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Home  /  Solar site surveys  /  Pennsylvania  /  Pittsburgh

Solar site surveys · Pittsburgh, PA

Solar site surveys in Pittsburgh

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

Book a 15-min callPermitting in Pittsburgh
NEC 2020Electrical code in effect
1AHJs covered here
48 hrsSurvey to deliverable
Nationwide500+ technicians
Short answer

In Pittsburgh, the Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (PLI) handles solar under its electrical permit, with ground-mounted and roof-mounted PV listed as work scopes; roof-mounted arrays are allowed only on buildings with a valid certificate of occupancy, and commercial jobs need stamped drawings. The city enforces the 2021 UCC and 2020 NEC, and Duquesne Light handles net metering and interconnection. Surrounding boroughs and townships are separate UCC enforcers.

What changes in Pittsburgh

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

PA · PITTSBURGHPittsburgh
Code stack
2020NEC 2020National Electrical Code · effective Jan 1, 2026. The UCC adopts the NEC by reference through the I-Codes; since January 1, 2026 the 2021 IBC and IRC reference the 2020 NEC, replacing the 2017 edition referenced by the 2018 codes. Permit applications filed before July 1, 2026 in Philadelphia could still choose the 2018 code set, so older permits may follow the earlier edition.1,2,3
2021IRC 2021The 2021 IRC, with amendments recommended by the UCC Review and Advisory Council, applies statewide from January 1, 2026. State law lets a permit be issued under the prior code if the design or construction contract was signed earlier and the application comes within six months.1,3,4
2021IFC 2021Pennsylvania does not adopt a full statewide fire code; the UCC pulls in the 2021 IFC only where the adopted building codes reference it. Philadelphia keeps its own fire code, based on the 2018 IFC.2,1,5
Rooftop fire access. For one- and two-family homes, the 2021 IRC's Section R324.6 applies as adopted (Pennsylvania's list of IRC exclusions does not remove it): at least two 36-inch pathways from eave to ridge on separate roof planes, plus 18-inch clear setbacks on each side of a horizontal ridge, widening to 36 inches when the array covers more than a third of the plan-view roof area. Roofs of 2:12 or flatter are exempt.4,6,1

Climate and site factors

Certificate of occupancy

PLI allows roof-mounted solar only on buildings holding a valid certificate of occupancy, so confirm the building's status before the design is finalized.7

Roof access

On one- and two-family homes the 2021 IRC R324.6 pathway and ridge-setback rules apply statewide from January 1, 2026, with roofs of 2:12 or flatter exempt.4,6,3

Net meter

Duquesne Light installs the bi-directional net meter at no cost once it has the interconnection application, and residential net metering is capped at 50 kW.8

Code transition

Permit applications may be reviewed under the 2018 codes only when the design or construction contract predates January 1, 2026 and the application comes within six months; otherwise the 2021 IRC and 2020 NEC apply.1,3

Permitting in Pittsburgh

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

City of Pittsburgh Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (PLI)

PLI's electrical permit lists roof-mounted and ground-mounted solar PV arrays as work scopes for residential and commercial buildings. Roof-mounted installations are limited to buildings with a valid certificate of occupancy, and commercial solar requires stamped drawings.7

Official page ↗

Across the metro

Allegheny County's boroughs and townships each administer the UCC locally or through contracted code agencies; where a municipality opted out, residential work is inspected by a certified third-party agency hired by the owner.3

Pennsylvania-wide rules that still apply

Utilities and interconnection

Duquesne Light serves Pittsburgh and the rest of Allegheny and Beaver counties; homes farther out in the metro may be served by other utilities with their own interconnection rules.11

Duquesne Light Company Duquesne Light

Serves more than 600,000 customers in Allegheny and Beaver counties, including Pittsburgh. Customers file an interconnection application before installing a renewable system so the utility can fit a bi-directional meter at no charge; net metering covers residential systems up to 50 kW.11,8

Interconnection page ↗
Export compensation. As of September 2026, PUC rules require utilities to net meter residential systems up to 50 kW, crediting exports each month at the full retail rate including generation, transmission and distribution; kWh still banked at the end of the year ending May 31 are paid at the price to compare. The PUC's June 4, 2026 PPL rate order added new treatment for large 'no-load' net-metered facilities built mainly to export, so check the current tariff for projects outside ordinary rooftop use.12,13

What we capture on every Pittsburgh survey

The same capture standard as every other Pennsylvania 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

Pittsburgh solar survey FAQ

What permit does solar need in Pittsburgh?

An electrical permit from PLI, which lists roof-mounted and ground-mounted solar PV arrays as work scopes; commercial installations require stamped drawings.7

Can I put solar on any building in Pittsburgh?

Roof-mounted solar is limited to buildings with a valid certificate of occupancy under PLI's electrical permit rules.7

Who handles net metering in Pittsburgh?

Duquesne Light. Customers file an interconnection application before installing, the utility fits a bi-directional meter at no cost, and residential systems up to 50 kW qualify.8,11

Which code edition applies to Pittsburgh solar in 2026?

The 2021 IRC and the 2020 NEC under the UCC, effective January 1, 2026, unless an earlier contract lets the permit use the prior code.1,3

Services and further reading

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

Residential

Roof, attic and service panel in one visit

Explore →

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.phila.gov/media/20251021080549/B-2501-Implementation-of-2021-International-Codes.pdf
  2. https://www.manheimtownship.org/DocumentCenter/View/9965/Code-Change-Memo-2026
  3. https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dli/programs-services/labor-management-relations/bureau-of-occupational-and-industrial-safety/uniform-construction-code-home
  4. https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/034/chapter403/s403.21.html
  5. https://www.phila.gov/departments/department-of-licenses-and-inspections/resources/applicable-codes/
  6. https://up.codes/s/roof-access-and-pathways
  7. https://www.pittsburghpa.gov/Business-Development/Permits-Licenses-and-Inspections/Permits/Residential-Permits/Electrical-Permit
  8. https://www.dlc-ira.com/market-rate/duquesne-light-company-net-metering/
  9. https://solarunitedneighbors.org/resources/homeowners-associations-and-solar-access-in-pennsylvania/
  10. https://www.pahouse.com/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=144258
  11. https://newsroom.duquesnelight.com/duquesne-light-company-poised-to-lead-pittsburgh-regions-clean-energy-transition
  12. https://law.cornell.edu/regulations/pennsylvania/52-Pa-Code-SS-75-13
  13. https://www.puc.pa.gov/press-release/2026/puc-issues-decision-in-ppl-electric-rate-proceeding-06042026

Researched September 30, 2026.

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