City of Hampton

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? No. The City of Hampton is NOT the AHJ for residential solar. Hampton Code Sec. 6-19 adopts the state building codes and states they are 'enforced in the city by the county'; Sec. 2-179 adds that 'the county shall perform all code enforcement duties and responsibilities on behalf of the city.' Building and electrical permitting and inspection for an address inside Hampton city limits are done by the Bradford County Building Department, 945 N. Temple Ave, Starke (904) 966-6223. Hampton retains only zoning/land use. 95% · municipal code
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Delegated. Hampton delegates building code enforcement, electrical and all code enforcement to Bradford County (HC 6-19, 2-179). Hampton keeps ZONING: the county's own Planning & Zoning page says 'If you are looking for zoning information for Lawtey, Brooker or Hampton you should contact their local zoning departments - Hampton Zoning Department: (352) 468-1201' (the city clerk's number), and HC Sec. 2-150 designates the City Council as the local planning agency. 92% · county department page
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes. Bradford County's building FAQ lists 'new electrical service, rewiring' among work requiring a permit and states the FBC applies to 'construction, erection, alteration, modification, repair, equipment, use and occupancy ... of every public and private building, structure or facility, or any appurtenances connected or attached to such buildings'. Nothing in the county's statutory exemption list or in Res. 2026-02 Sec. 14 exempts a rooftop PV system. 80% · department FAQ
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Separate. The county's own permit application carries the acknowledgement 'I understand that a separate permit must be secured for electrical work, plumbing, signs, wells, pools, furnaces, boilers, heaters, tanks, and air cond. etc.' The electrical permit is taken on the 'Miscellaneous App. EC, AC, Roof, Signs, Plumbing, Demo Other' form (called the 'Multi-Trade Permit Application' in the iWorq portal, 'for Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Plumbing work, etc.'). 85% · permit application form
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No, and an HOA may not require it as a condition. F.S. 163.04(2): 'A deed restriction, covenant, declaration, or similar binding agreement may not prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting solar collectors ... A property owner may not be denied permission to install solar collectors or other energy devices by any entity granted the power ... to approve, forbid, control, or direct alteration of property with respect to residential dwellings.' The HOA may only determine the specific location on the roof within an orientation to the south or within 45 degrees east or west of due south, and only if that does not impair effective operation. 90% · state statute
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No separate windstorm certification exists in Florida (there is no TDI-equivalent scheme). Wind design is built into the code: FBC-Residential R324.4.1.2 requires rooftop-mounted PV panels or modules and their supports to be designed and installed for wind loads in accordance with ASCE 7. Bradford County's local amendment (Code Sec. 14-33) fixes the basic wind speed at 100 mph county-wide and declares the county landward of the 120 mph wind-borne-debris contour, so opening protection is not required except for critical facilities that volunteer it. 65% · county code / local amendment
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No cap in any published Hampton or Bradford County document. F.S. 163.04(1) expressly prohibits a local government from adopting an ordinance that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting solar collectors, so a hard local cap would be unlawful. The operative limits are FPL's: a system must be estimated to produce less than 115% of the customer's annual kWh consumption; customer generation is limited to 90% of the FPL service capacity; and the tier boundaries are Tier 1 up to 10 kW AC, Tier 2 above 10 up to 100 kW, Tier 3 above 100 up to 2,000 kW, where AC rating = DC array rating x 0.85. 80% · utility interconnection guidelines

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 the homeowner. Florida law (F.S. 489.503(6), reproduced verbatim on the county's iWorq portal) requires electrical contracting to be done by licensed electrical contractors, with an owner-builder exemption letting an owner wire 'a farm outbuilding or a single-family or duplex residence' for their own use and occupancy. The county FAQ adds that only the legal owner/lease holder or a contractor licensed to do the work may obtain a permit. 85% · permit portal / state statute
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes. Bradford County requires contractor registration before pulling permits. State Certified contractors must supply a current state licence, driver's licence, proof of workers' comp or exemption and general liability made out to Bradford County. State Registered contractors must additionally supply a letter of reciprocity and exam proof, and pay $90.00 to register plus $40.00 annually to stay active. Mobile home installers pay a one-time $50.00. 90% · department FAQ
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes. County FAQ: 'May I do my own work and permitting? Yes you may!' citing F.S. 489.103(7)(a) - an owner may build or improve a one- or two-family residence for their own occupancy, not for sale or lease. The owner must personally appear and sign the notarised permit application. Note F.S. 489.103(7)(a)3 (reproduced in the county's own New SFD packet) creates a separate solar-panel route that still requires a licensed electrical contractor for the wiring, but that route only applies in jurisdictions participating in a DOE 'SunShot Initiative: Rooftop Solar Challenge' grant, and no evidence was found that Bradford County participates. 80% · department FAQ

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? For an electrical/miscellaneous permit the county's one-page form asks for: parcel number, what the permit is for, property owner and mailing address, contractor name, business name, phone and licence number, job site address, total square footage, estimated cost, which power company serves the site ('FPL or Clay Electric?') and whether service is over or underground, description of work, and a notarised owner-or-contractor affidavit. Attachments named on the form: product approval number and gauge (roofs only), deed if the owner has owned the property less than 3 months, and a recorded Notice of Commencement for jobs over the threshold. Contractor registration documents (licence, driver's licence, workers' comp, general liability) must already be on file. 75% · permit application form
• How many copies, and in what format? Two complete sets of documents with the permit application if dropped off in person; one set if submitted electronically. By email, send PDFs 'three pages or less, 8MB or less'; larger documents go through a Box upload link the office supplies on request. Applications may also be mailed or brought in, or submitted through the iWorq Citizen Portal with uploads attached. 80% · department FAQ
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Not required for an electrical/miscellaneous permit as published. The county's Miscellaneous/Multi-Trade application names no site plan or survey among its attachments - only a roof product-approval number and a deed. By contrast the county's separate New Single Family Dwelling packet does require a 'Survey showing Flood Zone verification, site plan & setbacks'. The office-use 'PLANNING/ZONING INFORMATION' box on the misc form still records land use/zoning classification, minimum lot size, lot width, front/side/rear setbacks, FEMA flood zone and BFE, so zoning data is captured even where no site plan is demanded. 60% · permit application form

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? iWorq Citizen Portal (bradfordfl.portal.iworq.net / portal.iworq.net/BRADFORDFL), used for permit applications, permit and contractor-licence search, inspection requests and inspection results. Payments go through a separate Point & Pay page (client.pointandpay.net/web/BradfordCountyBuildingandZoningFL). Permit records are split: archive 2000-April 2019 and current April 2019 onward. 90% · permit portal
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes - the iWorq portal offers a 'Multi-Trade Permit Application ... for Electrical, HVAC, Mechanical, Plumbing work, etc.' with the instruction 'Fill out all fields and attach required uploads' then 'Click Submit to send the application'. But the county's own Building Department page describes only email, mail or walk-in ('Email ... (three pages or less 8MB or less), Mail, or bring it in!') and does not mention the portal's application route at all. Both routes are reported; they are not consistent with each other. 75% · permit portal
• What does a residential solar permit cost? No solar-specific fee line exists. The permit fee is calculated from the declared value of the work: $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 of value plus $5.00 for each additional $1,000.00 (Res. 2026-02, Sec. 10), with a $50.00 minimum for any permit (Sec. 7). The county FAQ states 'The minimum cost for any permit is $54.00 (the permit being $50 & a $4 state surcharge fee).' Worked example: a $25,000 declared-value PV installation = $50 + (24 x $5) = $170 plus state surcharges. If a Private Provider is used for inspections or plan review the permit fee is reduced by 50% or $50, whichever is greater (Sec. 7). 85% · adopted fee resolution
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation. Res. 2026-02 Sec. 6: 'Calculation of the required fee [for] any building permit shall be based on the value of the building or structure (exclusive of land value) or the value of the work to be done.' Sec. 9.C: for 'Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Roofing, Docks, Pool, Spa, Sign, or Demolition. The declared value of the work shall be used as the basis for calculating the permit fee.' Declared value is defined in Sec. 8.B as the amount to be charged by the contractor as documented by a written contract. 90% · adopted fee resolution
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No. Res. 2026-02 contains no plan-check or plan-review fee for building or electrical permits. Plan-review fees exist only on the FIRE side (Sec. 12.A, site and building plan review $55-$110 by square footage). A re-submittal of plans costs $75.00 (Sec. 11.F). 80% · adopted fee resolution

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 county states 'usually 7-10 business days from the time you submit your COMPLETED application with ALL required documentation' and adds that the building official is allowed 30 days by law for a new-home plan review and 10 days to report deficiencies. The Building Department landing page separately says an emailed application will be issued within 24 hrs, but 'If REVIEWS are needed from the Building Official it will take 2-3 weeks'. Statutory ceilings under F.S. 553.792(1)(a) bind regardless: 5 business days for an electrical permit on an existing single-family dwelling where the value of work is under $15,000, and 30 business days for electrical work on a structure under 7,500 sq ft. Missing the deadline costs the county 10% of the permit fee per business day. 75% · department FAQ
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 180 days. County FAQ: 'A permit issued by the building department shall be deemed to have been abandoned 180 days after the permit is purchased unless an approved inspection is obtained within the 180 days after purchase. After each approved inspection the permit is valid for 180 more days.' One or more extensions of not more than 90 days each may be requested in writing with justifiable cause, and must be approved by the building official. 85% · department FAQ
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) for addresses inside Hampton city limits. Hampton Ordinance No. 2014-2 (codified as Appendix A, Article I of the city code) grants FPL a 30-year non-exclusive electric franchise 'throughout all of the incorporated' area, superseding the 1985 franchise (Ord. 85-1). Bradford County as a whole is split: the county's own permit application asks the applicant to write 'FPL or Clay Electric?', so Clay Electric Cooperative serves part of the county and the serving utility must be confirmed per address. 80% · municipal code / franchise ordinance
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Before permit, and certainly before installation. FPL: 'Before installing a rooftop solar system or generating your own power, you must apply to become a net metering customer with us' and 'All interconnection applications must be approved prior to installation and operation of the renewable energy system.' The Net Metering Guidelines then say 'The customer on the account must complete an application, interconnect agreement, obtain a building permit, and for Tier 2 and 3, obtain proof of insurance and pay an application fee' - i.e. the permit sits inside the interconnection sequence, not before it. Operating the system before the bi-directional meter is installed is 'strictly prohibited' except for testing and inspection. 85% · utility interconnection guidelines

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? NEC 2020. Florida adopts NFPA 70 (2020) as the Florida Electrical Code without amendments, and FBC 8th Edition (2023) Chapter 27 Sec. 2701.1 states 'The provisions of this chapter and NFPA 70 shall govern the design, construction, erection and installation of the electrical components...' referencing the 2020 edition. Bradford County Code Sec. 14-61 separately adopts 'the National Electrical Code, published by the National Fire Protection Association, in the most recent edition in effect at the time of application' - a rolling reference that names no edition, which is why the FBC reference is the reliable one. 80% · state code / county code
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), effective 31 December 2023. floridabuilding.org states it on its front page. Bradford County Code Sec. 14-31 adopts 'the Florida Building Code which is a single statewide unified code developed and maintained by the Florida Building Commission', including the Building Code (with energy, accessibility and state agency regulations), Plumbing Code, Mechanical Code and Fuel Gas Code. Sec. 14-34 pins each permit to the version in effect on its application date. A 2026 update is in development but not yet effective. 92% · state code authority
• Which fire code edition is in force? Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition - NFPA 1 (Fire Code) Florida 2021 Edition, adopted by the State Fire Marshal under Rule 69A-60.003 F.A.C. Bradford County Code Sec. 36-1 adopts 'the Florida Fire Prevention Code, more particularly set forth in F.S. ch. 633, as if fully set forth herein and as the same may be amended from time to time', and Sec. 36-2 creates a Bradford County Fire Marshal whose duties are those 'required or described by NFPA 1 and NFPA 101'. Hampton's own fire chapter (Ch. 16) is marked (RESERVED). 80% · state adopting rule
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes - on both sides, and they are different amendments. Bradford County Code Sec. 14-33 amends FBC Chapter 16 to set a county-wide 100 mph basic wind speed and to place the county landward of the 120 mph wind-borne-debris contour, and adds a local FBC-Residential R322.2.1 amendment requiring lowest floors one foot above base flood elevation. The City of Hampton separately carries its OWN technical amendments at Sec. 6-20 (FBC-Residential R322.2.1 and R322.2.2), Sec. 6-21 (FBC-Building substantial-damage definition and Sec. 1612.4.2) and Sec. 6-22 (FBC Existing Building substantial-damage definition), adopted by Ord. 2017-2. None of these amendments touch solar, electrical or rooftop equipment. 85% · county code / municipal code
• What is the installation judged against? Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023) - principally FBC-Residential Sec. R324 Solar Energy Systems for a one- or two-family dwelling - together with NFPA 70 (NEC) 2020 and the manufacturer's installation instructions. R324.3: 'Photovoltaic systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with Sections R324.3.1 through R324.7.1, NFPA 70 and the manufacturer's installation instructions.' Layered on top: Bradford County's local amendments at Sec. 14-33 (wind, flood elevation) and the Florida Fire Prevention Code. 85% · state code

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.

• What ridge setback and access pathways are required? FBC-Residential R324.6, unamended locally. Not fewer than two pathways not less than 36 in. wide, on separate roof planes, from lowest roof edge to ridge, on all buildings, with at least one on the street or driveway side; and for each roof plane carrying an array, a 36 in. pathway from lowest roof edge to ridge on that plane or an adjacent one. Ridge setback: 18 in. clear both sides of a horizontal ridge where the array occupies not more than 33% of plan-view total roof area, 36 in. where it occupies more. With an NFPA 13D or Sec. P2904 sprinkler system the 33% threshold rises to 66% (R324.6.2.1). Panels may not be placed below an emergency escape and rescue opening, and a 36 in. pathway must be provided to it. Exceptions: detached non-habitable structures; where the code official determines rooftop operations will not be employed; and roofs of 2:12 slope or less. 85% · state code

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 - to NEC 2020. FBC-Residential R324.3 routes photovoltaic system design and installation to NFPA 70, and Florida adopts NFPA 70 (2020) as the Florida Electrical Code without amendments; rapid shutdown is NEC Art. 690.12 in that edition. Neither Hampton nor Bradford County amends it. 70% · state code

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? No local placard list exists. Placards are whatever NEC 2020 requires (the PV disconnect and rapid-shutdown labelling of Art. 690, and the interconnection/point-of-connection marking of Art. 705), via FBC-Residential R324.3 and Bradford County Code Sec. 14-61. On top of that FPL requires, at the service equipment: a sign at the meter noting the location of the manual disconnect switch, a warning sign on the switch itself that both sides may be energized, and - for any behind-the-meter battery - a placard permanently affixed to the meter enclosure. 70% · utility guidelines / code default
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No. Neither the City of Hampton nor Bradford County specifies placard wording of its own. There is no solar handout, no PV checklist and no signage specification in either code, on either website, or among the county's published permit forms. 85% · department page / municipal code
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Nothing specified locally. No letter height, colour or material requirement appears in Hampton's code, Bradford County's code, the county's permit forms or anywhere on either website. Letter height, colour and durability therefore fall back to what NEC 2020 Art. 690/705 and the referenced marking requirements demand. 85% · department page / municipal code
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Nothing required locally. No site plan, facility map or plant diagram placard is specified by Hampton or Bradford County; the requirement is whatever NEC 2020 Art. 705.10 imposes for a directory at the service equipment, via FBC-Residential R324.3 and county Code Sec. 14-61. Note that the county's electrical permit form does not ask for a site plan either (see q10). 65% · county code / code default
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes. FPL's Net Metering Guidelines require, beyond anything the AHJ asks for: (1) 'A sign noting the location of the disconnect switch should be installed at the meter to enable FPL personnel to easily locate the disconnect switch in the event of an emergency'; (2) 'The disconnect switch should also have a warning sign indicating that both sides of the switch may be energized'; and (3) for behind-the-meter battery storage, 'A placard must be permanently affixed to the meter enclosure stating "Battery storage utilized in this facility."' FPL also says to contact it for approval of a remote switch location and of the verbiage or location of the sign prior to final design. 85% · utility interconnection guidelines
• Where must the labels be placed? At the service equipment and on the equipment itself, per NEC 2020 via FBC-Residential R324.3 and county Code Sec. 14-61 - no local placement rule exists. FPL adds two specific placements: the disconnect-location sign goes at the meter, and the battery placard is 'permanently affixed to the meter enclosure'. FPL also requires the manual disconnect switch (Tier 2/3) to be 'mounted separate from, but adjacent to, the FPL meter socket' and to remain readily accessible to FPL at all times - explicitly 'it should not be locked in a meter room'. 75% · utility guidelines / code default

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? For a Tier 1 system (up to 10 kW AC - most residential arrays), FPL does not require a manual AC disconnect: its guidelines impose that requirement on 'Tier 2 and tier 3 renewable generation systems'. Where it does apply, the switch must be of the visible load break type, providing a separation point between the AC output of the customer generation and any customer wiring connected to FPL's system, 'mounted separate from, but adjacent to, the FPL meter socket', readily accessible to FPL at all times, and capable of being locked in the open position with a single FPL utility padlock. It must disengage only the renewable source, not the whole service, and must not be locked in a meter room. A remote location needs FPL's prior approval. 85% · utility interconnection guidelines
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes - listing, not a local approved-products list. FBC-Residential R324.3.1: 'Photovoltaic panels and modules shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 1703. Inverters shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 1741. Systems connected to the utility grid shall use inverters listed for utility interaction. Mounting systems listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2703 shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions and their listings.' For ESS, R328.2 requires UL 9540. FPL separately requires battery equipment to be NRTL-certified to the current UL 1741 standard, or DC-coupled behind a UL 1741 listed device. Florida Product Approval is a separate statewide scheme and the county's own form asks for a product approval number for roofs. 85% · state code
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, under FBC-Residential R328. Key conditions: listed and labeled to UL 9540 (R328.2); installed per manufacturer's instructions and listing (R328.3); individual units separated by not less than 3 ft unless smaller separation is justified by large-scale fire testing (R328.3.1); permitted locations are detached garages and detached accessory structures, attached garages separated from living space per R302.6, and utility/storage spaces (R328.4); maximum 20 kWh per unit, aggregate not exceeding 40 kWh in utility closets, basements and storage/utility spaces or 80 kWh in attached or detached garages and detached accessory structures (R328.5); electrical installation per NFPA 70 with UL 1741 inverters (R328.6); smoke alarms per R314 plus a listed interconnected heat detector where smoke alarms cannot be used (R328.7); impact protection where subject to vehicle damage (R328.8); mechanical ventilation for indoor installations producing hydrogen or other flammable gases (R328.9); and documentation and a service-contact label (R328.11). FPL adds that stored energy is for the customer's use only and may not be exported to the grid. 85% · state code
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No separate ESS permit or inspection is published. Bradford County's fee resolution has no ESS or battery line, the iWorq portal's 67 inspection types contain no battery, ESS or solar type, and no ESS handout exists on the county site. A residential battery would be permitted and inspected under the same electrical/building permit. FPL, separately, does require notification: a battery designed to charge from the grid and operate interconnected requires a Small Generator Interconnection Application even where no interconnection agreement results, while a pure backup battery that cannot back-feed requires no interconnection agreement at all. 60% · permit portal / fee resolution
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes. FBC-Residential R324.7: 'Ground-mounted photovoltaic systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with Section R301' - i.e. treated as a structure for load purposes - and R324.7.1: 'Ground-mounted photovoltaic systems shall be subject to the fire separation distance requirements determined by the local jurisdiction.' For an address in Hampton the setback/fire-separation and any accessory-structure treatment fall to the City of Hampton's Land Development Code, which is not published. 70% · state code
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? None found. Bradford County's code contains no service-upgrade or busbar provision - Article III (Electrical Code) is two sections long: Sec. 14-61 adopts the NEC by rolling reference and Sec. 14-62 makes the building official responsible for administration and enforcement; Secs. 14-63 to 14-90 are Reserved. Hampton's code has no electrical article at all. Busbar sizing is therefore whatever NEC 2020 Art. 705.12 requires, unamended. 75% · county code
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No local requirement. The governing rule is FBC-Residential R324.3.1: 'Mounting systems listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2703 shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions and their listings', with structural support per R324.4.1 and wind loads per ASCE 7 (R324.4.1.2). Neither Hampton nor Bradford County publishes any attachment-spacing or mounting-system rule. 75% · state code

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 or Phone. Bradford County: 'Schedule Inspections: Call 904-966-6223 X1 OR Schedule Online 1 business day before you need the inspection. Must be before 4:30PM.' The online route is the iWorq portal's 'Request An Inspection' form, which needs an access code (the portal will email it). Inspection results can also be checked online. 90% · department page / permit portal
• How much notice is required? 1 business day, and the request must be in before 4:30 PM. The county's Building Department page says to schedule '1 business day before you need the inspection. Must be before 4:30PM.' The portal repeats it: 'No inspection can be scheduled for the next day if the request is made after 4:30 PM.' The FAQ adds that an inspection called in after 4:30 pm 'will not go on the schedule for the following day, but will be scheduled 2 days out.' Messages may be left at any time, including when the office is closed. 90% · department page / permit portal
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No AM/PM windows and no same-day service. County FAQ: 'We're sorry but at this time it is not possible for us to schedule a specific time for the inspection to take place. If you would like to contact the building official the morning of your inspection (after 8:30am) he will be able to give you a window of time when he will arrive.' Inspections are generally performed 8:30 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, and the building official will arrange after-5 pm inspections where entry to an occupied home requires it. 85% · department FAQ

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? Delegated. The City of Hampton performs no inspections at all; Bradford County's building official does, in-house. Bradford County's Building Official is Rod Crawford, at a bradfordcountyfl.gov address, with Aleshia Dye as Executive Assistant - not a contract firm. A Private Provider route exists as an alternative under Florida law: Res. 2026-02 Sec. 7 provides that 'If a Private Provider is used for inspections or plan review the permit fee shall be reduced by 50% or ($50.00) whichever is greater.' 88% · department page
• If delegated, to whom? Bradford County Building Department, 945 N. Temple Ave (Court House, North Wing), Starke FL 32091; mailing P.O. Box B, Starke FL 32091; (904) 966-6223 ext. 2 (inspections ext. 1); Building Official Rod Crawford. Note that ZONING for a Hampton address is not delegated - the county's own Planning & Zoning page directs Hampton enquiries to the Hampton Zoning Department on (352) 468-1201. 92% · 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? No sequence is published for a PV or electrical permit. The live iWorq portal exposes 67 inspection types, of which the ones a solar job would plausibly draw are 'Rough Electric' (and 'Rough Electric #2'), 'UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL', 'Early Power', 'Final', 'Final #2', 'Final #3', 'Final Cover-Up' and 'Final COC'. There is no solar, PV or battery inspection type in the list. The county's general rule is that the building official 'will need to inspect all aspects of the work before it is covered or concealed from view'. 55% · permit portal

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? No. Bradford County publishes no inspection checklist of any kind, and certainly none for solar. The Building Department page, the two FAQ pages, the Links page, the fee page and the Box folder of permit applications (11 documents: septic, roof affidavit, new SFD/commercial/modular/garage, miscellaneous EC/AC/roof/signs/plumbing/demo, addition and remodel, pool-spa, notice of commencement, state registered and certified contractor forms, mobile home, contractor removal) contain no checklist. The nearest thing is the requirements list on the cover sheet of the New Single Family Dwelling application packet, which is a submittal list, not an inspection checklist. 80% · department page / published forms
• What must be on site at inspection? The permit, the recorded Notice of Commencement where applicable, and one SITE COPY set of the reviewed plans, all posted on the job site, with construction documents kept accessible in a weatherproof container (the county will accept a Zip-Loc bag for jobs with two inspections or less). The 911 site address must be properly posted before the first inspection or the inspection is cancelled - 6 in. numbers for commercial, 4 in. for residential, contrasting with their background. For new construction the county also requires property lines clearly marked and a properly sized port-a-let on site before the first inspection. 85% · department FAQ
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Not published as such, but implied. The county FAQ says the building official 'will need to inspect all aspects of the work before it is covered or concealed from view ... to ensure that the work is being completed in compliance with the Florida Building Code and the approved plans for the project', and the FBC-Residential provisions the inspector is enforcing (R324.3.1, R328.2) are themselves listing-and-labelling requirements. No published document says the inspector checks placards. 55% · department FAQ / state code

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? A passed Final. The county FAQ says 'Once a permitted job is completed and a final Certificate of Completion or Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the Building Official, that information is passed on to the Bradford County Property Appraiser'. The portal's inspection-type list carries 'Final', 'Final COC', 'Cert of Occupancy' and 'Final C/O' as distinct types, so an electrical-only permit on an existing dwelling would close on a Final / Certificate of Completion rather than a CO. 70% · department FAQ / permit portal
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer (or the customer). FPL: 'Once construction is complete, a customer should provide a copy of the approved permit or a screen print from the local authority's website indicating the permit has been approved and that includes the following: Electrical and mechanical inspection signed off / approved by the local inspector; Description of work - (e.g. solar, solar panels, PV, wind turbine, etc.); Address of where the system was installed; Permit number; Building department name.' Bradford County does not notify FPL; the county's role ends at the approved inspection record, which the iWorq portal publishes and which is exactly the 'screen print from the local authority's website' FPL asks for. 85% · utility interconnection guidelines
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $40.00 per re-inspection (Res. 2026-02, Sec. 11.F). Re-submittal of plans is $75.00, and a Stop Work Order or failure to pull a permit is $50.00 plus the permit fee. On the fire side, re-inspection is also $40.00 for a first re-inspection, rising to $80-$150 for a second and $95-$160 for a third depending on square footage. 88% · adopted fee resolution
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Corrections are handled by the building official directly rather than through a published written-correction process. Inspection results are posted on the iWorq portal and the county tells applicants to 'check your inspection results online'; the cancellation duty runs the other way too - 'You will also need to call our office to cancel any inspection that was previously scheduled if the work is not ready.' Re-inspection costs $40.00. At plan-review stage, F.S. 553.792(1)(f)-(g) requires the county to give written notice by email or post stating specifically why the application fails, giving the applicant 10 business days to submit revisions, after which the county has 10 business days to approve or deny or forfeit 20% of the permit fee per business day. 65% · department FAQ / state statute