Palm Beach County

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 — Palm Beach County's Planning, Zoning & Building (PZB) Department Building Division, via its Permit Center, is the AHJ for residential solar, but ONLY in the unincorporated area of the county 95% · department page (Permit Center)
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — the Building Division issues a combined Building+Electrical 'Solar-Photovoltaic' permit and performs its own plan review/inspection for unincorporated county projects. Zoning sits in the same PZB department (ULDC Art. 5.B.1.A.27 governs Accessory Solar Energy Systems as a use). Outside unincorporated PBC, permitting is wholly Delegated to the 39-40 individual municipal building departments. 85% · fee schedule + Expedited Solar PV checklist
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes — a permit is required for residential rooftop PV in unincorporated Palm Beach County 92% · fee schedule + permit-exemption brochure
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined primary permit — 'Solar-Photovoltaic' is a single fee line covering the rooftop PV installation, but the licensed Solar Contractor (CVC) is separately required to bring on a licensed Electrical Contractor (EC) via a No-Fee electrical sub-permit for the final utility-interactive connection 78% · county Expedited Solar PV checklist
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No — under Florida law an HOA/deed restriction/covenant may not prohibit installation of a solar collector, and a local government may not adopt an ordinance with that effect either; the HOA's authority is limited to specifying roof orientation (within 45° of due south) without impairing system effectiveness. No PBC county document imposes an HOA-approval precondition on the PV permit itself. 75% · Florida Statute 163.04 (2025)
• Is there a historic-district review? Yes, but only for properties actually designated a historic site or within a designated historic district: 'No building, structure, appurtenance, improvement, or landscape feature within PBC, which has been designated a historic site... shall be erected, altered, restored, renovated... until a Certificate of Appropriateness regarding any exterior architectural features... has been issued by the HRRB.' A rooftop PV array is an alteration to exterior architectural features (the roof), so it falls within this requirement on a designated property. No solar-specific exemption or carve-out exists in the Article. 80% · Unified Land Development Code, Article 9, Sec. 4.C.1
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No separate wind/windstorm certification scheme (no Texas-TDI-style windstorm inspection/certificate exists in Florida). Compliance with the county's design wind speed is instead demonstrated either through a Florida Building Commission product-approval evaluation report (FL#/NOA/ICC-ES per Rule 61G20-3) that is rated for PBC's 170 mph Vult, Exposure B or C design wind speed, or through site-specific PE/architect-stamped structural calculations where no such generic approval exists. 75% · county Expedited Solar PV checklist + BCAB Technical Advisory
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No — a rooftop residential Accessory Solar Energy System is an administrative accessory use under ULDC Art. 5.B.1.A.27, not a Specific Use Permit or Board of County Commissioners hearing item. Only edge cases (e.g. installing in the front/side-street yard because the side/rear yard cannot accommodate it) require satisfying additional standards within that same administrative section, not a separate public hearing. 65% · ULDC Art. 5.B.1.A.27, Accessory Solar Energy Systems
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No numeric kW cap from the county for rooftop residential PV. The ULDC instead imposes a functional cap: an application 'shall include documentation from the manufacturer, architect, engineer, or contractor performing installation, verifying the system is the maximum necessary to meet on-site energy usage,' expressly not prohibiting net metering. On the utility side, FPL separately limits net-metered systems to under 115% of a customer's annual kWh consumption and generation to 90% of FPL's service capacity at that location (a utility limit, not a county one). 80% · ULDC Art. 5.B.1.A.27.a + FPL Net Metering Guidelines

Several authorities require the electrical permit to be pulled by a licensed electrician, or require the contractor to be registered with them BEFORE applying. Registration is not same-day. This is second on the list rather than fourth because it is the step most likely to stop the job before the drawings matter.

• Who is allowed to pull the electrical permit? On the expedited/SolarApp+ track: a licensed CVC (Certified/Registered Solar Contractor) or EC (Electrical Contractor) only — the checklist header reads 'INTENDED FOR LICENSED CVC and EC CONTRACTORS ONLY'. The standard (non-expedited) track is not restricted this way in any published county document found. 80% · county Expedited Solar PV checklist
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes — contractors must already be certified/registered with Palm Beach County's Contractors Certification Division (obtain a 7-digit Contractor PIN) before they can apply for permits or schedule inspections 85% · county Building Division memo (implementation of electronic permitting, eff. 1 Feb 2020)
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Likely yes on the standard (non-expedited) track via Florida's general owner-builder statute (F.S. 489.103(7)), which the county's own Owner-Builder guideline implements county-wide with no solar carve-out found; explicitly NO on the expedited/SolarApp+ track, which the checklist restricts to licensed CVC/EC contractors only 55% · county Owner-Builder Guidelines + Expedited Solar PV 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? Two published tracks. (1) Expedited (CVC/EC only): Building Permit Application + Expedited Solar PV Worksheet (Attachment B, with point-load/distributed-load calcs, racking manufacturer/spec, engineered attachment detail) + supporting certification/listing documents for all equipment + Qualifier's Certification of Installation (Attachment C, submitted to inspector at final) + photographic evidence of each installation phase (rack/bracket-to-structure attachment, module-to-rack attachment, bonding, and all electrical connections). (2) SolarAPP+: register/submit project in the SolarApp+ portal, pay its processing fee, receive an approval ID and checklist, then upload the SolarApp+-approved plans and ID into the ePZB portal for a self-issued permit. No separate PV-specific checklist was found published for the standard (non-SolarApp+, non-expedited) track. 85% · county Expedited Solar PV checklist + SolarAPP+ page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? A site plan is part of the general Building Permit Application package for any construction permit (per the county's standard permit-application requirements), and the ULDC's Accessory Solar Energy Systems standards (Art. 5.B.1.A.27) require documentation of setbacks/siting for ground- or other-structure-mounted systems. The Expedited rooftop checklist itself is not site-plan-driven (it treats the PV array as an alteration to an existing, already-permitted structure) and does not list site-plan content items. 55% · ULDC Art. 5.B.1.A.27 + general Building Permit Application
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes, in substance — the county's own Expedited Solar PV Worksheet (Attachment B) requires exactly the data set of a one-line diagram: Total PV Output Ampacity, Output Circuit Conductor Size, Supply/Line-side Service Rating and Conductor Size, Splice/Tap Device manufacturer, Load-side connection method (circle Wire/OCPD/Busbar/Main Breaker per the NEC 705.12(D) table) 85% · county Expedited Solar PV Worksheet (Attachment B)
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Partially — the Worksheet requires output ampacity and conductor sizing plus a hard cap of '4 series strings, or less, per Inverter' on the expedited path, which functions as a simplified string/conductor check rather than a full engineering calculation package. A standard (non-expedited) plan-review submittal for a system outside these simplified limits would need full NEC Article 690/705 string and conductor calculations, but no county document spells that out explicitly for PV. 60% · county Expedited Solar PV checklist/Worksheet
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Threshold-based, not a blanket PE-stamp requirement. On the expedited path, no PE stamp is required if the mounting system carries a current Florida Building Commission-approved evaluation report (FL#/NOA/ICC-ES etc. per Rule 61G20-3) rated for PBC's 170 mph Vult design wind speed AND attaches directly to a roof truss/rafter (not deck/sheathing-only). Where no such generically-approved, truss/rafter-attached product is used — e.g. deck/sheathing-only attachment — the county's Building Code Advisory Board says 'site-specific engineering that demonstrates a continuous structural path... in accordance with the Florida Building Code, may be acceptable to the AHJ', which in practice means a PE/architect stamp. 88% · BCAB Technical Advisory, issued 19 Jul 2023
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required as a blanket rule for a residential system — the county's Expedited checklist treats FSEC certification as an alternative to a licensed-professional design: 'The System is FSEC Certified or is designed by an appropriate licensed professional.' No county document sets a kW or complexity threshold that triggers a mandatory electrical PE stamp for ordinary residential PV. 70% · county Expedited Solar PV 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? ePZB (Palm Beach County's online permitting portal, pbcgov.com/epzb / ePZB.Admin.WebSPA) for the permit application itself, plus SolarAPP+ (gosolarapp.org) as the front-end automated plan-review/self-issuance layer specifically for eligible rooftop PV — SolarApp+-approved plans and an approval ID are then uploaded into ePZB to generate the self-issued permit. 92% · county SolarAPP+ page + Permit Center page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes — for SolarAPP+-eligible rooftop systems the entire process (plan submission, automated review, permit application, self-issuance) can be completed online; for all other permit types the county states applications can be submitted online '24 hours a day/7 days a week' via ePZB. 85% · county SolarAPP+ page + Permit Center page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? 'By Value', $75 minimum — the current (system-generated 2 Mar 2026) county Fee Schedule prices both 'Solar-Photovoltaic' and 'Solar-Photovoltaic (SolarApp+)' identically as 'By Value ($75 Minimum)'. The underlying valuation-based bracket percentages could not be confirmed current: the only bracket table found (2.50%/1.75%/1.00%/0.75% marginal rates above the $75 base) is in a document dated 'Revised 08-04-09' (2009), and that same document's re-inspection fee figures ($50/$100/$300) do NOT match the current fee schedule's re-inspection fees ($50/$100/$200), proving the 2009 rate table is stale and the percentages likely changed since. 60% · current PZB Fee Schedule (Planning, Zoning and Building Fees, generated 2 Mar 2026)
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation (tiered/graduated 'By Value' fee), $75 minimum — not flat, not per-kW, not per-panel 75% · current PZB Fee Schedule
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? No separate plan-check fee for a submittal that fits within the base fee schedule — plan review 'On new submittals included in fee schedule' is charged 'Per I.A' (i.e., folded into the base valuation-based permit fee). Separate charges only apply for EXCESS review activity: $100 sufficiency re-review, $50 per sheet for repeated critique items on a 2nd review, and (per F.S. 553.80) 4x the plan-review fee for each review after the third. 55% · PZB fee schedule structure (dollar figures from a 2009-dated fee document, flagged as possibly stale)

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? Three different figures apply depending on track: (1) SolarAPP+ — automated/near-instant plan review and self-issued permit; county's own announcement says the program 'reduces permitting timelines by an average of three weeks' versus the prior process. (2) FS 553.791 (as amended by 2025 HB 683) — for a single-trade (including solar) plans review where the applicant elects a private provider, the local building official has 'no more than 5 business days' to issue the permit or list deficiencies, or the permit is automatically deemed approved and must issue the next business day. (3) No county-published turnaround figure was found for the standard (non-SolarApp+, non-private-provider) PV plan-review track specifically. 70% · Florida Statute 553.791 (2025), as amended by 2025 HB 683 (private-provider single-trade route)
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? One issuance term: every permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or if suspended/abandoned for 180 days after commencement. The Building Official may grant one or more written extensions of up to 180 days each on request with justifiable cause shown. 90% · PBC Amendments to the FBC, 8th Edition (2023), Sec. 105.5
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) — the investor-owned utility serving essentially all of unincorporated Palm Beach County. (Note: a handful of PBC municipalities run their own municipal electric utility, e.g. Lake Worth Beach Electric Utility, but that only affects properties inside those cities' limits, not the unincorporated-county AHJ this record covers.) 75% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines (utility's own published page)
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel, with final activation gated behind the permit: FPL's own process description is 'The customer on the account must complete an application, interconnect agreement, obtain a building permit...' (i.e., these can run concurrently) but 'Once construction is complete, a customer should provide a copy of the approved permit... [showing] Electrical and mechanical inspection signed off / approved by the local inspector' before FPL will install the required bi-directional meter, and 'Operation of the renewable generation system... prior to the installation of a new bi-directional meter is strictly prohibited.' 75% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines

The NEC edition a jurisdiction enforces is often a cycle behind the newest one published, and local amendments sit on top of it. Rapid shutdown, conductor sizing and labelling all change between editions, so the edition in force is the first thing to establish, not the last.

• Which NEC edition is in force? Other — NFPA 70 (NEC), 2020 edition, adopted by reference via Chapter 27 of the Florida Building Code, Building, 8th Edition (2023), which is the code cycle PBC amends and enforces (effective statewide 31 Dec 2023). 60% · FBC-Building 8th ed. (2023) Ch. 27 (adopts NFPA 70 by reference) + corroborating NFPA 70-2020 cross-reference
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) — Building, Residential and all other volumes — effective statewide 31 December 2023, as locally amended by Palm Beach County (Palm Beach County Amendments to the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023)). 95% · Palm Beach County Amendments to the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023)
• Which fire code edition is in force? Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition (2023), based on NFPA 1, 2021 edition — effective statewide 31 December 2023, as locally amended by Palm Beach County (Palm Beach County Local Amendments to the Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition). 85% · Palm Beach County Local Amendments to the Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes for both Building and Fire codes generally — PBC publishes its own ~100-page Building Code amendments document and a separate Local Amendments to the Florida Fire Prevention Code document. NO PV/solar-specific local amendment was found in either: a full-text search of both current documents for 'solar' and 'photovoltaic' returned zero hits. 85% · PBC Amendments to FBC 8th ed. + PBC Local Amendments to FFPC 8th ed. (full-text searched)
• What is the installation judged against? The installation is judged against the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) — specifically FBC-Residential Secs. R324 (Solar Energy Systems) and R328 (Energy Storage Systems) — and NFPA 70 (NEC), plus Palm Beach County's administrative amendments (Ch. 1, Scope & Administration) and, where applicable, the BCAB's 19 Jul 2023 Technical Advisory on mounting attachments and manufacturer/product listing (UL 1703 modules, UL 1741 inverters, UL 2703 mounting systems). 85% · FBC-Residential 8th ed. (2023) Secs. R324 & R328 + PBC amendments + BCAB advisory

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? Governed by the statewide FBC-Residential 8th ed. (2023) Sec. R324.6 (no PBC-specific amendment found — see Q32 control). Pathways: not fewer than two pathways ≥36 in wide from lowest roof edge to ridge on separate roof planes, at least one on the street/driveway side; a ≥36 in pathway on the same or an adjacent plane as each array. Ridge setback: 18 in clear setback both sides of a horizontal ridge where the array covers ≤33% of plan-view roof area, 36 in where it covers more than 33% (with a sprinklered-dwelling alternative raising those thresholds to 66%). No pathway/setback required on roofs ≤2:12 slope, on non-habitable detached structures, or where the code official determines rooftop fire operations won't be used. Panels may not sit below an emergency escape/rescue opening, and a ≥36 in pathway must reach that opening. 82% · FBC-Residential 8th ed. (2023) Sec. R324.6, cross-checked against PBC's local fire amendments (no override found)

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 — required per NEC (NFPA 70) Art. 690.12, incorporated by FBC-Residential Sec. R324.3 ('Photovoltaic systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with... NFPA 70'). The county adopts NFPA 70-2020 via the FBC 8th ed. (2023) — see Q29 — so rapid shutdown is judged to the 2020 NEC's Art. 690.12 requirements. No PBC-specific rapid-shutdown amendment was found. 62% · FBC-Residential 8th ed. (2023) Sec. R324.3 (adopts NFPA 70 by reference)

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? A combination of state-code-driven NEC/UL labels (module/inverter/mounting listing labels per FBC-Residential R324.3.1) and utility-required placards from FPL: a warning sign at the AC disconnect switch noting both sides may be energized, a location-map sign at the meter identifying where the disconnect is, and — for any battery storage — a placard 'permanently affixed to the meter enclosure stating "Battery storage utilized in this facility".' No PBC-specific placard beyond deferring to the NEC was found ('Post warning sign... according to CEC' is the Alameda County phrasing; PBC's own documents likewise just require code-compliant labeling without adding wording of their own — see Q39). 75% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines + FBC-Residential R324.3.1
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — Palm Beach County itself specifies no placard wording of its own for solar; its published PV documents (Expedited checklist/Worksheet, PBC Amendments to the FBC, ULDC Art. 5.B.1.A.27) point to code-compliant listing/labeling (UL 1703/1741/2703, NEC) rather than prescribing text. The UTILITY (FPL), separately, does specify example wording — see Q42. 75% · county Expedited Solar PV checklist + PBC Amendments to the FBC (searched, no PBC-authored wording found)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? No PBC-specific letter-height/colour/material spec found — the county's documents rely on the FBC/NEC's own listing and marking requirements (UL 1703/1741/2703 labels as manufactured) rather than restating dimensions. FPL's published guidelines likewise describe warning signage functionally ('a warning sign indicating that both sides of the switch may be energized') without giving a minimum letter height, colour, or material spec (unlike some utilities, e.g. PG&E, which specify 3/8 in minimum and ANSI Z535.4/phenolic material) — FPL's page states 'Please contact FPL for approval of a remote switch location and the verbiage or the location of the sign prior to the final design,' implying it is handled case-by-case rather than published. 55% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines (no dimensional spec found) + county documents (no PBC-specific spec found)
• Is a site plan / facility map placard required, and what must it show? Yes, required via two routes. NEC/FBC: a plaque or directory identifying the location of the service disconnect and PV disconnect (incorporated via FBC-Residential R324.3's adoption of NFPA 70). FPL (utility): 'A sign noting the location of the disconnect switch should be installed at the meter to enable FPL personnel to easily locate the disconnect switch in the event of an emergency,' required specifically whenever the AC disconnect is not co-located with/adjacent to the meter in an obvious way. 75% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes, substantially beyond the AHJ. FPL requires: the AC disconnect switch mounted separate from but adjacent to the FPL meter socket (Tier 2/3 systems), lockable with a single FPL padlock, accessible to FPL at all times (not in a locked meter room); a warning sign on the disconnect noting both sides may be energized; a location-map sign at the meter if the disconnect isn't obviously co-located; for any battery storage system, a placard permanently affixed to the meter enclosure reading 'Battery storage utilized in this facility'; and UL 9540 certification for battery equipment (or DC-coupling behind a UL 1741-listed device if not UL 9540 certified). 90% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines (utility's own published requirements)
• Where must the labels be placed? At the AC disconnect switch (front of enclosure, per FPL); at the meter, via a location-map sign if the disconnect is not obviously adjacent to the meter (FPL); on the battery enclosure/meter enclosure for any ESS (FPL); and at each module/inverter/junction box/combiner box/disconnect and rapid-shutdown-initiation device per NEC listing and labeling requirements incorporated through FBC-Residential R324.3/R328.6. No PBC-specific placement list beyond these code/utility sources was found. 70% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines + FBC-Residential R324.3/R328.6

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? Per the utility (FPL), not the AHJ: the manual AC disconnect switch (required for Tier 2/3 systems, i.e. above 10 kW AC) 'shall be mounted separate from, but adjacent to, the FPL meter socket', must remain accessible to FPL at all times (not locked in a meter room), and must be lockable in the open position with a single FPL padlock. FPL's published guidelines describe Tier 2/3 requirements specifically; they do not state a Tier 1 (≤10 kW, i.e. the overwhelming majority of residential systems) exemption from a disconnect switch in the text obtained — only that the switch requirement is stated under the Tier 2/3 heading. 78% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? No PBC-specific approved-equipment list; equipment must simply be listed/labeled to the applicable UL standard: photovoltaic panels/modules to UL 1703, inverters to UL 1741 (utility-interactive listing required for grid-tied systems), mounting systems to UL 2703, and (for any ESS) the storage equipment to UL 9540. The county's own Expedited checklist separately requires: 'All modules, inverters, combiner boxes, etc. are identified, listed and labeled for use in PV systems.' 85% · FBC-Residential 8th ed. (2023) Secs. R324.3.1 & R328.2 + county Expedited checklist
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, under FBC-Residential Sec. R328 (Energy Storage Systems, state code, no PBC-specific ESS amendment found). Conditions include: UL 9540 listing (or an exception for <1 kWh or units marked 'For use in residential dwelling units'); individual unit rating capped at 20 kWh; aggregate rating capped at 40 kWh in utility closets/basements/storage spaces, or 80 kWh in garages/detached accessory structures/on exterior walls/outdoors on the ground (larger aggregates must be reviewed under the Florida Fire Prevention Code); allowed locations include detached garages, separated attached garages, exterior walls ≥3 ft from doors/windows, and enclosed utility/storage spaces with fire-rated (5/8 in Type X gypsum) finish; prohibited in sleeping rooms or spaces opening into them; smoke alarms (and interconnected heat detectors in some locations) required in rooms containing ESS; electrical installation per NFPA 70, inverters listed to UL 1741 or part of the UL 9540 listing. 85% · FBC-Residential 8th ed. (2023) Sec. R328, cross-checked against PBC's local fire amendments (no override found)
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? Not confirmed as a distinct permit/inspection line. The current county Fee Schedule was searched for 'battery', 'ESS' and 'energy storage' and returned zero fee-code hits (unlike, e.g., Alameda County CA, which has an explicit 'Battery (ESS) $140' line) — meaning ESS work in PBC is most likely folded into the same 'By Value' Solar-Photovoltaic fee/permit rather than ticketed separately, but no county document states this affirmatively either way. 50% · current PZB Fee Schedule (searched, no battery/ESS line item found)
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Not classified outright as a 'structure' by the county's zoning code — ULDC Art. 5.B.1.A.27.b explicitly classifies Solar Energy Systems as 'mechanical equipment', which may sit on principal or accessory buildings. However, systems installed independent of a building ('on other structures', which as a practical matter covers ground-mount racks) are still subject to structure-like setback and screening standards (front/side-street-yard restriction, 25 ft minimum from property line if under 6 ft tall, full visual screening) under the same section — so in effect a ground mount is treated much like an accessory structure for siting purposes even though it is not labeled one. 60% · ULDC Art. 5.B.1.A.27
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? Yes — Palm Beach County's Building Code Advisory Board issued a formal Technical Advisory (19 Jul 2023) stating that ONLY mounting attachments directly to roof structural members (trusses/rafters, with lag screws) have been validated to meet PBC's design wind loads; 'deck/sheathing only' attachment methods have not produced sufficient load-resistance data and are not accepted without site-specific engineering demonstrating a continuous structural load path. Separately, the Expedited-path Worksheet caps point-load attachments at 50 lbs and distributed load at 5 psf, requires roof framing at ≤24" on-center, ≥3 ft edge setback, ≤6" cantilever, and ≤12" gap under modules. 92% · BCAB Technical Advisory, issued 19 Jul 2023, 'Rooftop Solar PV Mounting Structural Attachments'

Booking is a portal, a phone call or an email depending on the authority, and the notice required is rarely zero. Book before the work is finished rather than after — the lead time, not the work, is usually what sets the date.

• How is an inspection booked? Portal or Phone — schedule via the ePZB online portal (24/7, next-day cutoff at midnight), or via the automated telephone inspection-request line: (561) 355-2222, or (888) 236-3807 for South County/Belle Glade. 90% · county Field Inspections Office instruction sheet, rev. 16 Jan 2025
• How much notice is required? Effectively next-business-day: the online system is 'Available 24/7 allowing next day inspection scheduling until midnight'; the automated phone system operates weekdays 6:30 a.m.–11:00 p.m. and weekends 6:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m., with the same next-business-day default (press '#' for the next business day, or enter a date up to 180 days ahead). 85% · county Field Inspections Office instruction sheet, rev. 16 Jan 2025
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Not offered as a selectable AM/PM preference in any document found — instead the county publishes each inspector's tentative day-of itinerary and direct phone number through the 'Inspection History'/'Scheduled Inspections' screens in ePZB and via the Correction Notice the inspector leaves on site, so the applicant tracks approximate timing rather than choosing a window in advance. 60% · county Field Inspections Office instruction sheet, rev. 16 Jan 2025 (no AM/PM option found)

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 for unincorporated Palm Beach County — the PZB Building Division's own Chief Structural/Electrical/Mechanical Inspectors perform final inspections. Delegated for the 39-40 incorporated municipalities within county boundaries, each of which runs and inspects under its own building department. 90% · county Field Inspections Office instruction sheet + PAO municipal permit directory
• If delegated, to whom? Where delegated, to the individual municipality's own building department (e.g. City of Boca Raton, City of West Palm Beach, Town of Palm Beach, Village of Wellington, etc.) — 39-40 separate departments listed by the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's office. 85% · Palm Beach County Property Appraiser — Municipality Permit Departments 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.

• Which inspections are required, and in what order? Standard track: permit issuance → installation → final inspection(s) — 'Final Electric' (inspection code 203) and, where structural/roofing work is involved, 'Final Building' (code 128) — no dedicated PV-specific inspection code exists in the county's own code list. Expedited/CVC track: same final-inspection requirement, but the licensed Qualifier must also personally inspect the completed roof-mount system and sign the 'Qualifier's Certification of Installation' (Attachment C), which 'must be accepted and approved in order to pass the Final Inspection', and photographic evidence of each installation phase is required to be on file. 70% · county Inspection Request Codes sheet (rev. 16 Jan 2025) + Expedited Solar PV checklist

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? Yes — the county publishes the 'Expedited Solar PV Permit Application Checklist' (which doubles as an installation/inspection-readiness checklist via its structural and electrical initialing items and the Attachment C final-inspection certification). No separate, dedicated inspection-only checklist for the standard (non-expedited) track was found. 70% · county Expedited Solar PV Permit Application Checklist
• What must be on site at inspection? Per the county's Expedited-path documents: the approved plans/permit, manufacturer specifications and product listing/certification documents for all equipment, and — critically — the completed and notarized Qualifier's Certification of Installation form (Attachment C), which must be presented to the inspector and accepted/approved in order to pass the Final Inspection. Photographic evidence of each installation phase is also required to be maintained/available. 80% · county Expedited Solar PV Permit Application Checklist, Attachment C
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Very likely yes, but not a direct county statement — the Expedited path requires the licensed Qualifier to certify at final inspection that the installation is 'in compliance with the Florida Building Code, National Electrical Code and Approved Plans', and FBC-Residential R324.3.1/R328.2 make UL listing/labeling a code requirement the Building Inspector is enforcing when signing off Final Electric/Final Building. No county document explicitly says 'the inspector checks labels'. 55% · county Expedited Solar PV checklist (Qualifier's Certification) + FBC-Residential R324.3.1/R328.2

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 — a passed 'Final Electric' (and, where applicable, 'Final Building') inspection closes out the permit. Since a residential rooftop PV retrofit is an alteration to an already-existing, already-occupied single-family dwelling (not new construction), no new Certificate of Occupancy is issued; the county's own documents describe passing the 'Final Inspection' as the trigger event (e.g., the Qualifier's Certification 'must be accepted and approved in order to pass the Final Inspection'). 65% · county Inspection Request Codes sheet + Expedited Solar PV checklist
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer/Customer — FPL's own process puts the burden on the account holder: 'Once construction is complete, a customer should provide a copy of the approved permit or a screen print from the local authority's website indicating the permit has been approved' (showing the inspection sign-off, permit number, address, work description and building department name) to FPL, which then installs the required bi-directional meter before net-metered operation is authorized. 80% · FPL Net Metering Guidelines
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $50 (1st reinspection), $100 (2nd reinspection), $200 (3rd reinspection) — tiered, not flat. 90% · current PZB Fee Schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Issued as a physical correction notice: 'the yellow Correction Notice the inspector inserts into onsite plans' at the time of a failed/incomplete inspection. Cleared by having the corrected work reinspected — scheduled the same way as the original inspection (ePZB portal or the automated phone line), which becomes a chargeable re-inspection (see Q59) if it is the 2nd or subsequent attempt. 80% · county Field Inspections Office instruction sheet, rev. 16 Jan 2025