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Solar site surveys · FloridaA 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 Florida.
Florida enforces one statewide building code: the 8th edition (2023) Florida Building Code, in effect since December 31, 2023, which brings in the 2020 NEC. The 9th edition, based on the 2023 NEC and 2024 I-codes, is scheduled to take effect December 31, 2026. Cities and counties issue the permits, Miami-Dade and Broward sit in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone with stricter wind and product rules, and customers of the investor-owned utilities connect under the PSC's statewide net metering rule.
The capture spec is the same everywhere. What the engineer and the plan reviewer read it against is not.
The 2023 FBC designs for wind under ASCE 7-22. Peninsula wind speeds are essentially unchanged since 2010, but western Panhandle speeds went up. Site-specific speeds may come from the ASCE hazard tool, and the older ATC lookup no longer applies.11
Miami-Dade and Broward make up the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which has its own wind-load and roofing chapters. The Risk Category II design wind speed is 175 mph in Miami-Dade and 170 mph in Broward, and roof penetration flashings must meet the HVHZ wind requirements.12,10
Roofing products and structural components used in Florida need state product approval under Rule 61G20-3 or local approval. In the HVHZ, jurisdictions such as Miami Beach ask for Miami-Dade Notices of Acceptance (NOAs) for rooftop solar installations.13,14
Miami-Dade plan reviewers treat tile as a discontinuous roof in which the underlayment is the waterproofing layer. PV penetrations need proper flashing details (a sealant-only fastener is not acceptable) and should stay out of valleys.10
Ground-mounted arrays in special flood hazard areas, especially coastal V and Coastal A zones, may need a geotechnical report and must meet the county flood rules, ASCE 24 and NFIP standards, as Hillsborough County's checklist spells out.9
HOAs cannot ban roof solar, but under section 163.04 they can pick among south-facing roof locations (within 45 degrees of due south) if that choice does not impair performance, so record every usable roof plane's azimuth.15
Who reviews the plan set, and what the state layers on top.
The PSC's interconnection and net metering rule applies to the investor-owned utilities (FPL, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric and Florida Public Utilities). Municipal utilities such as Homestead, JEA, OUC and Keys Energy Services, and rural electric cooperatives, must offer their own net metering programs under rules their governing boards set.22,23,24
Largest investor-owned utility, covering much of the east coast, Southwest Florida and, since it absorbed Gulf Power on January 1, 2022, Northwest Florida. Customers pre-approve system size in FPL's portal before installing, then upload the AHJ's final inspection or permit; Tier 2 and 3 systems pay a fee and carry liability insurance.25,26,27,28
Interconnection page ↗Investor-owned utility serving Pinellas County and much of Central and North Florida. It reported 89,710 customer-owned renewable interconnections at the end of 2024 under the PSC net metering rule.22,29
Interconnection page ↗Investor-owned utility for most of Hillsborough County and parts of Pasco, Pinellas and Polk. Applications go through its online portal with the AHJ inspection approval and a photo of the placarded disconnect; approval can take up to 30 calendar days, after which a bi-directional meter is installed.30,22
Interconnection page ↗One standard, one visit, the same record in Florida as everywhere else. What it gets checked against is the code stack above.
The 2020 NEC, adopted through the 8th edition (2023) Florida Building Code, which took effect December 31, 2023. The 9th edition, which moves to the 2023 NEC, is scheduled to take effect December 31, 2026, so check the edition in force on your permit date with the AHJ.1,3
Yes, for FPL, Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric customers. PSC Rule 25-6.065 credits monthly excess generation against later bills and pays unused credits once a year at the utility's avoided-energy rate. Municipal utilities and co-ops run their own programs.24,31,23
No. Section 163.04 voids covenants and HOA rules that prohibit solar collectors, though the association can set the roof location within south-facing orientations if doing so does not impair the system's performance.15
If a private provider reviews the plans and files the required affidavit for a one- or two-family home, the building official has 5 business days to issue the permit or cite specific code deficiencies, or the permit is deemed approved. Without a private provider, local review times apply.16,17
FBC-R R324.6 requires two 36-inch edge-to-ridge pathways on separate roof planes, one on the street or driveway side, plus an 18-inch clear setback on each side of the ridge (36 inches when the array covers more than 33% of the roof). Roofs of 2:12 slope or less are exempt.8,9
Metro pages for Florida: Miami, Tampa.
Roof, attic and service panel in one visit
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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.
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