Solar Permit in Des Moines, Iowa
Permit required
Yes, a permit is required
Before installing any solar photovoltaic system.
Issued byCity of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
A rooftop or ground solar array is electrical equipment, and Municipal Code Sec. 26-401 bars installing any electrical equipment in or upon a building or property without a permit from the Permit and Development Center. The city Customer Self Service portal issues a dedicated "Solar (Photovoltaic Array) Permit" type, and the city electrical panel handout notes that solar array installations are subject to its panel change-out requirements.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
Iowa's owner-builder rule (Iowa Code 103.22(7); 105.11(3); 91C.1(1)(a); 103A.19(1)) sets what you may do on your own home without hiring anyone. Read the statute.
When a permit is usually needed
Before installing any solar photovoltaic system.
What a solar permit costs in Des Moines
How to apply in Des Moines
In Des Moines, a rooftop solar PV permit application is a combined structural and electrical plan set: a site plan and roof framing details proving the array's mounting can carry its added loads, plus a one line electrical diagram covering listed modules and inverters, disconnects, and the rapid shutdown design. Utility interconnection is a separate approval that runs in parallel with the permit.
What most solar permit applications include:
- Both a building permit and a separate electrical permit are required, since the array must be designed and installed to the residential code's solar provisions and to the National Electrical Code (IRC R324.3).
- For Des Moines, the plan set identifies listed equipment: PV modules listed to UL 1703 (or both UL 61730-1 and UL 61730-2), and inverters listed to UL 1741, with grid-tied inverters listed for utility interaction (IRC R324.3.1).
- Structural drawings show that the roof framing is designed to structurally support the array and withstand the gravity loads it adds (IRC R324.4.1).
- For Des Moines, the site plan lays out roof access pathways at least 36 inches wide, plus a ridge setback sized to how much of the roof the array covers, so firefighters retain pathways and ventilation access (IRC R324.6.1, IRC R324.6.2).
- For Des Moines, the one line electrical diagram shows the rapid shutdown method and the location of its single initiation device, since one control point must bring all system conductors down to safe levels (NEC 690.12, NEC 690.56(C)).
- Interconnecting the array to the utility grid at a defined point of connection is a separate application process from the local building or electrical permit and must be approved before the system can operate (NEC 705.12).
- Some permitting offices route applications through SolarAPP+, an automated review platform that checks the plan set against code requirements and issues eligible permits instantly (DOE SolarAPP+).
General submittal guidance from IRC 2021 R324 (Solar Energy Systems) and NEC 2020 Article 690 (Solar Photovoltaic Systems) and Article 705 (Interconnected Power Production Sources). Source. City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center sets the exact checklist for Des Moines.
Where to apply in Des Moines:
City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center
- T.M. Franklin Cownie City Administration Building (City Hall), 1200 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309
- Phone: 515-283-4200
- Email: permits@dmgov.org
Inspections and closing out your permit
In Des Moines, inspectors verify the installed array against the approved plans, and some agencies run a rough check of roof attachments and penetrations while they are still exposed before the wiring and roofing close them in. The final inspection confirms rapid shutdown, disconnects, grounding, and required labels are installed correctly, and the system cannot be energized until the utility separately approves interconnection.
- In Des Moines: where an agency runs a rough or pre-inspection, it checks the array's roof penetrations while they are still exposed, confirming they are flashed and sealed (IRC R324.4.3).
- In Des Moines: the inspector confirms whether rapid shutdown is required, how it is accomplished, and that it is properly identified (NEC 690.12, NEC 690.56(C)).
- In Des Moines: pV disconnecting means must be permanently marked and installed where they are readily accessible, which the inspector confirms in the field (NEC 690.13).
- In Des Moines: bonding and grounding of the array, including every exposed non current carrying metal part and the grounding electrode system, is checked before sign off (NEC 690.43, NEC 690.47).
- In Des Moines: at the service equipment, the inspector looks for the required rapid shutdown placard, a labeled diagram showing the initiation device's location in the specified colors and letter sizes (NEC 690.56(C)).
- In Des Moines: utility interconnection is inspected and approved separately from the local building department's sign off, and the system cannot be energized until both approvals are in hand (NEC 705.12).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Des Moines permit portal or by phone at 515-283-4200.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 690 (690.12 rapid shutdown, 690.13 disconnects, 690.43/690.47 grounding, 690.56 labeling) and IRC 2021 R324.4.3 (roof penetrations). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Solar Permit checklist for Des Moines
- Confirm the requirement. Yes, a permit is required. Usually needed: Before installing any solar photovoltaic system.
- Budget the fee. The 1-1-26 schedule has no solar-specific line; residential electrical work on existing dwellings is listed as "Electrical permit for electrical installations associated with alterations and additions to existing dwellings and accessory structures: $77.25" (City of Des Moines PDC Permit Fee Schedule, "New Fees 1-1-26"). Official fee schedule.
- Apply. In Des Moines, a rooftop solar PV permit application is a combined structural and electrical plan set: a site plan and roof framing details proving the array's mounting can carry its added loads, plus a one line electrical diagram covering listed modules and inverters, disconnects, and the rapid shutdown design. Utility interconnection is a separate approval that runs in parallel with the permit. Start at the Des Moines permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center. Phone: 515-283-4200. Address: T.M. Franklin Cownie City Administration Building (City Hall), 1200 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309.
- Plan for inspections. In Des Moines, inspectors verify the installed array against the approved plans, and some agencies run a rough check of roof attachments and penetrations while they are still exposed before the wiring and roofing close them in. The final inspection confirms rapid shutdown, disconnects, grounding, and required labels are installed correctly, and the system cannot be energized until the utility separately approves interconnection.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Permitting activity in Des Moines
In 2025, Des Moines authorized permits for 1,676 new residential housing units (221 single-family, 1,455 in multi-family buildings), valued at $410M, up from 618 the year before. That works out to about 7.9 permits per 1,000 residents.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual data · population 212,082.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a solar permit in Des Moines?
- A rooftop or ground solar array is electrical equipment, and Municipal Code Sec. 26-401 bars installing any electrical equipment in or upon a building or property without a permit from the Permit and Development Center. The city Customer Self Service portal issues a dedicated "Solar (Photovoltaic Array) Permit" type, and the city electrical panel handout notes that solar array installations are subject to its panel change-out requirements. Always confirm with the City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center before starting.
- How much does a solar permit cost in Des Moines?
- The 1-1-26 schedule has no solar-specific line; residential electrical work on existing dwellings is listed as "Electrical permit for electrical installations associated with alterations and additions to existing dwellings and accessory structures: $77.25" (City of Des Moines PDC Permit Fee Schedule, "New Fees 1-1-26"). See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a solar permit in Des Moines?
- You can apply through the Des Moines permit portal or contact the City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in Des Moines?
- Under Iowa law (Iowa Code 103.22(7); 105.11(3); 91C.1(1)(a); 103A.19(1)): Yes, with limits. The electrical licensing law does not stop an owner from doing electrical work on their own principal residence, or require a license, if the home is an existing dwelling rather than new construction, is no larger than a single-family dwelling, is not an attached apartment, and qualifies for the homestead tax credit (103.22(7)). The plumbing and mechanical licensing law has the same owner exemption for an existing single-family principal residence or farm property, also tied to the homestead credit (105.11(3)). A person working on their own property is not a contractor and need not register (91C.1). Building permit applications under the state code must be signed by the owner or the owner's authorized agent (103A.19(1)); whether an owner may pull a local building permit is otherwise set by the city or county. No state owner-builder disclosure form or resale restriction was found. Confirm how Des Moines applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Des Moines
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | When the remodel removes and replaces finishes on an entire wall or ceiling, alters... | "Renovations to dwellings: $154.50" for the building permit, plus $77.25 each for... |
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...retaining walls, swimming pools, hot tubs, and other accessory structures: $77.25"... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...alterations and additions to existing dwellings and accessory structures:... |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...alterations and additions to existing dwellings and accessory structures: $77.25"... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | Height above which a fence needs a permit for fences other than chain-link; chain-link fences need one above 4 feet | ...retaining walls, swimming pools, hot tubs, and other accessory structures: $77.25"... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...alterations and additions to existing dwellings and accessory structures:... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...alterations and additions to existing dwellings and accessory structures:... |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...retaining walls, swimming pools, hot tubs, and other accessory structures: $77.25"... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | Today: only when roof sheathing, decking or framing (rafters) is repaired or replaced | ...residential building permit lines (for example "Renovations to dwellings: $154.50")... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | Floor area of a one-story detached storage shed, playhouse or similar accessory building | "New detached sheds and garages: $180.25" (City of Des Moines PDC Permit Fee Schedule... |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...alterations and additions to existing dwellings and accessory structures: $77.25"... |
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Des Moines documents; the office above sets the local rules.
How this solar permit page for Des Moines was verified. 2 official sources: dsm.city, library.municode.com; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with City of Des Moines Development Services Department, Permit and Development Center. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page