City of St. Petersburg

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 St. Petersburg Building Department (Construction Services & Permitting) is the AHJ for residential solar within city limits 92% · department checklist
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — the city permits, reviews and inspects building and electrical itself for residential PV; no delegation to Pinellas County found 85% · department checklist + fee schedule
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes, a permit is required for residential rooftop PV 95% · department checklist
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined — PV is priced and issued as a single flat-fee permit ($200) covering the installation, not as split Building + Electrical sub-fees 68% · codified fee ordinance (Ch.12 Sec.12-6, current through Ord. No. 624-H, 4 Dec 2025)
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No -- no HOA or architectural-review approval is required by the city as a condition of permit issuance for residential PV 72% · codified ordinance (LDR 16.50.020) -- absence
• Is there a historic-district review? Yes, indirectly -- a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is required before any 'alteration to the exterior part of a building, structure or object' within a designated local landmark or local landmark district, and roof-mounted PV would fall under that general exterior-alteration trigger; the historic-preservation ordinance does not mention solar by name 75% · codified ordinance (LDR 16.30.070)
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No separate windstorm certificate -- wind resistance is folded into the required structural sealing: the solar checklist requires attachment/flashing/frame design 'sealed by the appropriate design professional... for the Wind Zone, additional wind or gravity loading,' which is enforced through the Florida Building Code's wind-load provisions rather than a distinct TDI-style certification 68% · department checklist
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? Not required for a typical residential rooftop or setback-compliant ground-mounted system -- solar photovoltaic panels are classified as 'ancillary equipment,' a permitted accessory use under the zoning Use Matrix, subject only to the development standards in LDR 16.50.020, not Council/CPC approval. (The general permit application does carry a 'CPC/COA/DRC #' field, but that is for whichever discretionary approvals happen to already apply to the parcel, not a solar-specific SUP requirement.) 68% · codified ordinance (LDR 16.50.020)
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No system-size cap found in the zoning/land development code 75% · codified ordinance (LDR 16.50.020) -- 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? A CV (solar) licensed contractor or an EC (electrical) contractor -- the checklist expressly excludes a CW contractor from installing PV 88% · department checklist
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes -- contractors must register with the city before contracting in St. Petersburg 88% · codified ordinance (Sec. 8-305)
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Not established as available for PV -- the solar checklist names only CV or EC licensed contractors as who 'must' install a PV system; it does not list the homeowner/owner-builder as an option (unlike the city's general owner-builder disclosure statement used for other permit types) 58% · 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? Building Permit Application (signed & notarized, or Electronic Signature Affidavit) + for PV: engineered spec sheets/installation manuals for all components (modules, inverter(s), combiner box, disconnect, mounting system); an electrical diagram showing PV array configuration, wiring and building connection; attachment/flashing/frame design sealed by the appropriate design professional for wind zone and gravity loading; for battery backup, a standby-load and daily-energy-consumption summary; dimensions/clearances and panel locations on the roof 92% · department checklist
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic only, via the ePlan Review portal -- the city moved to mandatory electronic plan submission on 1 Nov 2023 and gives applicants 10 business days to complete upload/respond to comments; the solar checklist itself is titled 'ePlan Solar Permit Submittal Checklist' 68% · department page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? For solar water heater/pool heating, a site plan showing equipment location and passive/active system type is required. For rooftop PV specifically, the checklist requires only equipment dimensions/clearances and roof panel location rather than a full property site plan; the general Residential Plan Review Checklist (used for the accompanying building permit) separately requires a scaled, dimensioned site plan showing property lines, setbacks and ancillary-equipment locations with street-facing screening 78% · department checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes -- an electrical diagram showing PV array configuration, wiring system and connection to the building is required 92% · department checklist
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes, for the mounting/attachment system -- 'attachment details, flashing details, construction design for the unit and any supporting frame members' must be 'sealed by the appropriate design professional' for the applicable Wind Zone and any additional wind or gravity loading. No dollar-valuation threshold is stated (contrast with e.g. Miami's $50,000 or Miami-Dade's $125,000 PE-seal thresholds) -- St. Petersburg's checklist requires the seal on every PV installation's structural attachment, regardless of value 78% · department checklist
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required as stated -- the checklist requires only an electrical diagram (unsealed) for PV wiring; unlike the structural attachment item, no sealing/PE requirement is written for the electrical diagram itself 62% · department checklist

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 systems: ePlan Review (electronic plan submittal/review, mandatory since 1 Nov 2023) and Click2GovBP (application status, permit list, inspection scheduling and payments) 88% · department page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Largely yes -- submittal, plan review and payment are handled through ePlan/Click2GovBP; the only paper-like requirement is that the permit application be notarized, but the city accepts an Electronic Signature Affidavit in lieu of notarization, which keeps the process fully online 72% · permit application form (2023 ed.) + department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? $200 flat, for a Photovoltaic system permit 90% · codified fee ordinance (Ch.12 Sec.12-6, current through Ord. No. 624-H, 4 Dec 2025 / Supp. 54)
• How is the fee calculated? Flat 90% · codified fee ordinance (Ch.12 Sec.12-6)
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Likely no separate plan-check fee for the PV flat-fee permit -- the ordinance's 'Building Related Plan Review Fees' ($50 new construction / $30 additions for 1-2 family) sit under a distinct heading from 'Flat Fee Permits', which include PV, solar water heater, solar pool heating and above/below-ground pools 55% · codified fee ordinance (Ch.12 Sec.12-6)

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.

• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? Not fixed locally -- St. Petersburg's ordinances (Ch. 8, general permit provisions) contain no local permit-expiration clause for solar or general building permits; by default the statewide floor set by 2026 HB 803 (Ch. 2026-63), amending FS 125.56(4)(d) effective 1 Jul 2026, requires at least one year of validity, and the city automatically incorporates state building-code amendments (Sec. 8-35) 58% · codified ordinance (Ch. 8) -- absence, cross-referenced to 2026 HB 803
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Duke Energy Florida 88% · department guideline (Early Release of Power, rev. Feb 2024)
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? After permit -- in the city's general new-service process, the Building Department completes its own final/temporary electrical inspection first, then reports the release to Duke Energy, which energizes/connects service within 1-3 working days 50% · department guideline (inference from a comparable city process)

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 -- adopted as part of the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Ch. 27, which the city incorporates automatically 78% · codified ordinance (Sec. 8-35) + statewide FBC 8th Ed. (2023) Ch. 27
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) 88% · permit application form (2023 ed.) + codified ordinance (Sec. 8-35)
• Which fire code edition is in force? Florida Fire Prevention Code, kept automatically current with the state edition (currently the 8th Edition (2023), based on NFPA 1) 68% · codified ordinance (Sec. 13-26)
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes -- the city carries local administrative amendments to the Florida Building Code (Sec. 8-36, e.g. flood-hazard-documentation modifications) and a solar-specific zoning amendment governing PV placement/visibility/setback-from-roof-edge (LDR 16.50.020.4.2, last amended by Ord. No. 611-H, 10 Jul 2025) that goes beyond the state model code 85% · codified ordinance (Sec. 8-36 and LDR 16.50.020.4.2)
• What is the installation judged against? The Florida Building Code (8th Ed., 2023) and its incorporated NEC, plus the city's own LDR 16.50.020.4.2 placement/visibility/setback-from-roof-edge standards for roof-mounted PV 80% · codified ordinance

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 St. Petersburg 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, by inheritance -- rapid shutdown (NEC 690.12) applies because the city automatically incorporates whichever NEC edition the state adopts (2020 NEC via FBC 8th Ed. (2023) Ch.27); the city itself has no separate or additional rapid-shutdown ordinance 62% · codified ordinance (Sec. 8-35) -- mechanism only, edition inherited from statewide adoption

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? Not specified by the city -- no placard list or spec was found in the Building Code, Fire Code, LDR solar section or the Solar-Permit-Checklist; whatever NEC 690/705 default labeling the currently-adopted NEC edition requires is what governs, with no additional city requirement 58% · department checklist + codified ordinances -- absence
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No -- the city does not specify its own placard wording 78% · department checklist -- absence
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? Not specified -- no letter height, colour or material requirement for solar labeling was found in any city document 78% · department checklist -- absence
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Not specified locally beyond the default NEC 705.10 facility/site-plan placard requirement -- the city publishes no additional facility-map placard rule of its own 62% · department checklist -- absence
• Where must the labels be placed? Not specified by the city -- placement of any solar-related label is left to the applicable NEC edition's default placement rules (e.g., at disconnects and service equipment); no city document adds a placement instruction of its own 62% · department checklist -- absence

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.

• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No city-specific approved-equipment list -- the checklist requires 'engineered specification sheets, installation manuals... for all manufactured components' but does not reference any city-maintained approved-products list; standard NEC/UL listing requirements apply generically rather than a St. Petersburg-specific list 68% · department checklist
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Battery backup is permitted and addressed in the PV submittal: the checklist requires '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' -- no separate siting/enclosure conditions are spelled out locally beyond that documentation requirement 68% · department checklist
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes -- ground-mounted PV is regulated as 'ancillary equipment,' an accessory-structure category subject to setbacks and height limits, not as exempt equipment 82% · codified ordinance (LDR 16.60.050, cross-referencing 16.50.020.4.2)
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Roof-mounted PV, and its mounting hardware/conduit, must be installed in the location least visible from the street where technically feasible; on a flat roof it must be set back from the roof edge to minimize visibility from the street centerline; tilt-mount panels must be installed horizontally or parallel to the roofline; reflection must be oriented away from neighboring windows. Ground-mounted ('ancillary equipment') PV in traditional/suburban districts must have its base no more than 1 ft above grade (or be located behind the rear facade / on the roof if taller) and must be screened if visible from the street 82% · codified ordinance (LDR 16.50.020.4.2)

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 (Click2GovBP online scheduling) or Phone (24-hour automated Telephone Inspection Request Line, 727-893-4101, using a per-trade phone access code) 85% · department guideline (24 Hour Inspection Request Options, rev. Jun 2017, still the current linked version)
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Yes -- a two-hour arrival window becomes available by 8:00am on the morning of a scheduled inspection, checkable online per permit number 85% · department guideline (rev. Jun 2017, still the current linked version)

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 final inspections for residential solar itself, using its standard Electrical Rough-In/Final inspection codes; state law (FS 553.791) separately lets an applicant elect a private-provider route for plan review and inspection instead of city staff 75% · department guideline (Inspection Codes list)
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated by default; if the applicant elects the FS 553.791 private-provider route, plan review and/or inspection may be performed by a state-licensed private provider (architect/engineer or certified building code inspector) contracted by the applicant, rather than by city staff 62% · codified fee ordinance (Ch.12 Sec.12-6)

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 PV-specific inspection code exists; a rooftop PV retrofit is inspected under the standard citywide electrical trade codes -- Electrical Rough-In (0235) where applicable, followed by Electrical Final (0296) -- in that order 58% · department guideline (Inspection Codes list)

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 -- the city publishes submittal (plan-review) checklists for solar, but no separate field/inspection checklist analogous to the NSFR block-wall/wood-frame/SIPS inspection-requirement documents it publishes for new home construction 72% · department forms page -- absence

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 PV retrofit on an existing dwelling (the typical case), passing the Electrical Final inspection (code 0296) is itself the sign-off -- no separate 'green tag' or solar-specific certificate is issued. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued only where the project is new construction or otherwise triggers C.O. (Ch.12-6 C.O. fee lines), which a simple existing-home PV retrofit normally would not 62% · department guideline + codified fee ordinance (inference)
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $100, for a reinspection after a second failed reinspection for noncompliance with at least one of the same code deficiencies; a general doubled-fee reinspection rule ($... twice the initial fee for certain trades) and a Sec.12-3 escalating penalty (2x, then 4x the base permit fee for repeat same-violation reinspections) also apply 78% · codified fee ordinance (Ch.12 Sec.12-3, Sec.12-6)
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Through the ePlan portal's comment/correction workflow: the reviewer posts comments, the applicant has 10 business days to respond/upload revisions, and a formal 'Plan Revision Review' (with its own fee, $45 for residential) is required if the applicant later needs to change previously-approved plans; repeated same-violation rejections escalate to 4x the review fee under Sec.12-3(a)(c) 62% · department page + codified fee ordinance