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Home  /  Solar site surveys  /  Georgia  /  Atlanta

Solar site surveys · Atlanta, GA

Solar site surveys in Atlanta

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

NEC 2023Electrical code in effect
3AHJs covered here
48 hrsSurvey to deliverable
Nationwide500+ technicians
Short answer

Inside the City of Atlanta, rooftop solar goes through the Office of Buildings as an express permit, and since February 1, 2025 express applications must be filed in person. DeKalb County permits only its unincorporated areas, and Fulton County's own permitting now covers just the Fulton Industrial district, so most metro addresses sit with a city AHJ. Georgia Power or an EMC handles interconnection.

What changes in Atlanta

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

GA · ATLANTAAtlanta
Code stack
2023NEC 2023National Electrical Code · effective Jan 1, 2026. The Department of Community Affairs board adopted the 2026 Georgia Amendments to the 2023 NEC as the mandatory state electrical code, effective January 1, 2026. Local governments enforce it and decide their own transition for permits already in the pipeline.1,2
2024IRC 2024The 2024 IRC with 2026 Georgia amendments is the state minimum one- and two-family dwelling code. Georgia deletes the IRC's electrical chapters in favor of the NEC and keeps residential fire sprinklers optional.2,3
2024IFC 2024The 2024 IFC, as adopted by the Safety Fire Commissioner with Georgia amendments, is the state minimum fire code; the State Fire Marshal's office handles questions on it.1,4
Rooftop fire access. Rooftop PV access rules come from the state minimum IRC and IFC as enforced locally, and local guidance can go further: Fayette County's solar submittal guide recommends 36-inch pathways along roof edges, peaks and valleys and 36 inches of clearance at the ridge on habitable buildings.1,5

Climate and site factors

Tree canopy

About 45.7% of the city was under tree canopy in the 2023 assessment, the highest shares on residential land, so shade from neighboring trees drives array placement.6,7

In-person filing

Atlanta express permits, including rooftop solar, must be submitted in person at the Office of Buildings since February 1, 2025.8

Historic districts

Work on designated historic and landmark properties in the city goes through a certificate of appropriateness, which the Urban Design Commission reviews, so check district status before designing a visible array.9

10 kW ceiling

Homes on Georgia Power are capped at 10 kW AC of inverter capacity, which limits how much of a large roof can be used.10

Permitting in Atlanta

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

City of Atlanta Office of Buildings

Roof-mounted solar is filed as an express permit using the city's Solar Roof Install submittal information. Since February 1, 2025 express applications are accepted only in person at the Office of Buildings, and online express applications are no longer taken.11,8,12

Official page ↗

DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability

Permits projects in unincorporated DeKalb; solar must meet zoning, building and safety rules, and trade permits are filed by licensed contractors. Addresses inside DeKalb's cities are permitted by the city instead.13

Official page ↗

Fulton County Public Works

Since the City of South Fulton took over on July 3, 2017, Fulton County's planning, permitting and inspections cover only the Fulton Industrial Business District; the rest of the county is permitted by its cities.14

Official page ↗

Across the metro

Every city in Fulton and DeKalb issues its own permits under the same state minimum codes; DeKalb County steps in only for unincorporated land, and Fulton County only for the Fulton Industrial district.13,14,1

Georgia-wide rules that still apply

Utilities and interconnection

Georgia Power, EMCs and municipal systems all operate in Georgia under different levels of PSC oversight, so the serving utility on the customer's bill determines the export credit and application process.16,17

Georgia Power

Residential systems are limited to 10 kW AC under the RNR-11 tariff, and applications are handled through PowerClerk. New customers take RNR-Instantaneous Netting; the older monthly-netting pilot is closed and ends by 2038.17,10

Interconnection page ↗

Electric membership corporations EMCs

Georgia has 41 EMCs over which the PSC has only limited authority, so each sets its own distributed generation rider; Jackson EMC, for example, caps residential systems at 10 kW.16,18

Interconnection page ↗
Export compensation. Georgia Power credits exports under RNR-Instantaneous Netting at the annual Solar Avoided Cost rate, 3.2188 cents per kWh for 2026, plus a 4-cent adder approved in the 2022 rate case; credits are summed monthly against the bill. The monthly-netting pilot closed at 5,000 customers and expires no later than December 31, 2038. EMCs and municipal systems set their own rules.17,10,16

What we capture on every Atlanta survey

The same capture standard as every other Georgia 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

Atlanta solar survey FAQ

Can I apply for an Atlanta solar permit online?

Not for express permits: since February 1, 2025 the City of Atlanta accepts express applications, which include rooftop solar, only in person at the Office of Buildings.8,11

Who permits solar in unincorporated DeKalb County?

DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability. Inside DeKalb's cities, the city's own permitting office is the AHJ.13

Does Fulton County issue residential solar permits?

Rarely. Since 2017 Fulton County permits only the Fulton Industrial Business District; other addresses in the county are handled by their city.14

How much do trees matter for solar in Atlanta?

A lot: tree canopy covered 45.7% of the city in 2023, concentrated on residential land, so shading is often the deciding site factor.6,7

What code editions apply to a 2026 Atlanta solar permit?

The state minimum codes effective January 1, 2026: the 2023 NEC with Georgia amendments, the 2024 IRC and the 2024 IFC, enforced by the city.1

Services and further reading

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

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://dca.georgia.gov/community-assistance/construction-codes/current-state-minimum-codes-construction
  2. https://dca.georgia.gov/document/document/new-codes-and-amendments-effective-january-1-2026-memo/download
  3. https://dca.georgia.gov/document/document/irc-2026-amendment-packet-2024-edition/download
  4. https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/120-3-3
  5. https://fayettecountyga.gov/Documents/Departments/Building%20Safety/Residential%20Permits/Solar%20Panels/SOLAR-PANEL-PERMIT-GUIDE.pdf?t=202511250956130
  6. https://civicatlanta.org/blog/2026-08-16-atlantas-tree-canopy-continues-to-fall-in-latest-assessment
  7. https://www.treesatlanta.org/resources/urban-tree-canopy-study/
  8. https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/city-planning/zoning-development-permitting-services/online-permitting
  9. https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/city-planning/public-meetings-boards-commissions/urban-design-commission
  10. https://www.georgiapower.com/content/dam/georgia-power/pdfs/residential-pdfs/residential-rate-plans/RNR-11.pdf
  11. https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/city-planning/office-of-buildings/solar-pv-installation
  12. https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/departments/city-planning/zoning-development-permitting-services/applications-forms-and-checklists
  13. https://dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/planning-and-sustainability/permits-plan-review-and-inspections
  14. https://www.fultoncountyga.gov/inside-fulton-county/fulton-county-departments/public-works/planning-zoning-and-permitting
  15. https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1828492
  16. https://psc.ga.gov/utilities/electric/
  17. https://www.georgiapower.com/residential/solutions/solar/rooftop-installations/faqs.html
  18. https://www.jacksonemc.com/my-cooperative/rates/commercial-rates/net-metering-rider

Researched September 30, 2026.

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