Kansas / Overland Park

Solar Permit in Overland Park, Kansas

Permit required

Yes, a permit is required

Before installation.

Confirmed on official page Verified

Issued byCity of Overland Park Planning and Development Services, Building Safety Division

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

Overland Park requires a permit to install solar panels, applied for through the ePLACE portal by a contractor holding the appropriate Johnson County license (or the homeowner for their own home). The City publishes no size or system-type exemption.

Who is pulling this permit?

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?

Kansas's owner-builder rule (K.S.A. 50-6,129(a)(1), 50-6,135(b)) sets what you may do on your own home without hiring anyone. Read the statute.

When a permit is usually needed

Before installation.

What a solar permit costs in Overland Park

Line item
solar permitBy formulaDevelopment Approval and Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000 or less, a Flat Building Permit Fee of $30 ($1 - $5,000) or $50 ($5,001 - $19,000) plus a Flat Plan Review Fee of $30, "for a Total Plan Review and Permit Fee of $60 for work valued at $1 - $5,000 and $80 for work valued at $5,001 - $19,000"; above $19,000, Fee = Valuation x Permit Fee Multiplier (0.0050). Solar Retrofit Permits qualify for a fee reduction of 50% of the full permit value (fee reductions sunset 12-31-2027).
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How to apply in Overland Park

In Overland Park, 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 Overland Park, 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 Overland Park, 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 Overland Park, 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 Overland Park Planning and Development Services, Building Safety Division sets the exact checklist for Overland Park.

Where to apply in Overland Park:

City of Overland Park Planning and Development Services, Building Safety Division

Solar Permit in Overland Park compared with nearby Kansas localities

LocalityPermit needed?ThresholdWhat each Kansas schedule saysVerified
Overland ParkPermit requiredAny size...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
WichitaPermit requiredAny size...includes a 'Photovoltaic System' line item plus a Permit Issuance Fee of...

Inspections and closing out your permit

In Overland Park, 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.

  1. In Overland Park: 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).
  2. In Overland Park: 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)).
  3. In Overland Park: pV disconnecting means must be permanently marked and installed where they are readily accessible, which the inspector confirms in the field (NEC 690.13).
  4. In Overland Park: 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).
  5. In Overland Park: 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)).
  6. In Overland Park: 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 Overland Park permit portal or by phone at 913-895-6220.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a solar permit in Overland Park?
Overland Park requires a permit to install solar panels, applied for through the ePLACE portal by a contractor holding the appropriate Johnson County license (or the homeowner for their own home). The City publishes no size or system-type exemption. Always confirm with the City of Overland Park Planning and Development Services, Building Safety Division before starting.
How much does a solar permit cost in Overland Park?
Development Approval and Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000 or less, a Flat Building Permit Fee of $30 ($1 - $5,000) or $50 ($5,001 - $19,000) plus a Flat Plan Review Fee of $30, "for a Total Plan Review and Permit Fee of $60 for work valued at $1 - $5,000 and $80 for work valued at $5,001 - $19,000"; above $19,000, Fee = Valuation x Permit Fee Multiplier (0.0050). Solar Retrofit Permits qualify for a fee reduction of 50% of the full permit value (fee reductions sunset 12-31-2027). See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a solar permit in Overland Park?
You can apply through the Overland Park permit portal or contact the City of Overland Park Planning and Development Services, Building Safety Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in Overland Park?
Under Kansas law (K.S.A. 50-6,129(a)(1), 50-6,135(b)): Kansas has no statewide owner-builder statute because the state does not license general or residential contractors; whether a homeowner may pull permits is set by the local code. The one state contractor registration, for roofers, expressly exempts an owner who personally performs, or has employees perform, roofing work on the owner's own dwelling or other structures on residential or farm property the owner owns (K.S.A. 50-6,129(a)(1)). An owner acting as their own roofing contractor must still give the permit official the registration number of any registered roofing subcontractor working under the permit (K.S.A. 50-6,135(b)). Confirm how Overland Park applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Overland Park

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Bathroom Remodel PermitIt dependslike-for-like fixture and finish replacement versus new walls, new or extended circuits, or new drains, vents or ductwork...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
Deck PermitIt dependsdetached deck area; the deck must also be no more than 30 inches above grade and not serve an egress door...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
Electrical PermitPermit requiredAny size...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
EV Charger PermitPermit requiredAny sizeSee schedule
Fence PermitIt dependsnew fence over 16 feet in cumulative length; any fence in the regulatory floodway needs a permit regardless...and Permit Fees effective 08/01/2025 that is a Flat Building Permit Fee of $30 ($1...
HVAC PermitPermit requiredAny size...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
Patio PermitIt dependson-grade concrete or brick patio that supports no structure...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
Plumbing PermitPermit requiredAny size...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
Pool PermitIt dependspool, spa or hot tub depth; also triggered by more than 5,000 gallons, any in-ground installation, or a heater, lighting or hard-wired filter...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
Roof Replacement PermitIt dependsswitching from a light roof covering to a heavy one (tile or slate), or structural roof deck repairNot published
Shed PermitIt dependsfloor area of a detached accessory structure...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...
Water Heater PermitPermit requiredAny size...Permit Fees, effective 08/01/2025: for a Building Permit with work value of $19,000...

Solar Permit in other Kansas localities

Everything above, sourced

Code references

National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Overland Park documents; the office above sets the local rules.

How this solar permit page for Overland Park was verified. 1 official source: opkansas.gov; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with City of Overland Park Planning and Development Services, Building Safety Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

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