City of Boca Raton

A city address is usually permitted by the city, not the county — but not always, and some authorities keep building and hand electrical to someone else. Getting this wrong costs the whole submittal, because every requirement below belongs to whoever actually holds jurisdiction. Check the overlays in the same pass: an HOA, a historic district, a windstorm certification or a system-size cap can reshape the design, and all of them are cheaper to find now than after the array is laid out.

• Is this authority the AHJ for residential solar at this address? Yes — City of Boca Raton Development Services Building Division is the AHJ for residential solar 92% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — the City's Building Division issues and inspects both the electrical permit that covers PV and (where triggered) the building permit for structural work; zoning treats solar PV as mechanical equipment allowed in all zoning districts, not requiring a separate zoning approval 88% · City advisory determination of use (26 Feb 2021)
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes — a permit is required 88% · City advisory determination of use + department checklist
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Separate — PV is permitted as a standalone Electrical permit, not folded into a general building permit, unless roof/structural work independently triggers a building permit 75% · department checklist (signed 13 Apr 2022)
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No mandatory HOA/architectural pre-approval — Florida law bars an HOA from prohibiting solar outright. The City's own Solar Laws page quotes F.S. 163.04: an HOA 'may not prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting solar collectors,' and 'a property owner may not be denied permission to install solar collectors' by any deed-restriction-empowered entity, though that entity may dictate roof orientation (south, or within 45° east/west of south) if doing so doesn't impair performance. Separately, F.S. 720.3035(1)(c) (added by HB 803, eff. 1 Jul 2026) bars an association from requiring a City permit to already be issued as a precondition of its own review 85% · City page quoting Florida Statutes + enacted bill text
• Is there a historic-district review? Conditionally yes — Historic Preservation Board (and/or Community Appearance Board) design review MAY apply, 'depending upon location, zoning district and other factors,' though PV itself is allowed by right in every zoning district as mechanical equipment 80% · City advisory determination of use (26 Feb 2021)
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No dedicated wind/windstorm certification instrument — wind loading is folded into the required sealed structural attachment/frame details rather than being a separate certificate 60% · department checklist (absence)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No — no Specific Use Permit or City Council approval is ever required for residential rooftop/ground PV; it is allowed by right in all zoning districts as mechanical equipment, subject only to the Ch. 19 building/electrical permit (and, where triggered, Historic Preservation/CAB design review) 80% · City advisory determination of use (26 Feb 2021)
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No published cap on residential PV system size — PV is classified with unrestricted-size mechanical equipment like A/C units and generators, and none of the City's checklists, fee schedule, or SolSmart determination states a kW/kVA ceiling 55% · City advisory determination + checklists + fee schedule (absence)

Several authorities require the electrical permit to be pulled by a licensed electrician, or require the contractor to be registered with them BEFORE applying. Registration is not same-day. This is second on the list rather than fourth because it is the step most likely to stop the job before the drawings matter.

• Who is allowed to pull the electrical permit? Licensed electrician (or a licensed 'Solar Contractor (PV)') may pull the electrical permit for a PV installation 85% · department checklist (signed 13 Apr 2022)
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes — all contractors must be registered with the City (via the Business Tax/Contractor Registration section) and current on license/insurance before a permit can be pulled 90% · department checklist
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes — an owner-builder route exists (Owner Builder Affidavit + Estimate of Costs), as an alternative to using a registered contractor 70% · department checklist

Almost everywhere wants a site plan, a one-line or three-line electrical diagram, equipment cut sheets with listings, and a structural attachment detail. Build it against the published checklist rather than the last jurisdiction you worked in — the checklist is what the reviewer marks against.

• What documents make up a complete submittal? Full PV submittal: Palm Beach County Universal Permit Application (Electrical box checked) + Roof Warranty Notice; construction documents = Roof Plan (scaled, showing panel locations), electrical one-line diagram (array config, wiring, OCPD, inverter disconnect, grounding, AC connection), spec/installation sheets for all components (modules, inverter(s), combiner box, disconnect, mounting), sealed attachment/flashing/frame details for wind zone and loading, electrical (ampacity/conduit-fill/derating) calculations, and — for any battery backup — a standby-load summary. Then EITHER a Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) System Approval Report OR signed-and-sealed engineered drawings. Separately required: Submittal Form, Electrical Application, Authorized Agent Form, Contract, Product Approvals and/or NOAs, and a Notice of Commencement if contract value exceeds $5,000 90% · department checklists
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic only, through Boca ePlans (ProjectDox): PDF files only, and 'Each plan sheet needs to be its own separate file' rather than one combined multi-page PDF. For post-issuance revisions, submit only 1 copy of the revised sheet(s) plus a Revision Contract Cost Statement, with revisions clouded 85% · department FAQ + checklist
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes — a Roof Plan is required: a 'scale drawing indicating the location of the solar panel's being installed on the roof' 85% · department checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — an electrical diagram is required showing 'PV array configuration, wiring system, overcurrent protection, inverter disconnect, grounding, required sign[age] and AC connection to building' 88% · department checklist
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes — 'Electrical calculations showing that all wire sizing has been determined with proper ampacity, conduit fill and ambient derating factors' are required 88% · department checklist
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? A structural seal is effectively always required for the roof attachment: the checklist requires attachment/flashing/frame construction details 'sealed by the appropriate design professional' for wind zone, loading and site conditions, and separately requires the applicant to choose EITHER a Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) System Approval Report OR signed-and-sealed engineered drawings for the whole system. No dollar or weight threshold below which the seal is waived is published 80% · department checklist
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not stated as required for a standard residential installation — the checklist requires an electrical one-line diagram and load calculations but does not call for an engineer's seal on the electrical design (only the structural attachment details must be sealed) 55% · department checklist (absence)

Most authorities now take the whole application through a portal, and several states cap or constrain what a residential solar permit may cost. Check whether plan check is billed separately before you quote the job.

• Which permit portal does this authority use? Two-part system: Boca eHub (Tyler Technologies EnerGov Self-Service, at bocaratonfl-energovpub.tylerhost.net) for permit applications, fee payment, permit status and inspection scheduling; Boca ePlans (ProjectDox/Avolve, at bocaraton-fl-us.avolvecloud.com) for uploading and reviewing plan documents. Boca Raton has NOT adopted SolarAPP+ — see confidence note 85% · department page + City site-search controls
• Can the whole application be completed online? Largely yes — application, initial-deposit payment, plan upload (Boca ePlans), correction responses, fee payment and inspection scheduling are all done online through Boca eHub/ePlans. The only in-person step is optional (picking up a USB of files, or applying in person at the counter) 82% · department FAQ
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Valuation-based: 1.60% of total contract value (after the first $500, which is a $100 minimum), with a 1% (min $100) deposit due at application and the balance due at permit issuance. A $2,500-mm Notice of Commencement threshold and $5,000/$15,000 NOC thresholds appear on the checklists (city fee schedule uses $5,000 NOC threshold; solar checklist references FS 713.13's own $2,500 general NOC threshold) 82% · published fee schedule (eff. 1 Oct 2025)
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation — percentage of total contract/construction cost (1.60% over the first $500, $100 minimum), not a flat, per-kW or per-panel rate 85% · published fee schedule (eff. 1 Oct 2025)
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No separate plan-check fee — the 1.60% permit fee expressly 'includes all plan check fees and sub permit fees, except fire' 82% · published fee schedule (eff. 1 Oct 2025)

Interconnection is a separate process from the permit and usually the longer pole. Where the utility does not depend on the permit being issued, running both at once is the single biggest saving available on a residential job.

• What is the stated plan-review turnaround? The City states on its own dedicated solar page: 'The turnaround time for solar permit approval is three days or less!' The general (non-solar) Plan Review FAQ separately states the City 'does not offer expedited plan review service' and gives no numeric turnaround for ordinary multi-department review 78% · department page (dedicated solar page)
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? One year from issuance (statewide floor), renewable once. City fee schedule: 'Renewal (one time only by Building Official) equal to the original permit fee or a maximum of $182.00'; 'Reapplication - equal to the original permit fee or a maximum of $182.00' 78% · enacted statute (CS/CS/HB 803, enrolled, 2026) + City fee schedule
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) 78% · PSC-filed tariff (Sheet No. 9.050) + City fee schedule (by omission)
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? After permit / effectively parallel-then-after: FPL requires the customer to apply for interconnection separately from the City permit, but before FPL will allow the system to begin parallel operation the customer must certify that 'the local code official has inspected and certified that the installation was permitted, has been approved, and has met all electrical and mechanical qualifications' — i.e., FPL's approval-to-operate follows the City's permit closeout 80% · PSC-filed tariff sheet 9.050 + FPL Net Metering Guidelines (live page)

The NEC edition a jurisdiction enforces is often a cycle behind the newest one published, and local amendments sit on top of it. Rapid shutdown, conductor sizing and labelling all change between editions, so the edition in force is the first thing to establish, not the last.

• Which NEC edition is in force? Other — most likely the 2020 NEC (NFPA 70), incorporated via Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) Ch. 27, following the pattern of every prior FBC cycle (each of which paired one NEC edition to its FBC edition in Palm Beach County's own Building Division Ordinance Index). However, that County index — the only county/city document I found that has ever stated an NEC edition explicitly — lists NEC lines for the 2015, 2017 and 2020 FBC cycles but has NO corresponding NEC line for the current FBC 8th Ed. (2023) cycle. Neither the City's own Code in Effect page nor Palm Beach County's Building Code page states a 2020/2023 NEC edition outright 45% · Palm Beach County Building Division Ordinance Index (rev. 18 Mar 2025)
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), in force in the City since 31 Dec 2023 90% · department page
• Which fire code edition is in force? Florida Fire Prevention Code, Eighth Edition (2023) — incorporating the 2021 edition of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code 65% · Palm Beach County Building Division Ordinance Index (rev. 18 Mar 2025)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Likely yes — Palm Beach County's countywide model amendments to the FBC 8th Edition (2023) (Ord. 2024-012) amend Ch. 1 Administration, the wind-load figures (1609.3), Appendix Q (tiny houses) and Appendix F (irrigation); Palm Beach County municipalities typically adopt these same countywide amendments by their own separate city ordinance 55% · Palm Beach County Building Division Ordinance Index + Municode robots.txt (blocked)
• What is the installation judged against? The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) and its incorporated Electrical Code chapter (Ch. 27), applied by the City's Building Division at plan review and inspection against the submitted plans, spec sheets and either an FSEC System Approval Report or signed/sealed engineering drawings 75% · department page + department checklist

Ridge setbacks and roof access pathways are fire-service requirements and they constrain the array layout. They are the most common cause of a redesign after the fire department comments on a plan set.

Nothing recorded for City of Boca Raton on this step yet — 1 question checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.

Which rapid-shutdown rule applies follows directly from the NEC edition in force, and the initiation device has to be at a location the fire service can reach and identify. This is inspected, and it is labelled.

• Is rapid shutdown required, and to which NEC edition? Yes, rapid shutdown is required under whichever NEC edition applies (NEC 690.12) — the City adds no shutdown rule of its own; none of the City's solar-related documents (checklist, SolSmart determination, fee schedule) mentions rapid shutdown at all, so the requirement flows entirely from the adopted electrical code 55% · department checklist (absence) + NEC 690.12 by inference

The NEC sets a baseline for permanent markings at the service equipment and the disconnecting means. On top of that, an authority may specify its own wording, and the utility may specify more again. Where any of them writes its own text, a generic off-the-shelf label set will not pass — this is the detail most often fixed on a return visit.

• Which placards does this authority require at the service equipment? The City requires marking consistent with the applicable electrical code but publishes no placard list of its own; what is required flows from NEC/FBC labeling requirements at the PV/AC disconnects, inverter, combiner/junction boxes and rapid-shutdown device, plus FPL's own required placards: a warning sign at any Tier 2/3 manual disconnect ('both sides of the switch may be energized'), and, for any battery storage, a placard reading 'Battery storage utilized in this facility' permanently affixed to the meter enclosure 75% · FPL live guidelines page + City checklist
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — the City specifies no placard wording of its own; its only signage-related text is the generic 'required sign[age]' reference in the PV electrical-diagram checklist item, which defers to the applicable electrical code and to FPL's own requirements 65% · department checklist (absence)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? No City-specific letter height, colour or material spec found; the only concrete spec available is FPL's own Tier 2/3 disconnect warning sign requirement and general Greenbook-style engraved-phenolic/ANSI Z535.4 practice referenced for its switches, which is a utility standard rather than a City one 55% · FPL live guidelines page (utility, not AHJ)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Not required by the City specifically, but effectively yes via FPL: 'a sign noting the location of the disconnect switch should be installed at the meter' whenever the manual disconnect is not co-located with the meter — functioning as the facility/location placard 65% · FPL live guidelines page
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — FPL requires signage beyond anything the City's checklist asks for: a warning that 'both sides of the switch may be energized' at any Tier 2/3 manual disconnect, a location sign at the meter when the disconnect isn't co-located with it, and — for any battery storage — a placard reading 'Battery storage utilized in this facility' permanently affixed to the meter enclosure 85% · FPL live guidelines page + PSC-filed tariff
• Where must the labels be placed? At each PV/AC/DC disconnect and the meter (per FPL: 'the front of the AC disconnect switch enclosure' and 'at the meter' for the location sign); on the inverter and any battery enclosure; and per the City's checklist, wherever the electrical one-line diagram calls for 'required sign[age]' — i.e., disconnects, inverter, and points of interconnection 70% · FPL live guidelines page + City checklist

Where the AC disconnect must sit relative to the meter is usually the utility's rule, not the building department's. Battery storage frequently carries its own permit, its own inspection and its own fire conditions.

• Where must the AC disconnect be, relative to the meter? FPL's rule, not the City's: for Tier 1 (≤10 kW, UL 1741-listed inverter) systems, no manual disconnect is required at all. For Tier 2/3 (or non-UL-1741 Tier 1) systems, a manual disconnect of the visible load-break type must be 'mounted separate from, but adjacent to, the FPL meter socket,' remain readily accessible to FPL, and be lockable with a single FPL padlock 88% · PSC-filed tariff sheet 9.050
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes — equipment must carry Florida Product Approval and/or a Notice of Acceptance (NOA): the Photovoltaic Permit Submittal Checklist lists 'Product Approvals &/or NOAs' as a required contractor/owner-builder document, and the Solar Checklist requires either an FSEC (Florida Solar Energy Center) System Approval Report or signed-and-sealed engineering in lieu of it 80% · department checklist
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, batteries are permitted, with documentation: 'For battery backup systems, include a summary of all standby loads, including power ratings and estimated daily energy consumption for each load to show that inverter and battery selection will meet the standby needs,' plus a required FPL battery-storage placard ('Battery storage utilized in this facility') on the meter enclosure 80% · department checklist + FPL live guidelines page
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No clear separate ESS permit — battery backup is submitted and inspected as part of the same PV electrical permit and inspection sequence (STS/ELE Rough/ELE Final) rather than as its own permit type in the City's fee schedule or checklists. Consistent with this, Florida's own 2026 HB 803 groups 'solar energy and energy storage installations or alterations' together as one single-trade inspection/plans-review category rather than treating ESS as a distinct trade 65% · fee schedule (absence) + enacted statute definitions (HB 803, 2026)
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No prescriptive mounting system or attachment-spacing standard is published; instead every installation must submit project-specific 'attachment details, flashing details, construction design for the unit and any supporting frame members (sealed by the appropriate design professional) for the Wind Zone, additional loading, and any site conditions' — i.e., engineered per project rather than governed by a City standard detail 70% · department checklist

Booking is a portal, a phone call or an email depending on the authority, and the notice required is rarely zero. Book before the work is finished rather than after — the lead time, not the work, is usually what sets the date.

• How is an inspection booked? Portal (Boca eHub) or Phone (561-393-7914, IVR: press 1 to schedule) or Text ('Schedule' to 833-821-0601) 88% · department page

Some authorities inspect their own solar work; some delegate it, and a few do not inspect the PV equipment itself at all. Who is coming determines what they will look at.

• Does this AHJ perform its own final solar inspection? Yes — the City of Boca Raton Building Division performs its own final PV/electrical inspections; the City publishes a Building Inspector Contact Information directory and describes its own multi-stage inspection sequence, with no mention of delegation to Palm Beach County or a third party 78% · department page (own inspector directory)
• If delegated, to whom? N/A — not delegated; see Q52 75% · department page

A rough-in or mid-roof inspection, where one is required, has to happen before the work it covers is closed up. Missing a stage means opening something back up, and it is the most expensive kind of correction.

• Which inspections are required, and in what order? For a Photovoltaic (electrical permit) installation: STS (Solar Attachment in Progress) → ELE Underground (if applicable) → ELE Rough → ELE Final. For a Solar Thermal (plumbing permit) installation: STS (Solar Attachment in Progress) → Plumbing Rough → Plumbing Final 88% · department checklist
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Yes — 'STS – Solar Attachment in Progress' functions as a rough/mid-installation inspection ahead of the ELE Rough and ELE Final (or Plumbing Rough/Final) inspections 80% · department checklist

The approved plan set, the permit, and the equipment listings should be on site and reachable. Inspectors routinely verify that installed equipment matches what was approved, and that the labels are the ones the plan set promised.

• Is there a published inspection checklist? Yes — the City publishes a dedicated Solar (Thermal/Photovoltaic) Checklist and a separate Photovoltaic Permit Submittal Checklist, both on its One & Two Family Application Checklists page, plus an Interactive Permit Checklist tool 90% · department checklist (existence)

Passing gives you a final or an equivalent sign-off. That is not the same as permission to operate: PTO comes from the utility, and who tells the utility the inspection passed varies. A system left switched off for weeks is usually waiting on this handover.

• What is issued on pass? For a typical PV retrofit on an existing single-family home (an alteration, not new construction), no Certificate of Occupancy is issued. Once all required inspections including the Building Final are approved, the permit undergoes an internal 'Admin Permit Closeout' with no field visit; if a CO or Certificate of Completion happens to be required it is initiated at that point, otherwise the permit simply closes 75% · department FAQ
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? The customer/installer — FPL's own Interconnection Agreement puts the notice obligation on the Customer: 'The Customer shall notify FPL at least ten (10) calendar days prior to initially placing Customer's equipment...in service,' and the Customer must provide FPL the local code official's inspection certification before FPL will authorize parallel operation/PTO. The City itself does not notify FPL 75% · PSC-filed tariff sheet 9.050
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $79.00 flat re-inspection fee 92% · published fee schedule (eff. 1 Oct 2025)
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Corrections are issued as review comments inside the Boca ePlans/ProjectDox portal. The applicant navigates to the permit record, clicks 'Accept,' then 'Review Comments' to read each reviewer comment, must click through to respond in writing to each one (a response is required to proceed), uploads any replacement files (named identically to the original so the system versions over the old file rather than creating a duplicate), and clicks 'Submit' to send the response back for re-review 82% · department how-to guide