Do you need a solar permit in Michigan?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
- Always required
- 4
- of 4 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 0
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Solar Permit rules nationwide, beyond Michigan.
Requirements and size thresholds for solar permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Michigan county or city requires. Always confirm with the local office before starting.
Comparing states? See solar permit rules across every locality we cover.
The application steps and inspection sequence for solar permits come from the model code rather than from Michigan law, so they read the same wherever you build. We keep that walkthrough in one place: how a solar permit application and its inspections work, start to finish. What changes between Michigan jurisdictions is below: who requires a permit, what they charge, and which office you file with.
Swipe sideways to see thresholds and confidence.
| Locality | Permit required? | Typical threshold | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Detroit | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Grand Rapids | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| Sterling Heights | Yes | Any size | Confirmed on official page |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a solar permit costs in Michigan
4 Michigan jurisdictions we cover publish a fee figure for this work. Each line is quoted from that office's own schedule and linked to its citation. The figures are not comparable to one another: some are flat minimums, some a percentage of job value, some charged per fixture, so what you pay depends on which schedule applies and on your job's valuation.
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.
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BSEED Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2024, modified 7/18/2025, PART E, RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS: "E1. Solar Photovoltaic systems (per visit): Systems with NO connection to utility grid, Per visit $165; Systems with utility grid connection per inverter connection, Per visit $278." The electrical PART A Base fee of $66 applies as well.
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FY 2027 Planning, Design and Development Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, Electrical Permit Fees: "Alternative Power, first 10 KW $42.00" and "Alternative Power, ea. add'l 1 KW $4.00", charged on top of "Application (Includes 1 inspection) $52.00". The city's Application for Electrical Permit groups the same items under the heading "3. ALTERNATIVE POWER (Solar, Wind, etc.)" as "System and first 10 KW $42.00" and "Each Additional 1 KW $4.00".
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Building Permit Application 26-27 fee chart: 'Solar Panels' $153.00, plus the non-refundable $56.00 application fee. Electrical Permit Application 26-27 has its own SOLAR PANELS block: 'Up to 10 KVA' $34.00, '11 to 30 KVA' $44.00, '31 to 50 KVA' $57.00, '51 KVA or more' $69.00, plus the $55.00 non-refundable electrical application fee.
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Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.
Common questions about solar permits in Michigan
- Do I need a solar permit in Michigan?
- In most of Michigan, yes. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Michigan city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 4 Michigan jurisdictions we have verified for solar work, 4 require a permit outright, 0 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
Ready to move on your solar 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?
- Is your Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) license active, and under which business name? Verify it on aca-prod.accela.com.
Michigan's owner-builder rule (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) sets what you may do on your own home without hiring anyone. Read the statute.