and electrical in one visit, no second trip
  • 48-hour turnaround from survey to deliverable
  • Photo documentation throughout
  • Permit sets available, stamped, 6 days from survey

Hartford solar survey FAQ

Who issues solar permits in Hartford?

The City of Hartford's Licenses & Inspections Division, part of Development Services, issues building permits and performs inspections; applications go through the city's online permit portal.7,8

What snow load applies to rooftop solar in Hartford?

The 2022 Connecticut State Building Code lists a 30 psf ground snow load for Hartford, and PV-covered roof areas must be checked for dead load plus snow load.1

Which utility handles solar interconnection in Hartford?

Eversource, which also administers RRES enrollment for its customers.16,18

Will Hartford get instant solar permits?

State law now requires a smart solar permitting platform by July 1, 2028 that instantly issues building permits for compliant residential rooftop systems, and municipalities must accept applications through it or an equivalent.10,11

Services and further reading

State-level detail is on the Connecticut page; every location is on the solar site survey hub.

Residential

Roof, attic and service panel in one visit

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Commercial & Industrial

Roof, structure and switchgear

Explore →

Utility-Scale

Terrain, build and operations

Explore →

Site surveys

Roof and electrical, one visit

Explore →

Permitting & engineering

Stamped sets, six days from survey

Explore →

Shading analysis

SA, TOF and TSRF per plane

Explore →

From Field Notes

Sources

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.

  1. https://portal.ct.gov/das/-/media/das/office-of-state-building-inspector/2022-state-codes/2022-csbc-final.pdf
  2. https://portal.ct.gov/das/office-of-state-building-inspector/building-and-fire-code-adoption-process
  3. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/das/office-of-state-building-inspector/2022-state-codes/2022-csfsc-final.pdf
  4. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DAS/Office-of-State-Building-Inspector/2022-State-Codes/2022-CSFPC-Final.pdf
  5. https://portal.ct.gov/das/-/media/das/office-of-state-building-inspector/codes-and-standards/2024/2025-ccp/ccp25-056-bc-irc-r32462--mike-trahan.pdf?rev=b869a2377cdd4a599c0dbbc54bb4fbeb&hash=597259B678644B216297B158B7C33534
  6. https://www.hartfordct.gov/Government/Departments/DDS
  7. https://www.hartfordct.gov/Government/Departments/DDS/DDS-Divisions/Licenses-Inspections-Housing-Code-Enforcement
  8. https://www.hartfordct.gov/
  9. https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_541.htm
  10. https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/BA/PDF/2026HB-05340-R01-BA.PDF
  11. https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/06/05/connecticut-governor-signs-the-states-omnibus-2026-solar-bill/
  12. https://portal.ct.gov/deep/news-releases/news-releases---2026/governor-lamont-signs-legislation-making-renewable-energy-more-affordable-and-easier-to-access
  13. https://cga.ct.gov/2025/SUM/PDF/2025SUM00073-R02HB-06957-SUM.PDF
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Light_and_Power_Company
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Illuminating
  16. https://www.eversource.com/residential/about/doing-business-with-us/interconnections/connecticut
  17. https://portal.ct.gov/pura/electric/office-of-technical-and-regulatory-analysis/clean-energy-programs/residential-renewable-energy-solutions-program
  18. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/PURA/Residential-Renewable-Energy-Solutions-Program-Manual.pdf

Researched September 30, 2026.

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