Town of Pembroke Park

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 Pembroke Park (Broward County, pop. ~6,260, entirely inside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone) is the AHJ for residential rooftop PV inside its limits. It runs an in-house Building Department - Chief Building Official Emmanuel Agbenohevi - that issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, zoning and floodplain permits and performs its own inspections. It is NOT a contract community: the FY2026 Adopted Budget states 'Building is fully staffed with 6 employees and 0 opens' and 'Town is fully staffed'. 96% · department page + adopted budget + FS 553.80(7)(b) report
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both, and more: the Town permits and inspects Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Zoning/Planning, Engineering and Floodplain itself. Three things sit elsewhere - (a) contractor LICENSING is Broward County (State Registration & Broward County Certificate of Competency), (b) FIRE RESCUE is contracted to the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO Fire Station 27, 2610 SW 40th Avenue), and (c) the administrative code (FBC Chapter 1) is Broward County's, written by the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals and adopted verbatim by Town Code Sec. 5-16. 92% · adopting ordinance + department forms
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes. The Town's own Solar Panels Application Checklist opens: 'The installation, replacement or major repair of a Solar Panel (photovoltaic) requires a Permit be issued.' Separately, BORA Board Policy 22-03 (the Mandatory Countywide Rooftop Mounted Equipment Affidavit, effective 24 Oct 2022, revised 17 Nov 2022), which the Town publishes and requires with every HVHZ roofing permit, states 'PERMITS ARE REQUIRED FOR: REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS.' 97% · published submittal checklist
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Separate, and at least two of them. The Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application (Revised 01-08-2026, effective 03-09-2026) is a one-trade-per-form document ('Select One Trade: Building / Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Other') and its owner's affidavit reads 'I understand that a separate permit must be secured for ELECTRICAL WORK, PLUMBING, SIGNS, WELLS, POOLS, FURNACES, BOILERS, HEATERS, TANKS, and AIR CONDITIONERS'. The Solar Panels Application Checklist requires a Broward County Uniform Permit Application with Structural checked AND one with Electrical checked AND (for thermal/hybrid) one with Plumbing checked, plus a separate zoning Review Application. 95% · permit application + submittal checklist
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? Yes, and it is codified and mandatory - one of the strongest association gates found in this survey. Town Code Sec. 5-28: 'All building permit applications for real property located on land which is subject to legally binding covenants, conditions, rules or regulations of a property association such as a homeowners association, condominium association, or co-operative association must be co-signed by the property owner and the manager or officer of the property association prior to the issuance of any building permit.' Sec. 5-29 then makes the association responsible for ensuring the permitted work is completed in compliance. The Solar Panels Application Checklist independently requires an 'Association approval letter for the scope of work performed.' 94% · ordinance + submittal checklist
• Is there a historic-district review? No. There is no historic-district review in Pembroke Park. 'Certificate of appropriateness' returns ZERO hits across the whole codified corpus; there is no historic preservation board, no design review board and no architectural review board in Chapter 2 (Administration, all thirteen articles recovered) or Chapter 28 (Zoning, all nine articles and all fifteen district divisions recovered). The only 'historic' machinery in the code is the flood ordinance's historic-building variance at Sec. 10-61. 88% · code of ordinances (full-corpus search)
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? Not a 'windstorm certification' as such - Florida Product Approval, filed before installation, plus wind evidence in the drawings. Broward FBC Ch.1 107.3.5.4: 'Product approvals shall be reviewed and approved by the building designer prior to submittal... Product approval shall be filed with the Building Official for review and approval prior to installation.' The PV plan-review list requires (d) 'Wind resistance ratings of modules', (e) 'Roof live load approval', (f) 'Fire classification of buildings and modules' and (h) 'Design load path'. The Town's checklist requires 'attachment details, flashing details, construction design for the unit and any supporting frame members (sealed by the appropriate design professional) for the Wind Zone, additional loading, and any site conditions.' NO WIND SPEED IN MPH IS STATED ANYWHERE in either corpus. 87% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No. A rooftop PV array needs no special exception, variance or Town Commission approval. Chapter 28 Article IV (Supplemental District Regulations, 41 docs) and Article V (Non-conforming uses) were read in full and neither lists solar; the Special Exception and Variance application checklists on the Town Planner's page are triggered by use and dimensional relief, not by equipment. A zoning Review Application IS required with every PV submittal, but that is a staff-level review, not a hearing. 72% · code of ordinances (full-corpus search)
• Is there a system-size cap on residential generation? No Town-level cap. The binding limits are FPL's: net metering tiers are Tier 1 up to and including 10 kW AC, Tier 2 over 10 kW to 100 kW, Tier 3 over 100 kW to 2 MW; and 'Customer generation is limited to 90 percent of the FPL distribution service rating (Transformer).' Crossing 10 kW AC moves a residential job from Tier 1 into Tier 2 and triggers the mandatory visually-open DER disconnect switch (see Q48), so 10 kW AC is the number that changes the job. 80% · utility DG manual + code absence

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

• Who is allowed to pull the electrical permit? Licensed electrician for the electrical permit, building/solar contractor for the building permit. The Solar Panels Application Checklist says, verbatim: 'Solar Contractors (PV) may obtain the Building permit in either Solar Thermal or Photovoltaic systems. Plumbing Contractors may obtain the master permit in the Solar Thermal category. Electrical Contractors may obtain the Electrical permit in the Photovoltaic category, being that a building contractor shall obtain the Building permit for the installation of the panels.' 93% · published submittal checklist
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes, and it is a hard gate. The Building Department page states 'Each contractor must register with the Town, showing proof of their qualifications prior to obtaining a permit for construction.' The Contractors Registration Form repeats it: 'In order for contractors to obtain permit from the Town of Pembroke Park, they Must register with the building Division.' Required with the form: Qualifier's driver's licence, workers' compensation or exemption, State Registration AND Broward County Certificate of Competency, business tax receipt, State certification licence, and a general liability certificate that must name the Town of Pembroke Park as Certificate Holder. 95% · department page + registration form
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Yes, but only at a single-family residence or a duplex. The Solar Panels Application Checklist states 'Owner/Builder applications can only be accepted for single family residences and duplex as per FS 489.103.7.a', and the same checklist requires an owner-builder to provide 'the list of labor (the cost of the standard labor must be included) and materials' in place of a signed contract. The Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application carries an Owner-Builder box and a 'License Exempted per F.S. 489.117(4)(a)1' box. 90% · published submittal 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? A complete PV submittal here is: (1) Broward County Uniform Permit Application, Structural checked, from a licensed contractor; (2) the same application, Electrical checked; (3) a zoning Review Application; (4) survey or site plan showing the location and extension of the work; (5) association approval letter for the scope of work; (6) signed and sealed drawings by a Licensed Engineer/Architect - a roof plan to scale showing panel locations, an electrical diagram showing PV array configuration, wiring system, overcurrent protection, inverter disconnect, grounding and the AC connection to the building; specification sheets with listings of all components and installation manuals for PV modules, inverter(s), combiner box, disconnect and mounting system; attachment details, flashing details and the construction design for the unit and any supporting frame members sealed by the appropriate design professional for the Wind Zone, additional loading and site conditions; for battery backup a summary of all standby loads with power ratings and estimated daily energy consumption; and electrical calculations showing wire sizing by ampacity, conduit fill and ambient derating; (7) EITHER a Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) System Approval Report OR signed and sealed engineered drawings; (8) Special Inspector Form if there are connections for truss anchorage; (9) a signed contract stating the value of the scope of work; (10) a recorded Notice of Commencement if the contract price exceeds $2,500; and (11) a Building Department Document Transmittal Form, without which a submittal 'will be returned without further processing'. 92% · published submittal checklist
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic, by email to permits@tppfl.gov, with a Building Department Transmittal Form (BDTF) on top of every package. The Town states: 'All Submissions require a Building Department Transmittal Form (BDTF). Any Submissions missing a BDTF will be returned without further processing.' Permit revisions, shop drawings and deferred engineering submittals additionally require their own Broward County Uniform Building Application. No copy count is published. 85% · department page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes. Two instruments require it. The Town's checklist: 'Survey or Site Plan showing the location and extension of the proposed work' plus a scaled Roof Plan 'indicating the location of the solar panels installation on the roof'. Broward's codified FBC Chapter 1, Sec. 107.3.5 building plan-review item A.14 'Photovoltaic' opens with (a) Site plan. The Broward application form itself also demands Flood Zn and BFE on its face, so the site plan has to carry flood data on any lot in a special flood hazard area. 92% · county code + submittal checklist
• Is a one-line / three-line diagram required? Yes - and Broward asks for a THREE-line diagram, not a one-line. Codified FBC Chapter 1 Sec. 107.3.5 electrical plan-review item B.19 'Photovoltaic' lists: (a) Layout plan including combiner box and accessible junction boxes; (b) Size of system number of modules; (c) Wire size at the coldest temperature; (d) Listing and model numbers of all equipment and racking; (e) Inverter rating and location; (f) Three-line diagram; (g) Connection to utility line side or load side Busbar ratings; (h) Grounding; (i) Labeling. The Town's own checklist requires an 'Electrical diagram showing PV array configuration, wiring system, overcurrent protection, inverter disconnect, grounding, required signed and AC connection to building.' 93% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)
• Are string and conductor calculations required? Yes. The Town's checklist requires 'Electrical calculations showing that all wire sizing has been determined with proper ampacity, conduit fill and ambient derating factors.' Broward's electrical plan-review item B.19(c) independently requires 'Wire size at the coldest temperature' and B.19(g) 'Connection to utility line side or load side Busbar ratings'. 93% · submittal checklist + county code
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Signed and sealed drawings by a Licensed Engineer or Architect are required for a PV job here - BUT the Town's checklist offers a genuine alternative: 'Choose one of the following: Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) System Approval Report - All solar systems drawings shall be accompanies with a FSEC Approval report --- OR --- Signed and Sealed Engineered Drawings'. County-side, Broward FBC Ch.1 107.3.4.0.3 requires a PE where work 'involves extensive computation based on structural stresses'; 107.3.4.0.6 lets the Building Official require a PE 'for any work involving structural design, regardless of the cost'; and 107.3.5.2.1 requires whole-building structural calculations for Group R3 with an Exception for 'Component systems covered by product approval or designed by a delegated professional' - which is the racking product approval. A Special Inspector Form is additionally required 'if there are connections for truss anchorage'. 85% · submittal checklist + county code
• Is an electrical PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Only above a threshold, and it is Broward's. FBC Ch.1 107.3.4.0.7: electrical plans must be prepared by a Professional Engineer for 'Residential systems requiring an aggregate electrical service capacity of more than 600 amperes or more than 240 volts' or where 'An electrical system having a cost value greater than one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000.00)'. A normal residential PV job clears neither, so no electrical PE stamp. 90% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)

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? Gov-Easy (apps.gov-easy.com, clientId d60f9827-2c53-44a4-9037-31e1de2b3f09) for permit/inspection lookup and payment, and Broward County ePermits OneStop (dpep.broward.org) for the county-level approvals a job may need first - Asbestos Certificate, Transportation Concurrency and Environmental Review, and Notice of Commencement. A new system is being brought in: the Town says it is 'currently updating all forms and transitioning to a New Online Permitting System'. 93% · portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? No - and the Town says so in bold on its own page. 'At this time, the GOV-EASY system does NOT provide notifications to staff for any self-submissions, scheduled inspections, or payments. You must email permits@tppfl.gov to: Request the most Current Versions; Submit Applications, Forms, and Required Documents; Request Inspections; Request Link To Make Payments.' The portal still works for viewing permit status and paying fees (card only, 3% processing fee, application/process number required). 95% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? No solar-specific fee line exists. Under the published schedule a residential PV permit is built up per discipline as: minimum permit fee $75 per discipline for work valued to $1,000, then 1.5% of value (residential, NON-cumulative) from $1,001 to $1,000,000; plus a $50 processing fee; plus a $45 flat residential plan review fee per discipline; plus an upfront inspection fee of $150 covering the first three inspections per discipline with $50 per additional inspection; plus a $35 Certificate of Completion; plus County and State surcharges; plus a 3% technology fee if paid by card. A $25,000 two-discipline (Building + Electrical) job therefore lands in the order of $900-$1,100 all-in, depending on how the Building Official apportions value between disciplines. 62% · fee schedule (FY2020-21)
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation, with flat adders. Residential: 1.5% of job value, expressly NON-cumulative (commercial is cumulative and tiered 2.0%/1.5%/1.0%); minimum $75 per discipline for work up to $1,000. Valuation is set under FBC-BCAP 109.3 and 109.3.1 - the applicant states a value, the Building Official may demand RS Means or a signed contract, and 'Final building permit valuation shall be set by the Building Official.' Flat adders: $50 processing, $45 residential plan review per discipline, $150 upfront inspection per discipline, $35 CC, 3% card technology fee. 80% · fee schedule (FY2020-21)
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes. 'PLAN REVIEW FEES: Initial review fee charged on ALL applications (per discipline)' - residential $45 flat. Subsequent reviews: second and third review $45 flat each if comments are not cleared; 4th and subsequent disapprovals $180 (4x the first disapproval fee). Pre-plan/dry-run review $45 flat; expedited plan review $45 flat. 80% · fee schedule (FY2020-21)

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? 15 working days for the Building Department's written approval or denial, EXCLUDING Planning and Zoning, Engineering and Fire review. The Building Department FAQ states: 'The Code allows a period of 15 working days to provide a written answer by either approving or denying an application. This period does not include review time for Planning and Zoning, Engineering, and Fire Departments.' Broward FBC Ch.1 105.3.1.6 supplies the statutory clock behind it: a local government may not request additional information more than three times without a written waiver; where the applicant responds within 30 days the government must act within 15 days, and after a second request within 10 days. 85% · department FAQ + county code
• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? 180 days to commence, then 90 days of abandonment kills it. Town Code Sec. 5-18 defers entirely to the FBC: 'The expiration of all issued permits shall be subject to the requirements set forth in Section 105.3.2 of the Florida Building Code.' Broward's 105.3.2.1: a permit becomes null and void if work is not commenced within 180 days of issue, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 90 days after commencement. 105.3.2.2: the Building Official may extend for no more than two 90-day periods, not to exceed one year from the initial expiration. Separately, an unpurchased APPLICATION goes void 60 days after notification (105.3.1.1), extendable once by 60 days on a written request made before expiry. 92% · ordinance + county code
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), an investor-owned utility under FL PSC jurisdiction. 95% · codified franchise + Town-published utility document
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? Parallel, with a hard utility gate at the end. FPL's Electric Service Standards Section XIII: 'It is highly recommended that customers obtain FPL's written interconnection approval prior to procuring any material' and 'All net metering systems require written approval and agreement from FPL.' On the AHJ side, Broward FBC Ch.1 Sec. 110.3 B.11 makes the electrical final the moment the structure is 'deemed safe for power by the Building Official', and the final electrical inspection must precede the final structural inspection. So: apply to FPL and to the Town in parallel; FPL's written agreement and the Town's electrical final both have to land before the system energises. 78% · utility DG manual + county code

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

• Which NEC edition is in force? NEC 2020 (NFPA 70-2020), in force through the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023), effective 31 December 2023. 90% · state code adoption via county/local floating adoption
• Which building code edition is in force? Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023), with the Broward County amendments, adopted as the Town's building code by Code Sec. 5-16 on a floating basis ('as amended from time to time'). The Broward amendment set currently codified is 'THE FLORIDA BUILDING CODE / BROWARD COUNTY AMENDMENTS ... Codified through Amendments effective through March 30, 2026 (Supp. No. 1, Update 6)'. The whole Town is inside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. 94% · adopting ordinance + county code banner
• Which fire code edition is in force? In practice: Florida Fire Prevention Code 8th Edition (2023) with the Broward County amendments (Municode product 15779, 'Amendments adopted through July 10, 2025, effective July 21, 2025'). But the TOWN'S OWN codified fire chapter is a 33-year-old fossil: Code Sec. 9-16 still adopts 'The South Florida Building Code, 1992, Broward County Edition, the National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code 101 ... as the Pembroke Park Fire Code', and Sec. 9-23 resolves conflicts against 'the South Florida Building Code, as adopted by the Town' - a code that ceased to exist in 2002. Fire rescue itself is contracted to the Broward Sheriff's Office. 80% · codified ordinance + county fire code amendments
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes - but they are the COUNTY'S, not the Town's. Broward County, through its Board of Rules and Appeals, publishes a full codified replacement for FBC Chapter 1 (administration) and the Town adopts it verbatim. The Town itself has NO technical amendments: Chapter 5 Article II is three operative sections (5-16 adoption, 5-17 permit process, 5-18 expiration) and adds only procedure - a notarised application per FS 713.135(5), simultaneous multi-discipline submittal per FBC 107, and qualification of applicants under FBC 105.3.0.1.1. 92% · county code + local adopting ordinance
• What is the installation judged against? FBC 8th Edition (2023) as amended by Broward County, NEC 2020 via FBC Chapter 27, and HVHZ provisions throughout - plus Florida Product Approval filed with the Building Official before installation. Broward FBC Ch.1 101.4.1: 'The provisions of Chapter 27 of the FBC, Building, NFPA 70, Fire Protection Provisions of this Code, and the FFPC shall apply to electrical components, equipment, and systems.' 90% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)

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 Pembroke Park 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 - NEC 2020 Article 690.12 module-level rapid shutdown applies, by state code adoption. No authority in this chain restates or amends it. Broward's FBC Chapter 1 corpus contains ZERO occurrences of 'rapid shutdown'; a Town-wide site search for 'rapid shutdown' returns nine results, none of which is about PV (they are Broward County assistance programmes and a police job description). 80% · state code by adoption; local absence proved

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? Neither the Town nor Broward County specifies any placard by wording. Broward's electrical plan-review item B.19(i) is the bare word 'Labeling', and the electrical final requires the inspector to 'Verify proper labeling' - both point at NEC 2020 Article 690/705 without restating it. The placards that ARE specified by wording at this address come from FPL (see Q42). 78% · county code + local corpus (absence proved)
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No. The Town specifies no placard wording of its own. 'Solar' appears exactly ONCE in the Town's entire 4.27 MB codified corpus and the hit is 'solariums' in a Chapter 15 list of businesses whose employees need identification cards - a new contamination flavour for this survey, alongside 'Solar Flare' and solar reflective index. 'Photovoltaic' appears ZERO times. 85% · code of ordinances (full-corpus search)
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? The Town and county specify nothing. FPL does, and it is unusually specific: 'All labels must be permanent and weatherproof/UV resistant placard with engraved letters. The customer is responsible for all labeling requirements.' Engraved, not printed - that rules out an adhesive label for the two FPL placards. 85% · utility DG manual
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes. FPL Electric Service Standards Section XIII item 6 specifies two placards by exact text, and the battery policy specifies a third: AT THE INTERCONNECTING METER CAN - 'WARNING / MULTI POWER SOURCES / ENTER SOURCES HERE / RATED AC OUTPUT CURRENT ** AMPS / NOMINAL OPERATING VOLTAGE ** VOLTS'. AT THE DER DISCONNECT SWITCH - 'GENERATION SYSTEM AC DISCONNECT / RATED AC OUTPUT CURRENT ** AMPS / NOMINAL OPERATING VOLTAGE ** VOLTS'. AND FOR BATTERY STORAGE - 'A placard must be permanently affixed to the meter enclosure stating "Battery storage utilized in this facility."' 92% · utility DG manual
• Where must the labels be placed? At the interconnecting meter can and at the DER disconnect switch (FPL's two placards), and permanently affixed to the meter enclosure for the battery placard. FPL: 'The following labels must be installed at the interconnecting meter can and the DER disconnect switch.' No AHJ-side placement rule exists at Town or county level. 90% · utility DG manual

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? It depends on tier AND on tap point, and both come from FPL. (1) TIER 2 AND TIER 3 (over 10 kW AC): 'All tier 2 and tier 3 systems require an FPL approved visually open Distributed Energy Resource (DER) disconnect switch... The manual disconnect switch must be mounted separate from but adjacent to the FPL meter socket within 10 feet and must always remain accessible to FPL. Plans must show dimensions between the location of the meter socket and the DER disconnect switch. There shall be no locked gates, doors or fences between the meter socket and the DER disconnect switch.' It must be visible-open (blades, jaws and air gap visible), not obscured by a dead-front or arc-shield, lockable in the open position, take an FPL 3/8-inch padlock shank on the cover hasp, be unmodified, properly grounded, and connected so the blades are de-energised when open per NEC 404.6(C). (2) TIER 1 (10 kW AC or less), LOAD SIDE: no disconnect - 'FPL recommends that all interconnections will be performed on the load side of the customer's main electrical panel.' (3) TIER 1, LINE SIDE: 'If the interconnection is performed on the line side of the customers main electrical panel (per NEC) a manual AC disconnect is required between AC generation output and the point of interconnection to FPL facilities. The manual disconnect switch must be mounted separate from but adjacent to the FPL meter socket within 10 feet.' Line-side taps are CONDITIONED, not prohibited. 93% · utility DG manual
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes - Florida Product Approval, and it must be ON FILE WITH THE BUILDING OFFICIAL BEFORE INSTALLATION, not merely referenced. Broward FBC Ch.1 107.3.5.4: 'Product approvals shall be reviewed and approved by the building designer prior to submittal to verify that such products comply with the design specifications. Reviewed and approved product approvals shall become part of the plans or specifications. Product approval shall be filed with the Building Official for review and approval prior to installation.' The electrical plan-review list separately requires (d) 'Listing and model numbers of all equipment and racking'. The Town's checklist requires 'Specification sheets with listings of all components, installation manuals (if available) for all manufactured components including, but not limited to, PV modules, inverter(s), combiner box, disconnect, and mounting system.' 90% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Yes, batteries are permitted, and the requirements are split between the submittal and the utility. Town side: the Solar Panels Application Checklist requires, for battery backup systems, 'a summary of all standby loads, including power ratings and estimated daily energy consumption for each load to show that inverter and battery selection will meet the standby needs.' FPL side: battery storage behind the meter must be NRTL-certified to UL 1741 (non-certified batteries must be DC-coupled behind a UL 1741 listed device); a placard must be permanently affixed to the meter enclosure; energy stored is for the customer's own use and MAY NOT be exported to the grid; a battery installed without renewable generation and charged from the grid needs no interconnection agreement but the customer must prevent back-feed; a battery designed to charge from the grid and operate interconnected must be notified to FPL via a Small Generator Interconnection Application. Stand-alone storage is not 'renewable energy' under Rule 25-6.065(2)(d) and is not net metered. 80% · submittal checklist + utility DG manual
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Yes, and the consequence is a hard setback bar. The zoning definition is broad: 'Structure means anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires more or less permanent location on the land, or attached to something having a permanent location on the land. "Structure" includes the word "building".' The Setback definition then closes the door: 'In all setback areas as provided for in this Code, in all open space, there shall be no permanent improvements of any type, including but not limited to parking spaces, driveways, sidewalks, buildings, or structures of any type. This shall not prohibit any landscaping, trellises, and fences in the setback.' The exception list is closed and does not reach PV equipment, inverters or battery pads. In the T-1 Mobile Home Park District, Sec. 28-266(4) adds 'No accessory building or structure shall be placed in any required yard space', and Sec. 28-267 sets separations of 3 ft for a noncombustible and 5 ft for a combustible accessory structure from an adjacent unit or a park service building. 88% · code of ordinances (zoning)
• Is there a local rule on service upgrades or busbar sizing? No numeric local rule, but busbar sizing is a NAMED plan-review item, which means a reviewer will look for it. Broward FBC Ch.1 Sec. 107.3.5 electrical item B.19(g): 'Connection to utility line side or load side Busbar ratings'. A service change, where the design needs one, is a distinct inspection in its own right - Sec. 110.3 electrical PV item 10(c) 'Service change, if required by the design'. Separately the Town runs a stand-alone 'Electrical Service - Change Application Checklist'. 85% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)
• Is a specific mounting system or attachment spacing required? No prescriptive attachment spacing, but a heavily specified attachment package. Broward FBC Ch.1 Sec. 107.3.5 building item A.14 'Photovoltaic' requires: (a) Site plan; (b) Roof penetration approval; (c) Roof sealing detail; (d) Wind resistance ratings of modules; (e) Roof live load approval; (f) Fire classification of buildings and modules; (g) Rooftop shingle module ratings, if installed; (h) Design load path. The Town adds: 'Provide the attachment details, flashing details, construction design for the unit and any supporting frame members (sealed by the appropriate design professional) for the Wind Zone, additional loading, and any site conditions', and requires a Special Inspector Form where there are connections for truss anchorage. At the rough inspection the inspector checks 'attachments, penetrations on the roof, torque requirements'. 88% · county code + submittal 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? Email, or phone. The Town instructs 'You must email permits@tppfl.gov to... Request Inspections'. The Building Department page publishes 'Open to Calls for Inspection 8 am to 4 pm' on 954-966-4600. Gov-Easy has a Request Inspection module but the Town warns it does not notify staff, so it is not a working route. 88% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? No same-day service and no AM/PM window is published. What IS published is the opposite end: 'OVERTIME INSPECTIONS: After hours and/or weekend (per discipline) $250.00 for the first 3 hours; additional hours at $75.00/hr', and a call window of 8 am to 4 pm for booking. 60% · fee schedule + department page

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

• Does this AHJ perform its own final solar inspection? Yes. The Town performs its own inspections. Its FS 553.80(7)(b) Building Permit & Inspection Utilization Report for FY2024-2025 records 5,143 building inspections and re-inspections requested and 5,143 conducted, of which exactly ONE was conducted by a private provider, with 4 audits of private-provider work, and 7 personnel dedicated to enforcing the Florida Building Code. 92% · FS 553.80(7)(b) report
• If delegated, to whom? Not delegated. The optional alternative is FS 553.791 private provider, which is fully operational here: the Town publishes a Private Providers page with a Registration Application Index, Registration and Application Procedures, Forms A-E and Forms R.1-R.3 (including a Private Provider Agreement), and the Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application asks on its face 'Private Provider? YES/NO - If yes, attach Form # 61G20-2.005-2002-01' and 'Per F.S. 553.791(2)(a), do you have the written fee owner's authorization to use a private provider?' 88% · department page + permit application

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? Two disciplines, four inspections, in a fixed order, and Broward codifies it. BUILDING (Sec. 110.3 item 20 'Photovoltaic'): (a) Rough - 1. Check specifications, model numbers, and layout; 2. Check attachments, penetrations on the roof, torque requirements; (b) Final. ELECTRICAL (Sec. 110.3 item 10 'Photovoltaic'): (a) Rough, BEFORE MODULES ARE INSTALLED - 1. Check specifications, model numbers, and layout; 2. All wiring for junction boxes, combiner, and inverter completed; 3. Grounding system completed, torque requirements. EXCEPTION: 'The modules for rail-less systems may not require a rough inspection.' (b) Final - the module must be available for inspection - 1. Verify proper labeling; 2. Test system. (c) Service change, if required by the design. THE ORDER RULE: 'The final electrical inspection shall be made prior to the final structural inspection.' 94% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)
• Is a rough-in or mid-roof inspection required? Yes, and the electrical rough is scheduled unusually early: 'Rough. Before modules are installed'. The building rough is separate and checks attachments, roof penetrations and torque. The only relief is the rail-less exception: 'The modules for rail-less systems may not require a rough inspection' - note 'may not', which leaves it to the inspector rather than exempting the system. 94% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)

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 - two of them, at two levels. County: Broward's codified FBC Chapter 1 is itself the checklist, with a dedicated photovoltaic plan-review list (Sec. 107.3.5 structural item A.14 and electrical item B.19) and a dedicated photovoltaic inspection sequence (Sec. 110.3 building item 20 and electrical item 10). Town: the Solar Panels Application Checklist, published on the Submittal Checklists page. 92% · county code + published submittal checklist
• What must be on site at inspection? The permit card and its attached documents, kept accessible from outside the property, plus the recorded Notice of Commencement, plus the modules. Building Department FAQ: 'An official permit card is issued by the Town of Pembroke Park Building Department. The permit card and attached documents shall be available and accessible (outside of the property) to the inspector during all inspections.' Broward application: 'A NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT MUST BE RECORDED AND POSTED ON THE JOB SITE BEFORE THE FIRST INSPECTION' (required where the contract price exceeds $2,500). At the electrical final, 'The module must be available for inspection.' 88% · department FAQ + permit application + county code
• Does the inspector verify labels and listings? Yes, explicitly. Broward FBC Ch.1 Sec. 110.3 electrical PV item 10(b) Final: 'The module must be available for inspection. 1. Verify proper labeling. 2. Test system.' Listings and model numbers are checked twice more: at the electrical rough ('Check specifications, model numbers, and layout') and at the building rough (same wording). 94% · county code (FBC Ch.1 amendments)

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 Completion for a PV retrofit with no change of occupancy; a Certificate of Occupancy only where occupancy changes. The Town publishes a single 'Certificate of Occupancy / Certificate of Completion Application' and prices them separately: residential CC $35 (minimum $75 per the same line - the schedule contradicts itself), residential CO $75. Underneath that, Broward FBC Ch.1 Sec. 110.3 building item 21 makes the Final Inspection the substantive event and item 22 the Certificate of Occupancy. 68% · department form + fee schedule
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? The customer or their installer notifies FPL, not the AHJ. FPL: 'All net metering systems require written approval and agreement from FPL' and 'It is highly recommended that customers obtain FPL's written interconnection approval prior to procuring any material'; applications go through FPL's online net metering application with netmetering@fpl.com as the contact. The AHJ's part is a precondition, not a notification: Broward FBC Ch.1 Sec. 110.3 electrical item 11 makes the electrical final the point at which the structure is 'deemed safe for power by the Building Official'. Separately the Town runs a 'REQUEST FOR ELECTRICAL INSPECTION FOR RELEASE OF POWER' process for existing service equipment - explicitly 'NOT AN ELECTRICAL PERMIT'. 65% · utility DG manual + county code
• Is there a re-inspection fee? Yes, and it escalates. Partial approval or first disapproval of a mandatory inspection $50; second disapproval $100 (2x); third $150 (3x); fourth and subsequent $200 (4x) - per discipline. Code Sec. 5-27(b) is the authority: the inspector notifies the contractor or owner of corrections required, and on re-notification 'the inspector shall again inspect the work or apparatus for a charge as determined in the Building Department Fee schedule.' 78% · ordinance + fee schedule
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Inspection corrections: Code Sec. 5-27(b) - 'If the building inspector, upon inspection after completion of the work or apparatus, finds that the work does not conform to or comply with the provisions of the state law, the building code, or Town Code Of Ordinances, the inspector shall notify the contractor or owner, indicating the corrections required. When the corrections have been made, the inspector shall be notified by the owner or contractor that the corrections have been made, and the inspector shall again inspect the work or apparatus for a charge.' Plan-review corrections: Broward FBC Ch.1 105.3.1.6 - a local government 'may not request additional information from the applicant more than three times unless the applicant waives such limitation in writing'; where the applicant responds within 30 days the Town must act within 15 days on the first request and 10 days on the second. Resubmittals are made by email to permits@tppfl.gov with a BDTF, ticking 'Corrections (Non-Permitted Plans)'. Fees: second and third residential reviews $45 each, fourth and subsequent disapprovals $180. 85% · ordinance + county code + department form