Home / Solar site surveys / Minnesota / Minneapolis
Solar site surveys · Minneapolis, MNRoof, attic and service panel captured in one visit, with the plan set built for the Minneapolis AHJ you submit into and the utility that serves the address.
In Minneapolis, Construction Code Services in Community Planning and Economic Development reviews solar building permits, which need scaled plans and the city's solar checklist and go through plan review rather than the instant online permit system. The electrical permit comes from the state Department of Labor and Industry, not the city. Design for a 50 psf ground snow load, the Residential Code's roof pathways, and Xcel Energy interconnection.
Minnesota state rules apply here, plus whatever the local AHJ amends.
Hennepin County falls in the 50 psf ground snow load zone of Minnesota Rules 1303.1700.7
The city's checklist asks whether flush arrays sit on 2x4 or larger rafters at 24 inches or less on center, whether tilted arrays stay at or below a 12/12 pitch, and whether rafter spans are under 7.75 feet for 2x4s or 11.5 feet for 2x6s; a no answer calls for more review.8
No more than two layers of shingles may be under the panels, and the checklist asks for the roof's age and condition and attic or exterior photos of the structure.8
Pathway and ridge-setback rules do not apply to roofs of 2:12 slope or less, which the checklist treats as flat.8,3
Ground-mounted arrays must meet the zoning code's setback standards for solar accessory structures, with property lines verified by a survey or located pins.8
The main AHJs, and how the rest of the metro splits up.
Building permits are required for rooftop, building-integrated and ground-mounted PV. Rooftop applications need a site plan, elevation, a building section with rafter size, spacing and span, and a scaled roof plan showing pathways, ridge setbacks, plan-view roof area and array area, plus the completed permit applicant checklist.8
Official page ↗Permits that need plan review are submitted through ProjectDox after an email invitation; initial review takes about 15 business days and each resubmittal about five.9
Official page ↗Issues the electrical permit and performs electrical inspections for Minneapolis solar work, using its own Minneapolis inspection districts.8,10
Official page ↗Each Twin Cities municipality that has adopted the State Building Code issues its own building permits, and the electrical authority varies by city, so look up each address in DLI's electrical inspector directory.11,10
Xcel Energy holds the city's electric franchise and partners with Minneapolis and CenterPoint Energy through the Clean Energy Partnership; suburbs may be served by Xcel, a cooperative or a municipal utility.13
The electric franchise holder in Minneapolis. As a public utility under 216B.164, it bills net-metered customers under 40 kW for net consumption and lets them take the average retail utility energy rate for net exports; its metering guide describes a net meter plus a separate production meter when an incentive program applies.13,14,15
Interconnection page ↗The same capture standard as every other Minnesota job, so the plan set is built on what the technician verified on site.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's electrical division, not the city; the city issues the building permit.8,10
Solar needs plans, so it goes through plan review with drawings submitted in ProjectDox; initial review takes about 15 business days.9,8
A site plan, an elevation with finished height, a building section with rafter details and attachment method, and a scaled roof plan with arrays, obstructions, pathways and ridge setbacks.8
No more than two layers, according to the city's solar checklist.8
State-level detail is on the Minnesota page; every location is on the solar site survey hub.
Roof, attic and service panel in one visit
Explore →Roof, structure and switchgear
Explore →Terrain, build and operations
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.
Bring your monthly job count and the AHJs you submit into, and we will tell you straight whether we fit.
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