City of Treasure Island

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 Treasure Island is the AHJ for residential solar: its Community Development Department (Building Division + Floodplain Management Division) issues building, electrical, zoning and floodplain permits and performs its own inspections. Contractor LICENSING sits with the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board (PCCLB) or DBPR - a licensing/permitting split, not delegation. The FBC local technical amendments and the Pinellas Gulf Beaches Coastal Construction Code are PCCLB instruments adopted by the city at Code Sec. 8-3. 95% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both, plus zoning and floodplain. The permit application is reviewed by Floodplain, Zoning, Building, Fire (if applicable) and Engineering (if applicable), simultaneously. Nothing is delegated to Pinellas County. NOTE: the Building Official, Plans Reviewer and Building Inspector are all CONTRACTUAL - see Q52/Q53 and notable_local_findings. 90% · department page
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes, and unavoidably. Code Sec. 66-104.1 requires a permit for any development activity wholly or partly within a flood hazard area, and the ENTIRE CITY is a Special Flood Hazard Area. The city states this in terms: 'according to our city code Section 66-104.1, a permit is required for all work in the floodplain, and all of Treasure Island is within a floodplain AKA special flood hazard area.' A dedicated Solar Permit Checklist exists. 95% · department FAQ + ordinance
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Separate. The Permit Application states in bold: 'I understand that a separate permit must be secured for ELECTRICAL WORK, PLUMBING, SIGNS, WELLS, POOLS, FURNACES, BOILERS, HEATERS, TANKS, and AIR CONDITIONERS, etc.' There is a Solar Permit Checklist and a separate Electrical Permit Checklist, and the fee schedule prices each discipline's permit and plan review separately. 85% · permit application
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No. There is no HOA or architectural-review gate in the Code or Land Development Regulations - the phrase 'homeowners association' returns ZERO hits across the full 1.62 MB codified corpus with controls passing ('electrical' 47, 'zzqqxfoo' 0), and there is no architectural review board. Private deed restrictions can of course still exist: Code Sec. 66-102.5 says the flood chapter 'shall not impair any deed restriction, covenant or easement'. Note also FS 163.04, which the city does not restate. 75% · ordinance (whole-corpus search)
• Is there a historic-district review? No. Treasure Island has NO historic-preservation ordinance, no historic district and no certificate of appropriateness. 'Certificate of appropriateness' returns ZERO across the whole corpus; 'historic' appears only as a historic TREE designation (Ch. 72), a 'historic structure' carve-out inside the flood chapter's substantial-improvement definition, and passing references to historically significant structures in the Ch. 70 site-plan criteria. Controls passing. 88% · ordinance (whole-corpus search)
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? Yes - wind design is mandatory and this is a wind-borne debris region, but the two published numbers DISAGREE and both should be carried. (a) The City's Building Division page and the flood-zone page both say: 'Wind speed requirements in Treasure Island 147 = 150 mph, Wind Exposure D' and 'All property within Treasure Island is located within a wind-borne debris region and a Special Flood Hazard Area'. (b) The Solar Permit Checklist demands manufacturer drawings that 'Must meet wind exposure D- 150 mph'. (c) The PCCLB Local Technical Amendment to FBC 8th Ed. (2023) Section 1609.3, which the city adopts, sets for ALL incorporated and unincorporated Pinellas County: Risk Category I 135 mph, RISK CATEGORY II 145 MPH, Risk Category III 155 mph, Risk Category IV 157 mph, ASCE 7-16, interpolation permitted. A dwelling is Risk Category II, so the codified county number is 145 mph Vult while the city's own page and its solar checklist say 150 mph. Design to the higher; the checklist is what the reviewer holds. 85% · solar checklist + county local technical amendment
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No special-use or council approval for solar as such - solar is not a listed use anywhere in the zoning code. Two adjacent gates do exist: (1) a VARIANCE to the Planning and Zoning Board if setbacks or height cannot be met (Treasure Island heard three separate 2026 variance applications for elevated Duke Energy meter platforms encroaching into setbacks); (2) in Coastal Code ZONE 1 - seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line - an FDEP environmental permit is required before construction starts and a copy must be given to the building official. 75% · ordinance + adopted coastal code
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No. There is no system-size cap on residential generation anywhere in the Code or Land Development Regulations - 'solar' and 'photovoltaic' each return ZERO across the full 1.62 MB codified corpus with controls passing. The only size tiering an owner meets is the utility's: FL PSC Rule 25-6.065(4)(a) Tier 1 = 10 kW or less, Tier 2 = over 10 kW to 100 kW, Tier 3 = over 100 kW to 2 MW. 80% · ordinance + PSC rule

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 contractor licensed either by the State (DBPR - e.g. EC, CVC, CGC prefixes) or by Pinellas County (PCCLB, licence numbers 'C-' + 4-5 digits), who is registered with the City. A homeowner may act as Owner/Builder under FS 489.103 on a one- or two-family dwelling. Subcontractors must themselves be current with the City or they cannot schedule their trade inspections. 85% · department page
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes. 'All contractors must complete the registration process prior to applying for permits.' Required: Certificate(s) of Insurance naming the City of Treasure Island as certificate holder at 10451 Gulf Blvd (general liability + workers' comp or a valid exemption certificate), the licence number, and an authorisation letter if someone other than the licence holder signs. There is deliberately NO registration form - 'We only require the COI(s), the license number, and, if applicable, the contractor's authorization form.' A Business Tax Receipt is required only if the business is physically located in Treasure Island. 95% · department page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes, with limits. Owner-Builder Affidavit per FS 489.103: available for single-family residences and duplexes only; NOT available for condominiums; properties owned by a legal entity (LLC, partnership) cannot pull owner-builder permits; for a commercial building the permit valuation cap is $75,000. The owner must not rent or sell for 12 months after closing the permit and takes full legal responsibility including injury on site. 92% · department page

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? From the city's own SOLAR PERMIT CHECKLIST (rev. 9 Jul 2025), always required: (1) Permit Application; (2) Proof of Property Ownership (PCPAO printout, recorded deed; Sunbiz report if a fictitious name is the owner); (3) Subcontractor Verification Form; (4) Manufacturer Drawings - 'Signed and sealed drawings and/or manufacturers specifications for the system and stands or roof attachment. Must meet wind exposure D- 150 mph'; (5) 'Detail of all required warning labels'; (6) 'Roof Layout- Provide setbacks on panels from edge of roof and all ridges on the roof per NFPA'. IF APPLICABLE: Notice of Commencement (notarised and recorded, projects over $5,000 valuation, required before first inspection); Owner/Builder Affidavit; contract between owner and contractor; and *** 'FEMA Cost Breakdown Worksheet for Substantial Improvement/ Substantial Damage including SI/SD affidavits for homeowner and contractor' ***. The checklist header also demands the parcel number and the FEMA flood zone designation. 'The Community Development Department will not accept a permit application unless all required documents have been provided.' 96% · published solar checklist
• How many copies, and in what format? Digital. 'Documents must be uploaded in PDF format' through the OPPS-TI portal; email packets to permits@mytreasureisland.org are the second-fastest route; in person at 10451 Gulf Blvd, 2nd floor is third. No number of paper copies is published for solar. Digitally signed and sealed plans must comply with Rule 61G15-23, F.A.C. Large-format plans must be collected at the permit counter. 80% · department page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes - a ROOF LAYOUT. The Solar Permit Checklist requires: 'Roof Layout- Provide setbacks on panels from edge of roof and all ridges on the roof per NFPA.' The checklist header also requires the parcel number, address and the FEMA Flood Zone Designation (V, CA, AE etc.). There is no separate site-plan requirement for a rooftop array. 90% · published solar checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Effectively yes for the electrical side, but it is not called a one-line. The ELECTRICAL Permit Checklist requires 'Wiring Diagram and/or Drawings'. The Solar Permit Checklist itself does not list a one-line or three-line diagram. 70% · published electrical checklist
• Are string and conductor calculations required? No. Neither the Solar Permit Checklist nor the Electrical Permit Checklist asks for string, conductor or load calculations. The Solar checklist asks only for signed and sealed manufacturer drawings/specs, a warning-label detail and a roof layout; the Electrical checklist asks for a 'Wiring Diagram and/or Drawings'. Note the standing catch-all: 'Additional information may be required on a case-by-case basis.' 70% · published solar checklist
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes in substance. The Solar Permit Checklist requires 'Signed and sealed drawings and/or manufacturers specifications for the system and stands or roof attachment' meeting Wind Exposure D, 150 mph. Separately, the adopted Pinellas Gulf Beaches Coastal Construction Code Sec. 3109.1.5 requires that 'Applications for building permits for construction of all structural elements shall be prepared by a registered design professional certifying that the design plans and specifications ... are in compliance with the criteria established by this Coastal Code and the applicable Florida Building Code.' No dollar threshold is published. 85% · published solar checklist + adopted coastal code

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? Tyler Technologies EnerGov Self Service, branded locally as OPPS-TI (Online Permitting and Planning System). Two live addresses: https://energovweb.mytreasureisland.org/EnerGov_Prod/SelfService and the vanity domain http://OPPS-TI.org, which both return the same application. A user account must be created before use. 95% · portal
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes. 'Use the Online Permitting and Planning System to submit for fastest response and an easy way to request inspections and view results.' The portal takes the application, PDF attachments, fee payment, inspection scheduling and results. Email and in-person are published fallbacks. Unlike several Florida cities there is NO banner saying uploads are not deemed submitted - the portal here is a real intake. 90% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Valuation-based, roughly $460-$530 all-in on a $20,000 residential array, and NOT capped by a maximum-fee clause. Components from the FY26 Fee Schedule: Building permit = $53 base + $11 per $1,000 of valuation (over $1,000 and under $1,000,000) = $273 on $20,000; Building plan review = one-half of the building permit fee = $136.50; Floodplain permit (single family, new/remodel/addition) $35 + floodplain plan review $17.50; Zoning review $25-$35 + half again; State surcharges 1% (FS 553.721) and 1.5% (FS 468.631) of permit fees, $2 minimum each. Re-inspection $53 per failure. NO 'no max' or percentage-per-discipline wording anywhere in the schedule. 78% · adopted fee schedule
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation. $53 base for issuing each permit, plus $11 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of total valuation between $1,000 and $1,000,000 ($8 per $1,000 at $1,000,000 and over). Under $1,000 of valuation the base $53 alone applies. The building official may DENY the permit if the declared valuation 'appears to be understated or underestimated', unless the applicant produces detailed estimates or the contract. 95% · adopted fee schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes, and per discipline. Building plan review = one-half of the total building permit fee. Floodplain plan review = one-half of the floodplain permit fee. Zoning plan review = one-half of the zoning permit fee. Civil/structural review = one-half of that permit fee. Public works review = one-half. Subsequent (re-)reviews: 10% of the building permit fee for projects under $10,000 in value, 5% for $10,000 and above. Plan review fees are payable at submittal and are NON-REFUNDABLE. 95% · adopted fee schedule

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? 180 days, twice over. Code Sec. 66-104.5: a floodplain development permit or approval becomes invalid unless work is commenced within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after commencing; extensions of not more than 180 days each must be requested in writing with justifiable cause. The building permit runs on FBC Section 105.4.1/105.4.1.1, which the fee schedule cites directly: an extension of a permit that has NOT yet expired costs $106; once expired, 'applicant must reapply for a new permit'. Refund rule: work not commenced and permit under six months old = fees minus $75; otherwise no refund. 85% · ordinance + fee schedule
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Duke Energy Florida, city-wide. Proved four ways from first-party sources, none of them a territory map: (1) the City's own Public Works page - 'City streetlights are owned and maintained by Duke Energy. The street lighting system in Treasure Island belongs to and is the responsibility of the local power company, Duke Energy'; (2) the Streetlights item in the City's main menu links to duke-energy.com/customer-service/request-light-repair, and outage reporting links to duke-energy.com/outages; (3) three separate 2026 Planning & Zoning variance applications for 'Duke Energy meter platforms' at Treasure Island addresses; (4) proof-of-residency rules accept 'Utility bills from Duke Energy or Pinellas Co. Utilities' - the TWO-COMMODITY TRAP AVOIDED: Pinellas County sells the WATER and sewer, Duke sells the POWER. Budget corroboration: General Fund carries 'Franchise Fee - Electricity' ($839,029 FY25 actual) beside a present sibling 'Franchise Fee - Natural Gas' ($9,197), and 'Utility Service Tax - Electric' beside separate Water and Gas lines. There is no municipal electric utility and no electric fund. 93% · department page + budget + agenda packets
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? After the permit and after the local inspection. FL PSC Rule 25-6.065(5)(a) requires every investor-owned utility's Standard Interconnection Agreement to contain 'A requirement 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.' The customer must notify the utility at least 10 days before initially placing equipment in service; the utility acknowledges a complete application within 10 business days and executes the SIA within 30 calendar days (90 days if a Tier 3 study is needed); the customer returns the executed SIA at least 30 calendar days before beginning parallel operation; physical inspections within 30 calendar days of receiving it. 90% · PSC rule 25-6.065 (official text)

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), effective 31 December 2023, as incorporated by the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023) Chapter 27. Code Sec. 8-1(a)(9) adopts the 'National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) as may be amended from time to time' by reference. LOCALLY AMENDED: the PCCLB Local Technical Amendment to FBC 8th Ed. (2023) Section 2701.1 amends NEC Article 250.96 - see Q34. 88% · adopting ordinance + county LTA
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023) - Building and Residential - effective 31 December 2023. Code Sec. 8-1 adopts the FBC and all its volumes by reference (Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Accessibility, Energy Conservation, and NFPA 70). The Building Division page names and links the 2023 FBC Building and Residential 8th Edition explicitly. ASCE 24-14 is named on the flood-zone page. 96% · department page + adopting ordinance
• Which fire code edition is in force? Florida Fire Prevention Code 8th Edition (2023), effective 31 December 2023 - named on the Building Division page. Code Sec. 8-72 (as amended by Ord. No. 24-12, 4-1-25) adopts the FFPC by reference 'as adopted by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to F.S. 633.302', including NFPA 1 Uniform Fire Code (Florida Edition) and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (Florida Edition). Sec. 8-84 leaves amendment to a recommendation by the fire chief - no fire amendments are on the books. 92% · adopting ordinance + department page
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes, and they come from TWO levels. COUNTY (PCCLB Local Technical Amendments to FBC 8th Ed. (2023), all adopted by the city): Building Sec. 1609.3 ultimate design wind speeds; Building Sec. 2701.1 amending NEC Article 250.96; Building Sec. 3109.1 Pinellas Gulf Beaches Coastal Construction Code; plus Residential M1411.3, P2903.1, P2903.2.1 and Plumbing 610.2, and Chapter 2 definitions amendments for Pinellas County and Oldsmar. CITY: Code Sec. 8-31 (seawalls before permit, permit fees, house numbering, vacant land, construction fences, construction-site maintenance); Code Sec. 66-301.5 FBC administrative amendment (FEMA elevation certificates at three stages); Code Sec. 66-301.6 FBC TECHNICAL amendment (minimum building elevations = BFE + 2 ft or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher; sealed foundation design for 1-2 family dwellings; limits on enclosures below the required elevation). 95% · county local technical amendments + ordinance
• What is the installation judged against? FBC 8th Edition (2023) Building and Residential, NFPA 70 (NEC 2020) as amended by the PCCLB Local Technical Amendment to Section 2701.1, the Pinellas Gulf Beaches Coastal Construction Code (FBC Sec. 3109 as amended by PCCLB, adopted at City Code Sec. 8-3), City Code Chapter 66 Floodplain Management, ASCE 24-14, and the Florida Fire Prevention Code 8th Ed. Conflict rules: Code Sec. 8-2 - the FBC prevails over conflicting city provisions; Code Sec. 8-4 - 'Where conflicting requirements between two adopted codes exist, the more restrictive provision will apply'; Code Sec. 66-102.5 - in a conflict with the flood chapter, 'the more restrictive shall govern'. 90% · adopting 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.

• What ridge setback and access pathways are required? The city requires the pathways/setbacks to be DRAWN but sets no local numbers - it defers to NFPA. Solar Permit Checklist: 'Roof Layout- Provide setbacks on panels from edge of roof and all ridges on the roof per NFPA.' So the governing numbers are those in the Florida Fire Prevention Code 8th Ed. / NFPA 1 (Florida Edition) Chapter 11 as adopted at Code Sec. 8-72; the city adds nothing and subtracts nothing. 82% · published solar checklist + adopting ordinance

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, via NEC 2020 Article 690.12 as adopted - no local provision. 'Rapid shutdown' returns ZERO hits across the full 1.62 MB codified corpus and zero across 244 city web pages, with positive controls passing. Nothing in the PCCLB amendment set touches Article 690. 70% · adopting ordinance (inference)

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

• Which placards does this authority require at the service equipment? The AHJ requires a LABEL DETAIL to be submitted but specifies no placards of its own: 'Detail of all required warning labels' is a mandatory line on the Solar Permit Checklist. The operative placards therefore come from (a) NEC 2020 Article 690/705 as adopted and (b) Duke Energy, which fits its OWN signs and labels at the service equipment - see Q42/Q43. 80% · published solar checklist
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No. The authority specifies no placard wording of its own. 'Placard' appears 7 times across 244 city web pages - every one of them the PERMIT placard that must be posted on site under FBC 105.7, not a PV warning placard. Zero hits for '705.10', 'rapid shutdown' or any label wording in the 1.62 MB code corpus. Controls passing. 80% · published solar checklist + whole-site search
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? None specified. No letter height, colour, material, reflectivity or durability requirement appears anywhere in the Code, the Land Development Regulations, the county local technical amendments, or any published city form - searched across 1.62 MB of code and 244 web pages with controls passing. The only lettering rule found in the whole corpus is for house numbers (Code Sec. 8-31(3): street numbers not less than three inches high, five inches if the structure is more than 50 feet from the curb). Duke's own labels carry sizes - see Q43. 78% · whole-corpus and whole-site search
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes, and Duke installs them itself. Duke Energy White Book, 'Requirements for Electric Service and Meter Installations | Florida Service Area | Revised April 1, 2026', Section VI: 'Duke Energy labeling on all distributive generator sites shall be applied by Duke Energy personnel.' Notes: '1. Signs and labels are installed by Duke Energy. 2. INSTALL SIGNS AND LABELS ON ALL KW SIZES OF DISTRIBUTED GENERATION SITES. 3. Clean the surface before installing labels.' Six catalogued items: 1505316 Label, Electric Generator Warning 3"x2", Meter Base/Primary Meter, lower left; 1505322 Label, Electric Generator Warning 6"x4", Pad-Mounted Transformer, above the lock; 1505691 Sign, Electric Generator Warning 9"x6", Overhead Transformer Pole, 5-6 ft above ground; 1505328 Label, Generator Isolation Device 3"x2", Small Disconnect Switch, near the OFF position; 1505332 Label, Generator Isolation Device 6"x4", Large Disconnect Switch, near the OFF position; 4205529 Sign, Generator Isolation Device 9"x6", Recloser/Pole Disconnect Switch, 5-6 ft above ground. 92% · utility construction standard (White Book, rev. 1 Apr 2026)
• Where must the labels be placed? Per the Duke White Book Section VI table (see Q42): the 3"x2" Electric Generator Warning label goes on the METER BASE / primary meter, LOWER LEFT; the 6"x4" version on a pad-mounted transformer ABOVE THE LOCK; the 9"x6" sign on an overhead transformer pole 5 TO 6 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND; Generator Isolation Device labels go NEAR THE OFF POSITION of the disconnect switch (3"x2" small, 6"x4" large); the 9"x6" Generator Isolation Device sign on a recloser or pole disconnect switch 5-6 ft above ground. Duke applies all of them. The City specifies no placement of its own; it only requires the label detail on the submitted drawings. 92% · utility construction standard

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? Duke requires a generation disconnect and the PSC rule does NOT excuse having one. Duke White Book (rev. 1 Apr 2026) FIG 48A - '"NET" GENERATION METERING SINGLE OR THREE-PHASE, SELF-CONTAINED METERED SERVICE, RESIDENTIAL/SMALL COMMERCIAL', rev 3 dated 3/31/24 - Notes: '1. GENERATION DISCONNECT REQUIRED AT ALL CONNECTION POINTS A, B, C, OR D. 2. GENERATION DISCONNECT REQUIREMENTS: MUST BE LOAD-BREAK RATED, INCORPORATE A LOCKABLE OPEN POSITION, AND PROVIDE A VISIBLE OPEN. 3. GENERATOR DISCONNECT LOCATION: MUST BE WITHIN SITE [sic] OF METERBASE AND READILY ACCESSIBLE. 4. WARNING LABEL REQUIREMENTS - PLEASE REFER TO SECTION 6. ... 7. CABLE TROUGH "D" MUST BE LOCKABLE.' The figure also marks 'LINE SIDE TAP ALLOWED PER NEC'. FL PSC Rule 25-6.065(6)(a) adds that where a manual disconnect is required it 'shall be mounted separate from, but adjacent to, the meter socket and shall be readily accessible to the investor-owned utility and capable of being locked in the open position with a single investor-owned utility padlock' - and that 'Inverter-based Tier 1 customer-owned renewable generation systems shall be EXEMPT FROM THIS REQUIREMENT, UNLESS THE MANUAL DISCONNECT SWITCH IS INSTALLED AT THE INVESTOR-OWNED UTILITY'S EXPENSE.' That is an exemption from PAYING for it, not from having it, and Duke's own residential figure requires it. 90% · utility construction standard + PSC rule
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No local approved list. Equipment runs on statewide Florida Product Approval (FS 553.842) - 'product approval' returns ZERO across the 1.62 MB codified corpus with controls passing, and there is no HVHZ Notice of Acceptance regime here (NOAs are Miami-Dade and Broward). What the city DOES enforce is a performance rating: the Solar Permit Checklist requires signed and sealed manufacturer drawings or specifications for the system and its stands or roof attachment that 'Must meet wind exposure D- 150 mph'. 70% · published solar checklist + whole-corpus search
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Nothing local. 'Battery' and 'energy storage' return ZERO across the 1.62 MB codified corpus (the 34 'battery' hits across the website are all hurricane-preparedness advice about radios and phone chargers). No ESS provision in the Code, the LDRs, the county local technical amendments or any published city form. Batteries are therefore governed by the adopted Florida Fire Prevention Code 8th Ed. / NFPA 855 and FBC/NEC Article 706 as they stand statewide, with the flood overlay: Code Sec. 66-307.1(4) requires mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems to be ABOVE THE DESIGN FLOOD ELEVATION (BFE + 2 ft), which on a barrier island is the binding constraint on where a battery can go. 60% · ordinance (whole-corpus search) + inference
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Treated as an accessory structure or accessory equipment, and the rules are restrictive. Code Sec. 68-2 defines 'Structure' as 'that which is built or constructed' - broad enough to capture a ground-mount frame. Sec. 68-460 then splits it: accessory STRUCTURES (other than those exempted by Sec. 68-457) 'shall comply with all setback requirements of the principal structure'; accessory EQUIPMENT - 'Air conditioning units, pool equipment, water softening units, and propane gas tanks and similar mechanical equipment' - may sit in a required side or rear yard provided it is adjacent to the principal structure, no closer than three feet to any lot line, and 'shall not exceed 60 inches above finished grade level, UNLESS A GREATER HEIGHT IS REQUIRED UNDER CHAPTER 8, CHAPTER 66 OR THE FLORIDA BUILDING CODE'. That last clause is the ceiling/floor interaction handled correctly IN THE CODE: the 60-inch limit is a zoning CEILING that expressly yields to the flood chapter's elevation requirement, and equipment required to be elevated 'may encroach further into the setback only if required in order to elevate the equipment'. 75% · ordinance
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? Yes - and it is a real cost on a PV job. The PCCLB Local Technical Amendment to FBC 8th Ed. (2023) Building Section 2701.1 amends NEC Article 250.96(A) and adds the sentence: 'ALL RACEWAYS SHALL CONTAIN AN EQUIPMENT-GROUNDING CONDUCTOR SIZED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TABLE 250.122.' Stated local need: 'This amendment assures a positive return path for faults.' Fiscal impact: 'Minimal cost impact ... since this requirement has been in effect in Pinellas County since 1987.' Effective upon Board approval and posting on the Commission website. No local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing - NEC 705.12(B) governs unamended. 92% · county local technical amendment
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No prescriptive mounting system or attachment spacing. What is required instead is documentation: 'Manufacturer Drawings- Signed and sealed drawings and/or manufacturers specifications for the system and stands or roof attachment. Must meet wind exposure D- 150 mph.' Note the checklist covers 'stands' as well as roof attachment, so a ground or tilt rack is inside the same requirement. 80% · published 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? Portal, email or phone - three published routes. OPPS-TI portal if you are a contact on the permit; email permits@mytreasureisland.org with the permit number and address in the SUBJECT line and the inspection type in the body; or call the Inspection Line on (727) 547-4575 ext. 431. 95% · department page
• How much notice is required? Next business day, with a 3:30 p.m. cut-off. 'The cut-off time for next business day inspection requests is 3:30 p.m.' 95% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No windows and no appointments: 'Due to the volume of daily inspections, we cannot offer specific inspection times nor make appointments.' Instead, inspectors are assigned before 8 a.m. on the day and the contractor looks up the assignment in the portal under 'Today's Inspections' and TEXTS the inspector for a timeframe; three direct numbers are published (Building Official (727) 313-1788, Building Inspector (727) 296-5934, Chris Winn (727) 253-8059). Paid alternatives in the FY26 Fee Schedule: Same Day Inspection $43, 'subject to the availability of an inspector'; after-hours inspections (after 5 p.m. Mon-Fri and Saturdays) $149/hour with a 2-hour minimum; federal/city holidays and Sundays $212/hour with a 2-hour minimum. 92% · department page + fee schedule

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 inspections, but through CONTRACTED personnel. The Building Division schedules, assigns and results every inspection through OPPS and publishes its inspectors' direct numbers. Its FS 553.80(7)(b) utilization report records ZERO inspections by a private provider and ZERO private-provider audits in both FY2019-20 and FY2020-21. The FS 553.791 owner-elected private provider route remains available statewide; the city publishes no private-provider policy or discount. 85% · FS 553.80(7)(b) report + budget + department page
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated to another government. It is delegated CONTRACTUALLY to a private firm that the city does not name in any published document. The FY25 budget's 'Authorized and Contractual Positions' table lists Building Official (Contractual), Building Inspector (Contractual) and Plans Reviewer (Contractual) with a dash - zero city FTE - in FY23, FY24 and FY25. The FY26 budget worksheet carries Building Fund line 140-5241-34000 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES at $675,000 approved, itemised in the free-text Budget Detail column as 'Building Services Contracts $600,000', 'Civil Engineering Services $60,000', 'Scanning & Archiving $15,000'. Searches for the usual national vendors (SAFEbuilt, PDCS, CAP Government, NV5, Calvin Giordano, Charles Abbott, Bureau Veritas, Universal Engineering) return zero across the website, the FY25 budget and 41 sets of 2026 commission agendas. 80% · adopted budget position table + budget line-item detail

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 Treasure Island 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 published INSPECTION checklist. What the city publishes instead is an unusually complete set of SUBMITTAL checklists - 24 of them by permit type, including a dedicated Solar Permit Checklist (see Q8), an Electrical Permit Checklist, and a Roofing Permit Checklist. Nothing on the site, in 244 crawled pages or in 167 enumerated documents describes what an inspector checks. 80% · department page (document enumeration)
• What must be on site at inspection? The City-issued permit placard and the approved plans, posted on site - 'FBC 105.7 requires the City issued building permit or copy of the permit be kept on the site of the work until the project is complete' - and a recorded, posted Notice of Commencement before the FIRST inspection - 'FBC 105.8 requires a Notice of Commencement must be recorded and posted on the job site before the first inspection.' The Solar Permit Checklist puts the NOC threshold at 'projects more than $5,000 valuation'. The Notice of Commencement form comes from Pinellas County, not the city. 92% · department page + solar checklist

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 Occupancy or a Certificate of Completion. The Building Division describes itself as 'overseeing plan review, permitting, inspections, and issuing Certificates of Occupancy or Completion', and the FY26 Fee Schedule prices it: 'Certificate of Occupancy or count [sic] of completion: $65'. For a solar retrofit on an existing dwelling the Certificate of Completion is the applicable instrument. 85% · department page + fee schedule
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Not published locally - the customer/installer deals with Duke directly. FL PSC Rule 25-6.065 puts the duty on the customer: the local code officials' inspection and approval must come FIRST (25-6.065(5)(a)), then 'The customer shall notify the investor-owned utility at least 10 days prior to initially placing customer equipment and protective apparatus in service, and the investor-owned utility shall have the right to have personnel present on the in-service date' (25-6.065(5)(b)). No Treasure Island document mentions interconnection, PTO or notifying the utility - searched across 244 web pages and 1.62 MB of code with controls passing. 70% · PSC rule 25-6.065 (official text)
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $53 per inspection failure. FY26 Fee Schedule 1.f: 'Fee for Re-inspection - The contractor shall pay a re-inspection fee of $53 for each inspection failure.' A partial inspection request is also $53 each. Re-review of corrected plans is charged separately: 10% of the building permit fee for projects below $10,000 in value, 5% for projects $10,000 and above. 95% · adopted fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? By email, with a named form for each stage. If corrections are required, 'the contractor and owner (if email is provided) will receive an email detailing the required revisions'; the contractor submits the revisions with a PERMIT REVISION form; 'The department requesting corrections will review the resubmittal'; further comments are issued if requirements are still unmet. Two distinct forms are published: 'Resubmittal / Response To Comments form (prior to permit issuance)' and 'Revision to Permit form (after permit issuance)'. After issuance, a revision costs a $53 revision fee plus any valuation fees and state surcharges. 90% · department page + fee schedule