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Solar site surveys · MichiganA 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 Michigan.
Michigan runs a single state construction code: the 2023 NEC has been the Michigan Electrical Code since March 12, 2024, and the 2021 IBC-based Michigan Building Code since April 9, 2025, but homes remain on the 2015 IRC-based Michigan Residential Code because a July 2025 court order paused the 2021 update. DTE, Consumers Energy and the other rate-regulated utilities credit solar under an inflow/outflow distributed generation tariff, with the program cap raised to 10% of peak load by Public Act 235 of 2023.
The capture spec is the same everywhere. What the engineer and the plan reviewer read it against is not.
Michigan's residential code replaces the IRC snow map with a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction ground snow table; Wayne County is 20 psf except Northville at 25 psf, while parts of the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula are listed at 50 to 70 psf.3
The residential code update to the 2021 IRC is on hold by court order, so the 2015 residential code and its older solar pathway layout stay in effect until the litigation ends.4
The 2015 IRC access rules key on roof shape (hip, single ridge, hips and valleys) and keep panels 3 feet below the ridge, so roof geometry has to be recorded plane by plane.6
Since the 2024 Homeowners' Energy Policy Act, associations cannot ban rooftop solar but can require panels to follow the roof slope and stay within 6 inches of the roof, among other limited conditions.7
Who reviews the plan set, and what the state layers on top.
The utility decides the interconnection path and what an exported kilowatt-hour is worth.
Serves 2.3 million customers in southeastern Michigan, including Detroit. Installers apply through PowerClerk for the Rider 18 Distributed Generation program; the application fee is $50 and residential systems are limited to 100% of the meter's usage and 150 kW per site.10,11
Interconnection page ↗Serves about 1.8 million electric customers in 62 Lower Peninsula counties. Its Distributed Generation program replaced net metering on January 1, 2021, with Level 1 covering systems of 20 kW or less and a $50 interconnection application fee.12,13
Interconnection page ↗One standard, one visit, the same record in Michigan as everywhere else. What it gets checked against is the code stack above.
The 2023 NEC, adopted as the Michigan Electrical Code effective March 12, 2024 and applied statewide.1
Not as of September 2026. A July 7, 2025 court order paused the 2021 IRC-based update, so the 2015 IRC-based Michigan Residential Code remains in force while the litigation continues.4,2
Energy drawn from the grid is billed at retail, and exported outflow earns a credit that has generally equaled the power supply portion of the retail rate. Since Public Act 235 of 2023, those credits can offset the whole bill.14
Generally no. Public Act 68 of 2024 voids HOA bans on solar and requires a decision within 30 days, though associations can set limited conditions and the act does not cover common areas or shared roofs.7
Up to 110% of the customer's annual electricity use and no more than 550 kW, with half of each utility's 10% program cap reserved for systems of 20 kW or less.14
Metro pages for Michigan: Detroit.
Roof, attic and service panel in one visit
Explore →Roof, structure and switchgear
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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.
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