Michigan / Ann Arbor

Solar Permit in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Permit required

Yes, a permit is required

Before installing a rooftop or ground mounted photovoltaic system, including replacement of an existing array.

Confirmed on official page Verified City of Ann Arbor Building, Rental and Inspection Services (Construction and Building), with zoning review by Planning and Development Services

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

Ann Arbor requires a permit for solar but has stripped the process down for ordinary residential rooftop systems: the expedited track needs only an electrical permit, with the application fee waived and the residential solar panel line item set to $0. Systems that do not qualify for the expedited track, including residential rooftop solar with battery storage, need an electrical permit plus a building permit plus a zoning permit, and the building permit for solar is charged on a flat scale rather than the usual percentage plan review. Commercial solar is priced by panel count. The city also publishes roof top access and ventilation requirements for solar installations.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the Ann Arbor permit portal

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?
  • Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?

When a permit is usually needed

Before installing a rooftop or ground mounted photovoltaic system, including replacement of an existing array.

What a solar permit costs in Ann Arbor

Line item
solar permitBy formulaFor expedited residential solar the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Permitting Checklist shows the electric permit basic application fee WAIVED, residential solar panels $0.00, and inspection $35.00 if applicable, with no building permit. Electrical Permit Fees (effective January 2020) confirm the residential line "Solar Panels per set of 3 panels ... $0". Non expedited residential and commercial solar also pays a building permit under the Building Permit Fees schedule (revised 7/15/2025) flat solar scale: estimated cost $0 to $10,000 is a $37.50 plan examination fee plus a $150 permit fee; $10,001 to $50,000 is $75 plus $200; over $50,000 is $100 plus $400. The building plan examination fee of 20% expressly excludes solar permits.
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How Ann Arbor compares in Michigan

No Michigan jurisdiction we have verified sets a size threshold for this permit, so what actually differs between them is the fee.

JurisdictionPermit needed?Typical fee
Ann Arborthis pagePermit requiredFor expedited residential solar the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Permitting...
DetroitPermit requiredBSEED Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2024, modified 7/18/2025, PART E...
Grand RapidsPermit requiredFY 2027 Planning, Design and Development Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026...
Sterling HeightsPermit requiredBuilding Permit Application 26-27 fee chart: 'Solar Panels' $153.00, plus the...

How to apply in Ann Arbor

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).
  • 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).
  • 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).
  • 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 Ann Arbor Building, Rental and Inspection Services (Construction and Building), with zoning review by Planning and Development Services sets the exact checklist for Ann Arbor.

Where to apply in Ann Arbor:

City of Ann Arbor Building, Rental and Inspection Services (Construction and Building), with zoning review by Planning and Development Services

  • City Hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Mailing: P.O. Box 8647, Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8647
  • Phone: 734.794.6263 ext. 0
  • Email: building@a2gov.org

Inspections and closing out your permit

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Ann Arbor permit portal or by phone at 734.794.6263 ext. 0.

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 Ann Arbor?
Ann Arbor requires a permit for solar but has stripped the process down for ordinary residential rooftop systems: the expedited track needs only an electrical permit, with the application fee waived and the residential solar panel line item set to $0. Systems that do not qualify for the expedited track, including residential rooftop solar with battery storage, need an electrical permit plus a building permit plus a zoning permit, and the building permit for solar is charged on a flat scale rather than the usual percentage plan review. Commercial solar is priced by panel count. The city also publishes roof top access and ventilation requirements for solar installations. Always confirm with the City of Ann Arbor Building, Rental and Inspection Services (Construction and Building), with zoning review by Planning and Development Services before starting.
How much does a solar permit cost in Ann Arbor?
For expedited residential solar the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Permitting Checklist shows the electric permit basic application fee WAIVED, residential solar panels $0.00, and inspection $35.00 if applicable, with no building permit. Electrical Permit Fees (effective January 2020) confirm the residential line "Solar Panels per set of 3 panels ... $0". Non expedited residential and commercial solar also pays a building permit under the Building Permit Fees schedule (revised 7/15/2025) flat solar scale: estimated cost $0 to $10,000 is a $37.50 plan examination fee plus a $150 permit fee; $10,001 to $50,000 is $75 plus $200; over $50,000 is $100 plus $400. The building plan examination fee of 20% expressly excludes solar permits. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
How long does a solar permit take in Ann Arbor?
Expedited residential 3 to 5 business days; non expedited residential and commercial 5 to 10 business days. Times can vary by workload and project scope, so confirm with the office.
Where do you apply for a solar permit in Ann Arbor?
You can apply through the Ann Arbor permit portal or contact the City of Ann Arbor Building, Rental and Inspection Services (Construction and Building), with zoning review by Planning and Development Services directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a solar permit themselves in Ann Arbor?
Under Michigan law (MCL 339.2403(b), (c); MCL 339.2401(a)(iii), (b)(ii)(A); MCL 339.5737(3)(g); MCL 339.6107(2)(d); MCL 339.5819): Yes. A Michigan homeowner may pull the building permit and do the work on their own home without a residential builder license, because the licensing article both defines the trade to exclude them and exempts them outright. MCL 339.2401(a)(iii) says a residential builder is a person that erects a residential structure except for the person's own use and occupancy on the person's property, and MCL 339.2403(b) exempts an owner of property with reference to a structure on the property for the owner's own use and occupancy. Own use and occupancy is the condition, so the exemption does not cover building to sell, and MCL 339.2403(c) limits owners of rental property to maintenance and alteration of that property. The statute sets no cap on how many times a homeowner may use the exemption; the only frequency rule in the article catches purchase, substantial rehabilitation, and resale of the same structure more than twice in 1 calendar year, and MCL 339.2401(b)(ii)(A) exempts work for the person's own use and occupancy from even that. Homeowners can also pull their own trade permits: electrical work in a single family home and accompanying outbuildings owned and occupied or to be occupied by the person doing the work (MCL 339.5737(3)(g)), their own plumbing, building sewer, or private sewer in their single-family dwelling if a permit is secured (MCL 339.6107(2)(d)), and a heating or refrigerating system if the owner affirms in the permit application that they are or will become the owner and occupant (MCL 339.5819). Confirm how Ann Arbor applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Ann Arbor

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

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Deck PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedBuilding Permit Fees (effective October 2019, revised 7/15/2025): $15 base application...
Electrical PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedElectrical Permit Fees (effective January 2020): $15 base application fee for all...
Fence PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedThe Planning Services Fence Guidelines handout (revised 3/3/2025) states a flat Fence...
HVAC PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedMechanical Permit Fees (effective July 1, 2017): $15 base application fee required for...
Patio PermitIt dependsNot specifiedNo patio specific line item is published.
Plumbing PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedPlumbing Permit Fees (effective July 1, 2017): $15 base application fee required for all...
Pool PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedBuilding Permit Fees (effective October 2019, revised 7/15/2025) carries a flat line...
Roof Replacement PermitIt dependsNot specifiedNo roofing line item is published.
Shed PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedBuilding Permit Fees (effective October 2019, revised 7/15/2025), under the Zoning...

Solar Permit in other Michigan localities

Everything above, sourced

a2gov.org: construction and buildingread
a2gov.org: p 1 permitting checklist ann arbor v4read

Code references

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

Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of Ann Arbor Building, Rental and Inspection Services (Construction and Building), with zoning review by Planning and Development Services. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: Report an error on this page

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