City of Hollywood

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 — the City of Hollywood Development Services/Building Division is the AHJ for residential solar building+electrical permits within city limits 95% · City department page (rendered)
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — Building and Electrical are permitted and inspected by the City itself (Development Services/Building Division); the City's own Fire-Rescue & Beach Safety department separately reviews/permits the PV/ESS life-safety piece. Nothing is delegated to Broward County for solar in the incorporated City. 88% · City Comprehensive Schedule of Fees, adopted 12/4/2024
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes, a permit is required for residential rooftop PV 95% · City Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist, updated 5/03/23
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined — Broward BORA Policy 09-02 requires 'Building Departments shall establish an individual master permit for both Solar Thermal and Solar Electric installations to which applicable subsidiary categories are tied,' with a mandatory separate trade review (not necessarily a wholly separate permit) for each added category 85% · Broward County BORA Policy #09-02 (OCR'd scanned PDF, county-wide, binds Hollywood)
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No City-imposed HOA/architectural pre-approval requirement was found; and by state law an HOA/architectural review committee (a) may NOT prohibit solar installation outright (F.S. 163.04, the Solar Rights Act — may only regulate specific roof placement within a south-facing +/-45-degree arc without impairing performance), and (b) may NOT require that a building permit already be issued as a precondition for the association's OWN review (F.S. 720.3035(1)(c), added by HB 803 Sec. 11, effective 1 Jul 2026) 75% · Florida Statute 163.04 (Solar Rights Act) + HB 803 enrolled text
• Is there a historic-district review? Likely yes for properties within a City-designated historic district — the Historic Preservation Board (HPB) reviews 'additions to existing buildings, major restorations, and substantial alterations' within historic districts, and the City's own Express Permitting Service page separately warns 'Applications in an Historic District may be delayed as additional review may be required' 72% · City FAQ (Historic Preservation Board scope)
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No stand-alone 'windstorm certification' document — its function is folded into the mandatory PE/RA-sealed wind-load, uplift, and lateral-force design package required on every roof-mounted PV installation under the BORA Uniform Permit Submittal Matrix 82% · Broward BORA Uniform Permit Submittal Matrix (OCR'd), county-wide binding

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? A licensed Electrical Contractor (EC) or a licensed Solar Contractor (CVC) may pull the permit; if a CVC pulls it, an EC must still be engaged for the electrical work 80% · City Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist, updated 5/03/23
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes — contractors must complete a 'Contractor Registration' application in the City's Accela portal (selecting License > Contractor Registration type) before they can apply for permits 85% · City how-to guide (Accela contractor registration steps)
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes in general (City-wide owner-builder permits exist, subject to F.S. 489.103(7)/489.503(6) restrictions incl. a 1-year no-sale rule), but the City's Solar Photovoltaic Checklist itself frames the required license as EC or CVC only and does not mention an owner-builder route for solar specifically 62% · City FAQ + Owner-Builder Disclosure form

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? Broward County Uniform Permit Application (from a licensed Electrical/Solar contractor) plus any sub-permit applications; roof plan/scale drawing showing panel locations; Mandatory Countywide Rooftop Mounted Equipment Affidavit (BORA Policy 22-03); FSEC System Approval Report OR signed-and-sealed engineered drawings; electrical diagram (PV array configuration, wiring, over-current protection, inverter disconnect, grounding, AC connection to building); manufacturer spec sheets/installation manuals for all components (modules, inverter(s), combiner box, disconnect, mounting system); attachment/flashing/structural details sealed by the design professional for the wind zone; for battery backup — standby-load summary, impact protection, and interconnected smoke alarms throughout the dwelling and garage; electrical calculations (ampacity, conduit fill, ambient derating); a recorded Notice of Commencement if job value exceeds $5,000 95% · City Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist, updated 5/03/23
• How many copies, and in what format? At least two sets of plans/specifications per the countywide BORA administrative floor ('two or more sets of plans and/or specifications... with each application'), submitted electronically through the City's Accela Citizen Access portal (effective for all new permits since 4 Aug 2026) 68% · City Permits page (rendered) + BORA administrative provisions
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? A roof plan (scale drawing showing the location of the solar panel installation on the roof) is required for roof-mounted PV; no separate full property site plan (lot lines, setbacks) is called for in the City's solar checklist, and the City publishes no separate ground-mount solar checklist 80% · City Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist, updated 5/03/23
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — an electrical diagram per NEC Article 690 (Solar Photovoltaic Systems) 'in its entirety' is required 95% · City Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist, updated 5/03/23
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes — electrical calculations showing wire sizing determined with proper ampacity, conduit fill, and ambient derating factors are required 92% · City Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist, updated 5/03/23
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes, for all roof-mounted PV — no dollar threshold. Signed and sealed drawings and design calculations by a licensed Professional Engineer or Registered Architect are required for every roof-mounted PV panel/solar-thermal installation, covering wind-load, uplift/lateral force, connection design and dead-load compliance for the support framing 88% · Broward BORA Uniform Permit Submittal Matrix (OCR'd), county-wide binding
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Only above a threshold: an electrical PE stamp is required if (a) the PV system value exceeds $50,000, or (b) the system's aggregate residential service capacity is 600A (240V) or more, or (c) 800A (240V) or more for commercial/industrial 85% · Broward BORA Uniform Permit Submittal Matrix (OCR'd), county-wide binding

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? Accela Citizen Access (ACA) — aca-prod.accela.com/HOLLYWOOD — effective for ALL NEW permit applications since 4 Aug 2026. The prior system ('BCLA ePermits') is retained only for searching/servicing existing BCLA-numbered permits (e.g., B24-100000) 95% · City Permits page (rendered, current)
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes — apply for a new permit, upload documents, manage the permit, pay fees, and schedule inspections can all be done through the Accela Citizen Access portal 90% · City Permits page (rendered, current)
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Building permit: valuation-based tiered fee — 10% of value up to $1,000, then 2.20% for $1,001-$1,000,000 (1.65% $1,000,001-$2,000,000; 1.15% above $2,000,000) — PLUS a Process Fee (25% of estimated job cost for a new system/addition/alteration, or a minimum $10 per discipline for repair-type work) PLUS surcharges (3% state DCA/DBPR, Broward County $0.52 per $1,000 of value, 2% Technology Fee, 1% Educational Fee). SEPARATELY, the City's Fire-Rescue Dept. charges a flat $160 'Photovoltaic System (Solar Panels - Stationary Energy Storage System)' plan-review/permit fee 78% · City Comprehensive Schedule of Fees, adopted 12/4/2024
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation (tiered percentage-of-declared-value scale) for the Building Division permit fee, plus a flat fee for the Fire-Rescue PV/ESS plan-review/permit line 80% · City Comprehensive Schedule of Fees, adopted 12/4/2024
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes — a separate Process Fee (25% of estimated job cost for new/addition/alteration permits, or a minimum $10 per discipline for repair-type permits) is charged on top of the Building Permit Fee, and the fee schedule further prices 'Plan Review Services' separately from 'Building Inspection Services' under the Private Provider Administrative Fee section (72% vs 84% of the respective base fee) 82% · City Comprehensive Schedule of Fees, adopted 12/4/2024

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? 5 business days for an existing single-family dwelling electrical permit valued under $15,000; 30 business days otherwise (most residential PV exceeds $15,000) — this is a STATE FLOOR (F.S. 553.792(1)(a), as rewritten by HB 803, enrolled text, effective 1 Jul 2026) that binds Hollywood as a 'local government.' No Hollywood-specific page was found publishing a faster committed turnaround for solar, and the City's Express Permitting (same-day) program explicitly excludes solar from its short list of eligible permit types 75% · Enrolled bill text, CS/CS/HB 803 (2026), amending F.S. 553.792
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 1 year from issuance (or the effective date of the next Florida Building Code edition, whichever is later) for a single-family-dwelling permit — this is the NEW state floor under F.S. 553.79(1)(c) as rewritten by HB 803 (enrolled text), effective 1 Jul 2026, and it OVERRIDES the City's own currently-published FAQ, which still states permits 'expire if work is not commenced within 180 days or if abandoned for a period of 90 days' citing the older FBC 105.3.2.1 rule 78% · Enrolled bill text, CS/CS/HB 803 (2026), amending F.S. 553.79
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Florida Power & Light (FPL) 88% · City Business Directory listing
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? After permit / parallel-but-independent — Florida law requires that customer-owned renewable generation 'must be inspected and approved by local code officials prior to its operation in parallel with the investor-owned utility,' so FPL's Permission-to-Operate follows the City's building/electrical final inspection, but FPL's own interconnection application/agreement process runs on its own separate track 85% · Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065 (own extraction)

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? 2020 NEC (NFPA 70-2020), adopted via Chapter 27 of the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), effective statewide 31 Dec 2023 85% · Broward BORA Formal Interpretations index (current, downloaded live)
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) — Building, Residential, and Existing Building volumes — effective 31 Dec 2023, statewide, with local adoption codified at City Code Sec. 151.002 'Adoption of Florida Building Code' 85% · Florida Building Commission page (current)
• Which fire code edition is in force? Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition (2023) — statewide, effective alongside the 8th-edition FBC cycle 62% · Broward BORA page (confirms 8th Ed. FFPC cycle county-wide)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — the City's own Code of Ordinances contains a solar-specific section, Sec. 151.124 'Rooftop photovoltaic solar systems' (part of the 'Building Safety Inspection Program' subdivision of Chapter 151), layered on top of the state Florida Building Code; Broward's BORA also publishes county-wide technical amendments and Formal Interpretations (e.g., FI-31, see q36) that bind Hollywood 80% · City Code of Ordinances, Ch. 151 table of contents (Wayback capture, dated 10 Jun 2023)
• What is the installation judged against? NEC Article 690 (2020 NEC, via FBC 8th Ed. (2023) Ch. 27), the Florida Building Code Building/Residential volumes' roof-mounted-equipment provisions (Ch. 15 series) as amended by BORA's HVHZ product-approval matrix, and the City's own Code Sec. 151.124 and published Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist 78% · Composite: City Solar Checklist + BORA matrix + Ch.151 TOC

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? The standard FBC rooftop-clearance rule for permanently mounted equipment (Sec. 1522.3, 1522.3.1) is EXPRESSLY held not to apply to rooftop-mounted photovoltaic panels or solar thermal installations, per BORA Formal Interpretation FI-31 (effective 24 Oct 2022) — so no minimum walkway/clearance distance is mandated by that section for solar specifically. A specific ridge setback or fire-access pathway DIMENSION for Hollywood was not found in any City document reviewed 75% · Broward BORA Formal Interpretation #31 (Wayback capture of PDF with embedded, extractable text)

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, per NEC Article 690.12, as adopted via the 2020 NEC (FBC 8th Ed. (2023) Ch. 27). No Hollywood-specific amendment, exemption, or affidavit requirement (unlike some other Broward cities) was found in the City's own Solar Photovoltaic Checklist 80% · Inference from adopted NEC edition; City Solar Checklist silent on the term

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's own checklist does not spell out placard wording; the applicable labels come from the adopted code itself: an NEC 690.56/705.10-style PV/AC-disconnect identification placard, an NEC 690.12 rapid-shutdown label at the service disconnect, and (per FPL, see q42) a padlockable manual AC disconnect switch label at the meter 55% · Inference from adopted NEC + City checklist wording
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — the City does not publish its own placard wording; it requires only that the submittal show the disconnect/labeling scheme called for by NEC 690/705, without adding City-specific text 55% · Absence noted in City's own checklist/affidavit documents
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes, indirectly — FPL requires (per Florida PSC rule) a customer-installed manual AC disconnect switch of the visible load-break type, padlockable in the open position with a single FPL padlock, mounted adjacent to (but separate from) the meter socket, for Tiers 2 and 3; Tier 1 inverter-based systems (the typical <=10kW residential case) are EXEMPT from this switch requirement unless FPL installs it at its own expense 80% · Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065 (own extraction)
• Where must the labels be placed? Where required (Tier 2/3, or Tier 1 if FPL-installed), the manual AC disconnect switch/label must be mounted adjacent to, but physically separate from, the electric meter socket, readily accessible to FPL and lockable in the open position with an FPL padlock 80% · Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065 (own extraction)

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? Where a switch is required (Tier 2/3 net metering, or Tier 1 if FPL-installed), FPL's manual AC disconnect must be mounted separate from, but adjacent to, the meter socket. Typical residential Tier 1 (<=10kW) inverter-based systems are exempt from the switch requirement itself unless installed at FPL's expense 85% · Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065 (own extraction)
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes — a Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) System Approval Report is required (or, alternatively, signed-and-sealed engineered drawings), and FSEC Certification/Component Documentation is separately required per F.S. 377.705 and NEC 110.3(B) 85% · City Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist, updated 5/03/23
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, batteries/ESS are permitted, conditioned on: a written summary of all standby loads (power ratings and estimated daily energy consumption) to show the inverter/battery selection meets the standby needs; the battery must be protected from impact and its location indicated on the plans; fire detection is required; and smoke alarms must be interconnected throughout the dwelling and in the garage 90% · City Solar Photovoltaic System Checklist, updated 5/03/23
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Yes, functionally — the City's Fire-Rescue & Beach Safety department charges its own distinct $160 permit/plan-review fee specifically for 'Photovoltaic System (Solar Panels - Stationary Energy Storage System),' separate from the Building Division's electrical/structural permit fee 78% · City Comprehensive Schedule of Fees, adopted 12/4/2024
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No single prescribed mounting system or spacing is set by the City; instead, every roof-attached component (panels, racking, clamps, flashing, fasteners) must individually carry a current HVHZ-rated Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA, per the BORA matrix, and the attachment/flashing/structural design must be sealed by a PE/RA for the wind zone 80% · Broward BORA Uniform Permit Submittal Matrix (OCR'd) + City Solar 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? Phone (24-hour automated IVR inspection line, English/Spanish, 954-921-3646) or online through the Accela/Building Permit Search portal 92% · City department page (rendered, current)
• How much notice is required? Effectively next business day — inspections requested Monday-Thursday before 8:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day; requests made Saturday or Sunday are scheduled for the 2nd business day. Cancellations must be called in before 5:00 a.m. on the day of the scheduled inspection 90% · City department page (rendered, current)

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 performs its own final Building/Electrical solar inspections through its Development Services/Building Division; the separate Fire-Rescue & Beach Safety department (also City, not County) handles the PV/ESS life-safety plan-review/permit piece. Not delegated to Broward County 85% · City department pages (rendered, current)
• If delegated, to whom? N/A — not delegated; the City of Hollywood performs its own final solar inspections (see q52) 85% · City department pages (rendered, current)

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? Per Broward BORA Policy 09-02's inspection matrix (binding on Hollywood): for Solar Electric — Building/Structure/Roofing (time of installation and final) and Electrical (rough and final); for Solar Thermal — Building/Structure/Roofing (time of installation and final) and Plumbing (final); for Hybrid PV+solar-thermal systems, all three trades (Building/Structure/Roofing, Electrical rough+final, Plumbing final) 85% · Broward BORA Policy #09-02 (OCR'd), county-wide binding
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Yes — a 'time of installation' inspection (functionally a rough-in/mid-roof-stage inspection for the Building/Structure/Roofing trade) is required in addition to the final, per the BORA inspection matrix; Electrical similarly gets a rough inspection in addition to final 78% · Broward BORA Policy #09-02 (OCR'd), county-wide binding

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.

Nothing recorded for City of Hollywood on this step yet — 3 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.

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 Certificate of Completion for a permit issued to a licensed contractor (or to a property owner) — since a residential solar retrofit is an alteration to an existing structure rather than new construction requiring a full Certificate of Occupancy 70% · City Comprehensive Schedule of Fees, adopted 12/4/2024 (inference)
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? The installer/customer notifies FPL directly — FPL's net-metering interconnection process (application, Standard Interconnection Agreement, and Permission-to-Operate) is a separate submission the customer or their installer makes directly to FPL, independent of the City's building-permit process; state rule requires the City's own inspection/approval to occur before FPL allows parallel operation 82% · Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065 (own extraction)
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $75 per discipline 88% · City Comprehensive Schedule of Fees, adopted 12/4/2024
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Corrections are issued and tracked through the Accela portal (applicants can 'check permit status, view comments, schedule inspections, and pay fees' online); applicants can also book a QLess in-person or call-back appointment with a Plan Reviewer to resolve plan-review comments 65% · City Permits page (rendered, current)