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Home  /  Solar site surveys  /  Michigan  /  Detroit

Solar site surveys · Detroit, MI

Solar site surveys in Detroit

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

Book a 15-min callPermitting in Detroit
NEC 2023Electrical code in effect
2AHJs covered here
48 hrsSurvey to deliverable
Nationwide500+ technicians
Short answer

In Detroit, the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) issues solar building and electrical permits, with plan-review submittals through its ePLANS portal, under the state's 2023 NEC and 2015 IRC-based residential code. Wayne County's code snow load is 20 psf, DTE handles interconnection through PowerClerk, and homes in Detroit's local historic districts need Historic District Commission approval.

What changes in Detroit

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

MI · DETROITDetroit
Code stack
2023NEC 2023National Electrical Code · effective Mar 12, 2024. The Michigan Electrical Code (Part 8 rules, R 408.30801) adopts the 2023 NEC second printing with Michigan amendments, effective March 12, 2024, and applies statewide including one- and two-family dwellings. LARA opened a 2026 Part 8 rule set with an advisory meeting on August 27, 2026, so watch for the next edition.1,2
2015IRC 2015The Michigan Residential Code (Part 5) still adopts the 2015 IRC. Rules adopting the 2021 IRC were set to take effect August 29, 2025, but a July 7, 2025 stipulated order in Home Builders Association v. LARA keeps the 2015 version in force while the lawsuits continue.3,4
2021IBC 2021The Michigan Building Code (Part 4) adopts the 2021 IBC with Michigan amendments; the rules were filed December 10, 2024 and took effect April 9, 2025.5
Rooftop fire access. Because homes stay on the 2015 IRC, the older R324.7 access rules apply: 3-foot eave-to-ridge pathways on each hip-roof slope with panels, two 3-foot pathways per slope on single-ridge roofs, 18 inches from hips and valleys with panels on both sides, and panels at least 3 feet below the ridge, with exceptions for roofs of 2:12 or less or where the code official accepts another ventilation method.6,3

Climate and site factors

Snow load

Michigan's residential snow table lists Wayne County, including Detroit, at 20 psf ground snow (Northville is 25 psf).3

Historic districts

Detroit has well over a hundred local historic districts, and the Commission's guidance favors flush, low-profile panels on flat roofs or rear slopes that are not visible from the street.7

Roof pathways

Under the 2015 IRC access rules still in force, hip and single-ridge roofs need 3-foot eave-to-ridge pathways and panels 3 feet below the ridge unless the roof is 2:12 or flatter.6

Interconnection

DTE reviews the application in PowerClerk, then requires construction documents uploaded after installation and a site visit before the system is turned on.8

Permitting in Detroit

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

City of Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED)

BSEED handles building permits that need plan review through ePLANS and permit applications through its eLAPS (Accela) portal; the city's solar policy guide notes BSEED's documentation list for PV electrical and building permits.9,7

Official page ↗

Detroit Historic District Commission

Solar in a local historic district needs a certificate of appropriateness; the Commission delegated approval to staff in 2018 for arrays with limited or no visibility from the public right-of-way, such as rear-yard ground mounts.7

Official page ↗

Across the metro

Each city, village or township with an approved code program is its own AHJ, while LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes enforces for units listed as state jurisdictions; all of them apply the same statewide codes.10

Michigan-wide rules that still apply

Utilities and interconnection

DTE Electric serves Detroit and southeastern Michigan; its Rider 18 program credits outflow at the power supply rate including PSCR and banks unused credit for future bills at the same premise.13,14

DTE Electric DTE

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.13,8

Interconnection page ↗
Export compensation. Rate-regulated utilities bill inflow at the full retail rate and credit outflow; to date the MPSC has set the outflow credit at the power supply part of the retail rate, sometimes less transmission. Public Act 235 of 2023 raised the program cap to 10% of average peak load, allowed systems up to 110% of the prior year's use, and let outflow credits offset the whole bill; DTE's Rider 18 credits outflow at the power supply rate including PSCR, applies it to all charges except securitization, and banks surplus for future bills.15,16,14

What we capture on every Detroit survey

The same capture standard as every other Michigan 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

Detroit solar survey FAQ

Who issues solar permits in Detroit?

BSEED, the city's Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department, which takes plan-review submittals through ePLANS and applications through eLAPS.9

Can I put solar on a house in a Detroit historic district?

Yes, with a certificate of appropriateness; staff can approve arrays with little or no visibility from the street, while other designs go to the full Historic District Commission.7

How does DTE credit solar exports in Detroit?

Under Rider 18, outflow is credited at the power supply rate (including PSCR) of the attached rate schedule and can offset all electric charges except securitization, with extra credit banked.14

What snow load applies to Detroit rooftop solar?

The Michigan Residential Code's jurisdiction table lists 20 psf ground snow for Wayne County outside Northville.3

Services and further reading

State-level detail is on the Michigan 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://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/bcc-media/ASD/2022-59-LR-Part-8-Electrical-Code/2023-Part-8-Michigan-Electrical--Final-Rules---Effective-3-12-2024.pdf?rev=81038ff2bb394ca38b5b07f65506eef4&hash=ABCD97A2775E8E419CB5020FA5EBB0B8
  2. https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc/rules-acts/rules/currently-open
  3. https://ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us/AdminCode/DownloadAdminCodeFile?FileName=R+408.30500++to+408.30547g.pdf&ReturnHTML=True
  4. https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/bcc-media/ASD/2021-Code-Injunction-Residential-Part-5-and-Energy-Part-10.pdf
  5. https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/bcc-media/ASD/Current-Open-rules-Building-2023/Part-4-Buildingl-Code-Web-Language-Final-Rules.pdf?hash=40EF1EF1BEFF6C87B622CFA0713D6739&rev=4d9cb2c5df2e43cc8b80b21740ea0fa7
  6. https://portagemi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6555/Michigan-Residential-Code-for-Solar-Installs
  7. https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2021-04/Detroit%20Solar%20Policy%20Guide%20City%20Level%2003.09.19_0.pdf
  8. https://solutions.dteenergy.com/dte/en/Services/CleanVision-Service/Rooftop-Solar-and-Private-Generation/p/ROOFTOP_SOLAR
  9. https://detroitmi.gov/departments/buildings-safety-engineering-and-environmental-department-bseed/bseed-divisions/permits-plan-review
  10. https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/bcc-media/ASD/StatewideJurisdictionList.pdf?rev=7d4adeaa8a23466aa243290534162caf&hash=EE86C940106613FDBE51C35E897968EA
  11. https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc/bcc---full-description
  12. https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/publicact/htm/2024-PA-0068.htm
  13. https://www.dteenergy.com/us/en/business/about-dte/about-dte/about-dte.html
  14. https://www.dteenergy.com/content/dam/dteenergy/deg/website/common/service-and-request/interconnection-process/PA235LetterRooftopSolar.pdf
  15. https://www.michigan.gov/mpsc/-/media/Project/Websites/mpsc/regulatory/reports/RE-DG/2025-RE-DG.pdf?rev=357d9acef3b544c9b1ea4fec86874ee7
  16. https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/publicact/pdf/2023-PA-0235.pdf

Researched September 30, 2026.

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