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Home  /  Solar site surveys  /  Utah  /  Salt Lake City

Solar site surveys · Salt Lake City, UT

Solar site surveys in Salt Lake City

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

NEC 2023Electrical code in effect
2AHJs covered here
48 hrsSurvey to deliverable
Nationwide500+ technicians
Short answer

Salt Lake City Building Services reviews solar through a PV packet that covers structural, electrical, zoning and fire requirements, including an array limit of 15 kW or less for the standard path. Rocky Mountain Power handles interconnection and Schedule 137 net billing. Surveys should note the 28 psf ground snow load, the high seismic design category and any historic-district status.

What changes in Salt Lake City

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

UT · SALT LAKE CITYSalt Lake City
Code stack
2023NEC 2023National Electrical Code · effective Jul 1, 2025. Utah Code 15A-2-103 adopts the 2023 NEC as part of the State Construction Code. That edition has been in the statute since July 1, 2025 and was kept when the section was amended in 2026.1,2
2021IRC 2021The State Construction Code keeps the 2021 IRC for homes, with Utah amendments in Title 15A, Chapter 3. The 2024 IBC, IECC and IEBC took effect July 1, 2026.1
2024IFC 2024Utah Code 15A-5-103 adopts the 2024 IFC, without its appendices and with statewide amendments, as the State Fire Code, effective July 1, 2026.3
Rooftop fire access. No statewide Utah amendment to the IRC solar section or the IFC's PV provisions turned up in Title 15A. Salt Lake City's PV packet applies the model-code pathway approach: an 18-inch setback on each side of a horizontal ridge when panels cover 33% or less of the viewable roof area, 36 inches above that, and dimensioned access paths on the site plan.4,5

Climate and site factors

Structural triggers

Salt Lake City asks for extra structural information, either a strengthening plan or a design professional's confirmation, when rafters or trusses are over-spanned, the array exceeds 5 psf, or any attachment point carries more than 45 pounds of dead load.6

Snow and seismic

Utah's code table puts Salt Lake City's ground snow load at 28 psf. The MSD lists Seismic Design Category D2 for residential work, reflecting the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault.4,7,8

Zoning limits

Roof arrays may not rise more than 3 feet above the zone's maximum height or 12 feet above the roof line, whichever is less, and may cover no more than 90% of the roof area. Ground mounts must be at least 6 feet from property lines.6

Historic districts

In historic districts and at landmark sites, a Certificate of Appropriateness is needed before the permit. Panels go in the least visible practical location, starting with spots not visible from the street.6

Permitting in Salt Lake City

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

Salt Lake City Building Services

Applications go with the city's Solar PV Packet, which asks for a site plan, a one-line diagram and a structural worksheet with rafter size, spacing and span. The packet path covers arrays of 15 kW or less with no more than four strings per inverter and a load-side connection. Homes in historic districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness first.6,5

Official page ↗

Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District

Issues building permits and inspections for unincorporated Salt Lake County and its member communities, such as Kearns, Magna, Copperton, White City, Emigration Canyon and Brighton. It publishes local design criteria, including snow, wind and seismic values.9,7

Official page ↗

Across the metro

Incorporated cities in the Salt Lake Valley issue their own permits under the statewide code. The Greater Salt Lake MSD covers unincorporated county areas and its member towns.9,1

Utah-wide rules that still apply

Utilities and interconnection

Rocky Mountain Power serves Salt Lake City and runs the interconnection and Schedule 137 net billing process for new solar customers.11,12

Rocky Mountain Power RMP

Installers apply online with a photo of the meter and wait for approval, then permit, install and upload the passed inspection before RMP sets the meter (about 7 to 10 days) and authorizes the system to be turned on. Inverters must use RMP's required settings, and 5-jaw meter-mounted adapters are not permitted.11

Interconnection page ↗
Export compensation. New Rocky Mountain Power solar customers take service under Schedule 137 net billing, where exports earn an export credit rate recalculated each year. Effective March 1, 2026, the PSC approved 4.855 cents/kWh for June through September (down from 5.704) and 4.033 cents/kWh for October through May (down from 4.199).12,11

What we capture on every Salt Lake City survey

The same capture standard as every other Utah 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

Salt Lake City solar survey FAQ

What does Salt Lake City need for a residential solar permit?

The Solar PV Packet with the application: a site plan, a one-line electrical diagram, mounting details and, where required, a structural worksheet with rafter size, spacing and span. Fire review checks roof pathways, disconnect locations and labeling.6,5

What ridge setback does Salt Lake City require for rooftop solar?

The city's packet calls for 18 inches on both sides of a horizontal ridge when panels cover 33% or less of the viewable roof area, and 36 inches when they cover more, with dimensioned access paths on the site plan.5

Is there a size limit for Salt Lake City's standard solar permit path?

Yes. The packet review covers arrays of 15 kW or less with four or fewer series strings per inverter and a total inverter output of 13,440 W or less, connected on the load side of the service disconnect.6

Who permits solar outside Salt Lake City limits?

The city the home is in, such as Sandy or West Valley City. In unincorporated Salt Lake County and MSD member towns such as Kearns and Magna, the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District issues building permits.9

How much does Rocky Mountain Power credit exported solar in Salt Lake City?

Under Schedule 137 net billing, exports have earned 4.855 cents/kWh in June to September and 4.033 cents/kWh in October to May since March 1, 2026. The rate is updated every March.12

Services and further reading

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

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://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/15A-2-S103.html
  2. https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter2/C15A-2-S103_2025070120250507.html
  3. https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter5/15A-5-S103.html
  4. https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title15A/Chapter3/15A-3-S202.html
  5. https://www.slcdocs.com/building/Solar_PV_Packet_6-16-26.pdf
  6. https://www.slc.gov/buildingservices/2026/04/22/solar-pv-systems/
  7. https://msd.utah.gov/316/Codes-and-Design-Criteria
  8. https://www.shakeout.org/utah/scenarios/
  9. https://msd.utah.gov/27/About-Us
  10. https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title57/Chapter8A/57-8a-S701.html
  11. https://www.rockymountainpower.net/savings-energy-choices/customer-generation.html
  12. https://pscdocs.utah.gov/electric/26docs/26035T03/343975TrfAprvlLtrfromPSC2-23-2026.pdf

Researched September 29, 2026.

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