City of Pembroke Pines

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 Pembroke Pines Building Department is the AHJ for residential solar 95% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — Building and Electrical (plus in-house Fire plan review); not delegated to the county 90% · published permit checklist
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes, a permit is required for residential rooftop PV 95% · published permit checklist
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Either — the Electrical application is the primary vehicle for rooftop PV, with a Building application added 'if applicable' (e.g., structural attachment/racking work) 80% · published permit checklist
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No — HOA approval is not a precondition. Only a Homeowners Association Affidavit of Awareness must be submitted, and it is explicitly required 'even if you do not belong to an Association' — i.e., it's a disclosure affidavit, not an approval gate. 88% · published permit checklist
• Is there a historic-district review? No — no evidence of a historic-district review process for Pembroke Pines was found 55% · City site search results
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No dedicated 'windstorm certification' process (Texas TDI-style) exists in Florida. Wind-load compliance for rooftop PV is instead demonstrated through the PE/RA-sealed structural calculations required by the BORA Uniform Permit Submittal Matrix (ASCE 7-22 wind loads per FBC 1605/1620/1621), which is mandatory at every job. 65% · Broward County BORA countywide guideline
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No evidence that a residential rooftop PV permit requires Specific Use Permit or Commission approval — the Fee Schedule's Zoning review fees (Sec. XIV) are flat administrative fees ($89.86 residential accessory / $138.24 residential new construction), consistent with staff-level administrative zoning sign-off rather than a discretionary Council item 60% · published fee schedule, adopted 10/1/2025
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No city-specific kW cap found. At the state/utility level, Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065, F.A.C. (Net Metering, implemented by FPL) defines Tier 1 as systems ≤10 kW AC (the category nearly all residential rooftop systems fall into), Tier 2 as >10–100 kW, and Tier 3 as >100 kW–2 MW, which is the outer ceiling for net-metered customer-owned generation on FPL's system. 70% · Florida PSC rule / order (statewide, implemented by FPL)

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? Either — a licensed contractor (qualifier with license number) or the property owner as Owner-Builder 75% · issued permit application form (rev. 3-9-2026)
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes — a contractor must register/verify credentials with the City (state or Broward County license, GL insurance, Workers' Comp) before permits will be processed 85% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes — Owner-Builder self-permitting is available 80% · issued permit application form (rev. 3-9-2026)

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? Required Permitting Documents: Broward County Uniform Permit Electrical Application (rev. 01/08/2026), Building Application if applicable, signed and sealed drawings, Special Inspector Form (for plan review, if applicable), Homeowners Association Affidavit of Awareness (mandatory even with no HOA), Notice of Commencement if job value > $5,000. Required Plan Review: Building, Electrical, Fire. Additional: PV System Rapid Shutdown Affidavit (required prior to Final Inspection, if applicable), Special Inspector Report. 92% · published permit checklist, revised 02/19/2026
• How many copies, and in what format? #2 sets of plans required for in-person submittal; for online submittal, all trade plans must be digitally signed/sealed and uploaded as one combined PDF per trade (Structural/Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing each in one file) at the time of initial submission — the portal closes after submission and will not accept added documents mid-review 88% · published permit checklist + department page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Not itemized specifically for rooftop PV beyond 'signed and sealed drawings' in the Solar checklist. For a ground-mounted array, the City's closest analog (Accessory Structures checklist) requires a 'Property Survey showing Setbacks and Location.' No dedicated 'what a site plan must show' list for solar was published. 60% · published permit checklist (accessory structures)
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — an electrical diagram is required, showing component interconnections, conductor types/sizes, conduit types/sizes, disconnects, and the point of interconnection 88% · Broward County BORA countywide guideline
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes — conductor type/size documentation is required as part of the electrical diagram 80% · Broward County BORA countywide guideline
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes, at every size — no minimum threshold. Signed and sealed structural drawings and design calculations by a licensed Florida PE or Registered Architect are required for roof-mounted PV panel structural design (wind loads, framing uplift/lateral forces, connection design, dead-load accommodation) under FBC Building 1522.2, 1616.1.2, 1605, 1620.1-3, 1621. 88% · Broward County BORA countywide guideline
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes, at every size. Photovoltaic system plans must be signed and sealed by a Florida Professional Engineer, OR certified by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), which then issues a signed/sealed System Certification Approval Form (F.S. 471.025; F.S. 377.705(4)(d)). 85% · Broward County BORA countywide guideline

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? Development Hub — a Tyler Technologies EnerGov self-service portal at pembrokepinesfl-energovweb.tylerhost.net, live since April 4, 2022 95% · department page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes — the whole application (including plan uploads, corrections, inspection scheduling, and viewing approved/issued documents) can be completed through the Development Hub online 85% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Valuation-based, not flat: minimum $124.42 for construction cost up to $2,500, then 3.79% of construction cost from $2,500 up to $1,000,000 (Sec. 150.16), plus required state/county add-ons: Board of Rules & Appeals fee $0.52 per $1,000 of construction cost, DCA Homeowner Recovery Fund 1.5% of permit fee (min $2), DBPR Building Code Admin & Inspectors Fund 1.0% of permit fee (min $2). A residential rooftop-PV submittal deposit of $100 (accessory) may apply at intake. 85% · published fee schedule, adopted 10/1/2025
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation (percentage of stated construction cost) 90% · published fee schedule, adopted 10/1/2025
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No separate stand-alone plan-check fee for a standard first-submittal — plan review is bundled into the single valuation-based permit fee. A distinct review fee only appears for post-issuance deferred/sub-permit submittals (Sec. 150.16, via the Sub-Permits Cover Sheet). 70% · published fee schedule, adopted 10/1/2025

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? Not published as a fixed day-count for the City's own standard review. The only stated clock is in the Private-Provider alternate-review SOP: a 10-business-day review clock (or 5 business days if the application is for a single- or two-family dwelling), which under F.S. 553.791(8)(b) does not start until required outside agencies (Engineering, Fire, Planning/Zoning) have returned their approvals. 55% · City SOP referencing F.S. 553.791(8)(b)
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? Not explicitly published by the City as a fixed number of days. The Fee Schedule implies a de facto ~90-day informal marker (renewal of an expired permit is 50% of the fee if renewed within 90 days, 100% if later), which is consistent with (but does not restate) the statewide FBC default of 180 days of inactivity before expiration (FBC 105.4.1). 55% · published fee schedule, adopted 10/1/2025
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Florida Power & Light (FPL) 85% · City utilities department page (confirms no municipal electric utility)
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? After permit / Parallel-but-independent — the City permits, inspects and finals the installation on its own timeline; FPL's interconnection agreement and net-metering/PTO process is a separate application the customer/installer submits to FPL and is not a precondition the City enforces before issuing a building/electrical permit 65% · utility interconnection agreement (Tier 1)

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 (NFPA 70, 2020), as adopted via the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023), Chapter 27 80% · Broward County BORA Formal Interpretations index (current, downloaded live)
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), effective December 31, 2023 — still current as of the check date 92% · Broward County BORA Formal Interpretations index (current, downloaded live)
• Which fire code edition is in force? Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition (2023) 82% · Broward County BORA Formal Interpretations index (current, downloaded live)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — Broward County's Board of Rules and Appeals (BORA) issues countywide technical amendments and formal interpretations to the FBC/Fire code that bind every Broward building official, including Pembroke Pines' Building Official 90% · Broward County BORA countywide technical amendments
• What is the installation judged against? Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023) — Building, Residential and Existing Building volumes — plus NEC 2020 (Ch. 27), Broward County's countywide BORA technical amendments and Formal Interpretations (notably FI-4 and FI-31, both solar-specific), and BORA's 'Uniform Permit Submittal Matrix for Solar Thermal and Solar Electric Installations in the HVHZ' 85% · Broward County BORA countywide guideline

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? No ridge-setback or fire-access-pathway rule was found for rooftop PV in Broward/Pembroke Pines documents. In fact, BORA Formal Interpretation FI-31 explicitly states the opposite of a setback: the general Rooftop Clearance Requirements for Permanently Mounted Equipment (FBC 1522.3, 1522.3.1) are 'not intended to be applied to rooftop-mounted photovoltaic panels and solar thermal installations.' 75% · Broward County BORA Formal Interpretation #31 (within current index, downloaded live)

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. The City's Solar Panel/Voltaic Permit Checklist requires a 'PV System Rapid Shutdown Affidavit' prior to Final Inspection. The governing edition is NEC 2020 Art. 690.12, as adopted via FBC 8th Edition (2023) Ch. 27. 85% · published permit checklist

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 Pembroke Pines- or Broward-specific placard beyond the NEC 2020-baseline labels (e.g., Art. 690/705 disconnect and multiple-power-source markings) was found; conditionally, FPL requires its own location-indicating plaque at the meter (see Q42/43). 65% · published permit checklist (absence checked against the checklist, BORA matrix, and formal interpretations)
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — no evidence the City or Broward BORA specifies its own custom placard wording distinct from the NEC baseline 65% · Broward County BORA Formal Interpretations index (current, downloaded live) — confirms FI-37 is NOT about solar disconnect placards
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? No — no city/county-specified letter height, colour, or material for solar placards/labels was found 60% · published permit checklist (absence checked against the checklist, BORA matrix, and formal interpretations)
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — FPL requires its own manual disconnect switch adjacent to the meter socket for every net-metering tier (1, 2, and 3), and where the switch cannot practically be adjacent to the meter, FPL requires 'a permanent weather-proof plaque adjacent to FPL's meter socket indicating the location of the manual disconnect switch' 85% · utility interconnection agreement (Tier 1, confirmed current via matching content digest)
• Where must the labels be placed? At/adjacent to the FPL meter socket — FPL requires the manual (external AC) disconnect switch to be 'mounted separate from, but adjacent to, the FPL meter socket,' readily accessible and lockable in the open position; if not adjacent, a location-indicating plaque must be placed at the meter socket instead 70% · utility interconnection agreement (Tier 1, confirmed current via matching content digest)

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? Adjacent to (but separate from) the meter socket — FPL requires the customer to install, at the customer's expense, a manual disconnect switch of the visible load-break type 'mounted separate from, but adjacent to, the FPL meter socket,' readily accessible to FPL and lockable in the open position 90% · utility interconnection agreement (Tier 1, confirmed current via matching content digest)
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes — HVHZ-qualified product approval (a Florida Product Approval evaluated for HVHZ, or a Miami-Dade NOA) is required for PV racking/BIPV systems under FBC 1512.2.1 and 1512.3 75% · Broward County BORA countywide guideline
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Likely yes, by inference — no dedicated ground-mount PV checklist exists; the closest published analog (Accessory Structures Permit Checklist) requires Building/Zoning/Engineering plan review, a signed property survey showing setbacks, and an HOA affidavit, consistent with treating a freestanding array as an accessory structure 60% · published permit checklist (accessory structures) — inference, no PV-specific ground-mount document exists
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No Pembroke Pines/Broward-specific local rule on service-upgrade sizing or busbar rating was found beyond requiring a Service Riser Diagram and Load Calculations on the Electrical Service/Panel Change checklist. Absent a local amendment, the statewide-adopted NEC 705.12(B) 120% rule (2020 edition, via FBC Ch. 27) governs. 60% · published permit checklist
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No fixed attachment-spacing number specified locally; instead, connection design for wind uplift and lateral forces must be individually engineered and PE/RA-sealed per FBC 1620.1-1620.3 and 1621, per project 70% · Broward County BORA countywide guideline

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 (Development Hub account) or Phone — both offered; phone is (954) 435-6502 90% · department page
• How much notice is required? Effectively less than 1 business day — requests submitted before 3:00 PM are scheduled for the next business day; after 3:00 PM, for the following business day (and after 3:00 PM Thursday, for Tuesday, since the department is closed Fri/weekends on a 4-day M-Th week) 90% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No AM/PM choice is offered at booking; instead, a same-day estimated arrival window becomes available online or by phone after 8:00 AM on the day of the scheduled inspection, and inspection routes/timeframes may shift before that time 85% · 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's own Building Department performs its final solar inspection in-house (though its inspectors/reviewers are staffed under a contract with CGA Solutions, a private firm; the City remains the AHJ of record) 85% · department page (staff directory)
• If delegated, to whom? N/A — not delegated to an outside AHJ. Inspections are performed by the City's own Building Department, whose day-to-day staffing (reviewers/inspectors) is contracted to CGA Solutions, a private building-department staffing firm, but permits remain issued and finaled in the City's name via its own EnerGov portal 80% · department page (staff directory)

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.

Nothing recorded for City of Pembroke Pines on this step yet — 2 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.

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 — not published online as a standalone document; the inspection checklist exists only on the physical permit card issued at permit approval ('For Inspection List, please see back of Permit Card') 75% · published permit checklist
• What must be on site at inspection? A printed copy of the permit card and the approved plans must be kept on-site and available at the time of inspection (for both online-approved and in-person-approved permits) 85% · department page

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? Final (final inspection approval / permit closed) — not a Certificate of Occupancy. The Solar checklist frames the endpoint as 'Final Inspection' (with the Rapid Shutdown Affidavit due prior to Final); the City's CO/Close-Out Document checklist — which requires elevation certificates, termite certification, water/sewer certification, etc. — governs new construction and full building projects, not a PV retrofit permit on an existing single-family dwelling. 70% · published permit checklist, cross-checked against the CO/Close-Out checklist scope
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer/customer — FPL's net-metering interconnection process is a separate application the customer or their installer submits directly to FPL; FPL performs its own review and grants Permission to Operate independently of the City's building-permit finalization 65% · utility interconnection agreement (Tier 1)
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $121.29 for partial approval/1st disapproval of a mandatory inspection; $181.94 (1.5x) for the 2nd disapproval; $363.88 (3x) for the 3rd and subsequent disapprovals 92% · published fee schedule, adopted 10/1/2025
• How are corrections issued and cleared? The inspector documents deficiencies at the failed inspection; the applicant/contractor must correct the work and schedule a re-inspection (subject to the escalating re-inspection fees in Q59). After a 3rd failed review cycle (online or in-person), a hold is placed on the permit and a mandatory meeting with the Building Department and the Contractor Qualifier is required before the process can continue. 85% · department page