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Home  /  Solar site surveys  /  Missouri

Solar site surveys · Missouri

Solar site surveys in Missouri

A 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 Missouri.

By AHJNEC edition set locally
2Utilities covered here
48 hrsSurvey to deliverable
Nationwide500+ technicians
Short answer

Missouri has no statewide building or electrical code for homes, so code editions are set city by city and county by county: the City of St. Louis enforces 2018 I-Codes and the 2017 NEC, while St. Louis County's own guides still cite 2015 I-Codes and the 2014 NEC. Under the Net Metering and Easy Connection Act, systems up to 100 kW net against usage each month, but any monthly surplus is credited only at avoided cost. State law bars deed restrictions from prohibiting rooftop panels on owner-maintained roofs.

What changes in Missouri

The capture spec is the same everywhere. What the engineer and the plan reviewer read it against is not.

MO · METROSSt. Louis
Code stack
LOCALNEC 2017 · City of St. LouisNational Electrical Code · effective Aug 1, 2018. Missouri does not adopt the NEC statewide; each city or county picks its edition. The City of St. Louis adopted the 2017 NEC by Ordinance 70802 in August 2018, and St. Louis County's published code lists reference the 2014 NEC, so confirm the edition with each AHJ.1,2,3
LOCALIRC 2018 · City of St. LouisResidential codes are adopted locally. The City of St. Louis uses the 2018 IRC (Ordinance 70795, August 1, 2018), while St. Louis County's residential solar checklist is based on the 2015 IRC with county amendments.1,3
LOCALIFC 2018 · City of St. LouisFire codes are also local. The City of St. Louis adopted the 2018 IFC (Ordinance 70796); in St. Louis County, fire protection districts adopt and enforce their own fire codes and may check array clearances and pathways.1,3
Rooftop fire access. Roof-access rules depend on the local code. Where the 2018 IRC is in force, as in the City of St. Louis, Section R324.6 calls for two 36-inch eave-to-ridge pathways and 18-inch ridge setbacks (36 inches above 33% coverage); in St. Louis County, the local fire protection district may review clearances and pathways around panels.1,4,3

Climate and site factors

Code patchwork

With no statewide code, neighboring AHJs can be a code cycle or two apart, such as the City of St. Louis on 2018 I-Codes and St. Louis County guides citing 2015 codes.1,3

Wind and seismic

St. Louis County's bracing guide uses a 90 mph wind speed and Seismic Design Category C, under which one- and two-family homes need only be designed for wind loads.5

Export value

Because monthly surplus earns only avoided fuel cost (about 3 to 4 cents per kWh at Ameren Missouri), array sizing against usage matters more than under retail-rate netting.6,7

HOAs and trustees

State law protects rooftop panels on owner-maintained roofs from covenant bans, although St. Louis County's checklist still warns that subdivision trustees may restrict panels, especially ground mounts.8,3

Permitting in Missouri

Who reviews the plan set, and what the state layers on top.

Utilities and interconnection

Missouri has no retail electric choice for homes; investor-owned utilities, rural co-ops and municipal utilities each follow the state net metering law, and co-ops and municipal systems are covered by the same 100 kW rule.7

Ameren Missouri

The investor-owned utility serving the City of St. Louis, based in St. Louis. Customers or installers apply online for interconnection and net metering, net-metering agreements are capped at 100 kW, and net excess energy is credited at an avoided fuel cost of 3.84 cents per kWh in summer and 3.39 cents in winter under the tariff effective March 1, 2025.12,6,13

Interconnection page ↗

Evergy (Missouri Metro and Missouri West) Evergy

Serves Kansas City and western Missouri through its Missouri Metro and Missouri West jurisdictions. Applications need panel and inverter spec sheets, a site plan and a one-line drawing with a production meter placed between the AC disconnect and the main panel, and the meter exchange is requested through Evergy's portal after installation.14

Interconnection page ↗
Export compensation. As of September 2026, the Net Metering and Easy Connection Act (386.890 RSMo) nets usage and generation each billing period for systems up to 100 kW, and any net excess is credited at no less than the utility's avoided fuel cost; the statute lets unused credits lapse after twelve months, though Ameren Missouri says its credits carry over until used.7,6,12

What we capture on every Missouri survey

One standard, one visit, the same record in Missouri as everywhere else. What it gets checked against is the code stack above.

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

Missouri solar survey FAQ

Which NEC edition applies to solar in Missouri?

There is no statewide edition. The City of St. Louis uses the 2017 NEC, and St. Louis County's published code lists reference the 2014 NEC, so check with each city or county.1,2,3

How does net metering work in Missouri?

For systems up to 100 kW, usage and generation net each billing period; any surplus is credited at the utility's avoided fuel cost, not the retail rate.7,6

Can an HOA ban rooftop solar in Missouri?

No for roofs the owner owns and maintains: 442.404 RSMo stops covenants from prohibiting rooftop panels, though associations can set placement rules that do not impair the system or raise its cost.8

Do co-ops and municipal utilities in Missouri offer net metering?

Yes. The state law applies to all retail electric suppliers, including rural co-ops and municipal utilities, up to 5% of each supplier's peak load.7

Services and further reading

Metro pages for Missouri: St. Louis.

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.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/building/building-codes.cfm
  2. https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/transportation-and-public-works/publications-and-manuals/notices-to-the-public/mep-notices/master-plan-code-updates
  3. https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/transportation-and-public-works/publications-and-manuals/pw-residential-guides/solar-panels1/
  4. https://up.codes/s/roof-access-and-pathways
  5. https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/transportation-and-public-works/publications-and-manuals/pw-residential-guides/wind-and-seismic-bracing-guide
  6. https://www.ameren.com/-/media/rates/files/missouri/uecsheet171eppnetmetering.pdf
  7. https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=386.890
  8. https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=442.404
  9. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/building/permits/building-permits/commercial-building-permits.cfm
  10. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/building/permits/electrical-permit.cfm
  11. https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=442.012
  12. https://www.ameren.com/service/renewables/solar
  13. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/planning/sustainability/solar-and-the-city.cfm
  14. https://www.evergy.com/-/media/documents/smart-energy/private-solar/2026-private-solar-installer-guide.pdf

Researched September 30, 2026.

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