Town of Davie

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 Town of Davie Building Division is the AHJ for residential rooftop solar within town limits 92% · department page + county-side confirmation
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — Davie's Building Division issues and reviews Structural, Electrical and (if applicable) Plumbing permits itself for solar. A Planning & Zoning review is also triggered if panels are ground-mounted. No delegation to Broward County; Broward County's Board of Rules and Appeals (BORA) sets countywide minimum HVHZ submittal standards that Davie's review must meet, but BORA issues no permits itself. 90% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes — a building permit is required for residential rooftop PV 95% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Combined under a master permit with separate trade reviews — Broward County BORA Policy #09-02 requires 'Building Departments shall establish an individual master permit for both Solar Thermal and Solar Electric installations to which applicable subsidiary categories are to be tied,' and Davie's own checklist lists Structural, Electrical and Plumbing as separate 'Required Permit Applications' tied to the same job, each with its own review stop. 80% · Broward County BORA Policy #09-02, as hosted by Davie
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No — no HOA/architectural-board approval appears in Davie's own list of required reviews for solar 70% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• Is there a historic-district review? No — historic-district review does not appear among Davie's solar review stops 60% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? Effectively yes, via the required structural PE stamp rather than a separate 'wind certification' document — the same PE/RA-sealed structural submittal required for every roof-mounted PV job must document compliance with FBC wind-uplift and lateral-force provisions (FBCB 1616.1.2, 1620.1-3, 1621) as part of Broward's HVHZ overlay. 75% · Broward County BORA Permit Submittal Matrix, as hosted by Davie
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No AHJ-imposed system-size cap was found in Davie's own materials; the effective ceiling on residential systems comes from FPL's net-metering tariff, not the Town: FPL's Tier 1 program requires the Gross Power Rating to (a) not exceed 90% of the customer's utility distribution service rating, (b) be 10 kW AC or less, and (c) have AC generating capacity under 115% of the customer's trailing 12-month kWh usage. 70% · FPL PSC-filed Electric Tariff, Section 9, Tier 1 Interconnection Agreement 2.1

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

• Who is allowed to pull the electrical permit? Either, with a restriction — a licensed Electrical Contractor may perform both the PV and electrical scope; a Certified/Registered Solar Contractor may not perform the electrical portion. Davie's checklist states plainly: 'Solar contractors cannot install electrical portion. Electrical contractors can install solar panels and electrical portion.' BORA Policy #09-02 additionally allows Certified/Registered Plumbing Contractors to hold the Solar Thermal master permit. 90% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes — contractors must register with the Town before pulling permits 85% · Town of Davie General Information page
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes — owner-builder self-permit is explicitly available for solar 92% · Town of Davie Solar Panel 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? Per Davie's Solar Panel Checklist: Building Permit Application; signed/notarized Addendum Form (contractor + owner); Notice of Commencement if job >$5,000; Owner-Builder Disclosure Statement if owner-builder; signed contract recommended as proof of job value >$5,000; Workers' Comp Exemption Letter if applicable; copy of Broward County Property Appraiser ownership search. Minimum plan submittal: Planning & Zoning review triggered if ground-mounted; signed/sealed survey (or Survey Affidavit if >2 yrs old and unchanged); site plan/elevations showing all proposed work with dimensions/setbacks; Hold Harmless utility-easement form if work is in an easement; Tree Affidavit if applicable; drainage-district approvals if applicable; a dedicated set of electrical and structural plans; a completed Special Inspector form for any PV job of more than 1 panel; the county Permit Submittal Matrix for Solar Thermal/Electric; an electrical schematic showing all components labeled, wire sizes, grounding, circuit sizing, overcurrent protection, disconnect location and signage location; plus the separate 'Solar Panel Information Required' handout (manufacturer specs/listings for modules, inverters, combiners, ESS, racking, and wire-size calcs). 93% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic only, via the Town's OAS/ProjectDox portal — no paper-copy count is specified because submittal is now a required electronic upload 70% · Town of Davie Online Self Service page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes. Provide a signed/sealed survey (or executed Survey Affidavit if the survey is >2 years old and the property is unchanged), plus a site plan (and building elevations if applicable) clearly showing the location of the proposed work with dimensions and setbacks; all existing site features (fencing, driveways, generators, etc.) must be highlighted, and Planning & Zoning review is triggered if the panels will be ground-mounted. 90% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes — an electrical schematic/one-line diagram is required 90% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist + Broward BORA Permit Matrix
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes — wire size calculations are required 88% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Information Required handout
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes, for essentially every job — signed/sealed structural design by a Florida-licensed PE or Registered Architect is required for roof-mounted PV/solar-thermal equipment (documenting wind-uplift/lateral force compliance and connection design), and Davie separately requires a completed Special Inspector form for any PV job proposing more than 1 panel — i.e. there is effectively no de-minimis exemption for a typical residential array. 85% · Broward County BORA Permit Submittal Matrix, as hosted by Davie
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Yes, in the alternative — PV system plans must be signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed Professional Engineer, OR certified by the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), which issues a System Certification Approval Form; there is no minimum-size threshold stated — this applies to the PV system generally. 85% · Broward County BORA Permit Submittal Matrix, as hosted by Davie

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? Three linked systems: OAS (Online Application Submittal, required for all new submissions as of 12 Jan 2026) feeds into ProjectDox for electronic plan review; eSuite (esuite.davie-fl.gov) is used for permit status lookup, balance-due, and inspection scheduling/results. 88% · Town of Davie Online Self Service page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes, as of 12 Jan 2026 — OAS is the required electronic route for submitting the application and all required documents 82% · Town of Davie Online Self Service page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? No flat fee — valuation-based: Permit fee is 0.95% of construction value (minimum $55), PLUS a separate Plan Review fee of 0.75% of construction value (minimum $25), plus statutory surcharges (BORA 0.25/$1,000, Training/Tech 6% of permit fee, DBPR 1% min $2, BCAIB 1.5% min $2). There is no dedicated 'solar' or 'photovoltaic' line item anywhere in the fee schedule. 90% · Town of Davie Building Permit Fee Schedule, eff. 1 Oct 2025
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation — percentage of declared/assessed construction value, not a flat, per-kW, or per-panel fee 90% · Town of Davie Building Permit Fee Schedule, eff. 1 Oct 2025
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes — plan review is a separate, non-refundable fee from the permit fee 90% · Town of Davie Building Permit Fee Schedule, eff. 1 Oct 2025

Interconnection is a separate process from the permit and usually the longer pole. Where the utility does not depend on the permit being issued, running both at once is the single biggest saving available on a residential job.

• What is the stated plan-review turnaround? Approximately 30 business/working days 85% · Town of Davie Building Division FAQ
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? Davie's own General Information page currently states 180 days: once a permit is printed it 'remains valid as long as work begins within 180 days from the date issued' (FBC 105.3.2.1), and expires if inactive 90 days; renewal is for another 180 days. This is now BELOW the Florida statutory floor: CS/CS/HB 803 (enrolled, 2026 Legislature, effective 1 Jul 2026) amends F.S. 553.79(1)(c): 'A building permit issued by a local government for a single-family dwelling expires 1 year after the issuance of the permit or on the effective date of the next edition of the Florida Building Code, whichever is later.' Davie's public-facing page does not appear to have been updated to reflect the new 1-year statutory floor for single-family-dwelling permits (most residential PV falls in that category). 75% · Town of Davie General Information page vs. enrolled CS/CS/HB 803 (2026), F.S. 553.79(1)(c)
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) 95% · Town of Davie FY2026 Adopted Budget + FPL PSC-filed tariff Section 7
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel application, but After permit for the substantive step — FPL's own Tier 1 Interconnection Agreement (the form covering virtually all residential PV, ≤10kW AC) requires the customer to 'provide Local Building Code Official inspection and certification of installation... that the installation was permitted, has been approved, and has met all electrical and mechanical qualifications' before FPL will complete interconnection/grant Permission to Operate. The interconnection application itself can be filed in parallel with permitting, but PTO is gated on the completed local permit and final inspection. 85% · FPL PSC-filed Electric Tariff, Section 9, Tier 1 Interconnection Agreement

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 85% · Broward County BORA Formal Interpretations index (Wayback capture, 13 Jun 2025)
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) — in force since 31 December 2023 85% · Broward County BORA Formal Interpretations index (Wayback capture, 13 Jun 2025)
• Which fire code edition is in force? Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition, with Broward County Amendments 75% · Broward County BORA homepage
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes — Broward County (BORA) local amendments and Formal Interpretations apply on top of the base Florida Building/Fire codes, countywide including Davie 85% · Broward County BORA Policy #09-02, as hosted by Davie
• What is the installation judged against? The Florida Building Code (Building, Residential and Existing Building volumes, 8th Edition/2023) plus NFPA 70 (NEC), 2020 edition, as amended by Broward County's countywide Administrative Provisions (BCAP) and BORA policies/Formal Interpretations for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), which Broward is one of only two Florida counties inside. 80% · Broward County BORA Permit Submittal Matrix, as hosted by Davie

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 Town of Davie 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 inference from the mandatory NEC Article 690 compliance requirement — but not independently cited by section number in any Davie document 65% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Information Required handout

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.

• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No — Davie does not specify its own placard wording; it requires that required signage be shown on the electrical plans but leaves the wording to NEC 690/705/706 65% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes, in one specific case — FPL requires a permanent weather-proof plaque adjacent to the FPL meter socket indicating the location of the manual disconnect switch, but only where the disconnect cannot be mounted adjacent to the meter for safety/design reasons; where a UL 1741-listed inverter-based Tier 1 system (virtually all residential PV) can be sited normally, FPL requires no customer disconnect switch or plaque at all. 85% · FPL PSC-filed Electric Tariff, Section 9, Tier 1 Interconnection Agreement
• Where must the labels be placed? At the disconnect location shown on the approved electrical plans — Davie requires the plans to show 'disconnect location complete with signage and location of signage'; FPL separately requires that where a manual disconnect switch is not adjacent to the meter, a weatherproof plaque go 'adjacent to FPL's meter socket' pointing to the switch's actual location. 75% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist + FPL PSC-filed tariff

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? For the ~10kW-and-under UL 1741-listed inverter systems that cover almost all residential PV (FPL Tier 1), no AC disconnect switch is required by the utility at all. Where a disconnect IS required (non-UL-1741 Tier 1, or Tier 2/3), it must be a visible load-break-type switch mounted separate from, but immediately adjacent to, the FPL meter socket, lockable by a single FPL padlock; only if that location is impractical may it be relocated elsewhere on the premises, in which case a permanent weatherproof plaque must be posted at the meter socket pointing to its actual location. 85% · FPL PSC-filed Electric Tariff, Section 9
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes — PV system components must carry recognized product/listing approval 85% · Broward County BORA Permit Submittal Matrix, as hosted by Davie
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, under the 2021 IRC Section R328 as adopted: ESS must be UL 9540-listed/labeled (or, for repurposed EV batteries, meet specific outdoor/detached-shed siting rules); units must be installed per manufacturer instructions with ≥3 ft spacing; restricted to detached garages/accessory structures, separated attached garages, exterior walls ≥3 ft from doors/windows, or enclosed/fire-rated utility spaces — never in sleeping rooms or their closets; individual units capped at 20 kWh with aggregate caps of 40-80 kWh depending on location; inverters must be UL 1741-listed; smoke/heat detection and, where applicable, mechanical ventilation and vehicle-impact protection are required; and documentation/labeling (O&M/decommissioning instructions plus a maintenance-contact label) must be provided. 90% · Town of Davie Solar Permits/Energy Storage Systems (2021 IRC) handout
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No — ESS is bundled into the same solar electrical permit rather than requiring its own separate permit/inspection 60% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Information Required handout
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes — a ground-mounted array triggers Planning & Zoning review the way a structure would 88% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Checklist
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No fixed spacing table — Davie/Broward require an engineered, project-specific attachment design rather than a prescriptive spacing rule: the structural submittal must be a PE/RA-signed design demonstrating the racking and support framing meet HVHZ wind-uplift and lateral-force requirements, with connection design and dead-load compliance shown for that specific installation. 75% · Broward County BORA Permit Submittal Matrix, as hosted by Davie

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 (eSuite, for registered contractors) or Phone (automated call-in system) — plus an OAS-based inspection-request form 85% · Town of Davie Inspections page
• How much notice is required? Effectively 1 business day — requests received by 4:30pm are scheduled for the next business day 85% · Town of Davie Inspections page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No fixed AM/PM window is offered at booking; an approximate time frame becomes visible online only on the morning of the inspection 75% · Town of Davie Inspections page

Some authorities inspect their own solar work; some delegate it, and a few do not inspect the PV equipment itself at all. Who is coming determines what they will look at.

• Does this AHJ perform its own final solar inspection? Yes, by default — Davie's own in-house Electrical, Structural, Mechanical and Plumbing inspectors perform final inspections; a state-licensed Private Provider under F.S. 553.791 may be used instead, at the applicant's election 85% · Town of Davie Inspections page + Private Providers page
• If delegated, to whom? A Florida-licensed private provider (engineer, architect, or state-certified building code inspector) engaged under Florida Statute 553.791, at the applicant's option and subject to prior Building Official approval 75% · Town of Davie Private Providers page

A rough-in or mid-roof inspection, where one is required, has to happen before the work it covers is closed up. Missing a stage means opening something back up, and it is the most expensive kind of correction.

• Which inspections are required, and in what order? Per Broward County BORA Policy #09-02 (binding on Davie): for Solar Electric — Building/Structure/Roofing at Time of Installation and Final, plus Electrical Rough and Final; for Solar Thermal — Building/Structure/Roofing at Time of Installation and Final, plus Plumbing Final; for Hybrid (combined PV + integral solar-thermal) systems — Building/Structure/Roofing Time-of-Installation and Final, Electrical Rough and Final, and Plumbing Final. 88% · Broward County BORA Policy #09-02, as hosted by Davie
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Yes — a 'Time of Installation'/roofing inspection and an Electrical Rough inspection are both required ahead of the finals 85% · Broward County BORA Policy #09-02, as hosted by Davie

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.

• What must be on site at inspection? A certified copy of the recorded Notice of Commencement, posted at the job site, is required for the first inspection (which cannot occur less than 7 days after permit issuance) if job value exceeds $5,000 — 'In the absence of such posted notice, the inspection will not be approved and a re-inspection fee will be charged.' The physical inspection record card/sheet (Town of Davie seal, 8.5x11) issued with the permit package must also be available on site for the inspector. 80% · Town of Davie General Information page
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Likely yes, but not stated as an explicit inspector checklist item in any Davie document I could read 60% · Town of Davie Solar Panel Information Required handout (inferred inspector practice)

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 — the electrical/building permit is closed out on passing its final inspection(s); a Certificate of Occupancy/Completion is not generally reissued for an existing single-family home undergoing a PV retrofit (Davie's CO/TCO fee schedule addresses new construction and use changes, not routine PV additions). 60% · Broward County BORA Policy #09-02 inspection sequence, as hosted by Davie
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? Installer/Customer — FPL does not pull the local permit result itself; the customer/installer submits proof of the Building Official's completed inspection and certification to FPL as part of completing the Interconnection Agreement, which is a precondition to Permission to Operate 75% · FPL PSC-filed Electric Tariff, Section 9, Tier 1 Interconnection Agreement
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $75 for the first re-inspection, $100 for the second, $150 for the third and each subsequent re-inspection 90% · Town of Davie Building Permit Fee Schedule, eff. 1 Oct 2025
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Corrections are issued through the electronic review system (ProjectDox/OAS) as reviewer comments tied to the plan set; resubmittals are free the first two times but a Correction Resubmission fee ('$50.00 per Discipline or $15.00 a sheet, whichever is greater') applies starting at the third submittal and every submittal after that where prior comments were not addressed. This is Davie's general plan-review correction process; no solar-specific correction procedure is separately published. 65% · Town of Davie Building Permit Fee Schedule, eff. 1 Oct 2025