Solar permit requirements in West Palm Beach, FL

What West Palm Beach expects on a solar permit

Permit applications must be submitted digitally with separate discipline files. Structural designs must account for a 170 mph wind speed and Exposure Category B. Key requirements include providing Florida Product Approval or NOA documentation for all mounting hardware, attic support photos, and engineering statements confirming existing roof capacity. Flat roof installations require specific span tables and a minimum 14 inch edge setback, while pitched roofs must maintain a 36 inch ridge setback if the array covers more than 33 percent of the roof area. Solar collectors cannot exceed 1 foot in height above the roof surface. Electrical submittals must include a battery system disconnect on the exterior of the structure and manufacturer specifications for battery enclosures. Resubmittals require a formal response letter from the Engineer of Record addressing all review comments. All plans must clearly label rail cantilevers, spans, and roof height details.

• [documentation] Provide Florida Product Approval (FPA) or NOA documentation for all roof and mounting hardware; manufacturer span tables are not accepted in lieu of FPA.
• [submittal_format] Resubmittals must include a formal response letter or narrative from the Engineer of Record detailing exactly where and how each review comment was addressed.
• [documentation] Include manufacturer specifications for the battery enclosure/cabinet per FBC 107.2, clearly identify its indoor location on the site plan, and ensure consistent equipment nomenclature.
• [structural] Structural design and wind load calculations must be based on a 170 mph wind speed per FBC 2023 and ASCE 7-22, with the correct Exposure Category explicitly justified.
• [structural] Provide specific span tables and corresponding design criteria for flat roof installations; standard 8-45 degree pitched roof tables are not accepted.
• [calcs] Provide design pressure calculations specifically for edge modules (ASCE 7-22 Sec. 29.4.4) and ensure additional mounts or 16-inch OC spacing are used in Zone 3.
• [structural] Provide complete design criteria and manufacturer-specific rail span tables for pitched roofs, ensuring connection capacities are not exceeded in zones 2 and 3 (a 3-rail system may be required).
• [fire] Require a 36-inch clear setback on both sides of a horizontal ridge for PV arrays occupying more than 33% of the total plan view roof area per 2023 FBC R324.6.2.
• [structural] Explicitly label the maximum rail cantilever dimension on the roof plan and highlight rail cantilevers and spans for clarity on structural pages.
• [structural] Specify roof height (h2) and setback/zone dimensions (2h2) on structural details for both pitched and flat roofs.
• [structural] Solar panels on flat roofs must maintain an end distance (setback) of more than 14 inches from the roof edge.
• [documentation] Provide photos of attic supports and framing with the submittal.
• [structural] Label the solar collector height on the plans; it cannot exceed 1 foot above the roof surface.
• [structural] Provide an engineering statement confirming the structural capacity of the existing roof to support the new PV system per FBC 107.2.1.
• [electrical] Provide a battery system disconnect located on the exterior of the structure per NEC 706.15.