Village of Islamorada

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 — Islamorada, Village of Islands is its own AHJ for residential solar; it is one of the five Monroe County municipalities that self-permit (Monroe County's own FAQ states the County is AHJ only for the unincorporated Keys and lists Islamorada among the municipalities with their own building departments). 95% · department page
• What does this authority permit itself, and what does it delegate? Both — Islamorada's own Building Services Department issues and reviews both Building and Electrical permits and performs its own inspections; nothing is delegated to Monroe County for a rooftop PV system in the Village. Fire Prevention plan review/inspection also sits with the Village (own fee schedule for 'Fire Safety Plan Review, Permit and Inspection'). The Village's Building Permit Allocation System (BPAS, the Village's ROGO-equivalent) is a separate function that gates NEW construction/dwelling-unit allocations, not retrofits such as adding PV to an existing house. 90% · department page + fee schedule
• Is a permit required for a residential rooftop PV system? Yes, a permit is required. The Village's own 'Permit Required' list states a permit is ALWAYS required for 'NEW ELECTRICAL,' and Village Code Sec. 6-61 requires permits as provided in the Florida Building Code for all work not specifically exempted (exemptions are limited to minor repairs <$2,500, small roofing, small satellite dishes, minimal vegetation removal — none of which describe a PV installation). 95% · published permit-requirement handout
• Is there a separate electrical permit, or is it combined? Either — the Village's single 'Application for Building Permit' form has checkboxes for Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Roofing, Gas, Demolition, Right-of-Way, and Change of Occupancy, all check-all-that-apply on ONE application; the fee schedule also prices 'individual trade permits' separately ($20.00/$1,000 valuation, same rate as new construction), so a stand-alone Electrical permit can be pulled apart from a Building permit for the same job. 85% · permit application form + fee schedule
• Is a HOA or architectural approval required first? No Village-administered HOA or architectural-review approval is required before a building permit for PV can be issued — no such requirement appears in Village Code Chapter 30 (Land Development Regulations) or Chapter 6 (Building). A private HOA/deed restriction could still separately require its own approval, but that is not a Village function and Florida law (F.S. 163.04) limits — without eliminating — what an HOA/deed restriction can prohibit for solar. 65% · ordinance (absence proved with controls)
• Is there a historic-district review? Yes, but only for properties that are formally designated as a Historic Landmark or within a designated Historic District (a Certificate of Appropriateness is then required under Village Code Sec. 30-1696) — this is a designation-based process (Sec. 30-1691 et seq., Historic Preservation Commission), not a village-wide historic-district review that would automatically apply to an ordinary residential PV permit. 85% · ordinance
• Is a wind or windstorm certification required? No separate, stand-alone 'windstorm certification' document requirement was found beyond ordinary Florida Building Code structural/wind-load compliance (which is judged through the normal plan-review/engineering-seal process, not a distinct certificate). The Village's Building Permit Allocation System (BPAS) awards bonus competitive-scoring points for NEW residential construction designed to a peak wind speed of 160 mph or 175 mph 'as certified by a qualified engineer or architect' — but this is an optional scoring incentive for the ROGO-equivalent allocation system for new dwelling units, not a requirement applicable to adding PV to an existing home. 60% · ordinance (BPAS scoring criteria)
• Is a Specific Use Permit or Council approval ever required? No — a routine residential rooftop PV retrofit on an existing single-family home does not trigger BPAS/Council allocation (BPAS applies to new construction/new dwelling units on vacant land, per the Village's own BPAS page) or a Specific Use Permit. A Council-level review would only be triggered if the property is a designated Historic Landmark/District (Certificate of Appropriateness, Sec. 30-1696) or if the work is bundled with new construction that independently requires BPAS. 65% · department page

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

• Who is allowed to pull the electrical permit? A licensed electrical contractor (or licensed electrician) — Village Code Sec. 6-63 makes it unlawful for anyone to act as a contractor/subcontractor/journeyman in the Village without a current, valid state or Monroe County certificate of competency. The general permit application has a dedicated 'Electrical' sub-contractor line requiring the business name and license number, and the Village's own Electrical Safety Inspection Affidavit form requires the inspection be performed by a 'Licensed Electrical Contractor' or licensed engineer/architect. 90% · ordinance + permit forms
• Must the contractor be registered with this authority before applying? Yes — contractors must first create a CityView contractor file and complete Village contractor registration (state/county license, liability and workers'-comp insurance naming the Village as certificate holder, local business tax receipt, $50 initial fee/$31 annual renewal) BEFORE they can pull permits. 95% · published contractor-registration checklist
• Is a homeowner permitted to self-install and self-permit? Owner-builder self-permitting exists generally at the Village (an 'Owner-Builder Disclosure Statement' form is published, and the general Building Permit Application allows an owner-builder to sign as the responsible party), but nothing in the Village's own documents specifically addresses whether a homeowner may self-install/self-permit a PV system as opposed to conventional construction. 55% · published form (general, not solar-specific)

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? Based on the Village's own permit-submittal matrix, the closest analogous permit type ('Electric Service — change or upgrade') requires: a completed Permit Application, a Property Record Card, a scaled Site Plan, and a Floor Plan (scaled); the matrix also shows the job must be routed to FKEC (utility) — there is no 'Sealed Drawing' requirement on that row, unlike new-construction rows. No PV/solar-specific row exists on this matrix (Village staff note the matrix is 'a general guideline... staff may request additional information'). 75% · published submittal-requirements matrix
• How many copies, and in what format? Electronic only, through the CityView Portal — the Building Services page states plainly: 'Permit applications are only accepted electronically through CityView portal.' No paper-copy count is specified because paper submittal is not accepted. 90% · department page
• Is a site plan required, and what must it show? Yes, a scaled site plan is required as part of the standard submittal package for electrical-service and most other permit types per the Village's own submittal matrix; the matrix does not itemize what the site plan must show specifically for a rooftop PV system (no PV-specific line exists on the matrix). 70% · published submittal-requirements matrix
• Is a structural PE stamp required, and at what threshold? Not required on the Village's standard submittal checklist for the closest analogous category ('Electric Service — change or upgrade' does not have the 'Sealed Drawing' column checked), unlike new-construction/SFR rows which do require a sealed drawing. The Village reserves the right to request additional information on a case-by-case basis, so a structural PE stamp could still be requested for a given roof-mount PV installation, but there is no published threshold. 55% · published submittal-requirements matrix

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? CityView Portal (cvportal.us/CityViewPortal) — all Islamorada building/electrical permit applications, inspections, contractor registration, and payments are handled through this portal. 95% · permit portal landing page
• Can the whole application be completed online? Yes — the Village states permit applications are ONLY accepted electronically through the CityView Portal (no paper intake), and inspections, NOC uploads, and both in-person and online (ACH/debit/credit) payments can all be completed through the same portal. 90% · department page
• What does a residential solar permit cost? Under the current fee resolution (Res. 25-12-137, adopted 9 Dec 2025, in effect through 30 Sep 2026), a residential solar/PV electrical permit — filed as an 'individual trade permit' — would be charged at $20.00 per $1,000 of job valuation, subject to a $150.00 minimum permit fee, PLUS an $11.00 Education Fee, a 1.5% DBPR surcharge, a 1% Florida DEO surcharge, and a non-refundable 0.1%-of-job-value application/processing fee (minimum $150). There is no PV-specific fee line in the schedule. 80% · fee resolution (OCR'd, scanned attachment)
• How is the fee calculated? Valuation — the Village's fee schedule prices building/trade permits at $20.00 per $1,000 of job value (subject to a $150 minimum), not a flat, per-kW, or per-panel rate. 85% · fee resolution
• Is there a separate plan-check fee? Yes — the fee resolution lists a separate, non-refundable 'Application review/processing fee' of 0.1% of job value with a $150 minimum, charged in addition to the permit fee itself; Planning/Biologist/Stormwater plan reviews are also billed separately ($50 minimum-fee permits / $150 others) although that line is aimed at land-development rather than building-trade review. 80% · fee resolution

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

• How long is an issued permit valid before it expires? The Village's own Floodplain Management article (Village Code Sec. 6-9x, Article 6-III) states a building permit/floodplain approval 'shall become invalid unless the work authorized... is commenced within 180 days after its issuance,' with extensions of up to 180 days each on written request; the fee schedule correspondingly prices a '90-Day Permit Extension: $100' and a 'One-time six (6) month building permit extension: $350.' This 180-day framework conflicts with the new statewide floor: HB 803 (2025) amended F.S. 553.79(1)(c) and F.S. 125.56(4)(d) to require a minimum ONE-YEAR permit validity for local-government-issued permits, effective 1 Jul 2026 — before today's check date. The Village's own fee/extension products still reflect the older 180-day cycle rather than a republished 1-year default. 75% · ordinance (floodplain article) + fee schedule, compared against state statute
• Which utility handles interconnection here? Florida Keys Electric Cooperative (FKEC) — NOT Florida Power & Light. Islamorada sits in FKEC's Upper/Middle Keys service territory (Ocean Reef to the Seven Mile Bridge). 95% · authority's own budget document + permit forms
• Where does the utility sit in the sequence? The utility sits BOTH before and after the Village permit — FKEC's own 'Procedures for Solar Contractors' describe a 4-step sequence: (1) contractor submits PV plans + the applicable Net Metering Tier Agreement to FKEC for engineering review BEFORE any permit is pulled; (2) FKEC stamps the plans 'approved for PV construction' and the stamped plans are then taken 'to the appropriate municipality... to be reviewed for permitting and obtain a permit'; (3) system is installed and inspected by the AHJ; (4) the AHJ inspection report is submitted back to FKEC (Net Meter Application Phase 2), after which FKEC performs its own inspection, installs a sticker, and enables the bi-directional (net) meter for PTO. So FKEC design-approval precedes the Village permit, and FKEC's own final inspection/meter-swap follows the Village's final inspection. 92% · utility's own published procedure page

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? Not stated as a specific year anywhere in Village Code — Sec. 6-31 adopts only 'the current edition of the Florida Building Code, as amended from time to time' (which pulls in NEC/NFPA 70 by reference through the FBC's electrical chapter), and the Fire Prevention chapter references the 'National Electric Code' generically (in the context of unsafe-structure standards) without naming an edition. As of the 2026 statewide FBC 8th Edition (2023) cycle (adopted via Rule 61G20-1.001, F.A.C., which itself names no specific NFPA 70 edition), the practical answer floats with whatever edition the state cycle currently incorporates rather than being fixed by Village ordinance. 55% · ordinance (edition floats — no year stated)
• Which building code edition is in force? The current edition of the Florida Building Code, as amended from time to time — the Village Code does not fix a specific edition year by ordinance; the general Building Permit Application form itself has a blank fill-in field ('20__ Florida Building Code in effect') completed at the time of each submission rather than a pre-printed year. 85% · ordinance
• Which fire code edition is in force? The current edition of the Florida Fire Prevention Code, as amended from time to time — same floating-citation pattern as the building code; no specific edition year is fixed in Village ordinance. 85% · ordinance
• Are there local amendments to any of the above? Yes, generally — Article 6-II of the Village Code is structured with dedicated 'Building Code Administrative Amendments' and 'Building Code Technical Amendments' divisions, so the Village does locally amend the FBC. However, no solar/PV-specific local amendment was found in Chapter 6, Chapter 26 (Fire Prevention), or Chapter 30 (Land Development) — searched all three with 'solar' returning 0/0/5 hits respectively (the 5 Ch. 30 hits are height-limit exclusions and a mechanical-equipment definition, not installation amendments), against a positive control ('electrical' = 10 hits in Ch. 6) and fabricated control ('zzqqx' = 0 hits). 75% · ordinance (structure confirmed; solar-specific content absence proved with controls)
• What is the installation judged against? The current editions of the Florida Building Code and Florida Fire Prevention Code (as locally amended under Ch. 6 Divisions 3-4, though no solar-specific local amendment was found) govern the installation generally; for the interconnection-facing portions, FKEC's own Standards of Electrical Service and Interconnection Agreement require compliance with IEEE 1547, IEEE 1547.1, NEC 690, NEC 705, NEC 706, and UL 1741 listing. 75% · ordinance + utility interconnection agreement

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 Village of Islamorada 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? Not stated as a Village-specific requirement in any Village document found; rapid shutdown (NEC 690.12) would apply only through whatever NEC edition the state's 'current' Florida Building Code cycle incorporates by reference (Village Code Sec. 6-31 adopts the FBC's 'current edition... as amended from time to time' with no NEC year named — see Q29). No Village ordinance or handout independently restates a rapid-shutdown requirement. 50% · ordinance (inferred from code adoption, not a direct statement)

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? No AHJ-specific PV placard/labeling spec was found in Village Code or on the Building Services/Forms pages (0 solar-specific hits across Chapters 6, 26, 30, and 24 site-search results for 'solar' were all about municipal park solar streetlights, not a PV labeling document). The utility, FKEC, does specify one placard: a permanent weatherproof placard identifying the location of the manual AC disconnect switch, required when that switch cannot be mounted immediately adjacent to the FKEC meter socket. 70% · utility interconnection agreement (Village itself publishes none found)
• Does the authority specify placard wording of its own? No specific placard wording is prescribed by the Village. FKEC's placard requirement (Sec. 5.3 of the Tier 1 Agreement) specifies only what the placard must communicate (the location of the manual disconnect) and its physical characteristics (permanent, weatherproof), not exact wording. 60% · utility interconnection agreement
• Does it specify letter height, colour or material? FKEC specifies the placard must be 'permanent' and 'weather-proof' (i.e., a durable, weatherproof material) but does not specify letter height or color. No Village document specifies letter height, color, or material for any PV-related placard. 60% · utility interconnection agreement
• Does the UTILITY specify placards beyond the AHJ's? Yes — FKEC (the utility) requires a permanent weatherproof placard identifying the alternate location of the manual AC disconnect switch whenever that switch cannot be mounted immediately adjacent to the FKEC meter socket; this is a utility-imposed labeling requirement layered on top of whatever the AHJ requires (and the Village itself was not found to publish any PV placard spec of its own — see Q38). 85% · utility interconnection agreement
• Where must the labels be placed? Per FKEC's own agreement, the disconnect-location placard must be placed 'adjacent to FKEC's meter socket.' The manual disconnect switch itself must be 'mounted separately from, but adjacent to, the FKEC meter socket' as the default rule (see Q48); no Village-specific label-placement rule beyond code was found. 80% · utility interconnection agreement

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 FKEC's Interconnection Agreement, the manual AC disconnect switch (where required) must be 'mounted separately from, but adjacent to, the FKEC meter socket,' readily accessible to FKEC, and capable of being locked in the open position with a single FKEC utility padlock. If FKEC determines that an adjacent location is impractical for safety/design reasons, the switch may instead be placed at an agreed alternate location, PROVIDED the member installs a permanent weatherproof placard adjacent to the meter socket indicating where the disconnect actually is. 90% · utility interconnection agreement
• Must equipment be on a specific approved list? Yes, per the utility — FKEC's Interconnection Agreement requires that member-owned renewable generation equipment be 'submitted by a manufacturer to a nationally recognized testing and certification laboratory and... tested and listed by the laboratory for continuous interactive operation with an electric distribution system in compliance with the applicable codes and standards of IEEE 1547, IEEE 1547.1, NEC 690, NEC 705, NEC 706, and UL 1741.' No separate Village-maintained approved-equipment list was found. 85% · utility interconnection agreement
• Are batteries permitted, and under what conditions? Batteries/ESS are permitted, governed primarily through FKEC's interconnection rules rather than a Village ordinance: FKEC's 'Solar & Energy Storage Design Criteria' require ANSI/IEEE-standard components and NESC/NEC compliance; an independent ESS capable of exporting to the grid needs an interconnection agreement, while a battery-only backup system that cannot export and is not paired with a renewable generation system does not (FKEC still must be notified). No Village Code hits for 'battery' or 'energy storage' were found in Chapters 6, 26, or 30, so the Village itself appears to rely on the (undated-year) Florida Fire Prevention Code's own ESS provisions rather than a local ESS ordinance. 75% · utility procedure page (Village Code silent, absence proved with controls)
• Is there a separate ESS permit or inspection? No separate ESS permit type was found — the Village's general Building Permit Application offers only Building / Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical / Roofing / Gas / Demolition / Right-of-Way / Change-of-Occupancy checkboxes, with no distinct battery/ESS permit box, so an ESS would presumably be filed under Electrical or Building. 60% · permit application form (absence inferred from form's fixed checkbox list)
• Is a ground mount treated as a structure? Ambiguous, and likely 'mechanical equipment' rather than a full 'structure' — Village Code Chapter 30's definitions section classifies 'solar collectors panels' as 'Mechanical equipment' (alongside heat pumps, A/C units, pool pumps and generators), and the Setback Encroachments section (Sec. 30-930) gives 'mechanical equipment' its own, more permissive setback-encroachment allowance (may encroach up to 4 feet into a side/rear yard setback, provided it sits at the principal structure's minimum finished-floor elevation and is screened with native vegetation from ground view) that is separate from the rules for accessory structures. This suggests ground-mounted PV equipment would be treated under the Village's 'mechanical equipment' framework rather than as a structure requiring full structural setbacks, but no Village document says this in so many words for PV specifically. 60% · ordinance

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 — 'All inspections must be requested through the CityView Portal,' per the Building Services page; Initial Registration and account activation are required before an inspection can be requested. 95% · department page
• How much notice is required? Effectively same-day-to-next-business-day, not a multi-day advance-notice window: 'Inspections submitted after 7:00 a.m. will be performed for the next business day. If an inspection is submitted prior to 7:00 a.m. it will be performed on the same business day.' 90% · department page
• Are same-day or AM/PM windows offered? Same-day service is available if the inspection request is submitted before 7:00 a.m.; the Village's page does not describe AM/PM appointment windows, only the same-day/next-business-day cutoff. 75% · 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, generally the Village performs its own final inspections through Village building inspectors — Village Code Sec. 6-68 states 'All inspections shall be conducted by village building inspectors OR as provided by F.S. § 553.791' (Florida's private-provider statute), so an applicant may instead elect the state's private-provider alternative rather than a Village inspector. 90% · ordinance
• If delegated, to whom? Where delegated, it is to a state-licensed Private Provider (F.S. § 553.791) chosen and paid for by the applicant/owner — not a delegation initiated by the Village. The Village publishes multiple Private-Provider forms (Duly-Authorized-Employment Affidavit, Plan-Compliance Affidavit, Certificate of Inspection Compliance, Inspection Report, a Registration Checklist, and 'Notice to Building Official for Private Provider') confirming this route is actively supported. 85% · ordinance + published forms

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

Nothing recorded for Village of Islamorada on this step yet — 2 questions checked and found unpublished. The guidance above is general.

The approved plan set, the permit, and the equipment listings should be on site and reachable. Inspectors routinely verify that installed equipment matches what was approved, and that the labels are the ones the plan set promised.

• What must be on site at inspection? A recorded Notice of Commencement (for improvements ≥$5,000, per Ch. 713 F.S.) must be provided to the Building Services Department and is required on site/on record before the FIRST inspection can be requested — failure to provide it 'will result in cancellation of requested inspection.' Beyond the NOC, the Village's page does not itemize a full on-site document list (e.g., approved plans/permit card), though that is standard Village practice. 75% · department page

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 Final inspection approval — a rooftop PV addition to an existing single-family home is not new construction or a change of occupancy, so a Certificate of Occupancy would not apply; the Village's own inspection process (electrical/building final sign-off through CityView) issues final inspection approval rather than a CO for this permit type. A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy line exists in the fee schedule but is a distinct product for occupancy-triggering projects. 60% · fee schedule (inferred)
• Who notifies the utility for PTO? The installer/member — per FKEC's own 'Procedures for Solar Contractors,' the member (via their contractor) submits the government inspection report to FKEC as Phase 2 of the Net Metering Application; FKEC only proceeds to its own inspection/meter-swap 'once FKEC receives the inspection report from the appropriate government agency,' which the member/installer is responsible for supplying, not the Village. 80% · utility's own published procedure page
• Is there a re-inspection fee? $100 flat — 'Reinspection Fee: Re-inspection fee due to rejection of work due to faulty construction, inspection requested and work not ready, failure to call for inspection and work covered up, work not per plans and no access to jobsite flat fee: $100.' 90% · fee resolution
• How are corrections issued and cleared? Not explicitly documented beyond the re-inspection fee mechanism: a failed inspection triggers the $100 flat re-inspection fee (see Q59); corrections are presumably communicated back to the contractor/owner through the CityView Portal (the portal is the sole channel for inspection requests and permit correspondence per the Building Services page), but no Village document spells out a formal corrections-notice-and-clearance procedure. 55% · fee resolution + department page (inferred process)